Confessions: The Ugly Duckling Stage

Hello! Welcome back for another Confessions post. Again, if you're new to my little blog, this is a weekly series where I try to share some of the behind the scenes happenings in the life of a machine quilter and attempt to clear up the confusion that exists in the quilting world. There are too many instances quilters find themselves in and even with all the books and blogs and tutorials available, a lot gets skipped over because everyone ASSUMES everyone else knows how to do everything. I'm trying to whittle my way through all of these topics and use this as an outlet to help-me-help-you. I hope that makes sense.

Today I would like to discuss the ugly duckling stage. It doesn't happen to every quilt, but most quilts... And sometimes it can happen multiple times to the same quilt.

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That statement has never been more true than in quilting. Everyone has their own style and likes and dislikes and they can change often. Quilters can experience the ugly duckling stage in different ways. Today I'm going to talk a bit about what happens on the long arm side of things.

I have been quilting a ton of custom quilts lately and I love it. It keeps me on my toes and challenged creatively and I'm always coming up with new ideas. Every once in a while a quilt will stump me for a bit, but then once I figure out the way to get my plan to work it's like magic.

With custom quilts I rarely give away my entire plan to my client beforehand or during because:
1. I may not have the entire plan yet
2. I don't like to show my secrets (sometimes I have a trick or two up my sleeve I like to hold back)
3. The plan may change and alter slightly once I actually start on the quilt (the doodles and the real life quilt can look completely different sometimes)
4. The Ugly Duckling Stage

As of late with all of these custom quilts coming, I have had a lot more requests to see pictures of the quilt "in progress" and that always makes me nervous. I know my plan. I have the vision. That's why you send me the quilts.

You don't know the plan. You don't have the vision. That's my job. And when you see the quilt "in progress" it could be in the ugly duckling stage. It's kind of like when you fix up your house and you get new furniture, but then the new furniture looks so good it makes the walls look bad and dingy and now you want to touch up the walls and paint... Same principle. With only parts of the quilt finished, it can make the unquilted areas look ick.

Usually when I do send clients pictures of their quilt "in progress" it's because it's coming along even better than I anticipated and I'm so giddy I can hardly stand it so I have to share the excitement. But the quilt isn't finished yet so some areas may be bare or still in progress too. Sometimes when this happens I have a lapse in judgment and I send off a picture so giddy to get a response. And then it happens...

I get the "I like _____ but I'm not loving ____" or "that part will get quilted and look better, right?" and nothing gets mentioned about the reason I sent the picture in the first place and my heart sinks. Truly it does. With a job like this you pour your heart and soul into these quilts - you have to have a passion for this because it shows - and sometimes getting that response knocks the wind out of my sails and then I get anxious and nervous that they don't like it and I start to second guess myself when I was so passionate about the plan I had a few minutes ago and excited for how it was turning out...

And then I don't want to work on the quilt anymore because what if they don't like it and blah blah blah. Gosh darn that ugly duckling! Seriously, there are some quilts that behind the scenes I will consult with some of my long arming friends on ideas and plans and there will be this whole nervous breakdown over the smallest detail and my clients have absolutely no idea. It's nothing against their work or their quilts, it's all part of the artistic process.

So that's when I take a break, walk away for a bit, maybe play with Maura or go grab myself an adult beverage and come back to it refreshed and relaxed. Usually that is enough to brush aside any residual anxiety and get back to work.

And you know what happens? The quilt turns out amazing, sometimes even better than I could have imagined and life goes on. Sometimes even the part that people complained about initially then becomes their favorite.

This is where the ugly duckling stage can happen in quilts too. Maybe sometimes it's a bundle of fabric that has that one piece in it you can't stand but if you take it away, the rest goes blah. Maybe it's that block you had trouble piecing and you're sick of looking at it. Maybe it's just that quilt that you don't like but you started it and you're bound and determined to finish it even if it'll kill you. Don't write off the whole project and toss it aside never to see the light of day again. Maybe, just take a small break, come back to it after a bit and try again.

If you still don't like whatever was bugging you after that break, rip it out, start over, throw it in the trash. But give it a second chance! Try to push through and get to the finish line before you officially don't like it anymore. I LOVE when clients bring me quilts that they finished and they don't like it anymore - that's my chance to help them fall in love with it all over again and realize why they started it in the first place!

