Mental Blackmail

I was reading, on a machine quilting list, a post by a beginning (newbie) machine quilter eager for new customers.  I have invited the newbie to visit this blog to see how quilts are kept squared but it bothers me what the customer is doing.  Ok you don't know what I'm type-talking about so let me explain.  First I should tell you that I don't know the newbie machine quilter and I don't know the customer.  I only read a post on the list.

Apparently the newbie quilter was contacted by a new customer about a quilt. The customer has said she would let this newbie machine quilter to do her quilt only if the quilter could "guarantee" it would be perfectly squared when it was finished.  In exchange for this perfectly squared quilt, the customer would send the newbie machine quilter more customers. 

In my personal opinion this is mental blackmail.  Even though I know for certain I can get close to perfectly squared quilts; I would never, ever knowingly let a customer blackmail me in that way.  My motto is "Your quilts will be quilted in the condition it is received.  I will do my best to give you back a great quilt but there are no guarantees."  

Now why would I believe this customer is wrong?  Shouldn't newbie machine quilters like the idea of recommendations to other potential customers?  Well yes, they should like recommendations; but, not at the stress level that customer is expecting.  That customer is expecting college professor work from a first grader.  That customer is saying to the first grader..... I'll tell others how great a writer you are but only if you write me a 10,000 word essay with perfect punctuation and spelling.  The first grader can't possibly do the work expected.

Another reaction I had to reading the post is that the customer is setting herself up to get free quilting.  The customer knows the machine quilter is new at doing the work.  If the newbie doesn't produce a perfect quilt the customer will have what she needs to complain, which almost always results in either no charges or deeply discounted charges from the newbie.  Why?  Because the newbie is afraid.  Afraid of getting a bad reputation among toppers in the area.  All from one person complaining.  I could be wrong because, as I said, I don't know either one of the people.

Whenever I am giving advice to a new machine quilter I tell them that their work will be the recommendation.  Do the best work you can and it will bring you more customers.  Quilters can't resist show and tell. Someone will see your work on a quilt and if they like it they will want to know who did the quilting.  Most toppers are happy to say who did the quilting.

I also tell newbie machine quilters to seek out a few newbie toppers as their first customers.  Anyone who is just learning to create quilt tops does not have the expectations of someone who has achieved greater skills.  Newbie toppers know the feeling of making mistakes and won't mind so much if the newbie machine quilter makes mistakes.  If the newbie machine quilter does make a mistake, and decides to give a discount on the quilting, it's her choice.  The choice would be from the newbie wanting to compensate the customer instead of being expected.  I hope I explained that right.

Newbie machine quilters and newbie toppers can learn and grow with each other.  The machine quilter can explain issues she encounters while doing the quilting.  The topper can learn from the explanations about those issues and correct the problem with the next top.  In essence the two will grow and learn together in much the same way first graders learn together.  First graders are always willing to help fellow first graders accomplish better skills.

Buying a quilting machine does not mean you will immediately produce top notch, show quality quilting, ready to win the top prize in a major show.  Buying a household machine to learn to create quilt tops does not mean you will immediately sit down to make a perfect top.  Only in very rare occasions do absolute beginners produce something nearly perfect right from the start.  Usually, there is some prior knowledge that allows this to happen.  Maybe an art background or an engineering background or something else.

If you bought a quilting machine in order to open a machine quilting business then it should be run as a business.  You won't see a new grocery or a new restaurant or a new department store owner allowing one customer to tell them they will recommend the place only if the business owner satisfies them.  No, the business owner is expecting the business itself to be the recommendation.  The owner is doing the best he or she can to open a great place with the best service or product they can give.  People who like the business will tell others about it. 

The new business owner will seek out the first customers by several means.  Advertising is only one way.  A new machine quilter can advertise several ways too.  I've found the easiest way and the cheapest way is to simply leave a few business cards at the local fabric stores.  Fabric stores have quilt topper classes all the time.  Toppers are eager to get the quilts finished and move on to the next top.  Some prolific toppers will use the services of several machine quilters and are often looking for newbies to add to their group of machine quilters.  The prolific toppers are always on the lookout for new business cards.

