Does anyone here quilt?

[anonomom]

Just wondering. After years of being intrigued by the idea of quilting, I finally started two weeks ago. I'm in the midst of quilting my first (ambitious) project and I thought it'd be fun to connect with anyone else here who quilts.

[ChunkyNicksChunkyMom]

I am just starting too! Have completed one strip quilt, a kaleidoscope top and am now working on a hexagon strip quilt.

[larig]

I do. I machine quilt.

[anonomom]

I do. I machine quilt.

So do I. I tried hand-piecing a few years ago and was not a fan. But I love machine piecing/quilting. It's so much fun to see progress quickly.

Chunky, I'm so impressed that you're a beginner and trying complicated patterns! I'm strictly doing squares/strips right now.

[ChunkyNicksChunkyMom]

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a96/goodtastenomoney/IMG_0700.jpg
This is my second quilt which is a hexagon kaleidoscope which you cut triangles through six layers of fabric at the exact same spot to make a sort of kaleidoscope effect in the hexagons. I have finished the top except for borders which I can't decide on. ( and I got really really sick of pink)

[ChunkyNicksChunkyMom]

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a96/goodtastenomoney/IMG_0731.jpg This is what I started to get a break from the pink ( although I tossed some of these because I thought some were meh) Am going to embroider a teeny spider in here to see if anyone here will spot it. I am so glad to see someone else here is learning! I always thought I hated to sew until i bought a Janome then the sewing just exploded!!! (lots of animals and dolls too) I have only quilted one big nap size quilt through the machine so far, what a huge PITA that was!

[trales]

I made a quilt for DD's bed and the guest bedroom bed. When I was done sewing all the squares and shapes together, I had the layers "quilted" together by a woman with a big machine. My mom helped with the binding, but it looks great.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5269/5866704228_9e3f47c80b_m.jpg

[anonomom]

Wow. Did I say impressed? I meant AMAZED. Your quilts look so beautiful.

I am not a seamstress -- I took a "Sewing Machine 101" class at the beginning of this month. And trying to quilt my 68-inch square first quilt with my bottom-of-the-line Brother machine has been an adventure. But it's also so satisfying!

Once I finish this quilt, I'll have to figure out how to post photos here.

[ChunkyNicksChunkyMom]

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a96/goodtastenomoney/IMG_0631.jpg
A, if you are interested in strip quilting I highly rec you check out the online tutorials where you cut out a square of plain cheap base fabric then glue a strip diagonally down the center with fabric glue, then sew the stripes to the remaining part of the block (you do not even have to trim the strips to be the same size width or length, then starch the HECK out of each square then trim to your block size with a rotary cutter). Totally no stress and so fun! When you get to the binding give me a shout and I will find the video tutorial that showed me how to do binding that was very easy and looks really great. I was surprised that binding was my favorite part of the whole shebang ( except for picking fabrics :) )! Please share a pic when you are done!!!

[ellies mom]

Those are all very beautiful. :applause:

I used to quilt. I mostly sew clothing and the occasional home dec item these days. I stopped because unless it was a small wall hanging that I was going to hand quilt, I never did anything with the tops (can't machine quilt well enough my self and didn't have the money to have someone else do it). And people can only use so many wall hangings (they aren't my style). Then I got stuck on two quilts for my nephews that I started when they were little. I couldn't start anything until I finished those and the next thing I knew, they were graduating from high school. I finally admitted defeat and donated the whole mess to Goodwill last month. So now that I don't have that albatross around my neck and I recently got a fancy new machine, I might just have to give quilting another go.

[ellies mom]

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a96/goodtastenomoney/IMG_0700.jpg
This is my second quilt which is a hexagon kaleidoscope which you cut triangles through six layers of fabric at the exact same spot to make a sort of kaleidoscope effect in the hexagons. I have finished the top except for borders which I can't decide on. ( and I got really really sick of pink)

Ohhh! A whack-a-stack quilt. I love how those turn out. Yours looks great. I love the fabric even if you are over the pink.

[karstmama]

i *can* quilt, but i haven't in years. i definitely go through cycles with it.

veronica, ask for a top to be quilted each year as a christmas present from your family. like, they give you a gift cert for the amount to get a top quilted.

nicksmom, those are all lovely!

[azzeps]

I like to sew and quilt. For all my projects, I pretty much stick to simple, easy, quick things because I just don't have the time or patience or energy to put into things like I used to, but I still have fun with the instant gratification type stuff. For quilts, I mostly stick to squares or strips. And I have someone who does the machine quilting for me, and then I do the binding, because my machine is pretty small and even a baby quilt gets difficult to shove through there and quilt it. Have fun with your new hobby!

[ellies mom]

veronica, ask for a top to be quilted each year as a christmas present from your family. like, they give you a gift cert for the amount to get a top quilted.

That's a good idea. My mom has some one she likes. But my new machine is a Viking with a huge sewing area so I'm hoping I'll be able to do enough quilting for stability with my machine and then tie the rest. I've decided that I really prefer the puffiness of lightly quilted/tied quilts over the flatness of the all over quilting. I've seen some quilts with just straight lines of quilting across the entire surface that I really like too. I think that is within my ability.