Ugly ducklings don't stay ugly forever!!!

Confessions: Top v. Bottom Threads

Hello again and welcome back to another Confessions of a Long Arm Quilter post! If you are new to these little ramblings of mine, this is a weekly (I try to weekly, it doesn't always happen) series where I share a little more behind-the-scenes information about long arm quilting and try to clear up some of the confusion (or assumed knowledge) that exists out there.

So the topic of this week is threads, again. I swear I could write a novel all about threads, but I won't.

Today I'd like to discuss choosing different colored threads on the top and the back of the quilt and what works and what doesn't. Now, this may be a little short and sweet in comparison to the vast amounts of options and possibilities available in today's marketplace, so to begin let's just assume you all use your brand of choice thread, use the same weight top and bottom, and work in solids. It's an easier place to start.

Oh, and yes you can use different colors from the top to the back of the quilt and if a quilter says you can't, think about running because if they don't have a good reason why... It means they don't like adjusting their tension and whatever happens happens. I do have one scenario myself that I "break this rule" but I'll explain later.

If you think about any color of thread, you have lights, mediums and darks. Just take a look at my thread cubby:

The perfect example for this arrangement are the tans/browns in the bottom center compartment. Dark, medium and light. If you try to use different color threads, the two colors still have to be somewhat close. You can use a light and a medium. You can use a medium and a dark. But not ever a light and a dark. It just doesn't work.

Even if your tension is perfect, with too contrasting threads, it will look horrible. Trust me, I learned the hard way. Think about it this way - the act of sewing is essentially tying a knot perfectly in the center of multiple layers of fabrics and batting as you punch holes through those layers for those knots to lie. Naturally the hole from the needle will be slightly larger than the thread and this is how you can see (or not see) tension issues. Ideally you'd like to see one thread on one side and the other on the opposite side without any little pops here or there. If the threads are too contrasting one of those threads will overpower the other visually and swallow it whole.

Common offenders of being too powerful (or not powerful enough) are black, red, and white. Actually the whole reason for this post today was someone in a group online asking about how they could use white and black threads and make it work. The obvious unanimous answer was no way possible will it work.

Following the dark to medium rule from above I tend to use black with dark grey, but I can also branch into other colors like dark brown, navy blue, purples, maybe a burgundy (maybe depending on the actual colors). With red I can go a bit darker into a maroon or burgundy, lighter into a magenta pink, or into other similar colors like oranges and browns. And finally white is usually good with other creams and light tans, but you can branch out into certain pastels as long as they're not too bold - like lilac or light blues may be too bold to go with white.

I hope this all makes sense. I guess a good test to see if it'll work is to take the two threads and wrap them around each other - then take a step back and look at them from a distance, a few feet or so. If you can still distinguish the two colors, it's probably not going to work. If the threads seem to melt together and you can't tell one from the other, you're good to go. It always helps to keep different threads in common color families like blue and green, pink and purple, red and orange, etc.

Alrighty, I did say I have one way to break the rules and this is it - BATIKS... I love batiks but sometimes they are a pain in my backside to quilt through. Especially unwashed batiks. The way batiks are made, and with the demand these days, there is a starch part of the printing process but it doesn't always seem to be as washed out these days. You ever purchase batiks and it looks like there's dried boogers on your fabric? Yeah, that's the excess starch. Anywho, you can hear a difference when you sew with batiks. Sometimes it can sound like you're sewing through paper. If there's a lot of excess starches and with the denser weave, it can be hard to stitch through.

Now imagine two layers of unwashed batiks plus batting... Almost nothing will dull the needles on my machine faster. Sometimes the action of sewing "punches" through the fabrics like paper (or better yet drilling through wood) where there's a visible tuft of punched fabric on the backside of the quilt. Kinda like those dang chads from voting back in the day. Or if you've ever worked with wood and the side you're drilling through has a jaggedy ridge. Same principle here.

In this case I like to use the same thread top and bottom as much as possible. It's not always possible, but I try. What that jaggedy ridge does at times is hold the knot of the thread on the one side of the quilt. The fabric lost it's ability to give/breathe and essentially give the knot a place to live. Again, it may not be across the entire fabric, but just in spots where the starches are more prevalent, but it looks awful when it happens and there's not much you can do. Some people will say try using a bigger needle, but if it's the wrong needle for the thread you're using, you're possibly creating another issue to fix an issue. Say you chopped off a finger, you're not going to chop off another finger to replace the first one and expect it to solve everything, right?