Ok, before I keep rambling on too much about this let me say this.  The next time a customer says they want a "guarantee" of a perfectly quilted top...... ask them if they can "guarantee" a perfectly pieced top with not one single issue to deal with.  I can guarantee you this.... there is not one single quilt top anywhere that is perfect, no matter how good the topper is.  There might be some really close to perfect quilts but not a single one that's absolutely perfect.  How can I say this?  Well, fabric does not behave.  It pulls, it stretches, it shrinks, it gets off grain, it simply will not behave.  And.... only GOD is perfect. 

Kitchen weekend

With a trip to the farmer's market on Thursday and a grocery shopping trip on Friday I knew the weekend would be filled with chores in the kitchen.  I moved my disk player to near my work area in order to listen to some books.

Furkid Dylan said oh, oh, Mommie's is in the kitchen, let me get close enough to catch the falling bits of food.  He drags his blanket to near my feet and gets comfortable.

I get busy cleaning and freezing greens.

I move on to doing corn on the cob.

Then make some home made ground beef for the freezer too.  Love the grinder attachment for my Kitchen aid!

Moving on I cleaned and flash froze a whole bunch of grapes.  No time for making juice or jelly.  I do like frozen grapes as a snack treat now and then.

Then I got busy making some butter.  Love the mixer even more!

What's the good of having fresh made butter if there's no fresh bread to eat?  I made bread too.

The sewing machine guy picked up the singer machine to work on it.  I could probably have worked on it myself but I'd rather leave it to the professional.  He said he could have it back to me by Christmas if not sooner.  I hope to have the cabinet all cleaned up and ready by the time the singer comes home. 

I decided to let him take the serger too.  It's better for machines to get a yearly tune up to keep them in good working order.  I figure if I'm going to be using this machine alot then it should get it's first tune up now.  He's going to see if he can get me an instruction book too.

It was a very busy and productive weekend.  I'm glad I took the time to preserve my harvest even if it came from the grocery instead of a back yard garden.  Today I'm back at work at the quilting machine.  I'll finish what I can before Ladybug arrives.  Hmm... there's a ton of dirty pots and pans that need to be washed too.  Oh, and more greens to be done.  A lady's work is never done!

You know, the more I think about it, the more I like my semi-retired schedule.  It feels more normal, natural, and happy.  I'm more relaxed than I've been in years.  My mind is no longer in a constant panic state worrying about getting "just one more" quilt done.  Yup, I like it.

Star quilt

The next finished quilt.


Line dancing makes the work go faster.

Leaves and curls also go faster than other designs.

A view from the back.

Another view from the back.

The "I'm not trying to rush you, but..... " phone calls have started. I got two of them yesterday. I understand how people can get nervous and anxious as the days rush by. All I can tell them is that I'm doing my very best to finish as many as possible before Christmas.

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T-shirt memory quilt

The t-shirt quilt is on the machine and getting close to being finished. I hadn't planned on working on the machine but I just had to know how this design would look on the quilt. I hope to finish it today, then do the piecing of the other quilt.


I got the nicest email with pictures this morning. My friend Marilyn has a new grandson. He's so adorable! I couldn't stop looking at the pictures. I know the pride she's feeling right now. There's nothing in the world like grandma pride. Every grandmother can understand how we feel.

I didn't know Marilyn was getting a new grandbaby and I was surprised by the news. Which only added to my feelings of guilt for not keeping in touch with her more often. Maybe she told me and I just forgot?

I've neglected my kids and my friends so much this year. I've had so much illness and setbacks on my waiting list this year that I've had to turn down invitations right and left. I do feel guilty about it. Especially with my kids. I really want to do things with my kids or visit with friends; but at the same time I must get the bills paid.

