Quilters and those that would like to learn

[soccer grannie]

Do we have any quilters or anybody that would like to learn the basics of quilting? I'm no expert but I can get you started and lead you to some great sites that have free online patterns and a buncha photos.
 
You can buy fabric or use damaged clothing, outgrown clothes, old jeans, etc. The basic tools can be as simple as cardboard pattern templates, pencil and scissors OR a cutting mat, rotary cutter and acrylic rulers. You can sew by hand or machine -- quilt by hand or machine. There's lap quilting which you can quilt in 18" squares, making it a take along project.
 
I'll be glad to help you get started and share what I know. And believe me, there's plenty I don't know, but we'll find the answers.
 

[Darkwinter]

Thank you Grannie!  I am working on crochet right now, But I plan on purchasing a sewing machine next year!  My grandmother made some amazing quilts.  We actually have one section of a quilt that my great great great grandmother made.  It is in a frame, and I just love the history of it.  I look forward to reading your posts.

[soccer grannie]

Quilting is not difficult. I taught myself way back in 19__ . Anybody can operate a sewing machine, it's just like driving -- hit the gas and steer the fabric. My 1st quilt was a simple patchwork quilt, lots of 6 1/2" squares of different fabrics sewn together with an X stitched across each block. Check out www.quiltville.com I want to make a String Quilt next. NO it's not made out of strings, you'll find out that quilt patterns have some strange names, i.e. Log Cabin, Borrow from Peter to Pay Paul, Weed Whacker, Churn Dash, Spider Web, etc. Men make and design some of the best quilts.

[coffecat]

I love quilting.  Am rotten at borders though.  Sometimes I have to see it done to understand. Just learning to applique - but cheat and use machine.  Would enjoy doing the fine stuff by hand but never time.  Maybe this winter.  Do you do your own Quilting ?  THAT I need to get into but don't know much about.  I would draw the pattern onto the quilt but then how would I get the drawings  off the fabric?  So far I have only done machine in the ditich or straight line quilting.  Do you have an embarrassing stache of material ??  Heh heh - had to ask that one. !  C

[soccer grannie]

Do you have an embarrassing stache of material ??  Heh heh - had to ask that one. !  C

OH YEAH! I have so much fabric I could sew for the rest of my life without purchasing another yard. To let me in a fabric store is like taking a kid to a candy shop. I have a 10x10 room stacked full with my fabric stash. Haven't you heard "the one who dies with the most fabric wins" ! 

[liftsboxes]

My wife crochets and quilts ... she not a big frequenter of the forums however.

[LvsChant]

Me too...



My current project, a twin-sized quilt... in the midst of handquilting it. The quilting hoop was passed on to me -- came from my paternal great-grandmother. I'm the only one in my family who still does this stuff

[swoods]

Me too...



My current project, a twin-sized quilt... in the midst of handquilting it. The quilting hoop was passed on to me -- came from my paternal great-grandmother. I'm the only one in my family who still does this stuff

That is very pretty. I have a quilt in the quilting stage as well. I have been working on knitting socks right now. There is just too much to do and not enough time to do it. Dang, if I just didn't have to work, I could get lots done, but then I would have no money to buy and add to my stash. 

Again, that is really pretty.

[coffecat]

Beautiful quilt !!!!!
I have a large shelving unit filled (stuffed) with materials.  Can't part with any.  I have met one serious quilter in Staunton VA and she moved to my neighborhood and I saw first hand what she moved of materials.  Was shocked !!  I think half the moving van was buckets of material !!!  There must be a name for material Hoarders !!c

[LvsChant]

My stash is actually fairly small. The cost of good quilting fabrics has really increased in the past few years. I am very sad to see that most Walmarts are also closing their fabric departments. The exact same fabrics they carry are invariably much more expensive at other stores. I try to buy what I need for each specific project.

This quilt is the second of the same basic pattern I will have made -- one for each of my boys. The other quilt is the same except that the colors are reversed. I started the quilt tops when my youngest was a toddler (and found it was just too hard to do when they are so little). I pulled out the project last summer and put them both together... finished the other quilt last fall... It takes me longer since I hand-quilt them. I do piece them together using a machine, but the hand-quilting really adds to the time required.