[larig]

That's a good idea. My mom has some one she likes. But my new machine is a Viking with a huge sewing area so I'm hoping I'll be able to do enough quilting for stability with my machine and then tie the rest. I've decided that I really prefer the puffiness of lightly quilted/tied quilts over the flatness of the all over quilting. I've seen some quilts with just straight lines of quilting across the entire surface that I really like too. I think that is within my ability.

my machine is a viking too. DH bought it for me when we were dating, and it's still amazing to sew on. Congrats on the new machines.

And everyone's work looks lovely!

[anonomom]

That's a good idea. My mom has some one she likes. But my new machine is a Viking with a huge sewing area so I'm hoping I'll be able to do enough quilting for stability with my machine and then tie the rest. I've decided that I really prefer the puffiness of lightly quilted/tied quilts over the flatness of the all over quilting. I've seen some quilts with just straight lines of quilting across the entire surface that I really like too. I think that is within my ability.

I'm doing wavy lines on my quilt. I'm a rank beginner, but it's turning out pretty nice! I think the waves are easier than straight lines because mistakes look like part of the design. The hardest park is wrestling all the fabric through my tiny machine.

[larig]

I'm doing wavy lines on my quilt. I'm a rank beginner, but it's turning out pretty nice! I think the waves are easier than straight lines because mistakes look like part of the design. The hardest park is wrestling all the fabric through my tiny machine.

Have you seen the suggestion of rolling the edges of the quilt and pinning them? http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/machine-quilting-tips-and-tricks.html

[anonomom]

I did that, using binder clips to secure the rolls. It was still really unwieldy and made it hard to move the fabric for my wavy lines. But better than pushing all of the fabric through.

What I really needed to do was start with a smaller project. :)

[jerigirl]

Me! I have been sewing for about 5 years. Started with quilting and then clothes for my boys and bags.

All of the quilts shared here are beautiful! I will have to post some of mine when I get time.

[Twoboos]

WOW, all the quilts look awesome!

I don't quilt, but MIL does so we have quite a few. My favorite is the tshirt quilt she made for me out of all my old tshirts that I never wore/knew what to do with besides sit in a drawer. Plus there are some that were my parents. She did a boarder and a "spacer" between each piece, and the back is flannel. SO cozy, fun, and special. I already have tshirts saved for DDs for theirs. ;)

A friend taught herself how to quilt from YouTube tutorials. She made one out of her G-FIL's button down shirts, for GMIL. Very special.

There are so many fun/cool things you can do with quilting!

[larig]

I did that, using binder clips to secure the rolls. It was still really unwieldy and made it hard to move the fabric for my wavy lines. But better than pushing all of the fabric through.

What I really needed to do was start with a smaller project. :)

You sound like my kind of quilter. I started with a queen size for my first. One of my favorite projects was a lap quilt--what a difference in manageability. I really like freemotion stipple quilting--I do't use a pattern for it, I just do it as a go. Like this. I find it easier than trying to stay on lines. http://littlebirdiesecrets.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-to-free-motion-quilt-stipple.html

[AngelaS]

I love to quilt! Here's my most recent creation, although it's not quilted yet. I think in going to use my neighbor's long arm to quilt it.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y129/angeladms/FACEDEC8-8C71-4B5A-B3B8-FEBD22E3771F-6384-000002C6DA548E07_zpsf7996657.jpg

Here's one I did from a mix of vintage fabrics and reproductions. It's twin sized and on dd's bed
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y129/angeladms/IMG_2834-1.jpg

This one is also finished now, I'd run out of border when I took this picture. Lol. It's twin sized too.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y129/angeladms/IMG_7856.jpg

Here's a throw sized one that lives on the back of my couch.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y129/angeladms/IMG_6652.jpg

[ellies mom]

I love to quilt! Here's my most recent creation, although it's not quilted yet. I think in going to use my neighbor's long arm to quilt it.

These are all very lovely. My mom wants to get a long-arm. I have been encouraging her quite enthusiastically.

[speo]

I love the quilts! I sew and have quilted some. I've been sewing since middle school. I am halfway through a lap quilt and have been that way for 2 years. :rotflmao: I usually do it in fits and spurts. My problem is that I don't have a dedicated space. So I have to hall it out and put everything away every time.

ETA: I meant to add a link to this blog http://www.ohfransson.com/ . I like to follow her.

[jerigirl]

I love the quilts! I sew and have quilted some. I've been sewing since middle school. I am halfway through a lap quilt and have been that way for 2 years. :rotflmao: I usually do it in fits and spurts. My problem is that I don't have a dedicated space. So I have to hall it out and put everything away every time.

ETA: I meant to add a link to this blog http://www.ohfransson.com/ . I like to follow her.

Speo, I love Elizabeth Hartman and her blog!!! I got to take a free motion quilting class with her at Quiltcon in Austin last month. She was amazing!

[speo]

Speo, I love Elizabeth Hartman and her blog!!! I got to take a free motion quilting class with her at Quiltcon in Austin last month. She was amazing!

Yes, she is amazing and her quilts are beautiful! What a wonderful career she has carved out for herself.

[amatahrain]

You ladies are inspiring. DH's father just sent him a giant box of ties (like 50+) that he's collected over the years and no longer need but thought DH would like to have??. DH wears a tie about 3 times per year and already had 10 to choose from. I was checking out some patterns for tie quilts. I'm intimidated and probably need to start with something smaller first.