The Sewing Place
The Emporia => Patchwork & Quilting ... Welcome to the Darkside => Topic started by: Lyn-J on March 21, 2017, 16:04:29 PM
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I am starting to make quilts more or less from scratch. I plan on documenting my experience here. No doubt I will make every single mistake there is. Please feel free to laugh along with me. All suggestions and criticisms are welcome. No offence will be taken. I going to dust off my Bernina 730 Record, a machine I've had since 1970, it just feels right to use that machine to do patchwork.
I have had some good advice from Iminei which is where I will start.
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What a great idea, Lyn-J. Watching with interest.
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Really looking forward to sharing your journey <3
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No Question is too stupid and we all desperately crave PICS!!!!
Oh and by the way...
The mystery quilt is an ideal start as 4 simple blocks makes a fab quilt so easily! I'm with you all the way!
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You can do it!
YD
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You can do it!
Of course you can - and we'll hold your hand as necessary :flower:
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Good on you Lyn.......we all muddle along together, mutter along together, succeed or "almost succeed" along together, and support each other together! :)
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Here are pics of my two previous attempts
My first was cot sized
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7293/10723897425_fd5ee7468f_n.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/hkCM6c)Quilt1 (https://flic.kr/p/hkCM6c) by Lyn-J (https://www.flickr.com/photos/75662823@N06/), on Flickr
the second was full sized. this has appliqués done on an embroidery hoop. The fabrics are remnants from dresses I had made for Little Lady (DGD4)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/307/30893370033_5808918280_n.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/P4WAAV)Quilt1 (https://flic.kr/p/P4WAAV) by Lyn-J (https://www.flickr.com/photos/75662823@N06/), on Flickr
The quilting on this was very, shall we say, rustic. The instructions just said layer and quilt. Yikes!
Both are McCall's patterns
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As far as I can see Lyn, you've made a heck of a start with those two quilts - they are lovely!
Jessie
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Ah, Lyn, they are really lovely.
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Lyn...I especially love that second quilt with the pretty little dresses on....It's so sweet.
Enjoy getting back into sewing.
Sandra.
xxx
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Hi, those are beautiful quilts- you are obviously not a beginner to sewing as appliqué can be tricky and both of those have lots of lovely appliqué. You will get lots of ideas here.
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Yep, not a beginner at all, judging by those lovely quilts ( my applique is very hit and miss :D )
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Yes, Lyn. It's the 'quilt as desired' instruction that is daunting. There are never even any suggestions.
I have only done 2 quilts and my 3rd is waiting to be basted. I decided that I would try to do a little something each time that I haven't done previously. On my first I stuck to stitching in the ditch. On my second I came out of the ditch but followed the lines of the piecing plus a little bit of free ranging straight lines. I'm planning on diagonal lines (still straight lines) for my third.
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SITD is hard, especially if you want to keep in the ditch :D Straight line sewing should hold no fears for you if you can master that :flower:
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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! :[
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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.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3791/33665730665_b16670494b_n.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/ThVEQa)Bernina730Record (https://flic.kr/p/ThVEQa) by Lyn-J (https://www.flickr.com/photos/75662823@N06/), 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 (http://thesewingplace.org.uk/index.php/topic,12.0.html)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/TPr3c2lKhtCALkRTJFz6ivcJsEcxbGxrRhmLlvTYgMscqKE-a9ksfqnZZVwsCgIMWhYVpWqfHulIDFi3mGo6HsElssRPBUiZYdM_TGX9dRIzVj5yRtFAtkWCVDtzCHE4qy7fvXEQojBospukW5a2PLNe2oJQ67-mcHvWXMQDr7kiJZZKrJIC4a1zllJiy3YhgQgizlTRjv1V6_p0hnD_hmgoTHNw_Ve_crEWLCQeoLyZO7N9r9OHf8RKQdHxSM6M9Hj5LWe6GB4N6_jWafJjUqzMW6TTkfDjvXbfNPEfkdgBy7ngu_UWHf0qTd_CFrLFXBC_RypSiFJykvyipW8dbU-5E9Er4knTErm7l7Vxn6NDnPLUTg5wPrdpIsQYCdf6wLQ6JSjfWkyLflKJYp853Zifh8CZxBlOmkHhB7emxHVPjn5WGkA_5NmCXjQaokInqptEOTb9h48C5udbksfurtI2TYFP7g3wjH0IkjAShUmhyQv1aRFvmG-PKy3M7USh1u5VgUj8X5xkOSeHlKlbaM2MuPFm-FS883iAbHeUZgdnDt-PE9vztZWIR57Q5XMNjc0pJeCFuyXLc9hpp_fW_DQr4S2TMCy8bv3b-NFGXEDF-s4uJwOW7sLzXn4MMQ16PuSUB04WNTolbz2inw3VKDUhHAa-UGT5RXG8=w653-h658-no)
so here is my attempt
right side
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3736/33660566835_2bc1c4a968_n.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/ThtcNB)082 (https://flic.kr/p/ThtcNB) by Lyn-J (https://www.flickr.com/photos/75662823@N06/), on Flickr
wrong side
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3936/33619644126_c6c97d720c_n.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/TdRsUE)083 (https://flic.kr/p/TdRsUE) by Lyn-J (https://www.flickr.com/photos/75662823@N06/), on Flickr
This is a new technique to me and it works very well. The dressmaker in me would have pressed all seams open.
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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!
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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! ><
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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 :[
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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' 0_0 (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 :vintage:
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Was that your previous avatar Lantana, it's gorgeous.
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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!
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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 :vintage:
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PS Sorry to hijack your thread Lyn with the above tale ... I thought I was on the 'today' thread! :|
L :vintage:
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Thrilled to oblige Lantana, we aim to please :D and I bet you feel a better person for it :angel:
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Thrilled to oblige Lantana, we aim to please :D and I bet you feel a better person for it :angel:
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 :vintage:
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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. 8)
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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
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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 :D
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 :D
Its the BEST machine I've ever used, Its even better than the 730 !!!