Southern Spirit Hunters
Beyond The Spirits => Hobbies => Topic started by: duh on Feb 07, 2012, 02:50:59 PM
-
The local fabric shop is hosting a class to make three dimensional hydranga wall hanging quit. I've signed up to go. Today, since the sewing wasn't going well, and I know it can take me forever to choose fabrics, I went and got the fabrics and paid for the class. How to spend 40 dollars quickly. But it's done and when I came home I gathered up the rest of the supplies and equipment and got it put in the car. How to spend 4 hours without noticing.
Any other quilt projects in the ofting?
-
The local fabric shop is hosting a class to make three dimensional hydranga wall hanging quit. I've signed up to go. Today, since the sewing wasn't going well, and I know it can take me forever to choose fabrics, I went and got the fabrics and paid for the class. How to spend 40 dollars quickly. But it's done and when I came home I gathered up the rest of the supplies and equipment and got it put in the car. How to spend 4 hours without noticing.
Any other quilt projects in the ofting?
funny you ask that... i've been told to start quilting... but i'm not quite there yet. i'll let you know!
-
My suggestion is to start small and not buy all the equipment until your sure it's something you want to pursue. But that's just because it really isn't my thing. Little ones fine big ones not so much. They are just to unweldy for me.
-
Killer Quilting. I arrive an hour early so that I could bring in my gear and find out if I could use my muslin. Found out I could and got to work. I left at 4 o'clock for a total of 4 1/2 hours total. My back is on fire. So far I've got most of the front pieced. I don't even want to read the directions to finish this one at this time. Does that tell you how much I'm hurting?
-
ouch! but i'm glad you were able to use what you had, and that you got so much done!
-
I am too. I have a thought in the back of my mind that I can piece a top and bottom to the wall hanging and end up with a curtain for the bedroom. Something nice and heavy with the batting that still matches my colors and theme in the bedroom. I'll keep at it.
-
(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi41.tinypic.com%2Fajne43.jpg&hash=74031ce6e34bfe7ecaccb1033c9e06ad2b3d5e6b)
This is the wall hanging I am working on. It is at the stage where I'm suppose to stitch around the leaves and then quilt the background. After that I stuff the blue blob and then add the 3d hydranga flowers to it.
-
That is going to be so pretty, Tammy... :good2:
-
thanks Dianna.
-
i love those colors. you are doing a great job!
-
I wish I could figure out how to take a picture that wasn't blurry.
I tried to keep to the colors that I have in the bedroom. The blues are alittle deeper than I probably should have choosen.
I did one of those people pleasing things. Carol was kind enough to help me and I didn't want to continue to tell her no so I went slightly more into the blues than I would have. Then of course there was a woman at the class that did a selection of greens and blacks and it was fabulous. I never put colors together that well.
-
i am thinking that you might do well to do what i do. prop the camera on the back of a chair. it is usually close to the right height and distance. that's how i get mine up, usually.
-
I'll try that. Thanks for the tip. Last night I fused the blues together for the florets and cut out 16 of them. 8 of them I got ironed and folded so they are ready to place. The other 8 i'm going to do this morning. Then I have to finish the kimono so that I can start practicing with the walking foot. I have no idea how that one works.
-
Ok I finished the second 8 and it just was not enough. So I cut out another 16 and this morning I'll iron and fold them. I suppose I should see if there are any directions on the internet about using the walking foot.
-
I looked on the internet. There was plenty of information on the walking foot. I'm feeling a little better about trying this now. Maybe today will be the day. Anything is possible.
-
i hope it goes well. i am waiting to see what you come up with. i need to put my sewing machine in the shop, it needs servicing...
-
Don't mention that. The car window on the passenger side won't roll up now. I went through this for over a year with the drivers side and I so don't want to have to go through it again with the passenger side.
I had a very busy day today so I didn't get to it. But I should have lots of time tomorrow so maybe then.
-
Well I got up this morning and got to work practicing machine quilting with the walking foot. I did ok. I also tried finishing a potholder using the binding technique. That is not for me. Not only do I hate the finicky mitre corners but, it's like I have to finish the silly thing twice. Once the machine stitch around the front and then the blind stitch around the back. Much easier to use the envelope technique and just blind stitch one edge.
