I've been adding videos to my YouTube channel nearly every week, so if you don't do Facebook, you can still see some of these segments. I love doing these free motion quilting videos!
Sharing tips, tricks, and inspiration from my own free motion quilting adventure.
Showing posts with label Quilting with rulers on a home machine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Quilting with rulers on a home machine. Show all posts
Video Post: Pointed Oval Ruler and Freehand Feathers
Here's a video I created from the live Facebook footage from the Amish Bars Quilt-along. It features both quilting with rulers and free hand feathers. It was a lot of fun to do!
I've been adding videos to my YouTube channel nearly every week, so if you don't do Facebook, you can still see some of these segments. I love doing these free motion quilting videos!
I've been adding videos to my YouTube channel nearly every week, so if you don't do Facebook, you can still see some of these segments. I love doing these free motion quilting videos!
Amy's Amish Bars QAL: The Videos
Here are all of the FB Live videos from Amy's Amish Bars Quilt Along on the AmyQuilts FB page
This QAL got off to a rough start. I started in a rush and didn't like what I did and it had a pucker on the back so we're starting with this video instead.
Absolutely adoring these whirling curvy feathers!
Next comes some tiny feathers.
Next is some geometric looking ruler work. The ruler used is one that comes in the Janome Ruler Work Kit which is a nice assortment of high shank rulers.
And more feathers.
Crosshatching using my Low Curve Mini. Can also use the QPC BFF ruler.
Some dithering about with this video as I design on the fly what I want to put into this inner border. I change my mind a few times.
Still working out this design....
Finally in the below video, I figure it out and stick with it.
This project might need to be named the Indecisive Quilt! Below is a great design for a border, but again I changed my mind.
The below video is a quick follow up to the above video as I decided to change things up!
Loving the use of this Double S ruler for my outer border!
Fair warning on the below video...I change my mind on the feathers afterwards!
Time for some curved crosshatching...
Trading the feathers for some straight line work!
Whew! What an adventure we've been on! It's time to move on to our next series, so this shows the last of the Amy's Amish Bars QAL. It will be back in its finished glory in an upcoming post.
This QAL got off to a rough start. I started in a rush and didn't like what I did and it had a pucker on the back so we're starting with this video instead.
Absolutely adoring these whirling curvy feathers!
Next comes some tiny feathers.
Next is some geometric looking ruler work. The ruler used is one that comes in the Janome Ruler Work Kit which is a nice assortment of high shank rulers.
And more feathers.
Crosshatching using my Low Curve Mini. Can also use the QPC BFF ruler.
Some dithering about with this video as I design on the fly what I want to put into this inner border. I change my mind a few times.
Still working out this design....
Finally in the below video, I figure it out and stick with it.
This project might need to be named the Indecisive Quilt! Below is a great design for a border, but again I changed my mind.
The below video is a quick follow up to the above video as I decided to change things up!
Loving the use of this Double S ruler for my outer border!
Fair warning on the below video...I change my mind on the feathers afterwards!
Time for some curved crosshatching...
Trading the feathers for some straight line work!
Whew! What an adventure we've been on! It's time to move on to our next series, so this shows the last of the Amy's Amish Bars QAL. It will be back in its finished glory in an upcoming post.
Craftsy Becomes Bluprint
If you've been a student with Craftsy, you've already heard the news that Craftsy has become Bluprint (and dang, it kills me to not put an E in bluprint) but you may have questions about what this means as a purchaser of my classes and other classes on Craftsy as well as the subscription program.
The subscription based Bluprint has been run separately from Craftsy for quite some time, though it originally started out as the Craftsy Unlimited plan. Abruptly, after the poorly handled changes in Craftsy's pattern designer marketplace, the powers that be (under NBCUniversal) announced that it would no longer use the Craftsy brand and all services would be offered under the Bruprint name.
If you read the woes of the majority of designers and pattern sellers as they scrambled to set up web shops a few days before Christmas as their patterns were removed from Craftsy, you know that these changes have been quite painful for the creative instructors and designers that had been working with Craftsy. Changes have been rolling out far longer for instructors than most Craftsy/Bluprint customers realize. They have been incredibly frustrating, confusing, and for most instructors, handled in the silence of professional courtesy.
This has left students in a pickle as well, as some classes no longer have an instructor answering their questions in their "forever classes." After seeing their income slashed by 80% on average, or their extensive class materials and even printed patterns given out for free, some instructors have parted ways with the arrangement. Their classes are still available, but the instructor gets nothing from them.
As instructors, we have been told that questions asked by subscription customers will not be shown to us, as if not having to answer students' questions makes up for lack of compensation. For the most part, we are instructors, teachers, people who share....we don't want to leave students hanging with their questions. Though we are also business people, parents, spouses, individuals with bills to pay.
I can't answer for other instructors, or even the powers that be at Bluprint, but what I do know is that I continue to answer questions, both within the class platform (assuming they show the question to me) as well as through my website, Facebook, and email. I do my best to provide the information without having to answer the same question thousands of times over, via my posts here and videos.
Yes, there can be thousands of the same question. Last year was the last time I was given a full student count and at that time it was 27,000 students for just the first class! Since then, they won't give us a student count or other basic metrics, citing that their status as a publicly traded company, we might be able to somehow calculate company earnings and conspire to do some illegal insider trading.
Some instructors have thrived under the new arrangements, with special types of classes and shows, and new instructors have also been recruited who have no expectations from how it was in the past. If it works for them and their students, fabulous!
In the meantime, if you own classes purchased outright, it appears you will continue to have 'forever access' to the classes, though you may or may not have an actively participating instructor. If you are taking classes as a subscription member, take advantage of all the answered questions that have come before you, as well as read the class materials. There's a wealth of information in these classes already.
If you are having trouble finding your forever classes on the Bluprint platform, clicking on the "shop" tab will take you to the re-branded old Craftsy site and your library of classes.
For my classes, I will continue to answer student questions if they are shown to me in my "Instructor's Dashboard." That is completely under the control of the Bluprint web gurus. There are far too many questions and answers to be able to search for new ones as they come up in the lessons.
While many things have changed in the time that I first started to work on my first Quilting with Rulers class with Craftsy, I am grateful that they took a chance in this rather unknown and less than photogenic quilting instructor to bring my ruler work technique on a stationary sewing machine to the masses. I was the only one actively teaching it then and Westalee was still in the process of finalizing their ruler foot prototype. Thank goodness for Janome and their ruler foot.
Changes that have happened in the industry also make it possible for instructors to create video content on their own that can rival what we could do before with these big professional studios. One of my disappointments with my classes with Craftsy was being left out of the editing process. So much content was cut out!
In March, I will ramp up video production to produce my new class on free motion quilting and I'm excited (and slightly terrified) to control all the content and production.
In the meantime, take advantage of my Facebook Live videos at AmyQuilts as well as my YouTube videos. By all means, watch my Craftsy/Bluprint classes, it brings me a few pennies and you get a well-produced class with plenty of content.
If you have additional questions about Craftsy classes, access to your class library, or your Bluprint subscription, check directly with them via this link as they know their platform and changes best.
How about you? Are you enjoying the changes to Bluprint? Are you enjoying my recent live FB videos (even if you just catch the replay)? How have my classes and videos helped you? Let me know in the comments. I love the conversation.
The subscription based Bluprint has been run separately from Craftsy for quite some time, though it originally started out as the Craftsy Unlimited plan. Abruptly, after the poorly handled changes in Craftsy's pattern designer marketplace, the powers that be (under NBCUniversal) announced that it would no longer use the Craftsy brand and all services would be offered under the Bruprint name.
