As my husband sailed the English Channel last week, I spent many happy hours in my studio. Organizing....you know rearranging things endlessly in a rather compulsive obsessive manner, but hey it works for me.
Last Saturday, five of us fellow quilters went to a quilt show here in town. We had a great time....lot's of fun and laughter. Something that surprised me was the amount of quilts in the show that were quilted by someone other than the "quilter". Is it the trend that more and more quilters are outsourcing the actual quilting? Our machines are getting fancier and yet.......someone else is doing the quilting.
Obviously this is a personal choice....neither right or wrong just personal. For me, I wouldn't be able to give up creative control. My question is what are the major roadblocks that stand in the way of quilting your quilts....if that is something that you actually want to do?
I decided my long arm had been sitting idle for far to long. I am so addicted to Quilt As You Go that I have not really pushed myself in the long arm department.
A little wonky but hey, I like that "organic" look.
For me, I hate loading the quilt and piecing the large back. I let that become a roadblock for using the long arm....plus the fact it was being repaired didn't help. The longer I put it off the harder it became to get at. Oh, and did I mention that a quilting frame can easily become piled high with fabric and works in progress....sort of like a treadmill, need I say more!!
One good thing....I've lost 25 lbs since the last time I used the frame, so much easier to get around to the back of the frame....it used to be a bit more of a squeeze Seriously, the frame takes up most of the room.
What are your quilting road blocks? Let's talk quilting.
Update: Thanks for all your fabulous comments so far. My plan is to write more "Let's Talk" type blog posts in the future. In order to promote discussion I will be replying directly on the blog rather than with individual emails, whenever "Let's Talk is part of the title.
Thanks again
Marianne
Update: Thanks for all your fabulous comments so far. My plan is to write more "Let's Talk" type blog posts in the future. In order to promote discussion I will be replying directly on the blog rather than with individual emails, whenever "Let's Talk is part of the title.
Thanks again
Marianne
Piecing those giant backs and basting! Which is why I have a small pile of tops ready to go. Any minute now.
ReplyDeleteI hear you....
DeleteI’m a quilt-top maker, just because I dislike making the backing and the basting and quilting part. I love to work on blocks learning new techniques and the process is what counts to me.
ReplyDeleteWhen I would have more space in my house I would consider buying a long arm machine, but I guess it would become piled high with fabrics too!
I now try to save money till I can bring some quilts to a professional long arm quilter.
That makes sense....we should be doing what we love.
DeleteMy least favorite part of the quilting progress is cutting. I think I would pay someone to do THAT for me! I won't pay anyone to quilt my quilts because they are mine. In my mind, if I call myself a quilter, I think I should be the one quilting. I am not a piecer. I am a quilter. I do not like making backs but sometimes do. If I can find a wide back fabric I like, I am fine slapping that on the back of a quilt. I do not hand baste or pin baste my quilts. I spray baste anything I am going to quilt that is crib size or smaller. Those I machine quilt with my domestic machine or my large harp Janome. I am very fortunate to have a sister who owns an APQS long arm. I know for many that is out of reach (and frankly would be for me if my brother-in-law had not purchased the long arm for my sister). I find nothing more satisfying than making a quilt sandwich, spreading it out all over my sewing table and machine quilting it. Every time I finish one I almost want to shout "Ta da!"
ReplyDeleteIt is wonderful to be able to use a long arm for the larger quilts, that's for sure. I get a lot of satisfaction from the quilting part as well.
DeleteHowdy! I'm one of your newest followers, and certainly still a newbie quilter, but since you asked...let me give you at least a FEW of the obstacles and challenges for me!
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I've seen some of the most beautiful quilting patterns and, boy, are they stunning and intimidating. Never in a million years would I imagine putting those patterns in my blocks (I've been sewing for years and years, just recently taking up quilting, so I've got my piecing & accuracy down pretty well). I pretty much stick to straight-line, in the ditch types of patterns. Would LOVE to branch out!
I also stitch in a room that's only about 8 x 8, and in there is jammed an armoire, cutting table, sewing machine (and cabinet), serger (on top of a student desk), and an ironing board. And a large window. Add to that the door & a double closet, and you know there's not a lot of space left for a long-arm.
My sewing machine is wonderful at embroidery, but the harp is pretty small, so even tho I've only made two bed quilts, one queen & one king, I've sent them both out for that finishing touch that quilting brings.
On the smaller items I have quilted my own self, I find it difficult to push that fabric around in coordination between hands, foot & eyeballs, and still have it come out the same (or even close) to what's in my brain.