I'm so glad I figured that out before I began quilting on the wall hanging. I also found out that the lower the number on my sewing machine the looser the tension. That's something I needed to know. So with that and a load of laundry in the wash I feel like it has been a good morning so far.
-
I am glad you figured out what works for you Tammy, before you got caught up in the wall hanging.
-
Me too. Saves mumbling a lot of naughty words.
So I got the quilt top off of the batting. Repinned the leaves and started top stitching the applique. And the bobbin thread started busting. This is a problem I have because I don't sew often. My thread rots. So I have to keep trying different ones until I find one that isn't rotten and that matches what I'm doing. What a pain. I just love quilting.
What I did do was figure out what quilting pattern I'm going to use for the background. I'm going for a trellis pattern. since it is a "garden" scene that fits and will be easy to do. At least I hope it will be easy to do. I'm going to use the paint tape technique.
-
good luck and keep us posted!
-
Well I had to rework the pins for hand sewing the applique. it takes a fair number of pins for this technique. But I'm cool with that.
I'm thinking the 32 flowers are not going to be enough. I may well need another 16 but I'll wait until I get the "blob" stuffed and then see how they look on it. I know what's a blob right? I'll tell you when I get to that part. Stay tuned lol.
-
i am eagerly waiting for you to get through this project tammy. i am enjoying reading about it.
-
Well I may do alittle of the hand sewing today but nothing other than that. Today is a do nothing day. Which is to bad because I had all kinds of stuff planned but I don't feel like going up against my horoscope.
-
Note to self. When working with little pieces use spray adhesive to hold it down prior to sewing. The leaf points are comming off when I try to sew them down. Not good for the design.
-
Ouch. I hate when that happens.
-
I talked to carol today and she said i could you the fray check to keep the leaves from falling apart. Also sewing father from the edge might help. I'll try both things so I can get this project done.
-
The leaves are done, the flower stuffing is done, I need another 40 flowers to fill in my double hydranga. And I have used the envelope method to finish the quilt. I've chosen the trellis pattern for the background quilting. And so I spent part of today laying down the painting tape to sew along.
-
(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi44.tinypic.com%2Fo5p349.jpg&hash=f96681428d583a8601a1cf7aca6ae109623b1c20)
These are out of order of course. This picture should have come first since this is when I was making the leaves and flowers.
(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi41.tinypic.com%2F28ujt3m.jpg&hash=57c88ad18408df72f8690ef7930fc6b2b0a487eb)
And this is the painters tape layed out in the trellis pattern that I will sew with the walkingfoot. I've got my fingers crossed on that one. At this point I've already done the envelope edging that finishes the quilt edges. I have a little blind stitching to do where I turned it inside out.
-
that is beautiful tammy!
-
Thanks Jenn. It's slow going. I lost my flower pattern, made a new one and promptly lost that one. I'll try and find it tomorrow. Either than or make a new one. Or maybe I'm suppose to work on something else.
-
Well yesterday I got halfway through the machine sewn quilting of the background. I'll see glad to see the last of the quilting. I found my flower pattern now I just need to cut out 40 of them. That's on top of the 32 I've already cut out. Won't be doing any more hydranga's after this one I don't think.
-
Another 25 percent of the background quilting done. Now I only have 25 percent to go and that part of the project is done and I can concentrate on the flowers.
-
you are doing well tammy. keep it going!
-
The background trellis is done and the first line of the boarder is done. I still have the other side of the inner boarder fabric to do and then the outside boarder. Then it's the hydranga. It will end I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. lol.
-
you are getting there!
-
Yes I am. All that is left is the hand work, and it's a good thing too. I'm going to have company for an extended time and I need to turn the craftroom back into a bedroom.
-
I tried taking the quilt to the meeting to work on. It didn't work. I didn't even finish closing up the blind stitch on the final side. Ah, well I will get done. Normal it's easiest for me to just spread it out on the dinningroom table so that the weight of the quilt doesn't pull me down.