If you read the woes of the majority of designers and pattern sellers as they scrambled to set up web shops a few days before Christmas as their patterns were removed from Craftsy, you know that these changes have been quite painful for the creative instructors and designers that had been working with Craftsy. Changes have been rolling out far longer for instructors than most Craftsy/Bluprint customers realize. They have been incredibly frustrating, confusing, and for most instructors, handled in the silence of professional courtesy.
This has left students in a pickle as well, as some classes no longer have an instructor answering their questions in their "forever classes." After seeing their income slashed by 80% on average, or their extensive class materials and even printed patterns given out for free, some instructors have parted ways with the arrangement. Their classes are still available, but the instructor gets nothing from them.
As instructors, we have been told that questions asked by subscription customers will not be shown to us, as if not having to answer students' questions makes up for lack of compensation. For the most part, we are instructors, teachers, people who share....we don't want to leave students hanging with their questions. Though we are also business people, parents, spouses, individuals with bills to pay.
I can't answer for other instructors, or even the powers that be at Bluprint, but what I do know is that I continue to answer questions, both within the class platform (assuming they show the question to me) as well as through my website, Facebook, and email. I do my best to provide the information without having to answer the same question thousands of times over, via my posts here and videos.
Yes, there can be thousands of the same question. Last year was the last time I was given a full student count and at that time it was 27,000 students for just the first class! Since then, they won't give us a student count or other basic metrics, citing that their status as a publicly traded company, we might be able to somehow calculate company earnings and conspire to do some illegal insider trading.
Some instructors have thrived under the new arrangements, with special types of classes and shows, and new instructors have also been recruited who have no expectations from how it was in the past. If it works for them and their students, fabulous!
In the meantime, if you own classes purchased outright, it appears you will continue to have 'forever access' to the classes, though you may or may not have an actively participating instructor. If you are taking classes as a subscription member, take advantage of all the answered questions that have come before you, as well as read the class materials. There's a wealth of information in these classes already.
If you are having trouble finding your forever classes on the Bluprint platform, clicking on the "shop" tab will take you to the re-branded old Craftsy site and your library of classes.
For my classes, I will continue to answer student questions if they are shown to me in my "Instructor's Dashboard." That is completely under the control of the Bluprint web gurus. There are far too many questions and answers to be able to search for new ones as they come up in the lessons.
While many things have changed in the time that I first started to work on my first Quilting with Rulers class with Craftsy, I am grateful that they took a chance in this rather unknown and less than photogenic quilting instructor to bring my ruler work technique on a stationary sewing machine to the masses. I was the only one actively teaching it then and Westalee was still in the process of finalizing their ruler foot prototype. Thank goodness for Janome and their ruler foot.
Changes that have happened in the industry also make it possible for instructors to create video content on their own that can rival what we could do before with these big professional studios. One of my disappointments with my classes with Craftsy was being left out of the editing process. So much content was cut out!
In March, I will ramp up video production to produce my new class on free motion quilting and I'm excited (and slightly terrified) to control all the content and production.
In the meantime, take advantage of my Facebook Live videos at AmyQuilts as well as my YouTube videos. By all means, watch my Craftsy/Bluprint classes, it brings me a few pennies and you get a well-produced class with plenty of content.
If you have additional questions about Craftsy classes, access to your class library, or your Bluprint subscription, check directly with them via this link as they know their platform and changes best.
How about you? Are you enjoying the changes to Bluprint? Are you enjoying my recent live FB videos (even if you just catch the replay)? How have my classes and videos helped you? Let me know in the comments. I love the conversation.
Quilting with Rulers: Ruler Thickness Revisited
I was poking through some of my websites and videos recently and came across one of the videos I did just before ruler work really hit the mainstream of the quilting world.
I think this was shot with prototypes of the Westalee ruler foot and rulers, just as they were bringing them into the American market.
It's a bit rough and loooong....but does a good job at showing why I don't toe the line when it comes to what rulers work with a low shank sewing machine. This was done on a Janome 3160, a smaller Janome machine with a low shank. Thicker rulers are easier to hold while quilting, so I like to use them as much as possible.
Enjoy.
I think this was shot with prototypes of the Westalee ruler foot and rulers, just as they were bringing them into the American market.
It's a bit rough and loooong....but does a good job at showing why I don't toe the line when it comes to what rulers work with a low shank sewing machine. This was done on a Janome 3160, a smaller Janome machine with a low shank. Thicker rulers are easier to hold while quilting, so I like to use them as much as possible.
Enjoy.
Quilting with Rulers: Continuous Curves on Hexagons
I shared this pillow with you last week. I used ruler work to quilt it with "Continuous Curves" except as I shared, I didn't work out my stitching path ahead of time and my results were far from continuous! A couple of hexies in, I realized what my path should have been, but by then I had already stitched up my own quilting roadblocks and had to made do with several detours.
I did have a blast with the quilting anyway, using a Simple Circle template for my curves on my new machine with the new Janome ruler foot. (Janome Quilt Maker MC15000) I love quilting with rulers on this machine.
Making curves continuous takes discipline and an orderly mind, something I'm in short supply quite often. (I'm not the only one, am I?) You've got to just say no to completing one entire hexagon. Just don't do it! Instead, think "angle, angle, over, back. Angle, angle, over, back.
Starting from the fushia at the bottom is the perfect illustration of A, A, O, B. So is the green on the way down. But at some point you end up with something like the orange line. I don't want to cross over to the right for the horizontal motions of 'over and back' instead waiting for the purple pass to do that leg of the journey.
As I mentioned, I'm not the most orderly, being easily distracted these days (I need more sleep!) so I actually talk these steps to myself as I quilt. "Angle, angle, over, back." So far no one has come to fit me with an extra long sleeved sweater or for a vacation in a padded room.
There you have it: my orderly stitching path for continuous curves on hexagons. It's a fairly simple quilting design with rulers and suits this pillow perfectly.
How about you? I bet I'm not the only one who speaks the shapes or directions out loud when quilting. At least I hope not.
Happy quilting!
I did have a blast with the quilting anyway, using a Simple Circle template for my curves on my new machine with the new Janome ruler foot. (Janome Quilt Maker MC15000) I love quilting with rulers on this machine.
Making curves continuous takes discipline and an orderly mind, something I'm in short supply quite often. (I'm not the only one, am I?) You've got to just say no to completing one entire hexagon. Just don't do it! Instead, think "angle, angle, over, back. Angle, angle, over, back.
Starting from the fushia at the bottom is the perfect illustration of A, A, O, B. So is the green on the way down. But at some point you end up with something like the orange line. I don't want to cross over to the right for the horizontal motions of 'over and back' instead waiting for the purple pass to do that leg of the journey.
As I mentioned, I'm not the most orderly, being easily distracted these days (I need more sleep!) so I actually talk these steps to myself as I quilt. "Angle, angle, over, back." So far no one has come to fit me with an extra long sleeved sweater or for a vacation in a padded room.
There you have it: my orderly stitching path for continuous curves on hexagons. It's a fairly simple quilting design with rulers and suits this pillow perfectly.
How about you? I bet I'm not the only one who speaks the shapes or directions out loud when quilting. At least I hope not.
Happy quilting!
Quilting with Rulers: Curves on Hexagons
Time to get back up on the blogging wagon! I've been so busy since getting back from the Janome training in late August and them absolutely focused on learning my new machine. I really didn't think I'd move on from my beloved Janome 8200, but when the newest top-of-the-line Machine from Janome was rolled out with not only a ruler foot, but a ruler work mode....well, I was smitten.
