Learning to Quilt - My Journey

[Iminei]

Learning to quilt ??
Ok, but you could teach us something about applique...those quilts are gorgeous...

I love the use of old clothes (?) fabric used for clothes in the appliqued dresses...
Beautiful!

I may have to  ahem....'borrow' that idea! 

[Lyn-J]

Thank you all for your encouraging comments. I'm not new to sewing just patchwork and quilting. I've made all my own clothes since 1693(?) so I guess that makes me a dressmaker.  I'm finding that the techniques for patchwork are a bit different and as for the lingo - still trying to catch up with all that.
Well I got out my old lady sewing machine, she's 47, pictured with her younger sister.
Bernina730Record by Lyn-J, on Flickr
I do prefer my newer machine, it has a knee lift and I hate to say it, but she sews better. Its taken a long time but there's finally a better machine than my Record.

Iminei suggested I try this http://thesewingplace.org.uk/index.php/topic,12.0.html


so here is my attempt
right side
082 by Lyn-J, on Flickr
wrong side
083 by Lyn-J, on Flickr

This is a new technique to me and it works very well. The dressmaker in me would have pressed all seams open.

[Iminei]

Looks spot on to me, both front and back

...... and if the dressmaker in you gets her way when you quilt (and with some blocks it can be the only way)
you most definitely wont be able to SID as you will then be breaking your blocks' stitches !!!!

And exqueeeze me...there is absolutely nothing wrong with straight line quilting!

[Fabric Lover]

Lyn - your quilts look lovely. I've never done any quilting either, but have the same pattern as your hedgehog design, good intentions and all that! 

[Lyn-J]

Anne You should go for it! I remember using lots of iron on adhesive and tear away stabilizer to do the appliqué, so stock up on that 

[Lantana]

Hi Lyn I'm sure your dressmaking experience will stand you in good stead and you'll soon be surpassing some of us (well me at least) who've been at it for years! My needlework teacher got me into English paper piecing when she saw that in spite of 'trying so hard' she still had to put me bottom of the class' (I used the scraps from my more able class members)

I did make clothes for my boys when they were little and have made quilts/wall hangings over the years to satisfy the sewing urge.

All you've got to do is learn a few new techniques and you'll be flying! Everytime I see your avatar I'm reminded about one of my ... ahem ... Works In Progess as it has star fabric for the background. I'm putting it up as a reminder that one of the patchworky things that needs consideration is trying not to have to sew bias to bias as the blocks can all to easily stretch our of shape!

L

[Lowena]

Was that your previous avatar Lantana, it's gorgeous.

[Iminei]

I remember that piece Lantana from some other place and remember thinking at the time it was gorgeous.

Nothing about that opinion has changed on seeing it again...and I thought the wonkiness of the star was  meant to be?!! hahahahaha..... if you had difficulties with this piece Lantana, whatever you did to work through them achieved spectacular results and you should be proud of it!

Did I read that this is still a UFO??? If not, apologies

If so...Please finish it, its gorgeous!

[Lantana]

Many thanks Lowena and Iminei.

I'm pleased with it but started it by way of an experiment to see if I could make the colours for a 3D effect with no clear idea of what to do with it! So that's why it's not finished! It could of course just be a wall hanging but I have plenty of wadding and would just need to make some more motives and buy some backing and it could be a proper bed quilt. BUT .... I have so many things that are on the verge of becoming quilts and the thought of the layering and quilting send me scurrying to start a new project while I find the courage <whistle>

Anyway my day is not going quite as planned but I'm pleased with myself as I've sorted out the old wooden trunk that serves as a coffee table. The thing is because it's already packed I've not had to look into it for the previous couple of moves (please don't judge me too harshly they were precipitate and not of my choosing).

 Good grief why had I kept some of that stuff? For instance a liberty bodice, remember those anyone? Not mine as I stopped wearing them when I was 7 or 8 maybe earlier so where had it come from? Must have been from my grannies house. Go on weep I did whilst imagining Lowena's reaction to the find lol ... worn out cord trousers with patched knees from when my boys were little (they are now coming up to their 40s!) I think the plan was to make a rag rug from them or something. Bitter sweet to find them ..... but now on the growing 'chuck it out pile'. Feeling very virtuous and also stupid for not having chucked them previously.

Lunch eaten now for the first trip to the charity shop (and no the trousers aren't going there ha!ha!)

All this sorting our has been precipitated because of the 'mystery quilt' and having Lowena in my cyber space once more. Yet another reason to be grateful for this forum ... it needed doing just needed the encouragement.

So I'll finish as I began .....MANY THANKS!

L

[Lantana]

PS Sorry to hijack your thread Lyn with the above tale ... I thought I was on the 'today' thread! 

L

[Lowena]

Thrilled to oblige Lantana, we aim to please  and I bet you feel a better person for it 

[Lantana]

Thrilled to oblige Lantana, we aim to please  and I bet you feel a better person for it 

Oh yes and this is just the start! 3 bags full taken today. I've found out I can take the worn out old clothes to the Oxfam shop and they will get turned into rugs after all!

L 

[rubywishes]

Lyn, how old is your Bernina 7 series machine? Are you happy with it? I have a 4 year old 710 which was the base model and now no longer available, (poor outdated thing!) . I always wondered what the other 7 series machines were like. I have a 30 year old Janome which I have nostalgically kept and often "fire up" for quick repairs. 

[b15erk]

Sorry to butt in Ruby, but I have a 730, and they are a lovely machine.  Very smooth and quiet, and makes a very pretty stitch.  I don't quilt very much, but I would think that it would do very well.  The satin stitch is the best of any of my machines, as are the decorative stitches.

Not tried the button hole facility as I use the attachment on my old Singer.

Jessie

[Lyn-J]

Lyn, how old is your Bernina 7 series machine? Are you happy with it?

My 790 is a year old and I'm really happy with it! It reads my mind and knows what I want to do
It sews exceptionally well and runs very quietly. I'm just reading through the comparison notes on the Bernina Site to get a feel for what the 710 does).
She has:
a history function (the last few stitches)
The Bernina Hook
Stitch Designer
multidirectional sewing
connecting stitches
1352 stitches
7" screen
9mm stitch width
and an embroidery unit (with added extra maxi hoop 40 x 21 cm)
it did come with a free overlocker too 

Its the BEST machine I've ever used, Its even better than the 730 !!!