-
They had a meeting of the Ladies of the Night Quilting Club. I went and took the quilt. I managed to embroider the center vein in about 4 leaves. It's progress. My problem is that when I don't get the results I want I have no motivation to push through and finish a project. It was nice to get moral support. I plan to attend on the 19th if possible.
-
Well the veins on the leaves are done and now I'm starting to put on the 40 florets with the bead centers. It's been a comedy of errors of course. I started putting them on with two beads in the center of each flower and of course they need three. I'll get there but it may take forever. But then again maybe that's a good thing. If it takes forever then I'm not spending a great deal of money for supplies.
-
A little forward is still progress, Tammy.
-
I most definitely like that navy blue or royal blue or whatever color dark blue is.
-
I think both of those blues are dark. I like them too.
The lady that leads the group has a neat tool for making flower petals. I believe it is Asian in design. I hope to get one next payday. Then when I finish this quilt I can start one with three dimensional flowers. Just a top piece for my bedspread.
-
Always planning the next project before I finish the one I'm on. Grrrrh. Right now I'm trading off between finishing the quilt and knitting a batwing sweater. I don't like knitting any more than quilting so it's not being a fun fall so far. But I need some long sleeve sweaters.
-
Another half row of flowers at the last quilting club meeting. I was busy talking rather than working so I didn't get much done. But it was fun.
I'm thinking that I need to take the tablecloth off of the dinningroom table so I can finish the quilt. Then maybe I would get the sweater done in a reasonable length of time. But then maybe not.
-
The quilt is done. Now I need to Make the sleeve for the back so I can hang it. Of course while I'm here looking for inspiration for the next quilt that isn't getting done. I'm so bad. I did go by the fabric shop and ask Carol exactly how that is done. It's better that than my usual trial and error method of doing things.
-
You are getting there Tammy. Slow and steady, or even slow and jerky gets forward movement.
-
I put the sleeve on the back of the quilt. It was so easy when I have directions and follow them. It's done. Well except for hanging it. I have a bamboo rod so it's just some hooks and I'm done.
Now it's full speed ahead with the sweater. At least until my back gives out. The bad posture really does me in when knitting.
-
Good job, Tammy. Can you post a picture when it is up on the wall?
-
Good job, Tammy. Can you post a picture when it is up on the wall?
i would like to see it too!
-
Well it's kind of a dark spot but I'll do what I can.
-
I've been practicing free motion quilting but it's been going slowly. I'm not good at this kind of futzing. I need a goal. And it came to me just the other day. I can use my practice sample to make bookmarks and then I can learn how to bind the edges too. I've never done a binding edge and it doesn't make sense to me so I didn't want to attempt it on something big.
So now I have outlines for several butterflies on tracing paper I just have to figure out how to make them into quilting templates. Few overlaps and not having to pick up the needle and move it alot for different parts of the pattern.
At this rate I should manage to do the window quilt within a decade. Lord i am slow.
Carol is such a friend. I was in her store the other day to pick up a pencil that draws on fabric and then can be ironed away. And she had a beginning quilter in there with her. The beginner asked me if I quilted and I couldn't think of an answer. Carol saved me and told her I was but that I specialized in wallhangings. It's so nice to have people that will rescue me when I haven't a clue what to say.
Oh have I told you about the next planned quilt? It is a window quilt for the bedroom. It will be a central panel of a column of butterflies. Some parts of the butterflies will be hand embrodiered. Around the central panel will be 10" x 10" blocks with different floral patterns in the blue green color scheme. And around that will be a 2 1/2" border again in a shade of blue/green or possibly brown.
-
that sounds really pretty
-
Thank you, have you ever noticed that most of sewing isn't sewing? It's either getting everything ready to sew or dealing with the consequence of sewing. Now add to that a bobbin that likes to break thread and you have a really frustrating experience.
-
Yes, much of anything is in the prep. Whether sewing, cooking, crafting. And then there is cleaning up your spaces between one type of project and another.