As a dealer, I do need to know these machines and I just knew I was going to be on this machine too much to call it a floor model or even a demo model. I have never had such a fancy machine before and frankly, if I had never become a dealer, I don't know that I'd have needed such a machine. I didn't do machine embroidery before embarking on my Janome dealer journey. (I will say that Janome rolled out another model at the training and had I still been doing my quilting biz at home, the 6700P would have been The One. Total love.) Nevertheless, if you love ruler work, quilting, and embroidery like I now do....this thing is absolutely wonderful!
I stitched together this hexagon pillow top recently and thought it would be a great first project for my new machine and ruler foot. It's Lucky Charm from Jaybird Quilts, using the sidekick ruler and the fabrics are Zen Chic Moda's True Blue (plenty of this at our shop BTW) and I have to say the hexies went together far better than I imagined. Hardest part was keeping the half hexie pairs together.
Then I began quilting with continuous curves from point to point using a circular ruler, 3 inch circle from the Simple Circles Set. I shot a quick video as I stitched too....
Now, I've got the pattern down pat for keeping this design continuous when working on squares, but the path eluded me on these hexies until I was halfway done. Then it was a little late. I'll do another post on the path soon.
Which meant that when taking a picture of the supposed done pillow top, I found a couple of spots that didn't get quilted above. Can you find them above? Take a look below!
Whoops! Back under the machine it went. Three more curves and it was done.
Then, I just had to try my hand at a pipped or corded pillow edge. First to make the piping. The base I had was too thick for the standard Janome piping foot, so I used the zipper foot for the narrow Acufeed foot. I have all these feet, might as well use them. I used the Acufeed version (a built in walking foot) as I wanted my fabric to wrap evenly around the cording material without slipping.
I trimmed up the corners on the pillow top using the same 3 inch circle I quilted it with. These templates are handy for more than stitching, and I use them a lot in design work.
I stitched the piping onto the pillow top with the same Acufeed foot and I sure am glad I did when I hit the spot where I finished by overlapping the cording. Powered right through. Slowly though, so things stayed in position.
When it was time to stitch the envelope style back on the pillow, I did go back to the regular zipper foot as I could get closer to the cording with it. I hate cording/piping when it doesn't get stitched on close enough.
Tada! Look at that nice corner. So pleased with this pillow, pattern, machine, and me. Feels good to have a finished project. (I did trip the pillow down to fit the pillow form I had.)
Anybody else here get the new Janome Quilt Maker 15000? I am very excited about this machine and ruler foot. I am so pleased that Janome once again is on the leading edge of my favorite technique. I'm also happy that those of you with machines that will eventually have this new ruler work mode and foot will be able to have "approved" ruler feet for your machines.
If you've got questions about this new ruler foot, hit me up in the comments. It doesn't replace the convertible set for most machines, just those with the auto foot lift. Those of you who have been bitten by the embroidery bug, give me one of your favorite tips in the comments.
As a dealer, I do need to know these machines and I just knew I was going to be on this machine too much to call it a floor model or even a demo model. I have never had such a fancy machine before and frankly, if I had never become a dealer, I don't know that I'd have needed such a machine. I didn't do machine embroidery before embarking on my Janome dealer journey. (I will say that Janome rolled out another model at the training and had I still been doing my quilting biz at home, the 6700P would have been The One. Total love.) Nevertheless, if you love ruler work, quilting, and embroidery like I now do....this thing is absolutely wonderful!
Look at that ruler foot! So smooth, shiny and sleek. It's a standard 1/2 inch diameter foot and since the machine sets the height, there's no need for the shank portion of my good friend, the Convertible FMQ Foot Set. With the automatic presser foot lift feature and the ruler work mode, I don't have to worry about the foot hitting the needle clamp either.
If you have an older 15000, Janome has rolled out a free update so you can get this ruler work mode (and have a more reliable needle threader) and some other features, then you can buy the new feet in the very reasonable upgrade kit. Check with your Janome dealer. If you have a MC9400, S7, S9, 14000, and possibly the 12000, Janome is working on the software upgrade to allow you to use this foot on your machines as well.
I stitched together this hexagon pillow top recently and thought it would be a great first project for my new machine and ruler foot. It's Lucky Charm from Jaybird Quilts, using the sidekick ruler and the fabrics are Zen Chic Moda's True Blue (plenty of this at our shop BTW) and I have to say the hexies went together far better than I imagined. Hardest part was keeping the half hexie pairs together.
Then I began quilting with continuous curves from point to point using a circular ruler, 3 inch circle from the Simple Circles Set. I shot a quick video as I stitched too....
Now, I've got the pattern down pat for keeping this design continuous when working on squares, but the path eluded me on these hexies until I was halfway done. Then it was a little late. I'll do another post on the path soon.
Which meant that when taking a picture of the supposed done pillow top, I found a couple of spots that didn't get quilted above. Can you find them above? Take a look below!
Whoops! Back under the machine it went. Three more curves and it was done.
Then, I just had to try my hand at a pipped or corded pillow edge. First to make the piping. The base I had was too thick for the standard Janome piping foot, so I used the zipper foot for the narrow Acufeed foot. I have all these feet, might as well use them. I used the Acufeed version (a built in walking foot) as I wanted my fabric to wrap evenly around the cording material without slipping.
I trimmed up the corners on the pillow top using the same 3 inch circle I quilted it with. These templates are handy for more than stitching, and I use them a lot in design work.
I stitched the piping onto the pillow top with the same Acufeed foot and I sure am glad I did when I hit the spot where I finished by overlapping the cording. Powered right through. Slowly though, so things stayed in position.
When it was time to stitch the envelope style back on the pillow, I did go back to the regular zipper foot as I could get closer to the cording with it. I hate cording/piping when it doesn't get stitched on close enough.
Tada! Look at that nice corner. So pleased with this pillow, pattern, machine, and me. Feels good to have a finished project. (I did trip the pillow down to fit the pillow form I had.)
Anybody else here get the new Janome Quilt Maker 15000? I am very excited about this machine and ruler foot. I am so pleased that Janome once again is on the leading edge of my favorite technique. I'm also happy that those of you with machines that will eventually have this new ruler work mode and foot will be able to have "approved" ruler feet for your machines.
If you've got questions about this new ruler foot, hit me up in the comments. It doesn't replace the convertible set for most machines, just those with the auto foot lift. Those of you who have been bitten by the embroidery bug, give me one of your favorite tips in the comments.
A New Janome Ruler Foot
Janome was the first sewing machine brand to have a ruler foot, and while it was originally intended for use on a frame mounted machine, quilters far and wide began using this combination of feet on regular, stationary sewing machines.
As I've shared my quilting adventures with ruler work here for over 7 years, so many people have enjoyed the technique, whether on a Janome or a compatible machine.
In the last few years, machines have been created with an automatic presser foot mechanism which is super duper awesome for sewing, but Janome did not approve of using the Janome ruler foot combination with these machines. Plenty of determined quilters used it anyway, though it wasn't approved, nor ideal.
Just last year I was in Cincinnati Ohio at a Janome training when they introduced the Janome 9400, which has an automatic presser foot lifter. I was talking to my Janome rep about the ruler foot when Shin Yamamoto, President and CEO of Janome America came over and asked what I thought of the new machine. I explained that I thought it was fabulous for sewing but because I loved to do ruler work and the Convertible Free Motion Foot set wasn't approved for the model, I wanted to see a ruler foot for these machines.
Fast forward to earlier this week and I'm in the same hotel conference room and Janome announced than not only was there a new version of the Memory Craft 15000, called the Quilt Maker 15000 that had a ruler foot and a ruler work setting, but there was also to be a free upgrade to previous versions of the 15000 that would make them compatible to the new ruler foot and several other new feet!
