The Sewing Place

what better to prepare for the hoidays - a trip to a quilting shop!

LeilaMay

I've finally made the big jump - I am going to make a bed quilt!

Nothing fancy for my very first quilt, just big plain squares, but the colour palette is based on an idea we had last winter, and Mr came to Midsomer Quilts to hlp choose the fabrics, and it's being made for our bed (he's TALL so the quilt is big :) )

Fabric pic when I can remember where I tidied the camera away too, and progress reports in the new year once I can see the sewing room again - it's currently full of overwinter plants which were on the dining table in the conservatory.

I've made the small P&Q handbags last year, so it's the scale and precision needed here that's the nervous bit, but wish me me luck and off I go . . .

:vintage:

fajita

Re: what better to prepare for the hoidays - a trip to a quilting shop!
« Reply #1 on: December 21, 2018, 16:03:09 PM »
Have fun. You'll get a great sense of achievement once you're done.

Iminei

Re: what better to prepare for the hoidays - a trip to a quilting shop!
« Reply #2 on: December 21, 2018, 16:16:37 PM »
Great Hon!

But may I interject one small note of caution ... you want a quilt for your bed? a large quilt???

Everybody does ... including me!
We all want something of purpose, something that matters, something BIG!!!

the problem being the ability and skills needed not to assemble said quilt, that is relatively easy ...
but to A) Layer it once the top is complete
and B) Quilt it!

My very very first 'quilt' is a monstrous thing, that never got layered or quilted, however I am quietly confident in the knowledge that in 2295 it will become the next 300 year old coverlet!

My next first quilt, lay unquilted for 2 years or so whilst I acquired both the skills required and a machine with a large enough harp space under which to quilt it! But it turned out nicely enough.

My first quilted quilt of any size was a QAYG project, which I loved, but even then a Double bed size (min 200cm sq) was a row or two blocks too far for me.

I will of course, as will most of the Darksiders I imagine,  be more than happy to help you along the way...
Any questions, just ask!

So before you dive in, think how you are going to finish it ... and there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting a large quilt professionally long-armed for you ... just keep in mind the £100+ it is going to cost you.

Good luck and keep us up to date with lots of pics please!
« Last Edit: December 21, 2018, 16:18:33 PM by Iminei »
The Imperfect Perfectionist sews again

Lowena

Re: what better to prepare for the hoidays - a trip to a quilting shop!
« Reply #3 on: December 21, 2018, 16:31:15 PM »
I agree with @Iminei  I love the piecing.... I adore the quilting ( but I do hand quilting which is not everyone's cup of tea.) I do it because  it is too much of a faff to try to machine quilt with a domestic machine in a small space. I absolutely hate,loathe and despise the sandwiching of a large area of quilt.
If none of the above scares you, then I'm sure your quilt will look lovely and you will enjoy the experience.
Please let us see your progress and ask for any help you may need
Good luck  :toast:
Triumph of hope over experience :D

BrendaP

Re: what better to prepare for the hoidays - a trip to a quilting shop!
« Reply #4 on: December 22, 2018, 10:53:24 AM »
A large quilt does need a large amount of space, and a lot of time and patience,  to get sandwiched together properly which is perhaps another reason for doing quilt as you go, but I'm sure you'll manage.  The harp space on a  :vintage: 201 is fairly big but you will struggle to get half the width of a double/kingsize quilt under it.

A :vintage: machine itself will be more than capable of the task.
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

LeilaMay

Re: what better to prepare for the hoidays - a trip to a quilting shop!
« Reply #5 on: December 22, 2018, 12:21:58 PM »
Thank you all for your opinions - noted!
If necessary it will go back to Misomer Quilts for quilting - although I'm not planning anything other than straight lines if I do it myself - it's made of squares and comes from an idea of dry-stone walls. I may be able to hand quilt the very centre section and then move to machine ~who knows? But Mr is not averse to having it done by Midsomer - he finds that computerised long-arm quilter fascinating    8)

Iminei

Re: what better to prepare for the hoidays - a trip to a quilting shop!
« Reply #6 on: December 22, 2018, 12:50:22 PM »
As long as you are aware of the challenges of a BIG quilt, you are all set to go!

I will be putting the illusion quilt together in the New Year trying a new (to me) QAYG technique ... (ie NOT using joining strips) I will post in the Darkside when and how I go along, it might be of use to you.

Normal QAYG is brilliant and only gets tricky (ie ... awkward. cumbersome) in the later stages... be prepared to be pierced!