-
Clean up? Nah, just move out to the livingroom, lol. At least that is what it appears to have happened around here. There is yarn all over the livingroom. I was just loading up the stuff I wanted to take to the craft club and everything l left behind became a number one mess in there. I guess I do need to do some cleaning up. Oh, bother.
-
tammy, "oh bother" reminds me of the peanuts (i think that is who it is) :)
i feel your pain on that. i am contemplating where i can set up my sewing machine and leave it. i am wanting very badly to do some sewing, including some utilitarian machine quilting (pot holders, etc).
-
Oh Bother reminds me of Winnie the Pooh.
I would love to set up my machine in a permanent place.
-
:idea: that's it! i knew it was a cartoon, i just couldn't remember which one!!
-
Well I'm not going to crow about having a permanent place for my machine, because belonging to a quilting club I have to pack it up twice a month to take it into town. Talk about a pain in the back. And now I have to wait until January to get enough money to take it to the sewing machine place and find out what is wrong with the bottom tention. The bobbin thread keeps breaking.
-
ick. good luck on that tammy. that would irritate me. it does irritate me when my machine acts like that.
-
It's probably my own fault. My oil can broke and I haven't gotten around to replacing it so I haven't been oiling the machine regularly. But, thanks for the empathy.
-
I took the picture, I really did. But then I uploaded it to photobucket and they've changed the website. Who knows how long it will take me to figure out how to get it over here. What a mess.
-
(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv660%2FTKHooper%2FQuilts%2FHydrangaQuiltFinished.jpg&hash=cd6f0c8a90b8780aff6487bbec6f93555fe5882c)
And there it is finished hung on the wall and used as an auxillary jewelery box. Sorry the picture isn't better.
-
That is really lovely, Tammy!
-
Thankyou, an out of focus picture makes it look much better than in person, lol.
-
Pretty... :grinnnn:
-
Very Nice!
-
Thank you, an out of focus picture makes it look much better than in person, lol.
i bet it is just lovely in person. we all see our "mistakes" faster than those who are looking at it. besides, if anyone looks that close, do you want them looking? i really like it!
-
Thank you. I think it is really cool that when the sun shines through the rust velvet drape it make the hydranga love purple with pink tints just like a real one. It's way cool. But that's a picture I can't get because when the light is off and the drape is closed it's too dark to get a picture.
-
I sure make a lot of spelling mistakes sorry all.
I've lost track of my practice quilting piece. Doesn't that figure?
-
**********T H E N E W W I N D O W Q U I L T**********
I found it! It's a 30 x 30 Stained Glass Butterfly applique pattern! A group of quilters are going to start on it in March. I can't buy the pattern until May but that's fine. It just means everyone will be able to help me when I get to the difficult parts lol. Anyway I'm very excited about the pattern and look forward to getting it.
-
I can't remember how to link. But here is the webpage with the quilt on it. http://www.threeswans.com/item_view.php?PRODUCT_ID=62 (http://www.threeswans.com/item_view.php?PRODUCT_ID=62)
I plan to enlarge the purple frame by 2 1/2 inches in width and length making the pattern a total of 34 inches in both directions. This is for the window with the airconditioner in it. That's why it's so short.
The purple I want to use a blue fabric for I've choosen it, it is a blue chrysanthum pattern dark on each side and fading to a pale tint in the middle. I'm in love with the fabric so being able to use it for this is fantastic and it will work in the bedroom.
the greens and yellows will remain the same as in the picture. The reds I'll replace with the paler blue or if I can find one a blue/green blend and I may try for a brown for the body. That light violet I'll want to replace with something but nothing comes to mind at this point.
THE NEXT STEP
Buying freezer paper tomorrow so I can start tracing the pattern.
-
that is beautiful tammy. i'm very happy you found that. now, i'm going to say, it would drive me nuts to try to make it, but when you finish it, you will have a true work of art.
-
I'm going to be using the double sided adhesive fusing rather than the bias tape method which should make it much easier. I will probably end up zig zagging the edges just because I don't trust the fusing completely.
It may still make me a basket case by the time I'm done but then that's the sacrifice we make for art right?