The new foot and ruler work menu settings make quilting with rulers substantially easier to set up.
It gets even better! Janome is working on updates for the other Janome machines that have the auto presser foot lift (MC14000, 9400, S7, and S9). The update is a free one performed by your dealer, the new feet will not be free. (The update will also have a replacement part for the needle threader on the older 15000 versions, to make it work better.)
Ruler work was all the talk during our dealer training. Janome is motivated to get these new upgrades and feet out asap!
As I've shared my quilting adventures with ruler work here for over 7 years, so many people have enjoyed the technique, whether on a Janome or a compatible machine.
In the last few years, machines have been created with an automatic presser foot mechanism which is super duper awesome for sewing, but Janome did not approve of using the Janome ruler foot combination with these machines. Plenty of determined quilters used it anyway, though it wasn't approved, nor ideal.
Just last year I was in Cincinnati Ohio at a Janome training when they introduced the Janome 9400, which has an automatic presser foot lifter. I was talking to my Janome rep about the ruler foot when Shin Yamamoto, President and CEO of Janome America came over and asked what I thought of the new machine. I explained that I thought it was fabulous for sewing but because I loved to do ruler work and the Convertible Free Motion Foot set wasn't approved for the model, I wanted to see a ruler foot for these machines.
Fast forward to earlier this week and I'm in the same hotel conference room and Janome announced than not only was there a new version of the Memory Craft 15000, called the Quilt Maker 15000 that had a ruler foot and a ruler work setting, but there was also to be a free upgrade to previous versions of the 15000 that would make them compatible to the new ruler foot and several other new feet!
The new foot and ruler work menu settings make quilting with rulers substantially easier to set up.
It gets even better! Janome is working on updates for the other Janome machines that have the auto presser foot lift (MC14000, 9400, S7, and S9). The update is a free one performed by your dealer, the new feet will not be free. (The update will also have a replacement part for the needle threader on the older 15000 versions, to make it work better.)
Ruler work was all the talk during our dealer training. Janome is motivated to get these new upgrades and feet out asap!
The new
feet (ruler foot and a few others) aren’t quite available to dealers yet, other
than those that come with the new 15000, which I have sitting in my studio! I was told that the update for the 9400 should be ready in a few months.
Meanwhile, I'll be playing with my new 15000. I used it for the very first time while demonstrating ruler work to students in my Quilting with Rulers class here in the shop. It was fabulous! No more worrying to remember to put the foot down before putting down the needle or making sure the needle is up before raising the foot. It's got a ton of other nifty features, but I'll save that for my shop's blog.
The foot is super! It's smooth, rounded on the bottom and has a good sized divot at the front to better see at the needle. It attaches directly to the presser foot bar, so there's no spring part in the way. You adjust its height through the ruler work menu. This gives it great visibility.
This will likely be the machine you see me use in my tutorials from now on, unless I'm doing a test of a new low shank ruler. This means my beloved MC8200 is for sale as a used machine. I'm not sure what the protocol is for a dealer selling a used machine and listing the price online so if you're somewhat local and looking for a fabulous machine for quilting with 11 inches to the right of the needle, you can call the store (434-239-6708). Not that we couldn't ship this machine where ever, but I feel weird about selling a machine far enough away that we couldn't support it well as the dealer. Having a local dealer is sooooo important. (BTW, we are also selling a new sewing/embroidery machine, the MC14000 at a smoking hot price that I can't list online, as it's being replaced by the 15000.)
I am so happy to see that Janome has listened to its dealers and customers and are making these changes so these higher-end machines also have a great ruler foot. I was blessed enough to have an opportunity to remind Shin that I had asked for this very thing in the same spot last year and how happy I was to see it and thanked him.
If you have a Janome without the auto presser foot lift, the new foot isn't for you. Stick the the convertible set and ruler foot combination.
Quilt on!
More Template Options for Low Shank Machines: Blue Dahlia
When it comes to quilting with rulers on sewing machines, Low shank machines are at a disadvantage as the lack of clearance behind the foot limits your choice of rulers. There's only one maker of 3mm quilting rulers......
Or at least there was only one! TopAnchor, my favorite maker of fancy, specialty rotating templates has begun having her popular designs cut in a 3mm thick version. I've used her 1/4 inch thick templates all along on my high shank Janomes and I love how easy it is to position the anchor post from the top side of the quilt and without pin tips sticking up. (Because if a pin sticks up, I'm going to be the one to put my hand on it.)
I set up one of our smaller low shank Janome machines (7050) with the Janome ruler foot combination and shot a video using the "Blue Dahlia". It's a bit long (22 minutes) and also gives a little peek around my new studio/classroom in our shop, newly relocated to 2414 Wards Rd. in Lynchburg VA.
I love that this option exists now! In the video I used the 6 inch version of the template. All of Janome's low shank machines are small machines with a regular sized harp space, so using the 9 inch template is a little harder to use. Not impossible, but harder. Certainly harder with a camera between me and the machine! But there are quite a few larger throat machines in other brands that have low shanks.
I show in the video how to make the double dahlia, but I have also done a triple dahlia years ago in bright colored fabric on linen (with the high shank version) that was absolutely stunning! I'll have to see if I can find it. The markings are on the template for both the single and double version. These templates are now available at Amy's Quilting Adventures.
Whew...nope, no dice on finding that design. I had to dive deep into the archives looking for it, so I'll just post this adorable pic of my now 10 year old at 4 years old in the dress and bloomers I made her back when I had a "mommy blog." Isn't she adorable? So twirly!
Or at least there was only one! TopAnchor, my favorite maker of fancy, specialty rotating templates has begun having her popular designs cut in a 3mm thick version. I've used her 1/4 inch thick templates all along on my high shank Janomes and I love how easy it is to position the anchor post from the top side of the quilt and without pin tips sticking up. (Because if a pin sticks up, I'm going to be the one to put my hand on it.)
I set up one of our smaller low shank Janome machines (7050) with the Janome ruler foot combination and shot a video using the "Blue Dahlia". It's a bit long (22 minutes) and also gives a little peek around my new studio/classroom in our shop, newly relocated to 2414 Wards Rd. in Lynchburg VA.
I love that this option exists now! In the video I used the 6 inch version of the template. All of Janome's low shank machines are small machines with a regular sized harp space, so using the 9 inch template is a little harder to use. Not impossible, but harder. Certainly harder with a camera between me and the machine! But there are quite a few larger throat machines in other brands that have low shanks.
I show in the video how to make the double dahlia, but I have also done a triple dahlia years ago in bright colored fabric on linen (with the high shank version) that was absolutely stunning! I'll have to see if I can find it. The markings are on the template for both the single and double version. These templates are now available at Amy's Quilting Adventures.
Whew...nope, no dice on finding that design. I had to dive deep into the archives looking for it, so I'll just post this adorable pic of my now 10 year old at 4 years old in the dress and bloomers I made her back when I had a "mommy blog." Isn't she adorable? So twirly!
Leah Day Tackles Templates
Last week, I received some news that made me feel pretty cruddy. Nothing too major now, especially after giving it some thought and prayer. The next morning, I arrived at the shop still feeling a little out of sorts. My hubby, with a big cheesy grin, met me with phone in hand and said, "Oh Amy...Leah Day, line one!"
Leah and I had a great little chat. She's a very encouraging and down to earth kind of gal. If you read her blog you already know that, and you probably know about her new line of templates.
But, if you don't know, Leah's got a great learning program called the Machine Quilting Block Party. One of the blocks is a Dresden plate block and she's developed her own line of templates to help her students cut out these shapes quickly and accurately.
