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 rulers on sewing machine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rulers on sewing 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.
Janome 9400 Ruler Foot and Upgrade
So many people have been asking me about a ruler foot for the 9400 and I can finally let you know that it's almost ready to launch. Dealers have already gotten this information, so while I can't really tell you all about it until the public launch, I can tell you its on the way and I'll give you full information about it shortly!
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: an Update
I taught another Quilting with Rulers class this week and it gave me an opportunity to get out my samples from my Craftsy classes. While my local students get to see samples and designs from both of my classes, the actual class they take only covers the basics of ruler work, which equates to about half of similar material from my first Craftsy class, Quilting with Rulers on a Home Machine. (Coupon Details: Get 50% off the full retail price of select Craftsy classes taught by Amy Johnson. Cannot be combined with any other coupons. Expires January 31, 2018.)
If you look at the designs I created over the past few years, both in my classes and in my other projects, and you'll see that I keep the rulers simple. So many designs from just a handful of rulers. There are a lot of rulers being released into the marketplace these days and if one speaks to you, or many, that's great, but you don't have to load up with a ton of rulers.
I really love the new ruler foot from Janome for the MC15000. A similar version will eventually be available for other Janomes with the automatic presser foot lift. Other Janomes will still use the convertible free motion foot set and the ruler foot combination. Janome has really set the bar when it comes to quilting with rulers on sewing machines.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I had mentioned the need for this foot at a Janome training about 18 months ago to the president of Janome America and while I don't think my comment was the origin of the development of the foot, they saw the interest growing in ruler work and made it happen.
They went beyond just a new ruler foot, but an actual ruler work mode! It makes it really easy to set up for ruler work and adjust the foot in the menu for the perfect height for your project. This feature will be added to the machines that will be getting this foot upgrade.
Janome also got a set of rulers made up to go with this new foot and I have a set of them. I haven't had time lately to play with them, but I will soon. They are made by Westalee/Sew Steady and lean a bit toward specialized shapes on the smaller side. I hope to give a review as soon as possible.
I have several tops ready for quilting, so I'm hoping to show you something more interesting soon. Being a shop owner sure fills your days with a lot of admin stuff. Not fun. But I'm loving the chance to be a cheerful shop where folks can be encouraged and educated in their creative sewing adventures.
I hope you are having your own quilting adventures as well!
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| This student was really new to free motion quilting, but she loved using rulers. |
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| So many designs from just a few basic rulers. |
I really love the new ruler foot from Janome for the MC15000. A similar version will eventually be available for other Janomes with the automatic presser foot lift. Other Janomes will still use the convertible free motion foot set and the ruler foot combination. Janome has really set the bar when it comes to quilting with rulers on sewing machines.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I had mentioned the need for this foot at a Janome training about 18 months ago to the president of Janome America and while I don't think my comment was the origin of the development of the foot, they saw the interest growing in ruler work and made it happen.
They went beyond just a new ruler foot, but an actual ruler work mode! It makes it really easy to set up for ruler work and adjust the foot in the menu for the perfect height for your project. This feature will be added to the machines that will be getting this foot upgrade.
Janome also got a set of rulers made up to go with this new foot and I have a set of them. I haven't had time lately to play with them, but I will soon. They are made by Westalee/Sew Steady and lean a bit toward specialized shapes on the smaller side. I hope to give a review as soon as possible.
I have several tops ready for quilting, so I'm hoping to show you something more interesting soon. Being a shop owner sure fills your days with a lot of admin stuff. Not fun. But I'm loving the chance to be a cheerful shop where folks can be encouraged and educated in their creative sewing adventures.
I hope you are having your own quilting adventures as well!
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!
A Free Motion Quilting Finale
Look! I'm making binding, which means I must have finished quilting something. Yay me! Ombre Triangles is done. (I think I need a better name for this project.)
This poor quilt had so much start and stop quilting that I kept forgetting how I wanted to quilt it between sessions, so it lost its cohesive look. But I had fun playing around with these triangles and groups of triangles. Some were done as diamonds, others as hexagons, but all pretty different.
Most of it was ruler work, with the QP Edge (12") but I also used a QP Curve #8, and a free hand scroll-y, flower fill especially around the edges. Then I threw in a few other things just to keep it interesting.
This whole quilt was done in one fabric, V&Co Ombre, and I was able to trim up the extra backing for my binding, which left it mostly as the darker teal color.
I always struggle when it comes to stitching strips of binding together. I get distracted, sometime from others around me, other times from my ditzy brain. So I've taken to ironing one end of each strip (each strip oriented the same way) at a 45 degree angle. This helps me make the angled seam point the same way and makes sure I sew the strips together properly.
Don't you hate it when you pull the strip open and you've done it wrong? Maybe you've stitched right side to wrong side? Maybe I'm the only one whose botched it more times than I want to admit?
Then I open the crease and I've got something to follow for a good straight 45 degree seam.
