A Homemade Extension Table for Machine Quilting
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| m mouse napping on a quilt |
What is it about a quilt that brings such comfort?
The funny thing is that it doesn't seem to matter whether it is a person or an animal - at least a cat in our house - sleeping on or under a quilt gives us a sense of security and calm.
This week Jim and I leave for the Mediterrenean and, m. mouse is feeling a bit confused and insecure.
Even though he will be staying with quilting daughter, Stephanie, for the couple of weeks we are gone, the prospect of being away from his familiar surroundings and his kitty buddy, Jackson, has him somewhat stressed.
Plus there is the 2 hour car trip to Lomita he doesn't look forward to at all!
It's nice to know that I can provide him with just the stress reliever he needs in the form of a quilt on the floor!
You will see a picture of some of the quilting on this quilt later in the newsletter. I put it on the floor to take a picture of it to show the quilting stitches. Not long after that, I was looking for dear m. mouse, as I do many times a day - to see if he is ready for one of his hourly meals - and there he was, asleep on the quilt.
The funny thing was that the quilt was on the floor between the table and ironing board - not a place I would have thought a kitty would choose for a nap. But, then, what do I know?
As you create your fabric masterpieces, dream of the loves in your life who take comfort in your handiwork.
Finish an unfinished project you are struggling with and then give it away - someone, somewhere will love it and feel the peace and security you stitched into the fabric.
And now for the rest of the news - -
Happy Quilting!
Unlock the Mysteries of Designing Quilts Using EQ7
Quilt Design Software
Yes, Learning How to Use EQ7 to Design Your Quilts is
as Easy as Watching a Video on your TV or computer . . . .
100% Guaranteed!
There are thousands of quilt blocks out there, and every one of them can be made in any size you want to make, and with any fabric placed in any one of the patches.
And each time you change the placement of the fabrics in a patch, you change the design of the quilt. It's actually quite amazing, and fun!
Before there was quilt design software for our computers, there was - - well, rulers, paper, colored pencils, trips to the copy shop, and your imagination guiding you as to what your quilt will actually look like finished, using your fabric.
And if you got your design to a certain point, and then decided to change something - like the width of the sashing, whether your sashing had cornerstones or not, the border design, the number of borders, the width of the borders, or something else - you had to start all over.
Not only did it take a lot of design resources, but it took a bunch of time. And, if you are anything like I am, instead of spending all that time designing and trying different things, you just started sewing blocks - hoping your final design would look good.
Even now, without quilt design software, if you have a computer you can save the trips to the copy shop, but you are still mostly left with ruleres, paper and colored pencils - or crayons!
As promised, I will be hosted several live webinars (online training) showing you how to design blocks and quilts using EQ7 - the latest version of this fabulous quilt design software.
Maybe I could have condensed it into one session. But as I looked at all of the things quilters asked to learn how to do, I quickly figured out that by putting it in one session, everyone would leave more confused that they started out.
Plus, in the traditional How-to-Quilt style, we walked you through designing a block and quilt - from start to finish.
This isn't the normal type of training where a teacher shows you how to point and click a hundred different functions and you never connect the dots enough to understand how to design your project.
And now you can get it all on a convenient DVD to have so you can follow along using the software on your computer while you watch me work with mine.
Don't miss out!
Since this training was live, I'm probably not going to carry these DVDs as a regular product, so this could be your only chance to get them.
Visit: http://how-to-quilt.com/eq7-training.php to reserve your copy.
The last training session will be next week, and will also be included in this package.