Now unwashed batiks on just one layer of a quilt are fine (usually). If they're in both the top and the back, I almost always try to use the same thread top and bottom. At the end of the day it's my work that I have to be happy with too and I know I may not be able to get the results I'm capable of with contrasting threads. I am my own worst critic (I hope) and if I'm not happy with the results, why should my client be?

Last little detail that could use it's own post but I'll touch on it briefly here. If you're trying to use different color threads in different weights, I have the best luck with the heavier thread on top and the thinner thread in the bobbin. The bobbin allows for a little more flexibility in the quilting process and less adjustments are needed. It's not a fool proof method, but it also relies heavily on the threads your machine is willing to accept as well as the project you're working on.

There are so many variables in quilting that some days it can make your head spin, but when it's all perfect - you can hear angels singing!

Does this post clarify thread choices for you? Do you have any questions or scenarios I haven't mentioned? Are there any other quilting topics you'd like discussed in this series? Let me know! Comment below or email me at rubybluequilts (at) gmail (dot) com! Honestly there's so many topics to discuss and so many conversations to have that some weeks I don't know where to start...

Confessions: It Happened Again

This is a little revisit of this previous post. I was quilting along the other day, about to finish another quilt and I sewed my long arm into the quilt... So I took pictures to share here:

 How did this happen? Well, it wasn't a hole to begin with, but a very teeny tiny seam allowance was trying to hold these fabrics together. Literally it was hanging on by a thread or two. The added tension of the machine about to move over it was enough for the seam allowance to give and the hopping foot found the new hole and stitched itself right into place.

This is what it looked like when I brought the needle up. There were about 7 or 8 stitches in there holding the machine in place. It took me about 20 minutes to undo because it's so hard to get in where you need to with the machine in the way. Plus, you want to take out only what is needed without doing any further damage. Easier said than done!

So to repeat myself until I'm blue in the face - PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not give your quilter a quilt top with a hole in it that you know of and PLEASE use the proper 1/4" seam allowances to avoid situations like above.

Sorry for the delayed post this week - Maura is pulling herself up on everything and starting the "Look Ma, one hand" with that look in her eye she wants to try no hands... That and the Hubby had to go into work extra early (like 3am early) which means a broken night of sleep for everyone and no time for Momma to blog. I try and write the blogs early in spare time here or there but earlier this week was some crazy time in the kitchen - My S-I-L asked my Hubby if we wanted a few tomatoes - she sent home a couple dozen so an impromptu day of simmering tomato sauce was in order. Then I asked Hubby to grab some apple seconds to make applesauce... He came home with a 1/2 bushel and two full crock pots later and two apple pie fillings in the freezer, I am finally through all of the apples! I was beginning to think he bought the Mary Poppins bag of apples and they were multiplying when I wasn't looking!

If you want to know my applesauce recipe, you can find it here.

Anywho, that's what we have been up to here. I hope you're enjoying all of the quilting pictures, I still have a lot of catching up to do! Gotta go feed the munchkin breakfast. Apples it is! Lol

Confessions: Embellishments and Extras

Hello all! This post is a tad late and may be a bit short because my just barely 6-month-old is CRAWLING!!! She is now mobile and I'm trying to type this really quick while she naps.

So today I am discussing embellishments. Extras. Stuff not normally found on a quilt. Nothing you want to cuddle up with usually. Just saying. Seriously, they poke, they prod, they're not comfy. At all.

Why did I choose to talk about this today? Well folks, it's because long armers dread them. With a passion. There are quilts I can't even think about loading onto my machine because of all sorts of "stuff".

There are things I don't mind like buttons for eyes or thicker stitches with a pearl cotton or similar thread around appliques and such...

There are also items that make me scratch my head and ask, "Why?"

Here's the short and simple of it. Ask your quilter first BEFORE you add anything extra to a quilt you want them to long arm for you.

The reasoning is simple. There's only so much room for the quilt layers between the machine and hopping foot. Sometimes that isn't enough room for all the layers AND the extras.