I know how many quilts I must do each month to pay my bills. I do schedule days off that are supposed to be used for visiting the kids or friends. Each day that I'm ill and don't work means I must either work on an off day or something won't get paid. Don't get me wrong, I'm not deeply in debt. I don't have any credit cards. I'm talking about normal living expenses like utilities, medicines, groceries, mortgage payment, saving for house repair work, and things like that.

If I schedule 8 days a month (weekends) for off days and suddenly I'm off my feet for surgery and recovery for 21 days, that still leaves me with 13 days of lost work. The choice then becomes..... do I still take days off for visiting (and not have enough to pay my bills) or do I try to make up the loss by working instead? If I do decide to take a day off after all..... which would I do without.... the utilities, the medicines, the groceries, the mortgage payment?

Machine quilting is not like an outside job where the boss gives you paid sick days. In this business there are no paid sick days or vacation days. A day away from the quilting machine is a day of lost wages.

Someone once told me "Why don't you give up your hobby and get a real job?" Excuse me! This IS my real job. No one (except someone in the business) sees it as anything more than a money making hobby. For toppers quilting is a hobby. For machine quilters it's a business and an income. I may moan and groan about constant stress, continual deadlines, quilts with issues, and isolation...... but, I can't imagine myself with any other kind of job.

This job also has plenty of rewards too..... the surprised look on a beginner topper's face when she sees the quilt issues have disappeared.... to hear from a customer that a deadline quilt won a ribbon.... to see the happiness on a customer's face when a top is suddenly a quilt.... to cry with a customer when they see a passed away relative's clothes changed to something they can wrap up in and remember.... yes, quilting has plenty of rewards too. The rewards make me forget all about the things I moan and groan and complain about.

I'm off to the studio.... another reward is waiting for me to make happen. The t-shirts of the current quilt are the only remaining clothing of a grandmother who has passed away before her first grandchild is born. The baby is due in about 3 weeks but I was told it may be sooner. The quilt will be for the grandchild and mommie to cuddle while mommie tells the baby all about grandma.

Can you understand why I do love my job?
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Do overs

It took me all day; but, I did pick out the stitching and got rid of the tuck. Here's the quilt back on the machine. I've basted the edge and sewn the spine of the feather.


Here it's all stitched again.

A check to be sure the tuck was truly gone.

I have myself a reminder note, written on a piece of paper, stuck on the wall, beside my machine, in a place where I should see it every time I walk behind my machine. It's been there so long that I see it.... but I don't see it. It doesn't remind me anymore. Know what I mean?

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It reads..... Anita, remember your schedule! If you don't have time to quilt it right the first time.... how will you ever find the time to pick it out and do it over?

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I need to make that reminder note more visible again!

Bright red

This is today's finished quilt. They say the color red will make your heart pump faster. It sure did when I worked on this one. It's very bright! I love it.


I did a leafy design in all the areas. This one on the piano key border.


Another one on the sashing.



This one on the blocks.... taking advantage of the triangle piecing as a guide.


Just in case you can't see the block design well enough here it is from the back.


A couple of days ago my daughter commented to me.... "Mom, I thought you weren't going to work so hard this year". Then my friend Martha said... "I thought you weren't going to book so heavily this year". Then another friend said.... "You're always busy". These statements gave me reason to pause and reflect.

My waiting list for the next year is ususally half filled by December. I fully intended to not be so heavily booked this year. I even cut down the number of slots on the waiting list by half this year with the intention of having more time for a social life. I can't not schedule work to do. It's my living. It's what pays the bills.

Back in February when my grandaughter was born I got behind on my schedule by about 30 days. Days that can't be made up; so everything for the rest of the year is 30 days behind schedule. February quilts got moved back to March.... March moved back to April.... etc.

Then in March I got sick. It seems March is usually the time of year when someone with the flu will always come near me and I get the flu. I don't understand why some people feel the need to be around other people when they are sick. I'm alergic to the flu shots so the flu will always have me off my feet for several days. Once again the time I lost means work is pushed back.