Piece your quilt and if Long-arming is a viable option, embrace it.

Looking forward to seeing your progress!
The Imperfect Perfectionist sews again

Lowena

Re: what better to prepare for the hoidays - a trip to a quilting shop!
« Reply #7 on: December 22, 2018, 13:20:58 PM »
I would never use an outside quilter, personally. I don't think it would feel like my quilt if I did, but it is personal preference.
I have done QAYG without joining strips @Iminei it is fiddly but looks fine.I haven't done a big quilt though. I doubt I'll machine quilt again since I discovered big stitch quilting and stencil type templates  :)
Can't wait to see your progress @LeilaMay  :)
Triumph of hope over experience :D

Roger

Re: what better to prepare for the hoidays - a trip to a quilting shop!
« Reply #8 on: December 22, 2018, 20:38:22 PM »
Im excited to see how you get on Leila, Im thinking 201k too - the large harp and quality stitching should be in the right direction.

Could you do it in 2 halves and join them in the middle to keep the harp space requirement down or is that just asking for trouble?

R.
A bit of a vintage sewing machine nut! Singers: 500a, 401g, 48k Elnas: lotus SP & grasshopper, Bernina 530-2 F+R 504, Pfaff 30, Cresta T-132

LeilaMay

Re: what better to prepare for the hoidays - a trip to a quilting shop!
« Reply #9 on: January 02, 2019, 09:11:20 AM »
Fabric is all washed and pressed - there are a couple of small pieces from my minuscule stash in the right colour, which was nice to find. Cutting to start this week or next. Have bought new rotary blades  :)

LeilaMay

Re: what better to prepare for the hoidays - a trip to a quilting shop!
« Reply #10 on: January 06, 2019, 13:50:14 PM »
Squares are now cut - the colour rendition of the shots isn't great but there is mainly greys, with accents of bracken, berry, ivy green, that kind of thing.
A few accent squares are amalgams of two fabrics, so those will get sewn first, for practice  :)

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LeilaMay

Re: what better to prepare for the hoidays - a trip to a quilting shop!
« Reply #11 on: January 06, 2019, 23:34:07 PM »
Cue crawling round on the lounge floor for several hours this evening. After laying out our original pattern idea and finding we didn't like it, there has been much shuffling of pieces and scratching of heads.

How does one 'DO' design for a large piece without wasting fabric that's been cut and then doesn't quite work? I appreciate that the actual making of a smaller piece can be easier, but as a small design doesn't automatically scale-up, I'm finding the design process frustrating. I can see why there's a market for packs and sets of cut fabric already chosen for people to make - but that's not what I want to do.

Mr has been crawling round and giving opinions also - sore knees all round. At least it kept the parrot amused watching  :)


BrendaP

Re: what better to prepare for the hoidays - a trip to a quilting shop!
« Reply #12 on: January 07, 2019, 10:51:35 AM »
Is there one particular fabric which sticks out like a sore thumb?  If so eliminate it, and use something else if need be.

Also those squares are quite big; cut them into 4, reassemble in a random order and have another crawling around on your knees session. 

Learning what does and doesn't go together is a combination of theory and experience, though it does come easier to some than to others.
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

LeilaMay

Re: what better to prepare for the hoidays - a trip to a quilting shop!
« Reply #13 on: January 07, 2019, 13:37:45 PM »
Many thanks Brenda.
There were indeed several fabrics that eventually we had to agree weren't working.   :( Individually they were great, but when combined they didn't add anything to the whole - one too pale to be effective, and a couple that although organic designs were printed in a very geometric grid, so all you saw at a distance were the lines , which we didn't like.
We were able then to say what 'did' work about the ones that were left, and so what to look for to replace.

I didn't at the time consider making the squares smaller, but now that you say it I can see how that would have had an effect on how the fabrics worked against each other - might be useful to do that exercise with some of the scrap pieces, thank you, I wouldn't have thought of it otherwise.

Onward and upward  :vintage:

LeilaMay

Re: what better to prepare for the hoidays - a trip to a quilting shop!
« Reply #14 on: January 10, 2019, 13:55:15 PM »
Here's what was left once we'd taken out the fabrics we didn't think worked, and abandoned the idea of random, coz there wasn't enough different fabrics left to make that work LOL Apologies for the picture quality, it was very late at night.

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Then a trip back to the fabric shop, and here is what we're aiming for, there are four bold accent colours in total, only two show here.

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And I have just begun the sewing . . .

fingers crossed
Leila