Also and this is the big one - if you didn't ask ahead of time, point out EVERY extra you added because if they don't find it (which they won't), the machine will and it may damage both your quilt and the long arm. Basically it's a disaster in the worst way possible. Think about it, put a button or a pin or a loose flange or some piping and don't say anything, then the quilter loads the quilt and takes their machine across the top to get started and it snags the "extra" and the damage is done before you know it. It's so easy with the momentum of the machine to snag something and drag it and rip the quilt. It can happen in an instant. I've heard horror stories of this exact thing happening with a computerized machine that was left unattended and the quilter came back to find a giant hole ripped into the quilt.

So what is the best option? It really depends on what extra you want to add. I always tell my clients to call me with any questions and we can talk it over beforehand. Some buttons and things have to be added prior to quilting - in that case I just can't quilt close to them. I can get as close as possible, but not right on top of it. Otherwise if it can be added after the quilting, always add it after if it doesn't matter (like with a wall hanging where nobody will ever see the back and see the extra stitches).

I recently just had a client that wanted to add prairie points to the outside of the quilt between the quilt and the binding. Luckily she mentioned it and she hadn't stitched them on the quilt top yet. With something like prairie points, they add both bulk and a snag possibility to the quilt. Also, one of the most important details for a long armer - we have to be able to quilt up to and off the edge to give you the best results possible. It's what keeps the foundation of the quilt as we work and keeps the shape and tension for the best quilting results. Anything that interferes with the edge of the quilt should be kept off until after quilting. Again any extra details you wish to add to enhance the binding should normally be left off prior to quilting and added when the binding is being stitched on.

What's the weirdest embellishments I've come across in my quilting career you ask? Well, let me tell you! The items that stand out the most were picture frames made of a thick ribbon that were hot-glued onto a quilt top... There were also these butterflies that were 3D-ish - they were adhered with a really small version of the plastic things that hold price tags onto clothes. I wasn't made aware of it and it tickled my arm as I was quilting and I about crapped my pants. True story. What else, I'm sure there's more... Hhhhhmmmmm there was that one with sheer fabric attached to another fabric to change the color but it was attached with spray adhesive (also a big no-no - nothing sticky that can gum up a needle. It's one of the quickest ways to ruin a quilt). There are so many more but I've pushed many of those details into the recesses of my brain.

I'd say the most common "thing" I run across are appliques adhered with iron-on glues like Heat-n-Bond. There are times where several layers are too thick to quilt through or where the glue is rock hard and can damage the needle which can set off a domino effect of troubles for the quilt machine. I've actually had the timing screwed up on my machine so bad I had to immediately take in my machine to get fixed because it locked up from appliques that were done so yucky (yes I said yucky, I wanted to say something much much worse, but you get the point).

Always always always ask your quilter before adding anything you wouldn't normally put on a quilt. If you have any doubts, just ask. I'd rather take a million phone calls checking about details than have to quilt one more disaster. I even have clients bring me pieces of quilt tops to run their ideas past me before they go any further to make sure it'll work. Don't always assume because you pieced it on your machine that I can finish it on mine. They work totally different.

Ooooo, and that brings up a good point. If you had trouble stitching through just the quilt top (say with thick layers of appliques), imagine how hard my machine is going to struggle with that AND two more thicker layers. My machine is strong, but...

So that's the topic for today. I'm sure I'm not the only quilter to run into these "things" and please do not be the person to deliver a disaster to your local quilter. Again, I cannot stress enough the fact to talk to your quilter if you have any questions. The best time to ask is before you hit the "point of no return". Your quilter will thank you. Trust me.

Confessions: Random Thoughts on Thread and How to Make Your Quilter Love You

I should also add to that it's not only how to make your quilter love you, but how to avoid making your quilter cuss you out under their breath. But back to that in a minute.

I'm enjoying this little series and it seems you are too. Thank you again for the kind comments and emails. That's actually kinda how I got today's topic.

I actually got my other threads in that I ordered and updated my cubby. It's all pretty much the same, but I think I have a bit more of a well-rounded rainbow now. The new threads are the three the arrows are pointing to.

One of the questions or comments was what brand everyone was using. That was not why I wrote that post but I should note that what works in my machine may not work in yours. And what works in your machine may not work in mine. Threads are goofy like that. Seriously if you are having all sorts of issues with a project and it's a new thread you're trying, it may just be the thread.

