Travelling blocks

The eventual owners of these two blocks will be very pleased to know that they are completed.  One is going to join 29 other blocks from the United States and Japan to make a pretty 1930's quilt.  The other one will be winging its way to America to be adorned with applique during the "Baltimore on the Plains" Retreat.  Lucky Block  almost wish I was going, but I have the Australian Machine Quilting Festival in adelaide instead.

I entered these three quilts in EKKA, in the Quilts Across Queensland category. Judging was today so on a whim I went onto the website tonight and the results were already up.            SewToisPas a collaborative effort quilt between Gail Chalker (applique), Susan Harris (piecing) and myself (curved piecing and NY Beauty  and machine quilting) won first place in its category.

The Towoomba Quilters Club Inc raffle quilt was in the same category and it gained a second place.  Shara's Bouquet my third quilt gained second place in the applique category and I say I don't applique!  Might have to rethink that saying!

Issues in Quilts

When a quilt top is put together  that has bias edges sewn to a straight  edge often there can be extra fabric in the straight edge block due to errors in measuring. All those bias edges and seams that are opening up just a little, then measuring at the edge not from the middle! All four corner squares of this lone star had similar amounts of extra fabric to contend with.

This quilt was finished by members from Toowoomba Quilter's Club Inc for a member who could no longer sew due to medical problems.

After giving the corners a generous spray with a spritz of rainwater and then  drying them with a steam iron there was still  extra fabric to contend with.  As I was quilting all the cream fabrics first I heavily pinned the dark border and the star to keep them as square as possible. Then I had fun with hooked feathers in a square feather wreath shape.  There was now plenty of stitching to "suck up" the excess fabric and have the corners laying flat.   Unfortunately the centre of the star couldn't quite get as flat due to all the seams pressed whichever directions, but on a bed it will look great.

Overall Design with a Twist

The Customer wanted an overall design but not over the top of the applique which was on two opposite corners of the quilt.  So using the leaves and the curls of the applique as inspiration I came up with this design.  Using a variegated thread in the colours of the top, with a black thread in the bobbin.  The back was also a pieced quilt, and after centering it I was able to avoid any major problems with bulky seams.  Customer was very pleased and I think the recipient will be too.

APQS George

This is a George machine from APQS.  It is a sit down longarm machine for  machine quilting.

It comes with
•Warranty: 8-year (96 months) parts/labor


•Throat size of 20" x 8" - Having a large space to quilt means you can select the large flowing designs we all love without having to stitch them in two passes.

•Weight 37 lbs (16.8 kgs) - Enjoy the lightest-weight machine to enhance maneuverability and control, without taking a toll on your body.

•24" x 60" portable table that is height adjustable

More info on George can found at http://www.apqs.com/

Bugs and Aliens

I have had Bugs and Aliens on my machine this week.  Some quilts for  the lucky grandchildren of a prolific quilter.  She said she went through ten skeins of DMC thread blanket stitching these two.

The Aliens are on a black background, so the quilting shows up better on the back.  I was able to quilt it almost continuously, making up a design for the borders that followed the print of the planet fabric she used.

A Quilters Breathing Space

As a longarm quilter it is good to have a break from the mental pressures that quilting a custom quilt for a customer entails.  To be able to take a customer quilt where the request is something simple and avoid quilting over the horses, is a welcome relief.

Both the top and the backing were flannel.  The backing was also pieced so with this pattern I was able to avoid the corners of the seams which were very thick.

The horses were impeccably blanket stitched to the background.  The gap in the quilting on the right is where I was avoiding a horse!

No off to put another custom quilt on the frame.  It is a bright Kaffe Fassett fabric hexagon quilt.  Won't really get much done as I am to a quilt retreat this weekend.  I am hoping to piece together my 2012 APQS block swap quilt top.