-
It's beautiful and you know I like blue too.
-
i would also use the zigzag over the fusing. and i would use the fusing instead of the bias tape for the same reason. looking at all those cuts, it has to be beautiful but anything that rounded... good luck!
-
I couldn't agree with you more. I'm much happier using the black backing in a negative technique then try the bias tape. I've also got the spray adhesive and fray all to keep the edges nice and neat. Or at least that is my hope.
I can't work on it today because the floor lamp is curing on the craft table. I didn't want to mess up the dinningroom table.
-
I had to take the floor lamp in to be fixed. The glue didn't hold. We didn't think it would because we didn't have anyway to push it together. The guy in town is going to build a sleeve to put the tube in and then weld it all together. It won't look great but it will be sturdy which is the way I need it.
Well last night I got all the pieces coded. They don't come with numbers on them because evidently the other techniques of quilting it don't require them. So that took up all my quilt club time. Now I need the light box to do the tracing because it has to be done from the wrong side. Again because of the fusing technique I'm using. It seems like I'm doing a lot of work for little reward at this point. Hopefully this will get better soon. I don't intend to rush this project but I want to get to the point where I can work at home.
-
Well I found out today that I coded my stuff differently from what others have done. they used one letter for each quarter of the pattern. I coded mine by color. We will see how it works. I used the light table today and managed to trace one quarter of the quilt before my back gave out. If I can't do the same wednesday, next saturday and wednesday next I'll have it traced by the time of the next quilt club. So that's all good.
-
sounds like you are on a roll tammy.
-
i'm trying. Sometimes if a project goes to slow it get sidelined and I don't want that to happen to this project.
-
Keep in mind that I know nothing......so are you putting this pattern onto your material using the light box?
-
sheri, i think she is using the light box to trace the pattern onto the freezer paper so she can cut out patterns. that's what i'd do. except my light box is not big enough.
-
I'm trying to figure this out. Hear my brain squeaking? So it's traced onto freezer paper which is then cut out and then pinned to the material??
-
And she needs to flip the pattern.
-
With a fuseable stained glass pattern you need both the pattern pieces and the template of where the pieces so. So it gets traced on to the freezer paper which is then carefully cut out with an exacto knife. That leaves me with both the template and the pieces that will be used to cut out the pattern pieces. The pattern pieces will be cut from several different materials.
Does that help?
Jenn few lightboxes would be big enough to trace the entire pattern at one time. With the freezer paper stuck to the pattern I can then move it over the light box as needed to trace the pattern.
I recently got the idea to use my aquarium and hood light to make a "makeshift" lightbox here at home. I"ll just turn the aquarium on it's side and put the hood light inside on it's back. I'm not sure if it will work but it is worth a try. That will save me having to transport the quilt pattern back and 4th so many times.
-
that is a good idea. i might have to try it. as for the size of light boxes, while i am sure they are very expensive, i've seen them nearly as large as a drafting table (working at SCAD). you see lots of stuff when you work at an art school.
-
Ok, smarty - lol- you got me on that one.
I've got a 4 ft shop light that I'd like to figure out how to box so that it could be turned into a ligh box but I'm not terribly good at these kinds of things.
-
if you can get a piece of translucent plastic window liner, or sky light top. something like that like you'd find at lowes. if you can get someone to build a box for it, and put the lid on it out of that stuff, you'd have instant light box. that's how i'd do it anyway. if i could find someone to build the box. and i'd put the top (colored plexiglass maybe?) in a slide on/slide off so you can change the bulbs without having to deal with a hinged top. that would also make it where you could turn the box on it's side and use it for an actual light. just make sure there is enough vent holes in the box because if you don't, the light will heat up and warp your plastic cover.
just my thoughts.
-
I have two things against the use of plastic. One is that even if it doesn't get hot it will still flex when I rest my arm on it. I found that out with Carols light box that her husband made. The other reason is that plastic scratches much faster and easier than glass. I found that out the first time I ordered plastic glass lenses rather than glass. Of course the good side is that it is so much lighter and less likely to break or shatter.