Now I'm about 45 days behind schedule. So March quilts, which are really February quilts, are moved back to April. The quilts scheduled for March are moved back to May. The April quilts are moved back to June.... etc. Then there was the week Ike blew through here. Another week behind schedule.

It's like dominos lined up.... when the first one is pushed over the others fall too. Time lost cannot be gotten back.

I did stop putting names on my waiting list back in May or June because I knew everything would come down to the end of the year xmas rush being behind schedule. The trouble was that many slots were already filled with names.... commitments.

My grandkids in Alaska would like very much for me to visit them for awhile and see the sites of Alaska. One grandchild would like to take me on a hunting trip in the wilds. My kids here in Kentucky often ask me to visit with them for awhile and do things with their kids. My friend Martha would like for me to stay with her for awhile. The quilt shop owners would like for me to hang around there too. I see classes and retreats advertised all the time that I would love to do.

My sister in law would like for me to take her grocery shopping every week. My neighbors want me to get a car again and become their chauffer. Some friends would like for me to go to their house to give private quilting lessons. Some want me to go gambling everyday. Some want me to go to lunch and quilt shows. You see I do have lots of things I could do and that are much more fun to do.

So why don't I just take time off when I want to go have fun? Why don't I just stop quilting so much and have fun all the time? I do work at home and on my own schedule; so why not just take off when I want to? I have plenty of free time to be a chauffer or to visit every quilt show or take every class or go on every retreat or go horseback riding with my son and his kids every weekend or go on hunting trips in Alaska every summer... right? I mean really.... working at home gives me all kinds of free time, right?

Well.... without an income.... how would I pay for all these things? How would I pay for two burial policies? How would I pay for a headstone for my son's grave? How would I pay for a new water heater, furnace, and insulation? How would I pay for electricity? How would I give my 4 kids and 20 grandkids and 5 great-grandkids birthday and xmas presents? How would I pay the mortgage? How would I eat?

If I had an outside job at a factory or in an office I could just disappear all the time to go have fun....right? Every time my boss came to look for me I could be gone to a quilt show or on a quilt retreat or visiting with my kids.... right? Aw, come on.... how long would I keep a job if I'm never there to do the job?

Running a home business requires committment! No home business is going to stay operating very long if it isn't run.... as a business. A business can't stay in business if no one is there to do the work. Just like any factory or office; when the work gets behind schedule there will be overtime required of the employees to catch up.

Friends and family tend to think of machine quilting as an "interesting hobby". A hobby means it can be set aside in favor of more interesting and fun things. No one (except another machine quilter) sees machine quilting as a ligitimate business. A business that requires hard work and long hours and committment to doing a good job to stay in business.

When I went into the business of machine quilting; I gave up the luxury of paid days off and paid vacations and paid insurance that are enjoyed by those with outside jobs. I don't have a husband to work and pay bills for me either. For me; any day my machine is not moving is a day without pay. Speaking of which.... I best get the machine warmed up and earning today's paycheck.

Crazy quilt

Here is today's finished quilt. Another silk quilt. The fabrics are starting to deteriorate. I had problems with the fabric splitting when I stitched in some areas. I'll have to repair those areas before the customer can pick her quilts up.



Because of the age of the fabric and the problems I might face; I didn't think custom quilting would work. I did a simple Baptist fan design to keep any problems to a minimum.




I was asked what I charged for the heavy quilting on the star quilt. Actually, I'm not getting paid for the heirloom work. The customer had only agreed to pay .025 per square inch for custom quilting. I did the heavy quilting because I wanted to do it. I was frustrated and needed an outlet.


Also, the quilt top seemed to be asking me to do more than just custom. I sometimes do more quilting than I get paid for simply because the top needs more.