When I do a stipple or meander, I tend to get lost & not know where to go next!
I would love to do the quilt as you go (in something other than strip piecing!) - like, make a pieced block, then quilt it up, but I really have no idea how to join them up so it looks nice from both sides & still has quilting in the sashing.
I'm open to suggestions! Yeah, I know, practice, practice, practice. :)
I started using QAYG for many of those same reasons.....there's lots of options for joining the blocks, but I know, that takes a certain amount of practice as well. At the top of my blog under tutorials I have a few joining options.
DeleteHaha! You might regret ever asking that question! My quilting roadblocks? 1) I wish I had a longarm. 2) Just yesterday I was attempting to quilt a queen-size and my upper tension was off - don't know how to fix it (I have a Brother Quilt Club) 3) I've ripped out four times because I can't decide on the pattern/type of quilting I want to do. And I could go on but I don't want to bore you. All of these "problems" are easily fixable. I just need to be patient and do it! I love your quilting on the above quilt, and it doesn't look wonky to me.
ReplyDeleteNah....I'm loving the discussion. It was my own quilting fears and roadblocks that got me into QAYG. Even though I have a long arm I'm still always trying new things with QAYG.
DeleteMy quilting roadblock is that I don't enjoy machine quilting. It's my least favorite part of quilt making. That being said, I am a bit of a control freak and I want to take credit for every step of making the quilt, so I keep doing it. I do prefer to hand quilt. I love the look and i find it endlessly relaxing. I wish my hands were as fast as my machine! Your quilting looks great and congrats on losing the weight!
ReplyDeleteThanks.....I've had a bit of a love hate relationship with the actual quilting part itself, but I love watching it come to life as the quilting progresses. Oh, I'm more than a bit of a control freak when it comes to my quilts.....nothing else of course!!
DeleteGlad you had a chance to enjoy the show with your quilting friends. Always a lovely field trip! My roadblocks to machine quilting are the size of the quilt vs. my skill and the set-up of my domestic machine. I quilt smaller pieces, but the big ones are just too much to manipulate and achieve good results. That's one reason I love the tutorials you've done, and do plan to give the method a try.
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time with anything too large as well. I hope you give QAYG a try!!
DeleteI got a long arm a couple of years ago, for the same reason you discussed: I want to make the whole quilt. I want to be able to quilt any design I wish (or am capable of), not have my design determined more or less by what I can afford to pay a professional long arm quilter. I want to be able to make design changes as I go through the quilt, if something I had planned is not working the way I thought it would. I have also noticed the trend to specialize, either as the piecer or the quilter. The long arm pros I know rarely have time to piece their own quilts, they are too busy quilting someone else's. For a long arm, you must have the space - it's a big frame. You have to have the money - they aren't cheap. The machine will pay for itself in 3-5 years, though, depending on how many quilts you make in a year, with the $ you save not paying someone else to quilt your tops. You have to be physically able to stand for long periods and operate the machine. And you have to have the desire. I talk to a lot of ladies who have no desire to do the actual quilting. The desire may be the important part. If you don't enjoy the quilting part, why do it. It's quilt, not guilt :^)
ReplyDeleteI think you are absolutely right about the desire part.....do what you love.
DeleteWe all find joy in different parts of the process. I'm into design and piecing patchwork. I would prefer to handquilt all my quilts myself, but I get more joy out of making more tops, so I contract out to longarmers on my large quilts that I don't handquilt. We see it as a partnership: most of my longarmers are more into quilting than piecing. I see nothing wrong in a team of artists working together; it happens all the time in other media.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you, Chawne. Large quilts were often hand quilted in quilting bees or sent out to hand quilters. We shoud do what we love and have time for.
DeleteAt this time in my life.....I neeeed to do it myself. That might change, one never knows.
I haven't sent any out to be quilted,but my roadblocks are lack of space to sew, lack of space to baste and oh did I say lack of space? So for the time being I am quilting everything in multiple pieces and then sewing them together. About the biggest I can manage in one piece is baby quilt size.
ReplyDeleteLack of space can be a huge problem......what would we do without QAYG??
DeleteLittle things throw me off -- an empty bobbin, a broken needle, design challenges, as well as the big ones -- piecing a backing, sandwiching and basting a quilt, and the inevitable messy studio. but if I make myself overcome those, I can be very productive.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean.....once I get going, there's nothing stopping me....it's the getting going part that can sometimes be a problem.