I honestly found this thread, found I can use it for just about everything I need thread for (about 90% of what I do) and I quit looking. I'm sure there's other brands that would work and other colors to try, but this is what works for me and I like it simple. Don't fix what ain't broken. Plus you could spend a small fortune trying each and every thread available out there. It may not be the best solution, but it's what works for me.

So onto today's random thoughts on thread. These aren't anything hard or complex, but they're so simple they get overlooked and can drive long arm quilters insane.

The main reason we got on this topic was another quilter commenting about piecing threads. Specifically contrasting threads (her version was white thread with navy fabric). Please don't use super contrasting threads when piecing if you can help it. Sometimes you have to use what you have, like say in a scrappy quilt. You've got every color from white to black and everything in between - use what you can. My choice is a light tan/off white for most of my piecing.

But if you're piecing all dark fabrics together, use a gray or a brown or a darker thread. Granted your stitches aren't supposed to show from the front of the quilt, but it happens and it stands out when the thread doesn't match. It doesn't take much pull for threads to show sometimes.

Now, I'm guilty of this when I'm piecing bindings together or border pieces, but I'm usually on a tight deadline and don't honestly have the time to switch my threads every time. That's why I stick with a light tan. It works both ways. It's not too dark and not too light. It's like the Goldilocks of thread.

The alternate fiasco what happens if your threads are too dark (say black thread with white fabrics), it'll look like there is a pencil line or a chalk line (if you used a colored thread like red) that won't go away. This one shows up in the quilts I finish a lot and sadly it's just a seam or two on a really pretty intricate quilt that must've taken forever to piece and the only thing I can stare at is that unruly thread in the one seam. It's usually in a border or some really big area that makes it stand out even more.

Your safest colors to piece with are in the white to tan to gray tones. Keep it neutral and keep a small variety so you have what you need for anything that you may be working on.

What else drives us quilters absolutely batty? Bias edges and unlocked stitches. Your quilts are going to be handled a bunch during the piecing process and prior to quilting. They will get beat up whether you try to prevent it or not. The best thing you can do is lock the stitches especially at the ends of seams at the edges of the quilt. I honestly lock almost every seam that I can. It's just a good habit to get into (you never know what seam may end up at the edge of a quilt if there's no borders). How do you lock a seam, when you start and right before you stop each seam, take a couple reverse stitches and then keep on stitching. That's it.

Sometimes just being handled enough to be measured and then put on the quilt frame is enough for some edge seams to start to unravel and it's not pretty. If you can't lock stitches because your quilt will be trimmed down, like in paper piecing for example, keep reading and treat the edges like they are bias edges.

Also, your quilter will LOVE you if you have bias edges around your quilt and you "stay stitch" the edges. This is where you stitch about 1/8" from the edge of the quilt all the way around. It doesn't sound like much but it keeps the quilt from fraying and stretching out of square. It takes just a few extra minutes and the results will be worth it. Just keep the stitching inside the outer 1/4" so they don't show when you put on the binding. Bias is a four letter word for a reason. No joke.

And last but not least for my random thoughts on threads - please Please PLEASE DO NOT give your quilter a top with a hole in the seam. Don't hand it to me and say, "there's a hole in the top, it's okay I put a safety pin where it is and I'll fix it when I get it back." NEVER do this. It will almost send you quilter into a psychotic rage and yes it has happened to me more times than I care to admit. Outside I think (or I hope) I was smiling, but on the inside I could not think of enough four letter words in my brain. Just keeping it real here.

Here's what you may not know. My quilting machine can be going along all nice and dandy and it will inevitably find a hole whether you mention it or not. And if you don't mention it, I will find it the hard way after my machine will have stitched itself to your quilt. This is by far my worst nightmare that I have encountered. When the machine is stitched to the quilt, I have to take out the stitches without doing more damage to the quilt and try not to damage the machine. No machine = no quilting. Plus I have less room to work in and the machine is always in the way but I can't move it because it is literally stitched to the quilt. It can happen in just a few stitches and it can take half an hour to get it all undone. Or more. And it's a nightmare. Did I mention it only takes a few seconds usually to prevent this from happening? Please take the time to fix a hole if you know it's there.