She's also designed them to work well as quilting rulers (used with a ruler foot of course!) with etched 1/4 inch markings along the edges. At 3mm thick, they're great for low shank machines and could be used with care with high shank sewing machines as well (keep the foot down low), though you know I like my rulers as thick as possible for safety and ease of gripping. These are not suitable for hopping long arm machines and probably not the #72 Bernina foot.
I love a good, multipurpose tool! The ends of the curved blades and especially the circles can be really useful. There are several stretches of straight edges as well. For the price and the versatility, I think it's a great deal.
They've been so popular that she's currently sold out of the Dresden Plate Template Set, but will have them in stock really soon!
She doesn't sell ruler feet, so she's been kind enough to send folks my way via Amy's Quilting Adventures for those. That's why she was calling. Sweet, huh?
Over on her blog, The Free Motion Quilting Project, Wednesday's post, Ruler Foot Quilting for Beginners, shows her templates and how she's used them for quilting her project. I love seeing how people use the rulers they have in creative ways to make a variety of designs. You should check it out.
She does a great job of showing how to make a clamshell type design with a single shape (actually she does this twice, with a different template) which is my preferred way of doing clamshells.
Speaking of using the rulers you already have for a variety of designs, that's what my second class with Craftsy is all about. While it's great to have some specialty templates if you want them, we all want to use our templates in as many ways as possible.
Creative Quilting with Rulers can be yours at half off right now with this coupon code link. (Coupon link disclaimer: Get 50% off the full retail price of select Craftsy classes taught by Amy Johnson. Cannot be combined with any other coupons. Expires March 19, 2017.)
Leah and I had a great little chat. She's a very encouraging and down to earth kind of gal. If you read her blog you already know that, and you probably know about her new line of templates.
But, if you don't know, Leah's got a great learning program called the Machine Quilting Block Party. One of the blocks is a Dresden plate block and she's developed her own line of templates to help her students cut out these shapes quickly and accurately.
She's also designed them to work well as quilting rulers (used with a ruler foot of course!) with etched 1/4 inch markings along the edges. At 3mm thick, they're great for low shank machines and could be used with care with high shank sewing machines as well (keep the foot down low), though you know I like my rulers as thick as possible for safety and ease of gripping. These are not suitable for hopping long arm machines and probably not the #72 Bernina foot.
I love a good, multipurpose tool! The ends of the curved blades and especially the circles can be really useful. There are several stretches of straight edges as well. For the price and the versatility, I think it's a great deal.
They've been so popular that she's currently sold out of the Dresden Plate Template Set, but will have them in stock really soon!
She doesn't sell ruler feet, so she's been kind enough to send folks my way via Amy's Quilting Adventures for those. That's why she was calling. Sweet, huh?
Over on her blog, The Free Motion Quilting Project, Wednesday's post, Ruler Foot Quilting for Beginners, shows her templates and how she's used them for quilting her project. I love seeing how people use the rulers they have in creative ways to make a variety of designs. You should check it out.
She does a great job of showing how to make a clamshell type design with a single shape (actually she does this twice, with a different template) which is my preferred way of doing clamshells.
Speaking of using the rulers you already have for a variety of designs, that's what my second class with Craftsy is all about. While it's great to have some specialty templates if you want them, we all want to use our templates in as many ways as possible.
Creative Quilting with Rulers can be yours at half off right now with this coupon code link. (Coupon link disclaimer: Get 50% off the full retail price of select Craftsy classes taught by Amy Johnson. Cannot be combined with any other coupons. Expires March 19, 2017.)
Quilting with Rulers: Ombre Triangles Continue
My quilting is slowly getting done on my Ombre Triangles quilt. Slower than my favorite purple pen evaporates. Good thing I took pictures of the overall design.
The marks are mostly to point out which shapes I had planned to put where, not really something to stitch over. I did mark a line to indicate the apex and base line of the smaller inner triangles. I try to do as little marking as possible, using the markings on the rulers and the seam lines to guide me. But sometimes, there's not much to go by, so I definitely do mark.
I'm continuing to break it down into different geometric shapes. Last week I did a hexagon and this week it's time for a large triangle. This triangle is actually one of two overlapping triangles, so there's a part of it I'm not quilting.
I'm really loving using my straight 12 inch ruler for these half inch echoes I'm using to delineate the geometric shapes and then going back and filling in with this little flower fill.
I now mostly quilt in our store, Sew Simple of Lynchburg, and I've realized that I need to do some tweaking of my set up to allow me to quilt better. Most of the machines are set up for shop demos. I keep one set up for free motion quilting most of the time, but hadn't really set it up for my own use. (I'm really hoping we can move the shop in the coming year so I don't have to share studio work space with the sales floor.) I had some issues moving my ruler with my project.
The first issue was quickly identified. Once upon a time Janome had some Supreme Sliders cut to to be used with the extension table that comes with the Janome 8900. I had an extra one in the shop and was using it on the 8200QPCSE set into a Horn cabinet. It's long, but narrow. The slider really needs to be big enough to cover the joins between the insert and the cabinet surface.
It caused my ruler to get stuck or jerk when going over these areas.
Silly me....I preach to y'all about the need to have a good smooth surface to quilt on.
The next issue was found shortly after. It seems the machine had slid to the right a little.....
The arrow above points to where the insert was no longer supported by its own support built into the machine. The lower insert was causing my ruler to rock as I quilted with the ruler to the right of the needle.
Here's my story and I'm sticking to it..... I think that as we gain skill in free motion quilting (and likely other things in life), we can become a little blind to the basics that we paid so much attention to when we first started out.
I know I've got some awfully talented quilters here...have you let things slide in your quilting set up? Or not slide as in this particular case? Especially if you've traveled to a class, retreat, or workshop.
If you are new to free motion quilting, I cannot stress enough how much a good set up with a large smooth, flush to the machine bed, surface is to your quilting.
Going forward I will be putting one of my Sew Slip mats around the foot of this machine and make sure that it's in the proper position. (I will also be praying that the right space opens up for our shop. We need classroom space! But that's not exactly a actionable tip for you!)
Happy quilting!
The marks are mostly to point out which shapes I had planned to put where, not really something to stitch over. I did mark a line to indicate the apex and base line of the smaller inner triangles. I try to do as little marking as possible, using the markings on the rulers and the seam lines to guide me. But sometimes, there's not much to go by, so I definitely do mark.
I'm continuing to break it down into different geometric shapes. Last week I did a hexagon and this week it's time for a large triangle. This triangle is actually one of two overlapping triangles, so there's a part of it I'm not quilting.
I'm really loving using my straight 12 inch ruler for these half inch echoes I'm using to delineate the geometric shapes and then going back and filling in with this little flower fill.
I now mostly quilt in our store, Sew Simple of Lynchburg, and I've realized that I need to do some tweaking of my set up to allow me to quilt better. Most of the machines are set up for shop demos. I keep one set up for free motion quilting most of the time, but hadn't really set it up for my own use. (I'm really hoping we can move the shop in the coming year so I don't have to share studio work space with the sales floor.) I had some issues moving my ruler with my project.
The first issue was quickly identified. Once upon a time Janome had some Supreme Sliders cut to to be used with the extension table that comes with the Janome 8900. I had an extra one in the shop and was using it on the 8200QPCSE set into a Horn cabinet. It's long, but narrow. The slider really needs to be big enough to cover the joins between the insert and the cabinet surface.
It caused my ruler to get stuck or jerk when going over these areas.
Silly me....I preach to y'all about the need to have a good smooth surface to quilt on.