"Hi Penny, Really enjoyed the webinar last evening and am looking forward to 2nd session. I took your advice and viewed a few of your videos on YouTube which I thought were very, very helpful. I'm looking forward to finding out how to add fabric to the library. I hope there is a way to pull off display swatches that are available on store/fabric web sites into EQ7 without having to buy the fabric and then scanning it. I've bought alot of Kaffe Fassett material of late and thought it would be easier to import professional swatches than my scanning. I can see where the EQ7 software will help me immeasurably with picking more dramatic color schemes." Abby"
Jane Rhoads "I really enjoyed the presentation. You went slow enough that anyone, even I, could keep up. Thanks!! My husband was given a "gag order" while it was going on. He was really cute tiptoeing around while it was going on. I had just gone through the lessons for EQ6 privately, and that made everything make sense. I think I could have made it fine without the prep work, but it did help." Cynthia Blair Penny, "You did a fantastic job. I use to do this same thing for a very large insurance company before I retired. In a way I miss it as I love computers and all they can do. But now I’m concentrating on my quilting. Documentation: Very good and nice to have ahead of time so we could look it over (those of us who printed it out!!) Screen Shots: Very good. We were able to ask questions if necessary and see the answers. You also answered questions at the end which was helpful as we could listen to you and miss any other information trying to find and answer to our questions in the display box. Delivery: Excellent. You spoke slowly and when you had a problem you said you did and worked through it. You went over some things a second time which is helpful. Information Covered: a very good basic start. I’m excited about the rest of the classes but now since you’ll be changing the day I’ll be missing them. We’ll be in California Aug 4 through 17. Thanks for doing these classes." Louise |
A Homemade Extension Table for Machine Quilting
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| My homemade extension table for machine quilting |
It was an exciting day in La Mesa, California. I was able to visit my local quilt shop that usually has everything, JoAnn’s, which has almost everything else, and my local Sew and Vac which should have everything that goes with a brand new sewing machine.
But there I was, it was 5:00 Saturday afternoon, and I did not have an extension table for my new sewing machine, none in sight, and now all of the likely stores were closed.
Little did I know that each model of each machine would need a different extension table. Although, now that I look at it, it does make sense.
As you all know, quilters are very resourceful, and having just moved, I had boxes – lots of boxes, all sizes and shapes. All I needed to do was find one that had a big, flat bottom that could be cut up and used for an extension table.
So, that turned into my Saturday night project. And, I’m happy to say, it turned out pretty good, which is why I am happy to share it with you.
For the fully illustrated, step-by-step instructions check out this article: Extension Table for Machine Quilting
Planning a Quilting Design
And while we are on the topic of quilting - - -
Designing a quilt doesn’t end with simply planning where to place the fabrics on the top of your quilt. The quilting design transforms the quilt from a two-dimensional quilt top to a three-dimensional work of art.
Although books are getting better about this, often a book demonstrating a beautiful quilt top design falls short when it comes to suggesting quilting designs.
Many have pictures of the whole finished quilt top, leaving you guessing how it was quilted. Others have close up pictures of the quilting design for part of the quilt top, but don’t show how that part connects with the rest of the top.
Effective quilting designs don’t need to be intricate and detailed to be effective. A quilter might choose a pattern that simply echoes the pieced or appliqué design, outlines a particular design feature, or creates a grid or series of parallel quilting lines.
In deciding how to quilt your quilt, you should first look at some of the overall design elements of the quilt top, and ask some basic questions:
- Are there design features I would like to stand out
- Are there elements I would like to have recede into the background
- Are there large, open areas where a quilted design, such as a feathered wreath, could be effective
- Does the quilt have movement that I would like to enhance (i.e. are there curves and waves vs. straight seams)
- Is there interesting fabric I would like to highlight or create a contrast
Once you have some of those basic questions answered, it’s time to look at some specifics.
A quilting design that echoes the basic design of the quilt is probably the easiest to accomplish, yet choosing which design elements of your quilt you echo can, indeed, affect the overall look of your quilt.
For example, if you take a simple Irish Chain quilt, by quilting parallel lines of quilting through the diagonal lines of squares creates a kind of channel affect, making the center squares stand out. The center square can then quilted in its own unique way.
If your quilt is green and white, why not quilt a shamrock in each square? If you want to convey a message of love, you could quilt a heart in each square. Or, mix them up, a shamrock in every other square, alternating with a heart.
Another method of enhancing the pieced pattern of the quilt is to quilt additional shapes of the main design. For example, you can turn an eight pointed star into a 16 pointed star by simply quilting points in the background between each of the 8 pieced points. By varying the size of the quilted points, you can give the star even more dimension and interest.
Quilting designs in large and open areas can be used to repeat curves or angles appearing in other places on the quilt.
Using our Irish Chain as an example, if you have quilted shamrocks in each of the squares, you could carry that quilting design element into the border by quilting shamrocks around one of the borders.
On a quilt using plaid fabric, you can create a plaid design with your quilting stitches, even in areas where you have placed solid fabric.