I honestly know I have a picture of this somewhere and I will find it and share it soon. Or it'll happen again and I will take a picture then and show you what a nightmare it is. It's nasty and I don't like it at all. Plus it always makes me nervous that it'll screw up my machine and again, broken machine = no quilting.

So those are my random thoughts for the day. It's a bunch of little things but they all add up to big issues if not handled correctly for your quilter. If you have any questions, comment below and I will get back to you or you can always email me at rubybluequilts (at) gmail (dot) com.

More quilt pictures are coming and come back next week for another confession. What will be next? Backings, loading quilts onto the machine, something you have a question about... We shall see!

Confessions: Thread

Thank you all so much for the kind comments and emails about the first Confessions post. It's so nice to know that you're not alone on this wonderful-yet-sometimes-intimidating journey. It's also great to know that the quilters you look up to feel the exact same way as you do. We are all human and quilting in general is one of those goofy careers where it's being invented as you go sometimes and there's no college course or manual to tell you how it should be. Granted there are books and patterns and classes and tutorials - but there's also a million other ways to get a similar result with quilting. It's not a science. It's not black and white. It's what works best for each and every single person and that's where it gets intimidating - we can't all measure ourselves against one another no matter how much we (or our subconscious) wants to. Once you realize the only person you're competing against is who you were yesterday - the better off (and more relaxed) you'll be.

So, onto the actual topic for today - threads. We all use them. We all have them. But why do so many of us use them the wrong way??? Or maybe not wrong, but not the best way...

Here's my threads. The cones in the shelving cubby are the threads I use for everything. When there's still some left but not enough to use for quilting, they go in the bin on the floor and I use them for bindings. The small threads in the printer's tray at the top are some of my Hubby's Grandma's threads on wooden spools and some small spools that I've gotten through the years, some hand quilting threads, thread samples, some for small applique projects and such. Basically at this moment they mostly live up there and look pretty.

This isn't a post about this brand or that brand and comparing the differences in sizes and materials. This is simply about color and where most of my clients go wrong from the beginning. And bad habits are hard to break.

First things first. Let's get something straight. There are thousands upon thousands of colors of fabrics. Just walk into any quilt shop and take a look at the shelves and displays. Now, with thread... there's maybe at best a couple hundred colors. I know that sounds like a lot, but once you break it down between your whites, greys, tans, blacks, and ROYGBIVs, then break it down between pastels, lights, dusty colors, darker hues and brights - there's not much room for much else. Again look at the thread options at any quilt shop versus the options of fabrics...

Take a look. This is the thread I use for everything (piecing, quilting, binding, the whole shebang). These are the colors they offer. Many of the colors are very close so it doesn't make sense to have them all and there are gaps sometimes in the colors you are looking for. Fabric colors and trends change faster than the threads are able to catch up. So what's a girl to do?

Well, this is what I have. You want to use the threads to "go" with the fabrics. NOT MATCH. You don't want to get too matchy matchy. You can drive yourself bonkers (and spend a small fortune while you're at it) trying to match threads. I have a range of white to cream to tan to brown and I use these the most. Seriously, I order them sometimes 4 cones at a time. Then I have a range of colors with some lights and some darks but it truly depends on what my clients are bringing me. I never know what will show up at my doorstep. The colors you work most in may be different in your area following the trends and the vibe of your clients interests.

I did just order a couple more oranges and a medium blue to round out some colors for a super rainbow quilt that I'm getting ready to work on. But honestly I've been quilting now for several years and this range of colors has gotten me quite far. You do not need to have every single color available. Plus some colors like purple for example, are hard to match well because they change color. They can easily be too grey or too blue or too bright for what you need. I try to have some "middle ground" colors and it seems to work for me.

The colors I personally use the most are the bottom 5 on the right, the light pink (top row 4th from the left) and the light blue (center row in the middle). In the actual order I use them the most would probably be Pearl (#402 the off-white), Cashew (#405 the darker tan), Brown Sugar (#425 medium brown in the center), Snow (#401 the white white), and then the others. I definitely use these colors the most. They just work so well so much of the time.

Now, that we have the fact-of-the-matter out there that there may not be threads available to match specifically to your fabric, but I may have something close that goes - let's talk about how the threads are used in the quilt.