The next issue was found shortly after. It seems the machine had slid to the right a little.....
The arrow above points to where the insert was no longer supported by its own support built into the machine. The lower insert was causing my ruler to rock as I quilted with the ruler to the right of the needle.
Here's my story and I'm sticking to it..... I think that as we gain skill in free motion quilting (and likely other things in life), we can become a little blind to the basics that we paid so much attention to when we first started out.
I know I've got some awfully talented quilters here...have you let things slide in your quilting set up? Or not slide as in this particular case? Especially if you've traveled to a class, retreat, or workshop.
If you are new to free motion quilting, I cannot stress enough how much a good set up with a large smooth, flush to the machine bed, surface is to your quilting.
Going forward I will be putting one of my Sew Slip mats around the foot of this machine and make sure that it's in the proper position. (I will also be praying that the right space opens up for our shop. We need classroom space! But that's not exactly a actionable tip for you!)
Happy quilting!
Bernina Ruler Foot
I was blessed to have a customer and free motion quilting student come into the shop last week so I could take a look at her Bernina and its new ruler foot. As a Janome dealer whose shop now sells fabric, I couldn't work up the nerve to visit my local Bernina dealership and quilt shop to ask about this new foot.
I should have her come in more often. As soon as she came in, we got very busy during a time when the shop is usually fairly slow. This meant we didn't have much time to actually stitch with it and I wish I had taken a little more time with her to reward her for letting me see this new #72 Bernina ruler foot.
I shot a quick video, but nothing of either of us stitching. It wasn't the best footage, so I'm going to pass on posting it.
I like it. For Bernina machines of course. I still love my Janome foot. This Bernina version comes the closest to the Janome foot than anything else on the market. The height is easily adjustible with a thubscrew and there's give to how it attaches to the machine like my Janome foot, which helps it glide over bulk better than a solidly attached foot.
It has a little cut out in front of the needle for visibility too. This foot hopped on the machine she brought in, so it needs to use 1/4 inch thick rulers. I don't know if it can be adjusted with machine settings like Patsy Thompson did with the Janome ruler foot she put on one of her Berninas so it won't hop. It isn't a clackity clack kind of hopping like the generic spring type free motion feet. I'm guessing some Bernina free motion feet might move like this as well. The hopping will help it move over bulky seams well.
My customer tells me that the foot is made so it won't crash into the needle clamp if you go down with the needle with the foot up. I admit, I am so used to making sure the foot is down, I never checked this out. It's a great feature.
As far as rulers go, Bernina is selling their own rulers now, but from what I've seen so far, they are regular long arm rulers that have been available for some time, but now these have the Bernina name on them. Again, this foot needs 1/4 inch thick rulers.
The new ruler foot works on newer machines only.
Here's what I got from a Bernina Ambassador:
I should have her come in more often. As soon as she came in, we got very busy during a time when the shop is usually fairly slow. This meant we didn't have much time to actually stitch with it and I wish I had taken a little more time with her to reward her for letting me see this new #72 Bernina ruler foot.
I shot a quick video, but nothing of either of us stitching. It wasn't the best footage, so I'm going to pass on posting it.
I like it. For Bernina machines of course. I still love my Janome foot. This Bernina version comes the closest to the Janome foot than anything else on the market. The height is easily adjustible with a thubscrew and there's give to how it attaches to the machine like my Janome foot, which helps it glide over bulk better than a solidly attached foot.
It has a little cut out in front of the needle for visibility too. This foot hopped on the machine she brought in, so it needs to use 1/4 inch thick rulers. I don't know if it can be adjusted with machine settings like Patsy Thompson did with the Janome ruler foot she put on one of her Berninas so it won't hop. It isn't a clackity clack kind of hopping like the generic spring type free motion feet. I'm guessing some Bernina free motion feet might move like this as well. The hopping will help it move over bulky seams well.
My customer tells me that the foot is made so it won't crash into the needle clamp if you go down with the needle with the foot up. I admit, I am so used to making sure the foot is down, I never checked this out. It's a great feature.
As far as rulers go, Bernina is selling their own rulers now, but from what I've seen so far, they are regular long arm rulers that have been available for some time, but now these have the Bernina name on them. Again, this foot needs 1/4 inch thick rulers.
The new ruler foot works on newer machines only.
Here's what I got from a Bernina Ambassador:
The Adjustable Ruler foot #72 is compatible with our current line of machines; the 3 Series, 4 and 5 Series, and 7 and 8 Series. It is not compatible with previous generations of machines with four digits in the model number or earlier. This foot is separate from the BERNINA Stitch Regulator, and is not compatible with BSR. Please check in with your local BERNINA store to find out more about the Adjustable Ruler foot #72 and ruler sets, if the foot is compatible with your model BERNINA, price and availability.
For more information, check with your Bernina dealer as I am a Janome girl, through and through.
If your machine can use this new foot and you already have a different foot, should you switch? That is entirely up to you. If your budget allows, I'd say yes. The foot isn't cheap and if you had any of the other options out there, you likely have some thinner rulers that you can't safely use with this foot.
Quilting with Rulers: Diamond in a Block
Managed to stitch out one of my favorite ruler work designs for in a block the other day and shot video while doing it. It's kind of funny quilting away while talking to the camera. It's become sort of natural and makes me wonder....how long until I find myself quilting while giving a running commentary even when there is no camera? LOL!
This a great design for larger blocks even when you don't have a large/long ruler. It can be dressed up with additional quilting inside and outside the diamond. I'll have to show that some other time.
This week, my hubby tells me that I had blog followers come to the shop before I arrived in the morning on two separate occasions. I am so sorry to have missed you, whoever you were!
This a great design for larger blocks even when you don't have a large/long ruler. It can be dressed up with additional quilting inside and outside the diamond. I'll have to show that some other time.
This week, my hubby tells me that I had blog followers come to the shop before I arrived in the morning on two separate occasions. I am so sorry to have missed you, whoever you were!
Quilting with Rulers
I hosted and taught "Quilting with Rulers" here in my own shop last weekend. It was the first time I hosted my own class in my own shop and it was wonderful.
These four wonderful ladies traveled to my shop from Roanoke, Virginia which is a little over an hour away. As always, quilters are a great group of people to work with. There's always a lot of laughter.
First I talked about the need for a ruler foot when guiding your free motion quilting with rulers. Then we took a break and fitted the machines with ruler feet. Three machines were fitted with the Janome ruler foot combination and one took a Westalee foot.
Then we worked on using basic rulers for straight crosshatching, followed by working with curves. Then I supplied the rulers for an "open-bar" of sorts, giving the quilters a chance to try unique shapes, sizes and specialty rulers without obligation to purchase them.
I love the reach I have through my classes at Craftsy, but there's something extra special about being able to teach students in person, and I'd like to think that quilters enjoy classes in person as much as I do.
Speaking of my Craftsy classes, my students have been posting their own projects using ruler work and I've got to say it's pretty amazing. Below is a selection of several recent projects posted by students.
First is a sampler of ruler work practice by Craftsy username DittsMon. I love that she made a practice piece and shared it. Not only did she do the first couple of designs, but also some variations. I feel like I've accomplished my goal when students take what they've learned, tweak it, and make it their own.
Barb Lounsbury posted this beauty and the combination of ruler work designs and free hand fills sets this colorful quilt off fabulously. She used a double batting, with wool on top for greater texture with nearly a trapunto effect. It makes that quilting really pop.
Craftsy username Schaeferhund posted this striking modern piece. Her quilting is gorgeous and I love how she's integrated ruler work throughout it as well as worked the curved lines and circles from the main part of the quilt into the centers of the borders.