I wanted to prove I was capable of producing heirloom quilting. The customer gets a bargain and I got to work out my frustrations by concentrating on tiny stitches. I would love to have more people ask for heirloom work..... and get paid .05 psi or .06 psi for it.... but it's not something I believe will ever happen. I wouldn't want to squint at tiny stitches everyday either. A good balance between pantos, custom, and heirloom would be nice. Pantos for quick income, custom for creativity, and heirloom for occasional artistic freedom.
Why was I frustrated? Because of several comments I heard at the fair. People were commenting on the "quality" of the quilting. I heard that pantographs and simple custom quilting was "not quality" quilting. I kept wondering to myself.... who's idea of quality? The comments were not about consistant stitches or good designs..... only about pantos and custom work on quilts. Naturally; as a machine quilter, I wanted to jump to our defense but I couldn't start preaching to everyone at the fair. So, I worked out my frustrations on the star quilt.

Professional machine quiters are limited to what the customer is willing to pay us for our work. If a customer only wants pantograph because it's the lowest cost then we do our best to make the panto work look really good. Who is the judge of whether lower cost quilting is "quality" or not? If a machine quilter does a good job and the customer is happy; why is it not considered "quality"? I guess you can tell I'm still somewhat frustrated about the comments I heard.

I could sit here type-talking in defense of machine quilters all day but that won't do much good. There are always going to be people who have opinions about what is "quality" and what is not. I have to accept that one person's comment is not what everyone believes. A comment is only an opinion and not a rule.
My appoligies to those who are waiting for an answer to an email. I have several emails to answer but I haven't the time for staying on the computer this morning. As always, work comes before computer time. I'll read and answer as soon as I can.

Lone star quilt

Anybody want to see what I've been doing the last couple of days? I was bent over the machine table squinting at these stitches. I had to keep reminding myself to stop tensing up and relax.



A bit of micro stippling and a bit of small stippling to make the design pop out.


The design started out looking like this. Lots of bias fullness in the fabric.



In a post a couple of days ago; I showed this top on the machine. I wanted to practice some "quality" quilting on it even though I couldn't figure out what "quality" meant. Something in the back of my mind kept telling me to mark a design before quilting. I decided to listen to my subconsious and take it back off to mark a design. It took me almost a full day to draw the design on the fabric then get it back on the machine and basted together.

I very rarely mark a quilt before quilting and it's usually my own. I prefer freehand work on customer quilts. The second day I got the star part quilted and the design stitched in the white areas. I'm hoping to have it completely quilted in about 4 or 5 more days.

I'm so far behind on my waiting list that tackling a design like this is sort of crazy. I could have used a faster design to get it "done" and out the door; but, that wouldn't be the type quilter I am. I prefer to give the quilt what it tells me it needs regardless of the time table. Do you know what I mean? It's very hard to explain but I'll try.

When someone brings me a quilt top that they inherited; it's my job to look at it and figure out what the maker might have had in mind when she created it. Using my imagination; I can almost see an angel standing at my side with a big smile on her face knowing her UFO is about to get completed. If I choose a design that's not quite right; it's almost as if the angel is telling me she wants more choices. My desire to make the top look really good becomes stronger than my desire to do a fast design to get it done. When I finish putting the last stitch in the binding; my imagination sees an angel saying thank you.

Imagination is a good thing.... it's what really good writers use to write best sellers. It's also what gives quilt pattern designers the ideas for the new designs we all love to buy. For me; imagination is what makes me a good professional quilter. I will probably have several other toppers wondering why their top is not quilted yet; but, the angel will smile knowing her family will get to enjoy her quilt after all. I'm smiling too.

I need to get off the computer and back to work this morning. Hmm..... now where did I put the ben-gay?

Bad threads

I had a double wedding ring quilt on the machine ready to start doing a stitch in the ditch when I realized this quilt was due first. So off came the double wedding ring and on went this one.


This one got line dancing on the blocks too. I really think it needs more quilting but I will let the customer decide. She usually doesn't like dense quilting.


This feather design is perfect for taming friendly piano key borders.


This heart design was just right for the triangle setting pieces.


A view of the line dancing on the blocks from the back. The loops are done on the block frames.

