Machine Quilting: Flying Geese

Nancy is this super sweet lady that brought me this quilt to work my magic on. The second I saw it, my mind started racing and I couldn't wait to get started!

 This was Nancy's first time making Flying Geese and she went at it with gusto! What I was told was she just went into her scraps and kept sewing and making rows with no pattern or anything, just kept sewing and laying it out until it felt right.

I had this idea to quilt in some "phantom" geese in the less dense areas of the quilt to add in a little pop of something and balance out the quilting. Trust me, when I see this much background I can't wait to jump in and play. This much negative space is truly like a playground to a long arm quilter.

 Here you can see the "phantom" geese I quilted in a bit better. There's a small grouping at the top center of the picture and another small group just above my logo at the edge of the quilt.

 Here's an even better shot! All of the geese were quilted the same, the actual pieced geese and the "phantom" ones alike. Then I just filled in the background with swirls. When the swirls are quilted this densely and fill such a large area, they act as texture and not another element. It's a great pattern to fill in awkward areas like working in and around these flying geese and soften the lines and points of the overall feel of the piecing.

 I just can't get enough. I really want to make a quilt like this now.

 I had several clients swing by while I had this quilt on the frame. Each and every single one stopped dead in their tracks and drooled over this quilt. It's so funny because when Nancy brought it to me I had the same reaction and she was playing it cool with a "Oh you mean this old thing? It's just something I threw together" attitude.

I just wish you all could see the smile on her face when she saw it! I love my job!

The quilting really stands out on the back of the quilt too, especially since Nancy chose a simple white on white print. You can see the "stained glass window effect" from the sun shining through the quilt to the back in the top half or so of this picture.

I really enjoy working on quilts like this (if you couldn't tell already) where the design holds up from the front to the back and it becomes almost two quilts. You can flip it over from time to time and use it as a whole cloth quilt if you'd like!

Well, Nancy, I had such a blast working on this quilt and I can't wait to see what you work on next!

Machine Quilting: Duplicate but Different

It happens a lot. I mean A LOT. Several ladies that bring me quilts make the same quilt over and over and over. And let me start by saying there's nothing wrong with that! I'm not complaining if that's what you're thinking...

What I'm trying to say is many people have their go-to pattern. And then they make it several times but maybe in different colors or similar-almost fabrics. You know what I'm talking about - the quilts you make for grandkids or siblings that want the same thing as everyone else, but theirs has to be better than everyone else's at the same time... God forbid you put a snazzy border on so-and-so's quilt when you didn't on this one...

I LOVE getting quilts like this for a few different reasons:

1) I'm already familiar with the quilt and how it's been constructed.
2) Since I'm familiar with it, I've already thought over different ideas on how to quilt it before
3) And finally I'm familiar with it, I've thought it over AND I've already worked my way through the quilt. That way I already know what former ideas would and would not work and why.

That's why these quilts are duplicate but different. Make it the same, but not the same. Similar yet unique. This challenges me creatively and I love it.

 Now, if this quilt looks familiar to you, you have seen two other versions in this post and this post. It's more similar to the first post trying to emphasize the flowers... But rather than several different colors, this version used a monochromatic-ish color scheme.

 I really wanted to use my Quick Curve Ruler Sidekick and came up with the idea for the curved lines in the petals first. I kept the same outlines and swirls in the background to make this similar to the first quilt. Plus it works so well!

 For the life of me I couldn't think of what to use in the center of the flowers... I thought and pondered and thought some more. I was dumbfounded when I thought about using the dahlia flower in the center of the flower petals. It was too perfect.

Each of the blocks were created improv style so nothing is the same. With the dahlia pattern in the center, it's easily stretchable to fit the uneven spaces and still gives a finished and completed look.

 I started with my favorite So Fine Pearl thread for the swirls in the cream fabric. Then I switched to my go-to pale blue thread, So Fine's It's A Boy, and used the blue for the flowers. The pearl would have been too stark, but the two colors are so pale, you really don't notice the difference unless you really look up close.

 All in all, this quilt turned out amazing just like the other two... or was that three ;)

 Here's how the backing turned out. I love how you can see each and every detail and even though the pieces are separate, they work together so well.

Some of you have asked in the past how I come up with these designs. Well, my trusty Magna Doodle is the key. The most important tip when quilting isn't thinking about what you're doing right now - it's where you are going next. Kinda like driving a car. You need to know where you are driving to, but you look ahead while you're driving. You don't stare at the road right in front of the car.

To try and quilt these blocks as easily as possible in the space I could (they're quite large and I didn't want to stretch too far), I split the blocks in half and figured out where to start and which direction to go in for each half. If you look at my doodle, the 'X' marks the start position and then I just follow the arrows. First I outlined the block to mark the 1/4" line (it can be tricky to visualize on some sharp angles). Then I quilted half of the dahlia in the center of the flower before I could finally fill in the flower petals. This little doodle helped me to see which direction the curve should be in for each petal and kept me on track.

I prop up the Magna Doodle right in my line of sight behind the machine so I can always glance up and check my notes if need be. Some other quilters use a tablet or a dry-erase board. I like the Magna Doodle for the no mess part, but sometimes I wish it were a bit bigger. It depends on the quilt I'm working on and how many details I need to jot down.

Machine Quilting: Large Flowers

When Bobette dropped this quilt off, I thought I was on candid camera. It had to be a joke...

 You see... Bobette does primitive cozy quilts. Not batiks... Not brights... Not large flowers. It honestly stumped me on how to quilt this since it was out of her normal box. I wasn't exactly sure on how to tackle it so I consulted a friend and luckily we were both on the same page so I got to work.

It just took a bit... I honestly loaded the quilt and sat there for a couple hours staring at it trying to come up with a game plan. Well, once I got going, I was on a roll!

 This is probably one of the most modern impromtu style quilts that has strolled across my machine. And to match it's personality, this is probably one of the most modern quilting designs to spring from my fingertips.

 Each of the flowers were outlined and filled in with lines in the petals and pebbles for the center. Then the background was filled with swirls to be a texture and an opposing design to the flowers.

 It really turned out quite striking!

I love how this one looked from the back. This fabric had a very minimal print to it so it read more as a solid and with contrasting yellow thread, it looked amazing!!! I think all in all, it was a success all around.

This was definitely one of those times where I wish I had a secret camera to get Bobette's reaction when she saw the quilt for the first time! It was priceless!

Thank you, Bobette! As always, it was a pleasure to work on your quilt!!!

Machine Quilting: Geometric Quilt

As you could probably tell, the most common type of quilt I finish for others would probably be considered "traditional". Granted there are a few quilts of other styles that I have finished through the years, but not like this one:

 Angela found this quilt in a magazine and thought it would be perfect to hang in her office. She made it just like the sample with the same colors and wanted the quilting to match too.

 I had never quilted something so modern before, but it was fun! These little wavy lines went down the entire quilt and amazingly softened the look of the quilt without taking away from the impact of the squares.

Quilts with large pieces like this are very hard to keep square and true, but Angela did a great job! Many rulers aren't that big to fit the entire piece and the more you fold and manipulate the fabric, the more it can be "off". This quilt was nice and flat and should hang beautifully.

Thanks, Angela! I hope you enjoy your quilt!