I'm getting ready for our "new owner open house" event this weekend. Most of the 80's wallpaper has been covered by white batting, making for a big design wall. I painted the shelving unit white. It's so much brighter without the country blue.
If you're near the Lynchburg, Virginia area, I'd love to meet you. Maybe you'd like to sign up for a class? Should you like to see my class offerings, visit Sew Simple of Lynchburg's class page. Now, I better get back to work! The to-do list is very, very long.
These four wonderful ladies traveled to my shop from Roanoke, Virginia which is a little over an hour away. As always, quilters are a great group of people to work with. There's always a lot of laughter.
First I talked about the need for a ruler foot when guiding your free motion quilting with rulers. Then we took a break and fitted the machines with ruler feet. Three machines were fitted with the Janome ruler foot combination and one took a Westalee foot.
Then we worked on using basic rulers for straight crosshatching, followed by working with curves. Then I supplied the rulers for an "open-bar" of sorts, giving the quilters a chance to try unique shapes, sizes and specialty rulers without obligation to purchase them.
I love the reach I have through my classes at Craftsy, but there's something extra special about being able to teach students in person, and I'd like to think that quilters enjoy classes in person as much as I do.
Speaking of my Craftsy classes, my students have been posting their own projects using ruler work and I've got to say it's pretty amazing. Below is a selection of several recent projects posted by students.
 |
| Photo courtesy of Craftsy and the student who posted it. |
First is a sampler of ruler work practice by Craftsy username DittsMon. I love that she made a practice piece and shared it. Not only did she do the first couple of designs, but also some variations. I feel like I've accomplished my goal when students take what they've learned, tweak it, and make it their own.
 |
| Photo courtesy of Craftsy and the student who posted it. |
Barb Lounsbury posted this beauty and the combination of ruler work designs and free hand fills sets this colorful quilt off fabulously. She used a double batting, with wool on top for greater texture with nearly a trapunto effect. It makes that quilting really pop.
 |
| Photo courtesy of Craftsy and the student who posted it. |
Craftsy username Schaeferhund posted this striking modern piece. Her quilting is gorgeous and I love how she's integrated ruler work throughout it as well as worked the curved lines and circles from the main part of the quilt into the centers of the borders.
I'm getting ready for our "new owner open house" event this weekend. Most of the 80's wallpaper has been covered by white batting, making for a big design wall. I painted the shelving unit white. It's so much brighter without the country blue.
If you're near the Lynchburg, Virginia area, I'd love to meet you. Maybe you'd like to sign up for a class? Should you like to see my class offerings, visit Sew Simple of Lynchburg's class page. Now, I better get back to work! The to-do list is very, very long.
Amy's Top Tips for Quilting with Rulers on a Sewing Machine
Whether it's a sewing machine, domestic machine, or sit-down long arm, if you quilt by pushing your quilt instead of moving a machine, I've got some great tips for using rulers to guide your free motion quilting.
Ruler work is a great technique for a huge range of skill levels. If you are comfortable moving your quilt under your machine, you can do ruler work.
If you're a beginner, using rulers helps you figure out the all-important "Where do I go next?" issue. Just follow the ruler. Specialty rulers can give you design options that you might not be able to create on your own.
If you're more experienced with free motion quilting, ruler work can help you develop a framework that really helps your free motion quilting shine.
These tips are garnered from over 5 years of doing ruler work on my Janome machines. I've had a good long time to try all kinds of rulers and see what works and what doesn't.
So let's get to my top tips for quilting with rulers:
Ruler work is a great technique for a huge range of skill levels. If you are comfortable moving your quilt under your machine, you can do ruler work.
If you're a beginner, using rulers helps you figure out the all-important "Where do I go next?" issue. Just follow the ruler. Specialty rulers can give you design options that you might not be able to create on your own.
If you're more experienced with free motion quilting, ruler work can help you develop a framework that really helps your free motion quilting shine.
These tips are garnered from over 5 years of doing ruler work on my Janome machines. I've had a good long time to try all kinds of rulers and see what works and what doesn't.
So let's get to my top tips for quilting with rulers:
- First of all, it really is easier than you may think! Try it and practice.
- Anything that helps you move the quilt smoothly helps with ruler work. Having the machine flush with a large, smooth surface is the best.
- Arrange big quilts in a series of peaks and valleys around and under the machine. You only need it flat where you are quilting and under the ruler. The folds of the peaks and valleys act as hinges to move just the area of the quilt you are working on while letting the bulk of the quilt stay stationary. This reduces the weight of what you need to move.
- DON'T do ruler work without a ruler foot! At best, you'll be extra tense trying to make sure the ruler doesn't hop over or under the foot. At worst, you'll break a needle and throw the machine out of time. Janome was the first with a ruler foot (even if I had to convince them that it could be used on a stationary machine), followed by the Westalee foot, plus a few others, Bernina now has its official ruler foot for its newer machines and I recently heard (9/14/17) that Babylock is releasing their own ruler foot.
- Make sure the ruler foot is low enough on the quilt for good stitch formation without causing drag on your project. You will likely need to change the foot height for different thickness of projects.
- Wear quilting gloves! Drop your finger tips over the edge of the ruler and the grip of the gloves will help you lock the ruler in place while you move your project at the same time.
- Don't shove a too thick ruler under the presser foot bar behind the foot, which is mainly an issue on low shank machines.
- Given the above tip, thicker rulers are easier to control. They feel better in the hand and have more of an edge to grasp with your finger tips.
- Handles and other grips can be handy. Some grips may be too tall for domestic machines though.
- Use a non-slip grip product on your rulers. There are several types, but my favorite are the round silicone ones I sell in my shop. I still say the gloves are more helpful than products on the ruler, but they do help.
- Don't press too hard on the ruler. Not only will it make it harder to move your quilt smoothly, but it will likely cause the ruler to slip. Trap the ruler in your gloved finger tips instead.
- Basic rulers are easier to manage than specialty shapes. The more changes in direction, the harder to keep the foot along the edge and keep the pressure even to keep the ruler from slipping. For example, repeating the curve of a half circle is easier to manage than a series of clamshell shapes and results in the same design. Costs less too.
- Speaking of rulers; you can get a huge range of design options with a good straight ruler and some curves in a range of sizes. My second class on ruler work is all about making great designs with basic rulers. Take the first one before the second, unless you've already begun to do ruler work. See link in sidebar.
- While one of the advantages of using rulers is to make great shapes without marking your quilt, sometimes you need to mark registration lines. Mark 'em if you need to.
- Ruler work can give impressive, precise results, but can also be tediously slow. This is especially true for specialty templates made to mimic free motion designs. Some quilts need one but maybe not the other.
- Related to the above tip; don't let ruler use keep you from learning and improving in free hand free motion designs. They both work beautifully together.
- Want to learn more about using rulers to guide your free motion quilting? See my classes on Craftsy. See link in sidebar.
- Have questions regarding specific rulers or a ruler foot for your machine? Contact me through my website and I can answer those questions and make sure you get what you need.
If you found this post or my previous posts on ruler work useful, pin it or pass it along. After promoting and teaching quilting with rulers on sewing machines for so long, it's getting a lot of attention these days by some real big players in the quilting industry and I'd like to not fade into obscurity. It's a fabulous technique and I hope you will give it a try!
There are affiliate links on this site. They help me continue to share great tips with you.
There are affiliate links on this site. They help me continue to share great tips with you.
Bernina Ruler Foot for Ruler Work on Sewing Machines
Big beautiful Bernina news! I don't know details, but educators from all over the US are at Bernina University this week and one just posted this picture of the new Bernina approved, official ruler foot for the domestic Bernina machines.