I think the single biggest misconception with quilting is that the thread needs to stand out in order for the quilting to show up more. ROOKIE MISTAKE. For your quilting to stand out and show the best, the thread should actually BLEND IN with your fabrics.

Think about it this way. You want to look at a quilt, see the quilt first, the quilting second and the thread color last. Everything should work well in perfect harmony to enhance each other as a whole.

If you have a contrasting thread, you'll notice the thread first, the quilting next and the quilt last. You don't want your quilt to play second fiddle. If that was the goal then why make it in the first place? Plus, by using a contrasting thread each and every little mistake will stand out soooo much as contrasting thread emphasizes each imperfection in the quilting.

There are exceptions to every rule and some "famous" quilters are known for using contrasting threads. But they've had years and years of practise so they know how to hide their mistakes (if they make any at all). You can break the rules more when you've worked hard for years and proven that you have the skills to not necessarily break the rules, but create your own set of rules. I hope that makes sense.

Granted I have some clients that love color and want their thread to stand out. At the end of the day it is their quilt and I will do what they want, but I will voice my opinion if I don't think it's the best result we can achieve together. Why is that? Well, it's their quilt but it's my name on the quilting and I don't want to put out only "okay" quilting. If my heart isn't into the quilt, the quilting will reflect that and I only want to do the best I can do. I'm not good with just getting it done. Now the thread is only a small element in the grand scheme of quilting, but it can play a big role if it's not chosen wisely.

Also, there are times no matter what thread you choose, it IS going to stand out SOMEWHERE on the quilt. A perfect example of this are scrappy quilts or yellow and navy blue quilts. Really anything with a high contrast. If you're only choosing one thread, choose something in the middle if you can. This way it won't be too dark on the lights and it won't be too light on the darks.

But at the end of the day sometimes you just gotta lay that thread on the quilt and take a look. There are days where the best choice is the color I didn't think would work at all. Sometimes if it's a weird color like a salmon (pink makes the salmon look orange, orange makes it look pink) I will lay a couple threads on the fabric in question and take a look at it over a period of time. I try to look at it several times throughout the day as the light changes to see if that alters how the combination plays together.

Oh, and last little tidbit - do not, I repeat DO NOT, bully your quilter into ordering a new thread just for you and your little tiny quilt if they don't think they can use it again. If they haven't needed it this far, that neon magenta obviously hasn't been a high request. If you're giving them a super custom king size quilt where it seems to be the only option. That's one thing. But for a baby quilt... Come on now. Be respectful. And yes I'm speaking from experience on this one.

So, that's a lot of talk about thread and where does this leave you? Well if you're a quilter, don't waste your money on every single color of thread available. If you're giving your quilts to a quilter to finish, trust your quilter and their judgement. This is their job and if you don't trust their judgement, they shouldn't be touching your quilt in the first place.

Oh, and if you noticed I really don't have variegated threads, yeah, that's for another post. Let's just leave it with I have a love/hate relationship with variegated threads...

Keep the conversation going in the comments. Let me know what you think about this post, this series and what else you'd like to know more about. Also, you can always email me at rubybluequilts (at) gmail (dot) com. I love reading your emails and sharing stories with you! Come back next week for another post in the Confessions series.

Phew, it feels so good to get some of this out there!

Confessions: Stockholm Syndrome

Confessions. My confessions. I think it's about time I start a little series about the truths we long arm quilters face that not-so-many people realize. Some of the topics may be surprising, some may not. Some may be informative, some routine, and others may seem judgmental and I swear that's not the goal with this little series - there's just some things that need to be said and I'm one of those people that I know how to better approach things when I know the mechanics of it. 

What makes it work? Why do you do it that way? What goes on in the "behind the scenes"? 

Well, I'm going to attempt to share that with you. And please, if you have a question about long arming (specifically long arming for this series, but send me other quilting questions if you have them and I will address them in another format) send them my way. Comment here or email me at rubybluequilts (at) gmail (dot) com. I hope to share topics like how the quilts are loaded and why (which is how backings are pieced is so important), what goes into the designing, using multiple threads in a quilt, tools long armers use, etc. 

Honestly I think a series like this will help all quilters whether you send out your quilts to be quilted, whether you quilt your own, or if you haven't had any finished yet and are looking into options. It'll give a different perspective of knowledge that isn't normally shared. And that's just wrong. 