Now, if I had turned my binding around so the bulk of it was lying to the right, I could have used these handy dandy markings on the needle plate (see red arrows below). Janome machines have a mess of helpful lines on the needle plate! Sometimes I forget they are there though....bad Janome dealer, shame on me!
Then I switched to a different foot 'sole' for my integrated walking foot, aka the Accufeed Flex System. Love these built in walking feet that are completely removable. This foot combination has a 1/4 inch guide on it.
Of course, by the time I got to the binding, I was beyond ready to do something else and didn't audition the binding around the quilt very well and ended up with this....
Now, if this had been an actual solid fabric, I could have easily adjusted that last binding seam that joined the ends. But that ombre was making its move to another color where I wanted to do it. In the end (ha!), I worked it out as far away as I could without having a noticeable change of color between the two strips. (Totally should have done the "No Tails Binding" by Linda Hungerford.)
I like using Roxanne's Glue Baste It for putting ends of binding together. I pressed my 45 degree angle, added a smidge of glue in what would be the seam allowance, hit it with the iron for instant drying, then opened it up and stitched along the crease. Once I stitched, I popped the seam allowance open, trimmed it to 1/4 inch, pressed it open, and stitched it the rest of the way.
Next, I'm machine stitching this guy down by stitching in the ditch. Then I'm off to one of many things on my to-do list. So many things I want to make. I want to make a little girl's dress to show off a new fabric line in the shop, there's a bag I want to make from another line, I want to make a sloth pillow.... the list goes on and on!
Plus, there's moving to do! We're coming up on our one year anniversary of owning Sew Simple and to celebrate, we're packing everything up and moving down the road almost one mile to a better, bigger location. I'm so excited!
Goodness! Look how dark my hair is. I need some highlight, stat.
One of the things I'm loving about this move is that the new location has no overhead tenants. So many videos have gotten ruined by thumping feet. I think they must be little gymnasts. Also, we will have a separate classroom space from the rest of the sales floor, which will give me a better chance to work on projects. Finally, I think we're just about ready to take another giant leap of faith and look for our first employee or two. I just can't do it all, even with my wonderful husband's help.
This poor quilt had so much start and stop quilting that I kept forgetting how I wanted to quilt it between sessions, so it lost its cohesive look. But I had fun playing around with these triangles and groups of triangles. Some were done as diamonds, others as hexagons, but all pretty different.
Most of it was ruler work, with the QP Edge (12") but I also used a QP Curve #8, and a free hand scroll-y, flower fill especially around the edges. Then I threw in a few other things just to keep it interesting.
This whole quilt was done in one fabric, V&Co Ombre, and I was able to trim up the extra backing for my binding, which left it mostly as the darker teal color.
I always struggle when it comes to stitching strips of binding together. I get distracted, sometime from others around me, other times from my ditzy brain. So I've taken to ironing one end of each strip (each strip oriented the same way) at a 45 degree angle. This helps me make the angled seam point the same way and makes sure I sew the strips together properly.
Don't you hate it when you pull the strip open and you've done it wrong? Maybe you've stitched right side to wrong side? Maybe I'm the only one whose botched it more times than I want to admit?
Then I open the crease and I've got something to follow for a good straight 45 degree seam.
Now, if I had turned my binding around so the bulk of it was lying to the right, I could have used these handy dandy markings on the needle plate (see red arrows below). Janome machines have a mess of helpful lines on the needle plate! Sometimes I forget they are there though....bad Janome dealer, shame on me!
Then I switched to a different foot 'sole' for my integrated walking foot, aka the Accufeed Flex System. Love these built in walking feet that are completely removable. This foot combination has a 1/4 inch guide on it.
Of course, by the time I got to the binding, I was beyond ready to do something else and didn't audition the binding around the quilt very well and ended up with this....
Now, if this had been an actual solid fabric, I could have easily adjusted that last binding seam that joined the ends. But that ombre was making its move to another color where I wanted to do it. In the end (ha!), I worked it out as far away as I could without having a noticeable change of color between the two strips. (Totally should have done the "No Tails Binding" by Linda Hungerford.)
I like using Roxanne's Glue Baste It for putting ends of binding together. I pressed my 45 degree angle, added a smidge of glue in what would be the seam allowance, hit it with the iron for instant drying, then opened it up and stitched along the crease. Once I stitched, I popped the seam allowance open, trimmed it to 1/4 inch, pressed it open, and stitched it the rest of the way.
Next, I'm machine stitching this guy down by stitching in the ditch. Then I'm off to one of many things on my to-do list. So many things I want to make. I want to make a little girl's dress to show off a new fabric line in the shop, there's a bag I want to make from another line, I want to make a sloth pillow.... the list goes on and on!
Plus, there's moving to do! We're coming up on our one year anniversary of owning Sew Simple and to celebrate, we're packing everything up and moving down the road almost one mile to a better, bigger location. I'm so excited!
Goodness! Look how dark my hair is. I need some highlight, stat.
