Quilt of Valor Update

Working on this Quilt of Valor quilt top has left an unexpected imprint on me, and the longer I work on it the deeper the impact.  Memories of my fun-loving Uncle Danny - my Mom's little brother and a Vietnam Veteran who passed away a few years ago.  Even more memories of my dear Father-In-Law, a WWII Vet who served at Iwo Jima, and thoughts of ALL those unforgettable Veterans who have served our country so well, many whom have given their lives doing their duty to protect us and those who couldn't protect themselves.  It gives one pause for reflection and contemplation and a renewed awareness of how fortunate I am to live in the greatest country on Earth.

So, after much deliberation and even apprehension, I decided to add embroidery to this QOV quilt top for additional embellishment in the alternate quilt blocks and to honor the as-yet-to-be-named Quilt of Valor recipient.

Here are a few of those blocks:

One of my very favorite blocks - brings tears to my eyes every time I see it...

And here's the completed Quilt of Valor quilt top ready to be quilted.  

There is a personal block for the QOV recipient on the top border for their 'eyes only'.

I'm still making final decisions of how it will be quilted.  I know I will be using Rainbows Patriotic thread in the outer navy blue borders to do the McTavish flourishes, clear monopoly to do all the SID work and around each of the embroidered appliques, and Rainbows Sand Castle in the background of the embroidered blocks.  Still trying to decide which thread and colors to use in the star blocks and the red borders, in addition to what type of quilting to utilize in those same areas to best enhance this quilt.  Any suggestions from those of you in the machine quilting world would be much appreciated.

For now, I'm off to give this top its final press and get it loaded onto the frame.  Lots of SID work to do so, time to get to it...

Later,

~Deb

Quilt Top Preparation

Quilt Top Preparation

These guidelines are to help ensure that your finished quilted heirloom will be as beautiful as you anticipate: 

• Do NOT pin or baste the quilt sandwich (top, batting & backing)
• Press seams well so they lie flat, but do not stretch or distort fabric
• Remove ALL loose threads and stray pins
• Check ALL seams and re-stitch any seams if necessary
• Square-up the quilt top by measuring diagonally through the center of the quilt on both sides - these measurements should be the same
• Pin the head of the top with a safety pin

Please Note:  Additional fees may be incurred for any quilt top preparation that is required prior to loading and quilting on the long arm quilting machine, aka Betty Boop.

Download and Print Quilt Top Preparation Sheet

Backing

If you provide the backing fabric for your quilt top, Please make sure:

• It is 100% cotton fabric, bleached or unbleached muslin works well or 180 - 200 thread count sheets (sheets also need to be 100% cotton fabrics)
• Remove ALL selvages - selvages are much denser weave and will not quilt properly or launder well after quilting and will cause puckering and skipped stitches during the quilting process
• If using a sheet for your backing, remove ALL hems in addition to selvages
• If you piece the backing, Please press ALL seams open rather than to one side, and ensure they lie nice and flat.  Remove and/or clip ALL selvages in backing seams (removal of ALL selvages prior to piecing your top and backing is preferred)
• Make sure your backing is at least 6" longer and wider on all four sides than your quilt top to allow enough fabric to load onto the longarm quilting machine.  Example: if your quilt top measures 100" x 100", then your backing fabric will need to measure 112" x 112", which allows 6 extra inches on ALL four sides.

Please feel free to print-out these Quilt Top Prep Guidelines for future reference for your own personal use.  Pricing info available here:  Long Arm Quilting Services  We now accept PayPal!  (PayPal payment options available on the Quilts 'N Things Long Arm Services Pricing Page, and you may scroll to the bottom of this page for more info.)

Contact Me with any additional questions you may have...Thank YOU!

~Deb

 "It's not a quilt 'til it's quilted...!"

PS...

Additional quilt top information available here: How To handle wavy/uneven borders

Dog Quilt FINALLY on the frame...

I was beginning to think I was NEVER going to get this quilt together and on the frame w/all the endless things that need to be done on the quilting studio, but I finally got a break in between installing light fixtures and staining/varnishing wood trim and got it assembled and loaded onto the frame.  You'll remember I started this quilt over a month ago in September, so at least progress is finally being made:

One of the embroidered crazy quilt blocks w/McTavishing quilting

Another embroidered dog block next to black border

Close-up of black border

There are three outside borders surrounding the entire perimeter of the embroidered crazy quilt dog blocks - a black border, white border and black background w/primary color dog print for the final outside border, the same print used in the first two blocks.  There are several different dog prints used throughout the quilt that give a nice balanced variety and lots of colors to work w/different breeds of dogs.  