DeleteSo many of these other responses are familiar to me! I TRY to quilt as many of my own as possible, but this also means I have a stack of nearly a dozen tops just waiting to be quilted. One of my biggest roadblocks is basting - I find the process tedious and have not perfected my technique so I invariable get tucks in the backing when I am quilting anything larger than a crib sized quilt. Also, though I have quilted a couple of small queen sized quilts on my domestic machine, it really is too much to handle and frustrates me to no end. Anything larger than 80" or so doesn't fit through. But the biggest roadblock for me is simply a disinterest and frustration when quilting. To me it's a necessary evil, and sometimes I actually enjoy the design I've chosen (or that emerges as I go), but usually I view it as the second to last step to get this thing done. So I often just don't finish.
ReplyDeleteI get frustrated quilting anything too large as well....and don't even talk to me about basting. This is so why I love QAYG!!
DeleteI try to only outsource the big stuff- anything bigger than twin bed size is more than I can handle on my Bernina. The professional quilter I hire is always eager to collaborate on the quilting designs. Most of them would rather not hear, "Do whatever you want."
ReplyDeleteSpace is an issue for me when it comes time to sit down to quilt. I usually set up at the kitchen table for machine quilting, so I try to choose a day that I am totally free. I try not to occupy that table for too long.
I don't do well with anything too large...that's why I'm always trying to find easier ways.
DeleteThe last 3 or 4 years I've been seeing more and more quilts at our fair and quilt shows here locally that have been longarm quilted by someone other than the "quilter". I've remarked to my husband several times that I think it's unfair for these quilts to win all the awards and they should be in a class by themselves and judged.
ReplyDeleteI don't send my quilts out to any one for two reasons: 1) I can't afford it and 2) I'm also a control freak and like to be able to say "I" made the quilt (from beginning to end). I also don't care for all the fancy, schmancy completely loaded quilt designs that everyone is having done these days. In some cases it's WAY too much on a quilt to the point that I've seen quilts that actually look stiff instead of cozy.
I'm more of a modern quilter anyway, so feathers and loop-de-loops, etc. don't look right on my quilts. I love the look of "organic" straight-line stitching or concentric circles. My SIL finished a quilt recently and always sends her quilts out to be quilted mainly because she has arthritis in her hands and it's difficult for her to maneuver a large quilt. I offered to do it for her but she said, "But you can't do the fancy stuff I like." HMMMPH....guess I'll keep my mouth shut from now on and let her pay for her quilting to be done. LOL
The part I dislike most?? Well...it has to be the actual quilting part. That's why I try to do most of my quilts using the QAYG method (thank you Mari!!!). I'm a piecer. I enjoy the process of putting it together far more than the quilting. Even if I could afford a longarm I'd never buy one. I wouldn't waste my money on something that I'd never use.
You sound so much like me I had to laugh. My taste in quilting isn't really the fancy stuff either but I do appreciate the skill that goes into that type of quilting. The long arm does have some fabulous uses though....I just need to use it more and push myself in that area but still produce the more simple organic type quilting. I love seeing the quilt come to life as the quilting progresses.
DeleteOne of the main advantages with QAYG for me is that I can piece a little, design a little and then quilt a little and then repeat the cycle over and over. I stay more engaged that way.....I must have a short attention span.
I was born with a short attention span...haha...that's one of the reasons I love QAYG because I can ACTUALLY FINISH a quilt or project and not get tired of it. I have several quilts (WIP's) that need to be sandwiched and quilted but I just can't get myself interested in doing them because they are traditional quilts that I pieced long before I started using your QAYG method. I've thought about ripping them apart to a point I could QAYG and get them done. I've also thought about sending them out to be quilted but the control freak in me won't allow it..LOL
DeleteYes, the control freak thing.....another thing we have in common.
DeleteHmmm. What a lot of differing opinions...and isn't that good? I too have opinions! I have a small stack of pieced tops waiting to be quilted. I also have a very dear friend who is a professional long arm quilter...who has offered to quilt tops for me. But I want to do it all myself...even though the fear factor is the reason why there are tops waiting to be done! I like making the backs. I love making the tops. Terror grips me with the quilting! I have quilted small quilts and have been perfectly happy with them...and I am hand quilting two quilts at the moment because they need it...I just need a dose of nerve.
ReplyDeleteAs for quilting done by professional quilters at shows...I believe the time has come for their work to be judged separate to the piecing.
To me quilting anything too large on a domestic machine seems just plain daunting!! That's why for now it's QAYG or long arm for me. I totally agree about the judging.
