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brainstorm77

practical experience, FTW
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Oh, I love quilting and just discovered this thread! I will only do machine-quilting, tho, because the one quilt I hand quilted nearly crippled me!

I manage, at best, 1 quilt a year even doing it all on machine. Between work/travel and writing that's just all I can do. What I love best about it is the heirloom aspect --it's a wonderful and practical keepsake and hand-me-down. Almost all of them are destined as a gift to someone. My last one was to my niece who just started college and has her first apartment, so it was fun to help her 'get started'

I love Pam Bono's designs. She makes complex designs easy to execute with her approach. I've made a number of her designs. She also offers quite a few patterns for free on her site.

I also often use the Quilter's Cache for free quilt patterns --working on one right now that my nephew asked for as a high school graduation gift.

I prefer the handquilting. It relaxes me, but it takes forever. I keep reminding myself that it's an hobby and I should be enjoying it :)

I have a simple block quilt on my bed that was done by machine a couple years back(15), but it's come apart and the fabric has gone thin from all the washings over the years. I need to take it apart and salvage the fabric and whip together another one.
 

brainstorm77

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What are you all working on?

I've moved into a new apartment and I hope to finally finish some of my quilts. :)
 

ElouiseBates

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I have one baby quilt ready to go to a friend, and one more that I'm in the process of hand-quilting. Doing the hand-quilting takes me forever (I am SO slow at it), but it is so rewarding.

Then, of course, I have the yellow nine-patch I've promised my younger daughter for a year to make for her bed (to complement my older daughter's pink nine-patch), and the quilt in reds and silvers my husband's been asking me about for five years. I even have all the fabric, I just need to get moving on it!

Making time for quilting was a whole lot easier before having kids, I must say.
 

JanDarby

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I've been meaning to mention this -- do y'all know about seamedup.com? It's like Ravelry, but for quilters. It's still in beta, and obviously doesn't have as much content as the more established Ravelry, but it's got interesting stuff.

I mostly machine quilt these days (love my Juki!), because the hand-quilting takes a toll on my fingers/wrist/elbow. But I do have a couple projects that I'm hand-quilting, since I started them years ago, there's (obviously, ten years later) no rush to finish, and I only do a little at a time.
 

brainstorm77

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I've been meaning to mention this -- do y'all know about seamedup.com? It's like Ravelry, but for quilters. It's still in beta, and obviously doesn't have as much content as the more established Ravelry, but it's got interesting stuff.

I mostly machine quilt these days (love my Juki!), because the hand-quilting takes a toll on my fingers/wrist/elbow. But I do have a couple projects that I'm hand-quilting, since I started them years ago, there's (obviously, ten years later) no rush to finish, and I only do a little at a time.

The one I'm working by hand is 6 years in the making. :)
 

nicolethegeek

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I've finally begun quilting...something that has interested me for many years, but I was finally able to start this year. So far I have been mainly doing totes and the like to practice my ¼" seams, but I have pieced and quilted one lap quilt so far. I need to bind it still, but that got put off since I had some deadlines to meet. I've been on a sewing and fabric "diet" for about a month so that I can force myself to finish up my submissions which are due this week. Can't wait to set up my machine again shortly!
 

GiddyUpGo

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Oh... dear... Hi, my name is Chris and I have 200 yards of fabric stowed and waiting to be made into blankets.

Haha me too! In fact I went to a fabric store recently and bought a bunch of stuff, and the clerk asked "What are you making?" and I had to say, "Um, nothin'." I just buy stuff 'cause I like it.
 

GiddyUpGo

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I love Pam Bono's designs. She makes complex designs easy to execute with her approach. I've made a number of her designs. She also offers quite a few patterns for free on her site.

I also often use the Quilter's Cache for free quilt patterns --working on one right now that my nephew asked for as a high school graduation gift.

As far as websites go, I can recommend Quilting Board as a great community for quilters. It has tons of really nice people, is a great place to go for advice (some of which you can get almost instantly) and there's not an ego in the place, which I find pretty rare in a forum.
 

chloecomplains

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Do we really not have a quilting thread more current than 2012? #heartbroken.

I made a quilt. It is not awesome, but it was made on a new machine which is awesome, and I'm much more comfortable with free motion quilting, decorative stitching, and all of its crazy automatic features (I don't need a foot pedal! Whaaaa?!?) now. It is going to be pawned off on my mother, who is legally required to love it despite its faults.

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I did a cornelli lace pattern because I'm a cake decorator, it's all I know.

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And the back is ridiculous fabric, just so no one has any doubts who made it.

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chloecomplains

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Thanks! I got into quilting via dress making/costuming, myself. I love making frilly stuff, but I can spend a week making a wedding dress that gets worn once, a costume that gets worn a couple times, or a quilt that's used forever.
 