Now you can do ruler work on your Bernina and talk about it with your Bernina dealer without getting the stink-eye. More details to come.
Now you can do ruler work on your Bernina and talk about it with your Bernina dealer without getting the stink-eye. More details to come.
Peeks at My Craftsy Projects
Less than a week after my class, Creative Quilting with Rulers, More Techniques and Motifs (25% off discount link there!), I got a big box from Craftsy. Inside were my projects from the class. I'm so excited to get these back.
Imagine being halfway through a quilt that you're very excited about and having to stop working on it. That's what it was like with these projects. It was very important to me to use actual quilts in this class to help my students see how to use piecing lines and corners for placement of rulers when creating designs.
The solid samples from my first class, Quilting with Rulers on a Home Machine (50% off discount link there) just wouldn't do this time. That class is all about how to stitch alongside rulers, to hold them, and an introduction to all the different types of rulers that are available as well as introducing how to use rulers for different basic designs. It was easier to stitch various "step outs" as they are called, to show the different stages of each lesson segment when they were just plain samples. This new class is focused more on creating designs with rulers you have using the seams and points of the quilt as anchor points for the rulers.
Each quilt in this class had areas that were completely finished, as well as areas that were in various stages of completion to demonstrate each step. Camera crews, producers, and production editors aren't cheap, so I can't just have them wait around while I finish each step so we can shoot the next step.
My ruler work sampler was the only completed project. It was used as part of the background, as well as used to show a few of the variations and finished designs. But everything else is awaiting me to finish them.
We ran out of time for me to show one of the techniques I had ready on the above quilt, so I can share that here on the blog. We try to fit so much stuff and so much detail into these classes, but they've got a particular time line and class plan we've got to stick to, so some things have to be left out.
Craftsy also kept my favorite rulers so they could be used in the professional still shots of the class. I felt a little bit like a child after having her toys taken away. Now I've got them back and I am ready to use them.
I think this quilt with its turquoise and green stars is the project I am most happy to see. I can't wait to stitch it up and show it off. I've been calling it my "Starfall" quilt. It's being stitched in a gorgeous variegated thread too.
If that's not enough to keep me busy, it looks like my special somewhat secret project is also finally coming together. It's huge! I can't wait to finalize it and share it with you. If it works out like we're hoping, it will help me pull several areas of my life together so my days aren't quite as disjointed as they have been lately.
Don't forget that I'm still having a sale on ruler feet, rulers, and everything else that I sell online at Amy's Quilting Adventures. Enter the promo code SpringFling15 at checkout for 15% off everything there. It only lasts until May 15th and the proceeds are very important to the success of my special project I mentioned above. This is your chance to get rulers and other products at fabulous prices.
Imagine being halfway through a quilt that you're very excited about and having to stop working on it. That's what it was like with these projects. It was very important to me to use actual quilts in this class to help my students see how to use piecing lines and corners for placement of rulers when creating designs.
The solid samples from my first class, Quilting with Rulers on a Home Machine (50% off discount link there) just wouldn't do this time. That class is all about how to stitch alongside rulers, to hold them, and an introduction to all the different types of rulers that are available as well as introducing how to use rulers for different basic designs. It was easier to stitch various "step outs" as they are called, to show the different stages of each lesson segment when they were just plain samples. This new class is focused more on creating designs with rulers you have using the seams and points of the quilt as anchor points for the rulers.
Each quilt in this class had areas that were completely finished, as well as areas that were in various stages of completion to demonstrate each step. Camera crews, producers, and production editors aren't cheap, so I can't just have them wait around while I finish each step so we can shoot the next step.
My ruler work sampler was the only completed project. It was used as part of the background, as well as used to show a few of the variations and finished designs. But everything else is awaiting me to finish them.
We ran out of time for me to show one of the techniques I had ready on the above quilt, so I can share that here on the blog. We try to fit so much stuff and so much detail into these classes, but they've got a particular time line and class plan we've got to stick to, so some things have to be left out.
Craftsy also kept my favorite rulers so they could be used in the professional still shots of the class. I felt a little bit like a child after having her toys taken away. Now I've got them back and I am ready to use them.
I think this quilt with its turquoise and green stars is the project I am most happy to see. I can't wait to stitch it up and show it off. I've been calling it my "Starfall" quilt. It's being stitched in a gorgeous variegated thread too.
If that's not enough to keep me busy, it looks like my special somewhat secret project is also finally coming together. It's huge! I can't wait to finalize it and share it with you. If it works out like we're hoping, it will help me pull several areas of my life together so my days aren't quite as disjointed as they have been lately.
Don't forget that I'm still having a sale on ruler feet, rulers, and everything else that I sell online at Amy's Quilting Adventures. Enter the promo code SpringFling15 at checkout for 15% off everything there. It only lasts until May 15th and the proceeds are very important to the success of my special project I mentioned above. This is your chance to get rulers and other products at fabulous prices.
Quilting with Rulers: The Sampler Continues
I'm still plugging away on my ruler work sampler. Yes....still. Sometimes I love it, other times I'm sick of it, so I go in tiny bits at a time. I'm working on the large setting triangles along the sides. I wanted to make the main ruler work lines in these two triangles the same, but didn't plan both at the same time or record measurements for the first one. So I had to transfer the markings from one to the other.
Using the ruler and post it notes worked great!
All I had to do was line the ruler up with the point and edge and transfer the marks. Probably not perfectly accurate, but close enough for me.
In the pic below, can you spot the problem I had? Don't scroll right past, try to figure it out.
Answer? I failed to account for the binding as I started this feather. I can't believe I forgot this!
Then I found I was having trouble moving my quilt. Rookie mistake again. Instead of puddling the quilt in a series of peaks and valleys, I had tossed the quilt up upon itself and was sliding, or trying to slide the whole thing.
Below is a pic of the quilt positioned much better. The peaks and valleys act as a hinge, allowing the part of the quilt I'm working on to move, but keeping the bulk fairly stationary which means moving less weight.
Here's the first triangle. I still need to work on my Laverne L's when they need to turn. The big pebbles/circles turned out nicely.
The second triangle was done with the same ruler work, but the fills between were much more swirly and feathered too.
Doing the whole quilt as a sampler has been a lot of fun as I choose different designs and rulers.
There's still time to link up in the ruler work link party! Don't be a party pooper. Share and visit.
Tomorrow starts a new Craftsy promotion and I'm pretty excited about it. It's something totally different for National Craft Month which will impact a good cause. Come back and here all about it.
Using the ruler and post it notes worked great!
All I had to do was line the ruler up with the point and edge and transfer the marks. Probably not perfectly accurate, but close enough for me.
In the pic below, can you spot the problem I had? Don't scroll right past, try to figure it out.
Answer? I failed to account for the binding as I started this feather. I can't believe I forgot this!
Then I found I was having trouble moving my quilt. Rookie mistake again. Instead of puddling the quilt in a series of peaks and valleys, I had tossed the quilt up upon itself and was sliding, or trying to slide the whole thing.
Below is a pic of the quilt positioned much better. The peaks and valleys act as a hinge, allowing the part of the quilt I'm working on to move, but keeping the bulk fairly stationary which means moving less weight.
The second triangle was done with the same ruler work, but the fills between were much more swirly and feathered too.
Doing the whole quilt as a sampler has been a lot of fun as I choose different designs and rulers.
There's still time to link up in the ruler work link party! Don't be a party pooper. Share and visit.
Tomorrow starts a new Craftsy promotion and I'm pretty excited about it. It's something totally different for National Craft Month which will impact a good cause. Come back and here all about it.
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