DeleteI've been known to say I enjoy all stages of making a quilt... but judging by the growing "waiting to be quilted" pile I do more piecing than quilting. Am dreaming of the day I'll be able to purchase a long-arm, instead of wrestling quilt sandwiches through my domestic machine Have never sent a quilt out, partly because I consistently blow my quilting budget on fabric, partly because I don't want to share the fun. (or I'm a control freak unwilling to let go of a project... take your pick!)
ReplyDeleteI can relate to all your reasons!!
DeleteI always send my quilts out to be quilted because I currently do not own a long-arm. One day I will!! I have been reading your blog and I'm trying to put one foot in front of the other to try out the "quilt as you go". I have no idea what's stopping me. I think I'm scared of the outcome. I would love to quilt my own quilts though. Maybe after I move I can lock myself in a room and F-O-C-U-S on trying it out!!
ReplyDeleteBaby steps.....small projects....you can do it.
DeleteI use my Gammill Classic(its 15 years old!) Almost daily. I use Red Snappers so I'm loaded in 5 minutes,easy peasy. I do custom or pantos, rarely using the stitch reg, just free. I do mostly modern,so mostly free motion. No back and neck strain with my long arm,I can't quilt up to a 12' top BC my frame is 14'. I love Angela Walters and Judy Madsen of the Green Fairy blog. I immitate many of their designs. I love your QAYG quilts but haven't actually tried it yet but I want to :-) Your quilts are beyond gorgeous!!! Amie
ReplyDeleteThanks....I really need to get me some of those Red Snappers. Sounds like you're loving your Gammil
DeleteOppppsie! I meant to type....I CAN quilt up to 12' foot top
ReplyDeleteI figured...
DeleteHi there I just posted a link on my blog to your Wonky Curves Tutorial and I think you created a Curve Monster in me lol. I loved it. Now I will put the blocks I made into a Wall Hanging and see if I can't quilt the "concentric" circles as you have shown us how to do. In fact when I saw that one I went digging for my little bar thingy for my machine. I thought I had lost it and then went to ebay to find another one. Did not buy it as hubby went digging too and said is this what your looking for? Low and behold he found it lol. Long story short I love your tutorials
ReplyDeletehttp://lady-gem-quilting-journey.blogspot.ca/
Thanks Ellen....sounds like you are having fun!!
DeleteHi Ellen I tried to see your blg but was unable....not sure what the problem is.
DeleteHere in the UK sending quilts out isn't quite so common but is a growing "industry". At major quilt shows you would have to enter under two person category.
ReplyDeleteI always say it's a personal choice, not right, not wrong but I teach P & Q and when it comes to bigger quilts I encorage and teach QAYG techniques.Saves shoulder ache and all that crawling about on the floor basting. Also, working on smaller sections let's you be a bit more adventurous with your quilting and you don't need a longarm.
I totally agree with you.
DeleteI seriously love just about everything to do with quilting! Love piecing, love random! Many of my quilt backs are pieced. I think of it as two quilts in one! It's the perfect time to use one or two pieces that didn't make it on to the front! My biggest hurdle is machine quilting. There is only so much I can do! I'm trying free motion...but still struggle with that!
ReplyDeleteThere are some stunning long arm designs! Quilting designs can certainly make a quilt...or break a quilt!
I have to say that my favorite quilt part...hand sewing bindings!
One day I would love to try QAYG. Your quilts are some of the most beautiful I've seen!
Thanks so much.....I'm glad you're enjoying your quilting so much.
DeleteJust lately, I have gotten brave and gone back to actually using the BSR on my Bernina 440QE. Years ago I convinced my husband that I absolutely must have this new and awesome machine. But mainly I just piece and do straight line quilting. I'm working currently on a small piece and it is like doing practice. I also took time to slowly read over the directions again and found that all of a sudden they made more sense to me. Only took me 6 years.
ReplyDeleteSuch a familiar story, I have the same machine for the same reasons. The BSR is totally under used. I should give it another go. I do love the machine though.
DeleteI have stacks of quilts and projects waiting for quilting because I want to do it myself, too. A large number of quilters in my guild send all their tops out for quilting. I couldn't afford that, but more important, I don't want to. What's holding me back? I know what to do, have taken lots of machine quilting classes, and have good resource books. The problem is that I am a good piecer and appliquér, but I don't have the muscle memory to just relax and quilt. I'm not terribly coordinated, and find it hard to get over that learning hump. Any project I quilt free motion seems ruined to me because the quilting is so bad. I'm not being to harshly judgmental, I just can't seem to get smooth instead of jerky quilting. I can't yet quilt what I see.