[coffecat]

I am curious to know how others' final final finish of their quilt is.  After all the ironing and pinning and quilting, I usually end up putting the quilt in the dryer, even if it is only a pot holder, just to puff it up and get rid of the ironed look.  I guess I like the old quilt look.  I have bought quilts at yard sales and repaired them.  The grandchildren like to get ahold of these.   C

[mamabear]

I tried to learn to knit in high school, then forgot how. I recently tried to learn to crochet, but it does not seem to be my thing, although once I get my son home, I may try it again. But I do think that I would like to quilt. How does one start with using squares from old clothes or keepsake clothes? That way I could always point to the square and remember that was the baptism outfit, that was first birthday, etc.

[swoods]

Well, ya goober, I can show you how to do that. The blue quilt I made for you was made from old sheets and some fabric I got at an estate sale.

[soccer grannie]

MamaBear, I was gonna answer your question but it looks like your Mom beat me to it! 

On the first quilt I made for my daughter, I had a 4 patch block in the corner. I drew an outline of her hand in one of the patches and embroidered that along with the year the quilt was made. In the other 3 patches of the block, I outlined my hand, her Dad's and her brother's and quilted along those outlines.

My daughter is saving her son's favorite t-shirts and all of his soccer jerseys. She has t-shirts from when he was a toddler to age 10. And with 2 jerseys a year, that's gonna be 2 quilts. To keep the knits from stretching, I'll put an interfacing on the back of the large pieces I cut out of those, showing the picture from the t-shirts and his number & team logo from the jerseys. All the blocks will be different sizes. I'll have to put sashing to even them up or have the blocks staggered. Not sure how it will be quilted, it may be bar tacked or tied. Not worrying about that now, since those quilts will be made later down the road.

[soccer grannie]

Has anyone made quillows?

Quillow folded into pillow pocket


Quillow opened into a quilt


Folding Step 1


Folding Step 2


Folding Step 3


Folding Step 4


Folded back into pillow pocket

[swoods]

I have not made one of those, but I have one. My sis made dozens of them about 12-15 years ago and that's what we all got for Christmas. Our's are a little different though; there is a pocket that the whole thing folds up into. The pocket is a great place to stick your feet in to keep em warm.

[soccer grannie]

Hey swoods, glance at the photos again. The rectangle at the top of the 2nd photo is a pocket that the whole thing folds back into. I was just referring to it as a pillow pocket. The rectangle is two pieces of fabric sewn on three sides. If you look closely at the bottom of the last photo, you can see where the quilt was put back in the pocket. These are great for keeping in the car since they can be used as a pillow or a quilt.

[flashcard]

Wow! Those quillows are fantastic! Not enough time left for this year, but next year, I'm stealing your sis's plan and making them for Christmas.

[soccer grannie]

A quillow is really easy to make and doesn't take a long time, maybe a couple of hours max. I use the high loft poly batting and machine bar tack the quilt section about every 8 to 10 inches. No hand sewing!

The one in the photos is my daughter's. She loves dolphins. Last Spring she went to Nassau and got to swim with the dolphins.

There are so many great fabrics with themes. I made one for a couple of the grandkids with a fabric that is a town fabric (roads, school, park, fire station, mall, airport, etc.). That design is sold by the panel. They not only used it as a quillow, they played with their little cars on it.

Last Christmas I made a few with fleece -- one layer of fleece, no batting, no bar tacking -- really quick project.

[LvsChant]

I've been increasing my stash of quilting materials... every time I go to the Walmart that still has a fabric section, I buy a yard of every quilt fabric I like... maybe 10 yds each time I go or so. I have heard they plan to close down the fabric departments of all the Walmarts in the next couple of years.

Quilting fabrics (the exact same brands, even) are usually almost double the price at any of the other fabric stores. This is a great investment, in my opinion. I'm also stocking up on quilting thread, beeswax, backing fabrics...

Anyone else out there doing this, too?

[OKGranny]

I used to quilt all the time but got away from it for a bit when I got interested in making art dolls. I still really enjoy doing "out there" dolls but recently the quilting bug has struck again and I've been looking for a pattern that appeals to me. I much prefer to hand quilt although putting the tops together I do by machine. lvschant that is really pretty. I've got one of my grandmothers quilts that was made in the 1930's that I'm so proud of, it's definitely a prized possession.