One of the things I'm loving about this move is that the new location has no overhead tenants. So many videos have gotten ruined by thumping feet. I think they must be little gymnasts. Also, we will have a separate classroom space from the rest of the sales floor, which will give me a better chance to work on projects. Finally, I think we're just about ready to take another giant leap of faith and look for our first employee or two. I just can't do it all, even with my wonderful husband's help.
Quilting with Rulers: Tweak your Set-Up
In my previous quilting with rulers post on my current project, I mentioned some issues I was having with my machine set up.
Having a good machine set up will, well....set you up for free motion success.
First I needed to level the insert with the cabinet top. The machine was at the right height, but the insert needed to be up just a smidge to eliminate the little lip around the opening. I used the tiny inner circles from the adhesive silicone gripper dots I use on my rulers to prevent slipping. Just 6 of these small True Grips got it nice and level.
Then it was time to replace my slider. I shared in my previous post that the slider I was using wasn't big enough. It was a custom sized slider made for the 8200 and 8900 machines to be used on the extension table that comes with these machines. It was really too narrow for this cabinet insert. If I wasn't using rulers, it would be fine.
So I got out a Sew Slip mat and put it down. Alas, it's not quite big enough. I could have ordered a queen sized Supreme Slider at this point, but if you've read this blog for long, you know I think outside the box quite often and like to find solutions without buying something special if I don't need to.
But I also knew I wanted to cut a hole for my bobbin cover plate, like the other mat had. There's a little loss in slide when I do this, primarily if a basting pin catches the edge, but easy access to the bobbin is soooo worth it.
I positioned the mat to cover as much of the edges that I wanted covered and dropped my needle. The original hole was part of the area cut out for the bobbin case and I cut a new hole for the needle.
The custom cut one was much nicer, but this will do. Now it covers the edges and grooves nicely. It's not so much about the slipperiness as much as it is about smoothing out the joins between machine, insert, and cabinet.
Now I can get down to some stitching. This post is getting long, so I'll just show some preliminary quilting for now. I'm breaking this little quilt into different sized chunks so I'm doing some quick marking to keep all the right designs in the right areas.
The outer line above delineates the triangle, but isn't accurately marked, just sketched. But the inner triangle was marked accurately so it would be stitched properly.
So this will feature a 1/2 inch echo around the outer triangle and an inner triangle and echo, plus a freehand fill between echos. I want to minimize stops and starts as much as possible, so I echo around.....
Then work a bit of the fill until I reach the inner triangle. Then I stitch the inner triangle.
Then I show you the rest of the fill tomorrow!
Here's a special, cheerful spot in my shop (Sew Simple of Lynchburg) that is making me very happy. Front and center when you walk in the door is Lil Red and Bonnie and Camille Basics in yardage and precuts.
I hope you have a spot in your life that is making you smile during these dreary days of winter. Great time to quilt!
Having a good machine set up will, well....set you up for free motion success.
First I needed to level the insert with the cabinet top. The machine was at the right height, but the insert needed to be up just a smidge to eliminate the little lip around the opening. I used the tiny inner circles from the adhesive silicone gripper dots I use on my rulers to prevent slipping. Just 6 of these small True Grips got it nice and level.
Then it was time to replace my slider. I shared in my previous post that the slider I was using wasn't big enough. It was a custom sized slider made for the 8200 and 8900 machines to be used on the extension table that comes with these machines. It was really too narrow for this cabinet insert. If I wasn't using rulers, it would be fine.
So I got out a Sew Slip mat and put it down. Alas, it's not quite big enough. I could have ordered a queen sized Supreme Slider at this point, but if you've read this blog for long, you know I think outside the box quite often and like to find solutions without buying something special if I don't need to.
But I also knew I wanted to cut a hole for my bobbin cover plate, like the other mat had. There's a little loss in slide when I do this, primarily if a basting pin catches the edge, but easy access to the bobbin is soooo worth it.
I positioned the mat to cover as much of the edges that I wanted covered and dropped my needle. The original hole was part of the area cut out for the bobbin case and I cut a new hole for the needle.
The custom cut one was much nicer, but this will do. Now it covers the edges and grooves nicely. It's not so much about the slipperiness as much as it is about smoothing out the joins between machine, insert, and cabinet.
Now I can get down to some stitching. This post is getting long, so I'll just show some preliminary quilting for now. I'm breaking this little quilt into different sized chunks so I'm doing some quick marking to keep all the right designs in the right areas.
The outer line above delineates the triangle, but isn't accurately marked, just sketched. But the inner triangle was marked accurately so it would be stitched properly.
So this will feature a 1/2 inch echo around the outer triangle and an inner triangle and echo, plus a freehand fill between echos. I want to minimize stops and starts as much as possible, so I echo around.....
Then work a bit of the fill until I reach the inner triangle. Then I stitch the inner triangle.
I hope you have a spot in your life that is making you smile during these dreary days of winter. Great time to quilt!
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.
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