ReplyDeleteFree motion on the domestic machine and I don't get along that well either....I do better with it on the long arm. This is part of the reason, I do so well with QAYG using my walking foot...I have so much more control and just small sections on the machine at a time make it so much more stress free.
DeleteMany people seem to feel a machine quilter costs too much. I charge 2 cents per square inch (and that's a common rate). That means a generously sized queen sized quilt 90" x 96" costs $173. Is that SO expensive? What may increase the cost is batting. But I only charge $11/m, which is less than most stores charge and the whole binding process is $35. The fabric costs of most quilts are higher than that. Perhaps it's not counted because you're paying for that in small doses. Btw, I piece and quilt.
ReplyDeleteOh, I never buy fabric in small doses. I think your rate is very reasonable. Perhaps part of the problem is that it's an added expense on top of the price of the fabric....something that not everyone can afford.
DeleteI would love to have a longarm. But have neither the space nor the money for one. There are so many things I would like to try but with me the main obstacle is time.. there just isn't enough to go round.
ReplyDeleteI think lack of time is something many of us face....my kids are grown up and moved out of the house and I'm still scrambling for more time. I remember how hard it was when the kids were all home.
DeleteYou sure do beautiful work and I am really enjoying your blog. I am new to quilting (though I've sewn clothes forever) and my favorite part is the quilting! I recently finished a whole-cloth sampler practice quilt and my cats just love it. I wish I had lots of pieced tops needing to be quilted. I am piecing something now, though and it won't take much longer to finish.
ReplyDeleteThe trick to a good quilting experience, for me, is my machineI have a Handi-Quilter sit-down machine (the Sweet Sixteen) and my cutting table. I have a ginormous table perfect for basting, or cutting, as the need may be. I chose to have the big cutting table rather than a long-arm. I didn't have room for both. And let's face it, a long-arm is an expensive toy if you are just starting out. Heck, the Sweet Sixteen was an indulgence, but it is a pleasure to use. I love your QAYG and the tutorials look great - I must try it.
Thanks so much. The handi quilter sounds like a wonderful addition to the studio.
DeleteI can't say that I have a roadblock, but sometimes I don't want to spend the time making a back fancy by adding piecing. Sometimes I dye the fabric for the backs just so it looks like I put some effort into it. I am lucky to have a table that can be 8 feet by 8 feet if I open up both leaves which makes it much easier to pin baste. I like the machine quilting process on my Pfaff 1475 even though it takes hours and hours to quilt a big quilt.
ReplyDeleteDyed fabrics for the back would be wonderful. I think a large table would be really helpful when it comes to basting.
DeleteWhat a great question! I love the quilting part of the quilt, and I free motion all over the place. In fact, quilting is my favorite part. I wish I had the space for a long arm, its a dream that someday I may own won. I really don't like basting!
ReplyDeleteI have never sent a quilt out to be quilted by someone else, but a friend of mine does send hers out from time to time, and she explained to me that the quilt tops just get backed up, and before you know it you have this pile of quilts waiting for quilting. So like every 4th quilt she sends out just to catch up. That seems pretty reasonable to me and I have considered doing just that but haven't yet.
I love your QAYG methods and made my son and his girlfriend a quilt using your ideas and they love it!
Thanks.....so nice to hear how much you love the quilting side to things. I love watching the quilt come to life as i quilt it.
DeleteIf somebody promise to buy a Long arm machine as a birthday present I would discard it. Honestly. I prefer fabrics instead. Many yards of fabrics. I LOVE piecing top and express myself through shapes and colors. Sometimes I think quilting spoils the patchwork. QAYG has a big advantage - The quilts made this way have interesting back, too. Sometimes it turns out to a second face.
ReplyDeleteMari, thank you for this wonderful blog.
Really??? A long arm is a wonderful thing.....but then so are yards and yards of fabric.
DeleteYahoo, you are using that wonderful machine! I can't wait to see where you go with it, I expect to wonderful places!
ReplyDeleteYes I am....it's about time.
DeleteFascinating question! I thought hard about this because I have a bunch of UFO's waiting to be finished. My quilting roadblocks:
ReplyDelete1. Marking. Ugh! (for large projects, anyway)
2. Binding. I need to try Sharon Schambers' method because my binding always stinks.
3. I dislike machine quilting. I enjoy hand quilting but it's not always the 'look' I'm after so I have to be in the mood to spend that much time hunched over the machine - and hoping it will look good because I don't have the practice.