There are really very few rules when it comes to designing the quilting pattern for your top. However, understanding a few things about quilting does help.
Quilting in the ditch anchors and sharpens the seam line so the seam looks as straight as it did when the top was pressed. In the ditch stitches also cause the adjacent pieces to puff up.
Because your quilting stitches cause the fabric to recede, a line of quilting can create the illusion of a seam where there is none.
Quilting across a seam line distorts that seam line and may soften the contrast between two pieces, thus easing the transition between areas on your top.
Quilting through a fabric design will distort the design. If the fabric design element is something you want to keep, consider quilting around it. For example, quilting around flowers in your fabric will make those flowers stand up in your quilt top. Adding more background quilting – whether it is stippling or quilting a grid – will make the flowers puff up even more.
The good news / bad news about quilting designs is that there are really no rules – only things that happen when you put quilting stitches in your quilt. Therefore, designing your quilting pattern, much like designing your quilt top, is very much an issue of personal taste and your idea of your final quilt.
So, take those unfinished quilts out of the closet, and plan a quilting design, knowing that it cannot be wrong! And that however it is quilting, it is better to have the quilt being used on a couch or bed or viewed hanging on a wall than it is to have it hiding in your closet.
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| This shows several different types of quilting designs. Click on the image to see a larger picture. |
Cool Block of the Month Website
If you love to get quilt block patterns and quilt ideas, our friend Jody and her mom, quilters in Australia, have a cool site that provides original quilt patterns.
This mother and daughter team shares a passionate love of designing and creating quilts. Over the years, they have made many quilts from others' patterns, but they have always been searching for more striking and unusual designs or traditional ideas with a twist, to make their quilts a bit more special.
They have been designing their own quilts for years now. The great comments and praise we've had from friends, family and our Quilting Group have encouraged us to share our unique quilts with you.
You can enjoy creating special "one of a kind" quilts that your loved ones will treasure, from their original Quilt Block of the Month Club Patterns... exclusive quilt designs you won't find anywhere else.
Join "Quilt Block Of The Month Club" and start downloading multiple quilt patterns from our growing BOM range. It's simple and fun!
Postcard Quilts for the Troops
Halloween Roundup Next - Deadline September 29!
Wow! We sent more than 1,900 fabric postcards to the Middle East for the 4th of July!
Thanks to everyone who participated in this worthy event. I know it will mean a lot to the soldiers who receive those greetings of thanks on the 4th of July.
This year, we've decided not to do the Birthday Roundup, and focus our efforts on Halloween and the end of the year holidays.
So the next Roundup is Halloween -
Halloween, like the 4th of July, in Iraq or Afghanistan is just another day unless it becomes something different by virtue of quilters' intervention!
Now you can send postcards for our Halloween Roundup. This is just a fun time of the year - with Trick or Treat fabric, memories of Halloween costumes and marching around the neighborhood begging for candy.
You can bring those memories back for the soldiers stationed abroad by sending them tiny quilts - fabric postcards decorated for Halloween.
We want to keep Diane doing the Penny's Postcard Posse project, but she is terribly allergic to smoke. So, if you can be sure that your fabric postcards are smoke-free, it will be much appreciated!
Check out the postcard patterns on www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com I will continue to add designs, and patterns for the fabric postcards are always free.
To make the Halloween deadline, get your cards to Diane by September 29
Please send your cards to:
Diane Malaznik
14215 Westmore St.
Livonia, MI 48154-4149
Diane is doing a fabulous job keeping the pictures updated, and if you have sent cards in, let your friends and family know that they can see pictures of them here: www.Fabric-Postcards.com
Remember you can get FREE postcard patterns at: www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com
These free August quilt block patterns will make your summer quilting fun. These quilt blocks include easy blocks as well as some that are a little more difficult.
Click here to download your August FREE quilt block patterns
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Belle's Favorite |
Bow Tie Wreath |
Broken Irish Chain |
Chimney Sweep |
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| Going to Chicago | Goose Creek | Jack's Blocks | Leaf Album |
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| Spool and Bobbin | Wisconsin |
Click here to download your August FREE quilt block patterns
Hundreds of quilt block patterns to choose from. Patterns include full size templates and rotary cutting layouts. Click Here
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