The double wedding ring quilt is back on the machine and I have stitched in the ditch on about a third of the rings. I have several other priority things to do today so I may not get back to it until Monday.

I think I'm going to have to find a new thread to use on my machine. Lately there have been many cones like this. The issue is not noticeable until I have used it for quite awhile. The issues are hidden near the middle of the cone.



In order to get past the issue I pulled off this much thread. I usually don't pull it off like this though. I usually wind a bobbin until I get to the bad part of the cone. I wanted to get a picture of what I would waste if I simply pulled it off. The cones are usable though it does get very irritating to have to stop right when I'm on a roll and deal with these issues.


I mention thread because today I'm doing a thread inventory. I may switch to a different brand when I buy this time. I have a cone of Bottom Line that I bought in Paducah. I really like how it looks on a quilt. If I switch to using it then I will have to start charging a fee. I'm not sure how my customers will feel about paying for thread when I've always furnished it free. I'll probably offer fee based thread as an option for awhile to see which is better.

A long time ago when I mentioned to another quilter that I use serger thread for quilting. She was appalled and told me that serger thread isn't good because it won't last over time. It will rot and start breaking. My response.... if serger thread doesn't last then there are going to be a lot of naked people walking around. My kids have quilts from 1981 when I first started machine quilting and used serger thread. They have been washed and washed but still look good. Now really.... I believe most quilters are not concerned about their top "lasting" because it gives them a reason to make a new one. I'm not talking about contest quality quilts.... I mean utility quilts.

I got the paper practice patterns printed and ready for class tomorrow. That wasn't easy because I had to sit at the printer pushing the print button over and over. My printer can't be set to do multiple copies. I used the waiting time for trying out the new features of Blogger. I like the blog lines feature. Now I have to find time for putting in the sites I visit most often.

I also received a call from the shop owner late last evening. The shop machine is back from the repairman. Yippie! Now at least people can actually play around with the machine too.

There is one more thing I want to put into my journal today. Everyone knows we have a crisis with oil these days. It's a lot like it was back in the 70's only worse than I remember. I happened to hear on the news that the oil rich countries are planning to produce more barrels of oil because...... (quote) they are afraid America will reduce it's dependence on oil. In my opinion that says who is really running this country. As long as we are dependent on the oil production.... we will always be ruled by the almighty barrel of oil and the ones who produce it.

I remember back in the 70's the young generation was big on alternative energy sources. Now that that generation is older and the same thing has happened again..... why is it that more isn't done to promote alternative energy again instead of screaming for more oil? Could it be because we forget a crisis too soon after it has past? Are the oil producing countries right? If they give us more oil will we forget and go back to our old ways of gas guzzling cars? Not me. I am more determined than I was back in the 70's to reduce my energy usage. I became a tightwad back then and I still keep the basics of that life with me today.

Well now.... I've stated my opinion.... time for me to get to today's work schedule. Maybe I can think of another topic to put into my helpful hints blog while working. Something to do with saving energy perhaps? Or maybe something about organizing? We shall see....

Teaching

The quilt on the machine is going to take more than one day to finish so no pictures today. I worked as much as I could on it and took it easy. I was still feeling weak.

I'm scheduled to do a machine quilting demonstration at Happy Heart this weekend. It's very hard to do a demonstration without a working machine. I thought about this problem all day yesterday and I think I figured out a solution.

Normally I would use the shop machine to draw a design then let others give it a try. Since this is not possible right now; I can demonstrate with paper and pen. I can show the students how to practice the designs without a machine. Other teachers around the country say..... teach yourself with paper and pen first then use the machine. Well that's what I plan to do.

The theme of my Saturday class will be...... If you just can't figure out what to quilt; then just start dancing.

I want very much to be a good teacher! The last few times I've done a class/demonstration without a machine and the classes have been less than adequate. I left feeling like a failure. Yet, I keep trying. I always felt that sooner or later I would get this fear of failure conquered and get more people there. More than anything I want to see faces in the classroom at the shop! My confidence is stronger with each face I see. If I come out feeling like a failure again I'm not sure I will want to try again.