4. Piecing is my main love, applique is a runner up. Fabric is where it's at for me! Too much quilting often ruins the overall effect. I just prefer minimalism, personal preference. Exceptions are traditional designs such as Amish quilts that are meant to be a showcase for the quilting, not the fabric play.
Longarm quilting holds no appeal for several reasons:
1. It creates a certain 'look' that has become ubiquitous in the quilt world. And it seems most large quilt shows are consistently rewarding this look. A project quilted to within a millimeter of it's life doesn't appeal to me but I'm obviously in the minority.
2. It's waaaaay out of my budget anyway. My quilting/hobby budget is miniscule.
3. Most importantly - it would no longer be MY quilt. Someone else's creativity and artistic vision is involved. Yes, I realize that for centuries many, many apprentices and hired hands have been the ones to produce paintings / sculptures / installations / what-have-you in anonymity while the 'artist' gets sole credit simply for envisioning the overall design. Doesn't mean I agree with it. At least in the quilting world longarm quilters get credit when a quilt is entered in a show!
I agree....credit should be given where credit is due. I get the budget thing as well....I spend so much on fabric as it is. For me as well the quilt would no longer be totally mine, But on the other hand it really is a personal choice.
DeleteThanks for this post and to all who have contributed, I've enjoyed reading this.
DeleteI want to add - I totally agree it's a personal choice regarding hiring out the quilting step. I'd consider it for a huge bed quilt that is intended to be used but for an artistic quilt I prefer it to be my own work. But I do understand the appeal - think of how many quilt tops would still be languishing in drawers if longarm quilting services didn't exist!
That's a really good point.
DeleteHi, I agree with sheila, I'm also from UK, and attitudes here to sending tops out to be quilted by someone else is rare. I have been quilting for the last 20 years and use a domestic Bernina machine. At our last quilt show, I met my first longarm quilter who was trying to drum up business, but with little success. I've always machine quilter whole tops including kingsize and love it, I want to say this quilt is all mine, even if it takes months, to me quilting is a personal craft to express your own design inspirations, colour choice and all the faults you know you have made but no one else sees or believes they are part of the design. This is why I piece and quilt, my mother paints with watercolours I paint with fabric. Oh love the way how you QAYG I might have to try that one day.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting, that it isn't as common to send out your quilts in the UK.
DeleteFor me the quilting is personal as well and I often feel like I'm painting with fabric and then drawing with the thread.
Thanks, the more I use QAYG the more I love it.
Hello Marianne, I'm from Brisbane Australia. I have been quilting for about a year now, and have been enjoying your blog. You have inspired me to have a go at QAYG and I am currently working on a quilt following your tutorial. At the moment quilting in general is a bit daunting for me, but I find choosing the fabric very difficult, have been known to spend an hour or two in the fabric store and come home with nothing! You are truly talented, your work is just amazing. Step by step tutorial is easy to follow. Thanks for sharing! Deb
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Debbie, I hope the QAYG works out for you. As for fabric shopping...it can be a bit daunting, to be sure.
DeleteMarianne, I have finished 2 QAYG quilts, so happy with the first I immediately started another! Would put up some pics but am even more of a novice with attempting to do that. Question regarding fabric shopping, (I know you are an expert at it!) Are you tempted to buy other cotton fabrics other than quilting cottons? I have been looking for some 'different' prints but seem to find them in the dress materials not quilting cottons. Deb
ReplyDeleteHi Debbie, I would love to see pics of your quilts. You could always email me a couple at thequiltingedge@gmail.com if you like. I'm so happy QAYG is working out for you.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the fabric....I stick mostly to cottons because I don't prewash anything and that way there's fairly consistent shrinkage when I wash the finished quilt. Also, I love working with cottons because of the way they handle.
Hello, I just found your blog (can't remember how I found you, think it was a Pinterest link) and have been enjoying perusing it! My previous attempt of QAYG was more a "piece as you go with batting and backing" which I quilted after - If that makes any sense. I got the job done, but am really looking forward to using your QAYG technique. I stick to making the smaller quilts, lap size and twin, and tend to quilt with stitch in the ditch. Maneuvering a larger quilt is awkward and the weight of it hanging over my left shoulder becomes painful. I would never send one out to be quilted for the two reasons others have mentioned, cost and the quilt if a gift from me has to be totally made by me. :) I love these "discussion" posts and have just signed up to receive further posts.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much.
ReplyDelete