I'm running Superior's Rainbows Carnival thread in the darker borders, which reflects the majority colors of this quilt.  I LOVE Rainbows for its high sheen, durability and it's just sooo much fun to quilt with, especially on dark colors!  Of course I did my usual SID throughout w/clear monopoly prior to doing any of the McTavishing, which helps to stabilize everything and keep it from shifting with the fast-paced McTavishing quilting.

I'm going to try something different in the larger white border w/King Tut Sands of Time thread, which corresponds nicely with some of the other dog blocks and I'll let you know how it goes w/update sometime tomorrow. 

UPDATE: just finished quilting the white border w/King Tut Sands of Time and I quilted wandering dog paw prints.  Didn't know how this would turn out since I've never done this before but...looks pretty good:

Wandering paw print w/King Tut Sands of Time needle thread

Dog Quilt for Boy's Home coming off the frame

This is the fourth quilt destined for a Boy's Home for QFC later this month.  The first three were assembled by some of our talented and generous Quilters for Comfort members and sent to me for quilting, this Dog Quilt is my own personal design contribution.  

The first quilt was the infamous Car Quilt, the second was the Lighthouse Quilt, and the third was the Monopoly Money quilt - they've all turned out remarkably well and I'm so proud to have been honored and chosen to quilt them.

And for now, time to get some shut eye...;-)

Later,

~Deb

Catching Up - QFC #2 AND #3 Getting Finished...

I've been soooo busy quilting trying to get ALL my charity quilts for QFC finished up this weekend so I can finish up my Quilting Studio now that the electrician has finished, (how many times did I just write the word 'finish-ed?;-), at least the upper level where my studio is going...YES!  I was beginning to think I would NEVER get to utter/write those words!  And as you can see, I have the finished quilts to prove it!

First in the quilt parade, the Lighthouse Quilt - QFC Boy's Home Quilt #2:

Lighthouse Block w/McTavishing quilting in the interior of the block 

Outside blue border and picture frame burgundy border

Alternating pinwheel block with more McTavishing and stipple quilting in the 'cloud' triangles

This is another QFC quilt top that was designed and created by one of our members and then sent to me to quilt on the longarm.  Initially, I was struggling trying to figure out how to quilt it.  After I added a blue marble border to the entire perimeter of the quilt, this gave me more quilting options and I had enough extra fabric for matching binding.  

Once I decided on the thread color to match this same blue marbled border, I followed it through the entire quilt, which gave it even more of a 'boy' feel as a nice side effect.  I did opt to quilt the lighthouse blocks w/clear monopoly because I didn't want the blue thread to detract from the embroidered lighthouse, and I think that was a good choice.

And here' the finished quilt:

Coming off the frame - has now been bound, gently washed and ready to ship!

QFC Boy's Home Quilt #3 - the Monopoly Quilt:

                                                                             Lots of challenging FUN with this one!

Since I quilted this top sideways, it gave even more quilting perspective when finished...

Another challenging quilt but once I got started McTavishing, (after several hours of SID w/clear monopoly) I really had a blast quilting this quilt and I think it turned out surprisingly well.  You tell me:

Off the frame w/double-fold binding attached and turned, ready for the final blind-stitching

It's ready for the final stitch down and I'm ready for bed!

This will wait 'till evening - catch ya'll later...

~Deb 

UPDATE:  10/7/2012:   Binding stitched down, gently laundered, label attached and ready to ship ;-)

QFC Boy's Quilt #1 coming off the frame...

Things have been moving along at a really fast pace!  Not only do I have running water in my Quilting Studio -  YIPPEE! (pics upcoming in another blog), but while the plumbers and electrician have been finishing things up, I stayed busy quilting away on one of the three QFC boy's quilts I need to finish over the next couple of weeks.  The first one we call the 'car quilt', has turned out amazingly well.  Here's close-ups of a few of the 'car blocks':

Isn't this neat how this quilted out?

Alternating quilt blocks w/speeding wheel quilting

Another vintage car block

The back - I am always surprised by how the back turns out

Finished quilt - ready for binding

This is another QFC quilt top designed and created by one of our members and sent to me to quilt.  I am always conscious of why each quilt was created, how it will be used, and certainly want to incorporate those features into the quilt while taking a little creative leeway to allow for some artistic FUN!  I think I was able to accomplish that with this quilt and I will be sorry to see it go, (my family and friends will be, too ;-)  

But, we always knew it was originally designed with the intended in mind and therefore, has a pre-determined destiny that must be fulfilled, which is how it should be.  I feel so very fortunate to be a part of such a generous group which has allowed me to vastly improve my quilting skills far beyond what I ever thought possible just by quilting these incredible quilts.  