After the last class; I happened to overhear a couple of ladies taking about how they didn't feel they had learned anything in the class. One lady told the other one.... well you get what you pay for. My classes are alway free. So how do you think I felt after hearing that??

One thing I will do Saturday is ask the people there for suggestions for classes. (If any bother to show up.) What do they want me to show or teach? If I understand what people want for a class it won't be so hard to come up with a teaching plan. My goal is to be at the shop on a regular basis with new class material for each time. The classes can be listed in her newsletter with the dates. That way people can pick and choose which class is appropriate for them.

I'm going to do my best to make this teaching thing work for me and potential students!! Not for the money because I don't get any. I want it to be successful simply because I want others to see the art in machine quilting. I have ideas for machine quilting that haven't been done before. I would like nothing better than to be the one to bring fresh new ideas to the machine quilting profession. I won't ever be famous around the world..... but I can be a good teacher right here at home. I want to be a good teacher almost as much as I want to do portrait quilts.

Does anyone reading my blog have any class suggestions? If you could take any machine quilting class you wanted without cost what would it be? Beginner classes for those who just got a machine and don't know how to load a quilt? Advanced classes for how to draw your own designs? Any suggestions will be much appreciated.

Ok, I've pouted enough for today. Time for me to get into the studio.

Portrait quilts

I'll get to today's finished quilt in a minute. First I want to show you what I got in the mail yesterday. Normally my mail doesn't get to me until sometime around 5:30 pm because I'm at the very end of the daily route. This time we had a substitute mail lady so this arrived just after 8 in the morning.


I'm so excited! It took every ounce of work discipline I had in me to keep working on a customer quilt for the whole day instead of stopping to read and to play with my new items. Its from Margaret Bucklew from Chiseled in Cloth.com. She is a fantastic artist.

What's making it worse for me is that I won't even be able to play with these until sometime next week or the week after. I'm behind schedule with the customer quilts. I have deadlines I must meet. I will also be out of the studio for 6 days over the next couple of weeks too.

I've wanted to do portraits my whole life. When I was maybe 4 or 5 years old an artist drew my portrait. She used chalk on a brown paper bag. I was hooked! I wanted to do that too. I told everyone, from that day on, I was going to be an artist when I grew up and I was going to draw portraits. Time and life didn't agree with my decision though. I got married and had a family. This is what girls were expected to do in my young days.

When I saw the first portrait in fabric a few years ago.... I knew there was still a chance I could do portraits. Maybe not with chalk but certainly I could do them with fabric. I've been on a mission to learn more ever since. I don't want to copy the work of others who do fabric portraits. I want to learn the technique so I can develop my own art. This would be the same as taking an art class to learn from the teacher but going home to draw my own style.

There is still another glitch in my learning this technique.... my old computer. Its completely out of memory. Until I can afford another computer or at the very least more memory, I won't be able to purchase the software needed to do the patterns. Without the software I still can't do my own art..... Bummer!..... I will learn what I can anyway. I can still keep saying..... someday.

So here is today's finished quilt. I'll just let you look at the pictures and I will get back to the studio to work on those deadline quilts.

Batik fabric quilt

Here is the quilt I've been working on for the last couple of days. This is the left side.


This is the right side.


And a couple of close ups of the stitching.


The blocks got line dancing.


There is more close ups of the blocks in my webshots. I did combinations of line dancing with some additional designs in some areas.

The blog ring's list has finally reappeared for me to use when checking on friends around the ring. I've got several quilt deadlines for the next few days so I'm not sure when I will get to read blogs. I even had to put the horse quilts, organizing, and room painting on hold until I get the deadline quilts finished. Gee, it's happened to me again..... deadlines slipped right up on me before I knew it.

