Topic: Learning to Quilt 2

[duh]

Well I'm not much of a picture taker and I've completely forgotten how to upload stuff so it probably won't happen.  I'm sorry.

[Wrennie]

i am so tempted to get some tips from her, but i've never asked.

ASK!
 There are so manypeople from my past that I didn't want to 'bother' with asking questions. Now I regret it every day. Wish I had asked when it was possible.

[duh]

I so agree with that Wrennie.  The questions I would ask would fill an encyclopedia set lol.  I guess anyone who watched me learn gardening knows that.  I must have asked thousands of questions when I started.

[duh]

Well today is the adventure of applique.  So far I've choosen 3 butterflies for the applique and drawn them on some material.  Then I decided they were to plain so I want to embroider on them.  The material is a small print harvest gold color and I've choosen a christmas red embroidery thread.  And they are to go on a blue background.  Those are my quilt colors.  After due consideration I think I have to applique the butterflies onto the background and then do the embroidery.  Otherwise I would end up having to cut around the edges of the finished butterflies and that would leave a frayed edge.  Not what I want in the finished project.  Although if I were doing a furry animal that technique might add a nice touch.  Like the rag quilts.  So anyway that's as far as I got before I decided it was time to get on the computer.

[bayou girl]

that sounds wonderful.

[duh]

I've got my fingers crossed.  So far I've cut out the webbing and the material.  Found out I was tracing it on the wrong side of the fabric so my webbing didn't match.  I had to do some creative modifing before I got everything together.  Then I adheard the webbing to the butterflies and then to the background.  Now it's just a matter of the embroidery.  And for that I'm going to have to get a smaller embroidery hoop.  Mine is a large one and it is just to hefty.  This should be cool.

[sunsoaker]

You're making some good progress there Tammy!

[duh]

I've got 1/4 of one of the smaller butterflies embroidered.  it's killing my back.  I'll have to find a more comfortable way to work.  But it's progress.  I'll see if one of the ladies at the quilting club can take a picture of it as it is now just so I have some along the way pictures.

[bestofour]

Wonder if you can get her to send it to us   I would love to see your progress.

[duh]

I'll talk to her and see what she thinks.

Here is my shopping list of things I would like to get tomorrow:  Rotary Blades, Small Embroidery Hoop, and Beeswax for the embroidery floss.  It's suppose to stop the thread from tangling.  It is works it's going to solve a long standing problem I have had when embroidering.

I also learned on the quilting board that there is such a thing as a design wall.  And so now I have one.  Well at least it gave me a good excuse to put my blocks up on the wall and cover up some of the wall board that I really dislike. 

[duh]

They are putting together a group to go to the Hampton Roads Virginia Quilt Show.  That's something I've put on my wish list for next year.  I loved the one that they had here.  It was great.

[duh]

The quilt club meeting has been cancelled due to weather.  Anyone have a tissue?

[Dianna]

Here you go, Tammy...

[Penny]

Better to cancel then attempt to drive, but still disappointing none the less.

[bestofour]

I posted in your blog that maybe you can drive in, pick up a friend and make a day of it.  Possibly quilt at yours or her house or at least talk about it.  I know when I'm geared up for my book club I hate when it's cancelled.

Or you could stay on the forum all day and talk to us.

[duh]

I take a long time to get to know people so I haven't made any friends yet at the quilting club.  So I guess I get to talk to you all, all day.  Hope you don't get bored with me.

[bestofour]

Nope.  We like you here Tammy.

[duh]

The first of the three butterflys are done woohoo.  I'm thinking that I could work on a second block that is machine stitched at the same time I am working on this one.  Since this one will take a fair amount of time.  I'm thinking a simple pink heart on the red background might be nice. 

[duh]

Well I started the second butterfly using a running stitch.  I should have used a 6 thread rather than 3 thread for this but that's what it's all about learning.

[Penny]

Nope.  We like you here Tammy.

Ditto!!

[duh]

The running stitch didn't work.  It frayed itself right out from under the stitching.  So I took that out.  Now since it is frayed there is no way I'm going to turn it under so it's back to the satin stitch and since the length of each stitch has to vary I'll do it by hand. 

But that's ok.

So today I spent the morning looking at quilts to see if I could find designs that would inspire me to complete the training.  I need a lot of inspiration.  There are many quilts out there that look almost like photographs.  Really amazing.  But what I finally decided on were the geisha panels.  It's applique, it's gorgeous, and I've always wanted a set of them so this is perfect.

[bestofour]

Are you thinking about not going back to class?  don't do that.  I've had too much fun following this thread.

[bayou girl]

Are you thinking about not going back to class?  don't do that.  I've had too much fun following this thread.

me too.  almost makes me want to find a class.

[Triss]

Me three.  I do want to find a class.

[duh]

How do I explain this?  I like going to the quilting club. 

I just don't particularily like the process of sewing yet. 

It's probably because I've gotten it strewn through half the house.  If I can make myself a large table for the craft room and a PVC pipe frame for in front of the tv I'll probably be good to go. 

Plus right now I'm working on a project that I don't really like but that I feel needs to be done if I'm going to gain the skills I need to do what I want.  That's always hard for me. 

Remember this isn't a class it's a club.  There is probably a quilting club near you if you ask around.  I like asking the ladies at the grocery store when I am looking for things like this.  They are a font of information that you can't always find on the internet. 

Well I got about an eighth of the large butterfly satin stitched completed.  And I'm almost out of my first skein of christmas red embroidery thread.

Now I'm going to begin fiddling with trying to upload some of the inspirations that I found.  Wish me luck.  I haven't uploaded anything in a very long time and I've forgotten how.