On point quilt

This is the next quilt going on the machine.  It's an on point set quilt with special issues.  I'm going to be doing some posts on my helpful hints blog about dealing with the special issues of on point quilts.  I realized I had very few posts on that blog about quilting hints.  I kinda got fully involved with frugal foods and other stuff then neglected quilt or sewing posts.  Later I hope to do more posts about dealing with issue quilts, my backward piecing techniques, and some other sewing stuff.  If you want to follow the posts about this quilt just click on the link on the side bar. 

I'll still be posting how I'm progressing on this quilt on this blog.  I plan hope to make some changes to all three blogs over the holiday break.... after all the customer quilts are finished for the year.  I'm going to put links into pages at the top where everything will be easier to find.

Over the weekend I worked some more on my window quilts.  I sewed the bar holders and the cabone rings into place.  Next will be attaching the strings to raise and lower them.  One step closer to getting those darned window quilts installed.  Thank goodness it hasn't gotten really cold yet.  I've still got a little time. 

I planning hoping to do quite a bit of organizing over the holiday break too.   It's been too long since I actually did any organizing of my craft stuff.  It's hard to be creative when I can't find the one thing I need.  You know the one thing that is perfect for the next step but it's hidden underneath all the other one things I wasn't able to find several days ago for the other craft.  We all know about that don't we.  Those things that tend to hide from us until we are busy with something else, then they pop up to be right in view.  Strange but they weren't there the other day when I was looking for them.  Everything needs a home.  I'm going to do my best to find them one.

Wild knitted socks

Has anyone seen the wild color socks on Melody's blog?  (Tuesday, October 12) The mis-matched ones, (with orange and purple at the foot) look just like my kind of socks!  She's making knitted items and giving them away to her readers. I would love to have those socks but I'm too shy to ask for them. 

I got the borders of the current quilt finished.  This is how it looked a few days ago.

This is after I did the feathers on the two sides.

This is after I did the lines between the two feathers.

This is after the first inside border is done and I'm working on the second inside border.  Notice the little fullness spot on the left next to the setting triangle?  That was my target spot for taking all the pictures.

After the second inside border is done.  See how the fullness is being worked in so far?  Those are not pleats or tucks, they are just extra fullness.

Before the third inside border is done. 

After I got it finished.  There is only one tiny tuck at the target spot.

Here is how it all looks now.  I didn't do a stitch in the ditch between the inside borders when I was stabilizing the quilt.  I only did beside the widest outside border and next to the setting triangles.  Now that the quilting is done I'll go back and stitch in the ditch between those borders which will smooth out the last of the extra fullness.  The part that looks like tucks in the photo but really aren't. 

This is the design I've chosen for the large open areas of the quilt.

One of these feathers will be on the setting triangles.  I haven't decided which one yet.  It will be V shaped though.

I won't be quilting today.  I've got two bushel of greens to clean, cut up, blanch, and put into the freezer before Ladybug arrives later today. 

Continuing on

I don't know if you can see the stitching or not but I got the feathers along the border finished.  Today I will do the lines between them. 

I try to do the borders first on these quilts to minimize the amount of fullness in the border.  When the center area is quilted first it only compounds the problem of a wavy border.  Why?  Well because when doing the quilting it draws up the fabric.  The more it draws up in the center area, the more wavy effect on the border. 

I have two appointments today and two tomorrow so I'm not sure how much quilting I'm going to get accomplished.  If I can get the lines between the feathers done it will help keep me on schedule. 

Planning the month

The next quilt is stabilized.  As you can see, it barely fit onto the machine.  This is the end of the leader.  It's an on point setting quilt with lots of large open areas for quilting.  I'll show each area as I start working on the quilting part. 

It doesn't matter how very careful I am with stabilizing a quilt..... on point settings always give me trouble.  Every one, no matter how careful the maker is about measuring, there is the problem of friendly borders.  Just the very slightest stretch as the maker sews the border on and I see this when it gets here to me.  The stretch during sewing is ever so slight and never noticed by the maker.  Almost always near the center of the quilt is the place where the most stretch happens. 

One way to minimize the stretch of on point settings is to sew straight line stitching around the edge of every block and every setting triangle before sewing the top together.  Be extra careful not to hold the fabric in your hand while sewing the stabilizing line as you can stretch it without even knowing it.  Use a stiletto.  Sewing a stabilizing stitch line around the edges keeps the bias cut fabric from stretching as the top is sewn together.   Measure every block and setting triangle for accuracy before sewing the top together.  Hmm.... sounds like this would be a good topic for the helpful hints blog because there is a shortcut technique.  I use the shortcut technique when I make my on point quilt tops.  Maybe I'll have time to do a tutorial during the holiday break. 

Well, anyway, here is the design I've chosen for the border.  It's a very wide border.  I'm marking a chalk line three inches from the outside edge and 2 1/2 inch from the inside seam for the two feathers.  I'll keep the freehand feathers within those lines as I stitch them.  After the feathers are completed, I'll go back and do the lines between the feathers.   

I have 4 very large quilts to do this month.  From experience I can estimate each quilt will take at least a week to finish on a regular 8 hour schedule.  Hmm.... that means the rest of this month is full.  In years past I would be switching to 16 or 18 hour days this time of year to get these four quilts finished because I had so many waiting.  I'm glad my life is moving at a slower pace.

Another view for opinions

I've put this quilt onto my design wall and taken a full view photo.  You can click on it to get a larger view and see it better.  How do the colors look now?  Are they too much?

A closer view.

And a closer view of one section.

My thought is that I will do faux trapunto of the embroidery flowers so it relates to the wool applique which is already padded and embelished.  I can't quilt onto the existing applique because the hopping foot won't go over it.  Too thick.  The very center of the large flower stands about 1 1/2 inch above the flower.  I don't want to break a needle either if it should hit a bead.  The center flower will need at least some quilting to hold the large area together.  I'm not sure how it will be done just yet.

The applique is very colorful which is why I thought a colorful thread would work.  If I pick out the color thread and use a dark one to blend in with the background, it would be just a plain trapunto design around the applique. 

Ok, this one is being set aside until I figure out what to do.  It's not scheduled to be finished for a couple more weeks so I've got some time.

Opinions please

I took a little time between current work to start on this quilt.  I'm doing some free motion embroidery in the background before doing the actual quilting.

Before I complete more of the embroidery I need opinions.  Is this too much color in the background?

What I mean is.... the quilt has lots of color already.  I've used a bright color variegated thread for these. 

I added just a bit of color around some parts of the applique too.

Before I do more of the embroidery I would like to know if others think it's too much color for the type of quilt?  If it's too much color I can pick it out and do something else.  I don't want to overwhelm the original design with lots of background color.  What I'm hoping is the color thread will be just subtle enough from a distance that people will ask "what is that?" and want to get closer to see it. 

I thought about emailing the original designer of this quilt to ask her opinion but I can't remember who it is.  I thought I had book marked her site and can't find that either.  It's one of "those" kinds of days.