Your right a good handyman is a womans best friend. To bad they all know it.
-
The quilt is traced, now I'm making the legend to go with it so I know what to buy and how much.
You would think that would be easy wouldn't you? Not so much.
-
Ok, I'm through tacing half of it the second time. So I'm making progress. I've also decided that the metalics will go on the butterfly and the botiques will go on the structuraly part.
-
I should use the spell check more often I see.
Well I found the window panes that I was going to use for a little green house. It will work equally well for a light table I think.
So now I just have to clean it up, haul in the shop light and some wood and see if I can get it all to hold together. I know I have clamps somewhere. I saw one the other day.
It would be good if I could do the tracing when I'm here at home since gas prices have got me stranded here until Monday and then until wednesday when I get paid and then pretty much for the next two months. Ugh right?
-
The light table works.
I've decided to use the metalic fabrics for the butterfly and batiks for the "glass" portions, and a dark blue for the outer border and cream small print for the inner border boarders. So far I've bought the dark blue for the outer border, the blue metalic for the mid wing, the brown metalic for the body of the butterfly and I have the batting plus the cotton material for the back that the rubberized stuff will stick to. There is a lot to this pattern.
-
you have a lot of work to do tammy but it sounds like it is moving along. now, i have to tell a funny on myself. i am tired enough tonight that while i knew the topic was "quilting" projects, my eyes saw "quitting" projects :giggle:
-
lol, that is funny. I try to avoid the "quitting projects" it's just to easy to make them a habit.
Well I finished tracing the pattern finally. I had to de-clutter the craftroom before I could get anything done. And then I disassembled the light table and now I am cutting out the templates. So for I've done one quarter of them. I've also hung up the full sized pattern on the wall so I have a reference point. Other than that I took a tracing of the picture of the pattern and I'm going to make a couple of copies of it. I'm going to use these as color testers. I'll color them in with my color pencils to make sure I'm going to get something that looks like I want. I'm so glad I got over the hump with working on this quilt. I hope I don't run into any more.
-
Copies made.
I should get those template transparencies and copy my pattern pieces on to that. That way I wouldn't have to go through tracing this again. Now if I just had a really good way to protect the template of the entire design that helps with placement.
-
HINTS AND TIPS for this pattern and patterns like it using the quick fuse applique technique for stained glass patterns.
1. When coding this pattern I think using a letter for each color is the better option. But don't do what I did. I used color identifiers like LB, LG, BG, see the problem. Working with a small bunch of pieces after awhile they are hard to distinquish one from the other. So use one letter designators that do not look like one another. For example if I use A i wouldn't use H. Hope that makes sense.
The reasons are these. One I find that I have to look carefully or I get them confused. Two I won't always be doing the pattern in the same colors. I may do one with the same patterns but on the warm side of the color wheel rather than the cool side. So instead of the greens and blues I would be using the yellows and reds.
Now the numbers I just started with the number 1 and went until I ran out of pattern pieces. They are there to distinquish one pattern piece from another and for no other reason. Just like any other sewing pattern.
2. About having to trace on the back side of the pattern. This is not necessary with the butterfly since it does not have a distinction between the right and left sides. They are simular enough that I could have traced it from the front.
If you are tracing from the back I suggest that you code the back of the commercial pattern rather than the front. The reason being that the letters will be backwards if they are written on the front which makes them hard to read.
3. When working with an exact-o knife make sure that the hand holding the paper in place is always behind the knife not infront of it where a slip could cause a slice.
Why the tracing paper and all the work? You don't have to. If you want to cut the commercial pattern instead that is fine. It's just going to be very hard to keep that template in good condition for future use. Because it is very delicate once it is cut out.
-
HINTS AND TIPS:
4. I am going to cut out all of the pattern pieces and then fit them together on a piece of freezer paper so that I know how much of each color to buy. I've already made a couple of mistakes using the "FABRIC REQUIRED" list that came with the pattern. This is not their fault. It has to do with the metalic 3 color fabrics I choose and the fact that I am changing where one fabric is on the pattern to two different fabrics.