Ol' Fashioned Girl

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Apparently I'm doing anything to keep from sitting down and writing... working on a Cathedral Window quilt that I started a month or so ago. The plan is for it to be an oversize King. That ought to keep me busy for a while.
 

MaryMumsy

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When I was younger I harbored delusions of quilting after I retired. I have pattern books, tools, and enough fabric to clothe half the Seventh Fleet. By the time I was retired I had arthritis in my hands so bad that quilting ain't never going to happen. Fortunately there is a younger cousin (by marriage on my husband's side) who already quilts. They are in the process of moving and she will have a "she-shed". Once she has a place for it all the quilting stuff is going to her.

MM
 

Orianna2000

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Thanks! I got into quilting via dress making/costuming, myself. I love making frilly stuff, but I can spend a week making a wedding dress that gets worn once, a costume that gets worn a couple times, or a quilt that's used forever.
I'm not really into quilting, aside from the occasional crazy-quilted pillow, but I wanted to comment on this. I used to struggle with the desire to sew what I want (historical costumes and cosplay) versus items that I "need" (shirts, jeans, home decor). The thing is, I don't enjoy sewing clothing for myself. Sure, I could end up with some useful items that would be worn often. Whereas I don't need costumes more than once or twice a year. But if I don't get something out of the creative process, what's the point? Without the enjoyment, sewing becomes a chore, rather than a passion.

Have you thought about incorporating the things you enjoy into quilting? There's a book . . . The Art of Manipulating Fabric. It teaches how to make all kinds of fabric frills, like ruffles, pleats, tucks, etc., but in a new and unique way. Like curved ruffles or twisted pleats. Many of the examples shown are quilt squares. You could make some pretty amazing (and frilly) quilts with these techniques!
 

Filigree

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Seconding. That's a wonderful book to teach haute couture touches. Plus, it's fun.

My current fiber art default is not costume, but books. If I can make something into a book made of cloth, I will. The WIP right now is an edition of 5 political anti-NRA books, with fabric appliques and digital printed text. Beads everywhere. Each book is made of two separate 7x50" strips of linen. I'm only about 1/3 the way finshed.

But they stand a good chance of bringing me $2500 when done and delivered to my art agents. So there's some incentive.
 

Ol' Fashioned Girl

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Wow. Just 'wow!'. I doubt my Cathedral window - no matter how big it is - would go for half that! My sister's working on an applique snowman/lady/kids quilt that is gorgeous. But applique... looks too hard.
 

Filigree

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Naw, applique is way easier. I tend to build applique in overlaps on background fabrics like linen suiting or polyester felt. Just keep the layers thin enough that the machine will sew them. With quilting, I have to piece things more carefully to keep the finished piece flexible.
 

Maryn

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Late arrival here. The Kid, our adult daughter, has hinted very strongly that she wants me to finish the quilt I started for her literally a decade ago and give it as a wedding present. In August.

I have only made one quilt before, more than 40 years ago. I'm about two-thirds of the way finished with piecing the top, although I now see lots of design flaws that would irk the snot out of me in use. So be it; I don't think I have the will to begin again.

Yes, I do indeed know about tying off quilts rather than, you know, quilting. Thank god.

Still, I'm starting to fear I cannot finish. Somebody tell me I can, okay?

Maryn, sorry she started one this complex
 

Ol' Fashioned Girl

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Yes. Yes, you can. If you work on it. Have you been working on it?

I've got 60 four-squares done. Each four-square makes a 9" square. I only need another 70 or so... only. Then I can start to piece them together...
 

Maryn

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I have five rows each twelve inches wide (plus seam allowances) and 84 inches long. I'm now working on the four pieces that will join the five into an 84-inch square. I chose something time consuming but not difficult, but I figure if I give it two hours five days a week, it'll be done in two weeks. Then I add a border on all four sides--easy in comparison!--and the top will be complete. At that point, I'll worry about backing--probably just some 108-inch print rather than a way-cool design like I've admired--and take over the dining room table for tying it off every six or eight inches, as the design allows.

OFG, math is not my strong suit, but that's a whole lot of 9-inch squares! Assuming that includes a seam allowance and they will become eight-inch squares, how big a quilt we talkin' about here? See, I bought these wonderful Kaffe Fassett fabrics to make a quilt that comes close to the floor on a king-sized bed, but it just seems like too big a project to even begin, you know?

Yes, I'll post a picture when the top's finished. Promise you'll do the same?
 

Ol' Fashioned Girl

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The beauty of the Cathedral Window pattern is that it is 'quilt as you go'; so each 9" square remains 9". They're backed, batted, and quilted, then sewn together with a whip stitch. Voila! When it's all done, it will be 12 squares wide and 12 squares long. I want a nice, long drop on either side and the end. So 108" X 108"... maybe another couple rows in length, just for pillow coverage.

If I ever figure out Instagram, I promise a picture. :)