[TxMom]

My mom has made dozens of quilts, most hand quilted, she just didn't like the machine quilting.  Seemed like she always had one set up the family room, and if we wanted our space back, we had to help quilt.    Love quilts, just a lot of time to quilt by hand.   

Not as elegant looking, but still fluffy and warm, take a couple pieces of flannel, thick fluffing and instead of quilting, tie it with yarn.  Machine finish the edges.  Much, much faster.  Warm and snugly.  Has anyone else done this?

[LvsChant]

Those flannel tied-quilts area very nice. A lady in my hometown makes them. We have one for each of my boys for their beds in winter. I haven't made that kind myself, but I'm thinking it would be a lot quicker.

[LJH]

Me too...



My current project, a twin-sized quilt... in the midst of handquilting it. The quilting hoop was passed on to me -- came from my paternal great-grandmother. I'm the only one in my family who still does this stuff

Got the dormant thread warning, but I'm new here and just found this section so I'm posting in spite of it. 

That quilt is beautifully pieced! I can't tell how much of the quilting is done from the picture above, would LOVE to see one of it finished and bound.

[LvsChant]

Thank you! The other quilt was on the top bunk, so I took a photo of the quilt (just like it only opposite colors) from the bottom bunk

[Mullers Lane Farm]

I was given a large piece of wool batting (larger than a king size!) from a 90 yo lady a few years ago.  It was her grandmother's and it is in perfect condition.

It is very, very thick.  I want to make a quilt with it.  I've been told by quilters in my area that tieing it or hand quilting will be the only way to get it into a quilt.

I am humbled by receiving such a gift and terrified that I will mess it up royally!!  So it sits, packed up in a huge rubbermaid container with cedar and lavender to keep the bugs away

[LJH]

Cyndi, wow, what a score!

A batt that old will almost certainly be unbonded, and because of that I would NOT use it in a tied quilt unless you never plan to launder it. If it were mine I would probably plan on hand quilting with an heirloom quality top. JMO

I suppose, depending on how stable it is, it could be done on a longarm, but if you go that route be dang good & sure your quilter is top-notch (get a ton of referrences) and willing to take the extra time and care needed. I occasionally get a customer who brings me a 'homemade' batting of wool or alpaca, etc., and so far I haven't seen one that could be used on a longarm, but the few I've seen were thin and spider-y and even with super-delicate handling would not hold up to being loaded on the machine.

LvsChant, thanks for the second picture. You're good! Wish more of my customers could piece that well - sigh.

[Mullers Lane Farm]

I'm posting some pics of the batt, trying to show you the thickness and the basting in it:





I don't know what 'bonding' is, nor a longarm.  I do know that any quilt using this batt will need to be hand washed, unless I hand-full it before I quilt it. I plan on quilting it myself (that's the way i roll).  I figure it is another extension of my fiber arts.

[LJH]

Oh my, I'm feeling toasty just looking at that. 

Bonding is a process that binds the fibers together, be they poly, cotton, wool or some blend thereof, so the batting doesn't pull apart when being handled, quilted and washed. It can be done with heat or needle-punched to name two methods. The threads running through your batting would be serving the same purpose. I've never seen one like that, very cool! That one probably could be longarmed, but I'm with you on hand-quilting it in this case.

Now you've got me wanting to do research on batting history & methods, which I have no time to do, thanks a bunch. 

To address your other comment, a longarm quilting machine is a specialized sewing machine with a super-long throat. It has wheels that run on a carriage, which in turn runs on tracks attached to a long table. The table has an arrangement of parallel bars on which you roll your backing, batting and top in order to quilt the quilt. Instead of moving the layers under the machine, as with a DSM (domestic sewing machine), you move the machine over the layers to quilt them together. Clear as mud? I have to run out the door in a few minutes, later today I'll see if I can post some pictures of my longarm - it's what I do for a living (longarm quilting, not picture-posting).

[LvsChant]

Hmmm... I'm way faster at piecing tops than the quilting (I've always done them by hand, since I don't have a quilting machine). I love the piecing and creative color matching/blending  process. I would love to see some of your quilts, LJH. I've never looked into getting my quilts machine quilted, but it would certainly speed up my production process!