If you ever have the opportunity to sharpen your quilting skills by donating a few quilting hours, I hope you will jump at the chance.  You will be so surprised at how much you gain from the total experience - words cannot do justice how impactful this can be.  I will always be grateful for the incredible experience these ladies of QFC have afforded me.

And now, you know what I'm gonna say, right?  Time to get back to it ...;-)

Later,

~Deb    

Mystery QOV Quilt-a-long Top finished...Updates on Quilting Studio

Got my version of Alycia's Mystery QOV Quilt-a-long top finished and I really like it!  Here's a not-so-good pic of it:

QOV Mystery Quilt-a-long top - ready to be quilted!

Again, I'll probably have to revise how I quilt this since I not only changed fabrics, I also attached the outside borders a little differently than is given in Alycia's instructions over at Craftsy.com.  But that's ok, I love to improvise and get creative...that's what I call FUN!  (I just hope Alycia doesn't mind too much ;-)

I had planned on having quite a bit more done by today, including having my dog quilt all pieced and on the frame but life (mine) had other plans.  My plumber FINALLY decided to come back and pick up where he left off over 7 WEEKS ago.  But I am NOT complaining this day, since there is some progress to see so, I took time out to take a few pics.  Here we go:

First level garage - getting the second level (quilting studio) plumbing installed in the ceiling, FINALLY!

Lots of trim, some stained, some waiting for the plumber to finish...

2nd level - this is where the Sewing/Quilting studio will be...someday ;-)

Yep, that's a RED corrugated metal ceiling - the carpenter's installed it, I painted it.

When everything gets finished up, there will be a dark walnut hardwood floor.

The patio doors lead out to a second story tip-out deck 

that is almost finished, waiting to be stained.

Betcha didn't know I could wallpaper, did ya?

and lay tile (I NEVER want to do this again!) 

The black grout stained my fingers for days, even though I wore rubber gloves.

Yes, another matching RED ceiling in the bath...

...and more of my favorite wallpaper!

The bathroom will be a 1920's theme complete w/Betty Boop paraphernalia

At least the deck is almost finished, just need to stain it 

- hopefully I'll get to that over the next 2 weeks

As you can tell, it's far from finished but at least it's starting to look like it might get finished sometime this century.  Lest we forget, this project was started on February 25, 2012...and I was PROMISED it would be finished NO LATER than Mother's Day with the original projected completion date of Easter weekend, (they must've meant 2013 - silly me!)

And in the middle of all this (I live in the MidWest married to a grain farmer, you probably know where I'm going here) we're having one of the worst droughts in 50 years in our particular area.  Thank goodness for irrigation systems or we probably wouldn't even have a viable corn crop this year.  My husband just told me he spent the better part of the day disking down corn stalks that had NO corn on them - that has NEVER happened in his entire farming career of more than 25 years!  However because of recent rains (3 whole inches in more than 2 weeks, it's a monsoon!) we have more grass growing in our yard now than we've had all summer - I'm spending more time mowing and weed-eating NOW than I have all year - what a world... what a world...

You may be getting a better idea when I say quilting is my stress-buster ;-)  I've actually gotten more quilts quilted this summer (during the drought, that may slow down with the mowing competing for my quilting time) than I have ALL year!  And I've been lovin' learning all these new techniques - even I'm amazed at what one can accomplish in such un-creative circumstances.  I guess that old saying, 'Where there's a will...there's a way', still rings true!

And now, I need to get back to my favorite thing 'cause I've got another quilt to quilt so time to get back to it - pics later in an upcoming blog.

Later,

~Deb 

Step 5 Completed of QOV Mystery Quilt-a-long...

Had to step things up a bit to get Step 5 of my QOV Mystery Quilt-a-long finished up before the next clue is revealed on Wednesday, since I've had a request for a Marc Jacobs vest (from Vogue/BurdaStyle) to be completed in time for annual school pics from a very special person.  Nothing like a little pressure to get the old juices flowing ;-)  All the while, I'm also working on the dog quilt for the QFC Boy's home.

I had to change things up a bit because I wanted to use fabrics out of my stash for this Quilt of Valor quilt - mainly due to the fact that I just discovered this particular project a few days ago and really didn't have time to shop for additional materials.  As such, I ended up a little short on some of my fabrics so did the old 'switcheroo' to get things to come out.  I think it turned out ok, don't you?

I'm sure I may have to change up my quilting options as well, but that's OK, I'll still have a good quilt for a very worthy cause and isn't that the main goal?  I did enjoy the chain piecing method that was recommended for construction and will definitely utilize this procedure for future quilts:

Borders already assembled to be chain pieced onto foundation block (above)

You'll have to wait for a future blog post to see progress on the dog quilt - for now, let's just say it's coming along nicely and I need a little nap to continue ;-)

Nighty nite,

~Deb