Also if I don't start a blog series or get out of my kitchen I'm going to make so much baby food Maura will never have a chance to eat it all. Seriously I'm addicted to making baby food and Maura is eating like a champ, but I'm running out of freezer space!!!

Okie dokie, so the topic for today - Stockholm Syndrome. What is it?

Well, basically Stockholm Syndrome is where people have been kidnapped and once freed, they sympathize for and actually miss their captors. I have a version of that while quilting and it happens a lot lately. 

When I experience Quilting Stockholm Syndrome, it's usually with the crazy custom quilted show quilts that need a lot of time and attention. Sometimes I start the planning even before I get the quilt (if I get pictures emailed my way). Then once I have the quilt in my hands and see the scale and the colors and the textures I really jump into the design process. 

Designing the quilting once I have the quilt can take minutes, hours, days, or weeks. It all depends on the quilt and how crazy we are going to get with the quilting. Either that or if it's a style that's out of my element (Asian quilts do it for me every time), something unexpected (a Christmas quilt in March - your brain just shuts off certain holidays at points throughout the year), or the client has requests that I just don't know how to accomplish at the time, it may take longer than normal. 

Alas, once we have the design it's time to load up the quilt and get started. Honestly sometimes the design isn't completely finished once the quilt gets loaded onto the machine but you just load it and hope inspiration comes to you as you work on the other areas. 

And that's when it happens. 

The quilt is now loaded. There's no going back. You have to start and you give yourself a mental pep talk of "I can do this". Before quilting you have an idea in your head of how far you want to get the first day and how long the quilt should take...

Then you work for an hour and life is good. The quilting is turning out just how you thought it would or better, you're in the groove and you got this...

And then by hour two you're over it and you can't help but think "when is it ever going to end???"

That's how it goes almost every. single. time. 

It's nothing against you or your quilt or the plan in place. It's the mind of a creative going through the motions of a project. It's like the 5 stages of grief or a 12 step program. You have to go through all the motions and dread and fear is a big one. Sometimes I have this feeling even with a small quilt. I know it'll take me a couple hours to load it, quilt it and unload it, yet 15 minutes in I can't shake the feeling of "when will it be over?". 

And then before you know it your find your groove again and the quilting is magical. Once you see a milestone you get refreshed. 

It could be the halfway point, the quilt isn't touching the floor anymore, time to switch threads, something, but that sense of dread is long gone. 

Now things are flying by, the quilting is happening so much faster than it did in the beginning and now it's time for Stockholm to set in. 

You realize the quilt is almost done. You've spent so much time and energy working on this wonderful project and it's almost over and you don't want it to end. Even worse, you have to give it back to it's owner and that just breaks your heart. Granted it's part of the job. Okay, it IS the job, but you want to hold onto it for just a little more. 

And then it gets packed up and sent on it's way and you are heartbroken like a Mom sending her kid to camp for the first time. You're so proud and so sad all at the same time. 

But then for us quilters it's onto the next project and the cycle starts all over again. 

I can't tell you how many clients I call and say, "Your quilt is done but I don't want to give it back". It's probably the single hardest element of this job. I can always come up with designs - it may take me awhile, but I can always get the job done in that aspect. Getting used to the idea of sending your hard work away and you'll probably never ever see it again - that part is always hard. 

So please understand that we "adopt" your quilts when you send them to us and we treat them just as we would our own (or a quilter should and if they don't, don't go back!). If you don't get the feeling that your quilt is as appreciated and cared for just like you would, that quilter is not the quilter for you. Your quilter should be heartbroken every time they give your quilts back. Like I said, it's part of the process. 

Ask your long armer. I'm sure they'll agree! 

Disclaimer * There are those rare few quilts that are just hard and difficult and you cannot wait to give them back and never see them again. It happens too, but on a much much smaller scale. And usually the quilter knows and warns us when one it to be expected. It could be a badly written pattern or tutorial they followed or a fabric that just gave them fits. Not every quilt is perfect but when it was started and the time and effort went into finishing that beast, you sometimes just want it done and gone and out of your way too and we quilters get that! 

Sssoooo, what do you think? My fellow long armers, do you agree? My quilting friends, does this surprise you? 

I will try to be back next Wednesday with another topic and we shall go from there. There's much to discuss and much to explore!