No matter what deadlines I'm currently working on there are some things constantly on my mind. One is future classes at the quilt shop about machine quilting and the other is my helpful hints blog. Both fill a need for me. A need to pass along the things I've learned over the long years of my professional machine quilting career. When I don't do either posting to the hints blog or make notes about classes..... I feel like something is missing.

But.... I'm only one person.... I can only do one thing at a time. I have to admit to myself.... I'm not really super woman. A fix all quilt fairy, maybe.... but not super woman. So.... while I work to fill deadlines my mind is in constant planning mode. With that said.... I'll go finish posting pictures in webshots.

Feeling better

Ok, I feel better today. I ranted and raved to myself for awhile then got back to work.

An online friend has the Statler computerized Gammill machine. He had put a quilt on his machine about the same time and size as the one I was working on. It was the very large one that barely fit onto my machine of a few days ago. His took about 4 hours to quilt but mine took me 4 twelve hour days. (48 hours)

I sit and dream of the possibilities of owning that upgrade! How I could draw designs then let the machine do the work. But..... I have to keep myself content to work the long hours with little personal life. Gee... it sounds like I'm still complaining doesn't it? Not really, I'm just dreaming and wishing. Dreams and wishes don't always come true although they do keep life interesting.

So now I have to do something about my waiting list. Several, very large, multiple day, custom quilts in a row along with removing a border to do over has me about a month behind schedule. The only way to get caught up is to just get in there and keep working away.

Quick short post

A short post today. I finished the garden quilt. I did simple stitch in the ditch on the piano key border to give it dimension but no other quilting. It compliments the design without over powering it.

Over the next few days I don't believe I will be able to post anything to my hints blog.... All charity quilts and organizing will be put on hold while I remove the border of the quilt I showed yesterday. By my estimation I will be frog stitching 4400 square inches of one inch cross hatching done with 14 stitches per inch. It has to be frog stitched, a new border attached, re quilted, a new hanging sleeve attached, and all done by February 16th.

I will still be working on customer quilts during the day and will post those as I get them finished. However..... this frogging work will take the place of any charity quilts, stash busting, organizing, or..... helpful hints blogging over the next few days. As I've always said.... customers come first. With that said... I'm about to go start a marathon of frog stitching!

Perfect quilt

Sometimes I get a quilt.... a perfect quilt.... that absolutely scares the heck out of me. It's so perfect that it scares me to start quilting it. I'm afraid of messing it up. Will I choose the right design to compliment the quilt? Will my machine act right with good tensions to do the designs? Will my hand move correctly to create the design? Will I choose the right threads? Will the customer like what I did when she sees it? Being behind schedule doesn't help either.

This week I was the lucky recipient of three perfect quilts to do. One is on the machine and getting quilted. And two more are waiting. All three are going to be multiple day quilts. I started this one yesterday afternoon.


After I had made phone calls, did a little house cleaning, and got some packages ready for ups pickup. The things I couldn't get to while feeling awful.


I also finished the binding and hanging sleeve on the Victorian couple quilt. I can't believe I actually did the binding by hand. That's something I rarely do. I'm still debating with myself whether to put it back on the machine and do more quilting on it. Each time I look at it I feel it needs something more.

I've had some invitations to attend meetings or have a day out. I love it when people think of me. As much as I would rather be having fun.... work is what pays the bills. Also... I've been invited to create some art quilts to be put in galleries during Derby this year. An opportunity I can't afford to miss out on. Only a few days ago I was anxious to start another art quilt.

Right now I'm asking myself if I can create 10 large art quilts before April? Even if I get the tops made.... will I be able to get them quilted and bound and hanging sleeves on them? In my spare time? (There's no such thing) What I really mean is in between quilting to pay the bills and keeping house and eating. The quilting on these will happen at the same time I will be under pressure to finish the guild challenge quilts. Geeze.... more perfect quilts coming in and more stress for me to be perfect too..... aw heck.... too much thinking right now.... I'll go do some quilting and less thinking.... I'm scaring myself too much....