Learning to Hand Quilt

After having 2 herniated disks in May, being in pain for months, undergoing physical therapy and epidural steroid injections, I'm finally back to quilting.  Sitting at the machine for long hours, though, is not even possible!  I've tried all sorts of back pillows, raising the sewing table, lowering it, buying a drafting stool, etc.  I want to be able to quilt my quilts as well as piece the tops, and I'm determined to find a way to do this! 

After watching How to Hand Quilt: A Free Video Tip on Craftsy.com 5 times (yes 5 so far), I'm finally attempting to hand quilt around circles on a quilt made for my dear granddaughter.  I've marked this quilt, sprayed the marks away, stressed over it, taken machine quilting lessons (I'm horrible at it!), and finally decided to hand quilt around the circles first and then decide what to do with the rest of the quilt. In the video, quilter/designer/instructor Sarah Fielke shows how to use DMC thread with an embroidery needle and the clover open-sided thimble.  I love this method! 

Here are my sample shots: 

It's still a WIP (work in progress), and I need to try to quilt designs inside the larger circles plus will have to quilt something on the background fabric to anchor the batting.  But for now I'm happy the hand quilting around the circles is looking so good thanks to the easy instructions given by Sarah Fielke.  

And here's the link to Sarah's instructional video: http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2013/01/how-to-hand-quilt/

Getting Back to Blogging

Why the long break? 

There are so many reasons I stopped blogging--busy with family, guild events, retreats, and trying to start a small craft/quilt business (way more than I bargained for!). I have an Achilles tendon tear that made it hard to walk.  It was inoperable, so I went for physical therapy.  In the meantime, I had wrist surgery for the 3rd time on the same wrist.  I stopped quilting, stopped going to meetings, just basically stopped it all.  One quilting friend encouraged me to keep sewing, inviting me to her house, but I rarely made it there (an hour away!)

I filled my time by making new friends on the internet in other states and Canada.  Who knew friends in Canada and Pennsylvania would worry about you and call to check on you when they see tornadoes ripping through your city on the national/international news?!  Even our family members don't do that.

As for sewing, I haven't done much except applique a quilt for my newest granddaughter. The quilting part scared me because I wanted it to be circular.  I studied free motion quilting and practiced, but I just didn't like my attempts. They were ugly and spastic! .

Finding my way back...

I had a horrible case of the flu in December and saw my life flash before my eyes! I realized I had to finish the appliqued circle quilt. I also have other unfinished projects. I looked for a "support group" on the internet for quilters who have UFO's. There I found Pat Sloan--encouraging quilters to finish their UFO's! You can find her free quilt patterns, blog and forums here: http://www.patsloan.com/

I enrolled in the Building Blocks Quilt Along (BBQA) by Leah Day. I'm hoping her instructions for circle and spiral quilting will help me finish my granddaughter's quilt before her next birthday (June).

I also found my way back to the Dallas Modern Quilt Guild.  They are a very friendly and supportive group of quilters.  The last meeting with Jen Eskridge of ReannaLilyDesigns was fantastic!  I joined the Tula Pink's 100 Blocks City Sampler group from the guild who meet near my home.

I'm looking forward to learning new skills, finishing my projects, and entering challenges.

1. Pyramid, 2. 4wheeler, 3. Stacked, 4. TailSpin, 5. 4th Inning, 6. DiamondMine, 7. Biggest Fan, 8. Center Aisle, 9. album1

Here are my 9 completed blocks for the Patchwork Squared Modern Quilt-Along. I'm still debating what colors to use for borders, sashing and binding.

Art Quilts

I've always loved art. Once upon a time I envisioned myself possessing an art degree (and have the transcripts to prove it!) until I realized I had to waste time studying aspects I found extreeeemely boring. Over the years, I attempted various art forms including painting, stained glass, crafting and "altered art" using mixed-media techniques.

Fast forward many, many (many!) years to fall 2010. I met an artist online and purchased tiny crane origami earrings for my granddaughter for Christmas. Through my purchase, Sam, the artist/jewelrymaker, became a friend and somewhat of a mentor even though she lives far away in Pennsylvania. Recently we talked and she began to throw ideas out about items I could make and create that aren't as overwhelming and large as the quilts I make. Then she said "You need to join an art guild."

Her urging uncovered a memory I had filed away about the Dallas Area Fiber Artists organization. I once read about them in a magazine distributed in shops in NorthEast Dallas near White Rock Lake. I quickly found DAFA online and read they were having a workshop prior to their next meeting: "Quick & Easy Art Quilts" by Kathy Mayhew and Jules Rushing. I've been interested in art quilts for quite a few years and have a fused art quilt simply waiting to be quilted. Even though there were weather alerts for tornadoes the evening of the meeting, I drove 20 miles to get there. The weather goddess smiled upon me. Not a single drop of rain in spite of high winds and heavy storms in surrounding areas!

When I arrived, there were tables filled with mixed media for creating our own 9x12 art quilt. They had supplied background fabric, batting, backing, irons, parchment paper, paints, rubber stamps, adhesive, embellishments. You name it, they'd brought it. All of this for just a $5 workshop fee.

Following the workshop, Jules and Kathy presented the SAQA-Texas Mini Art Quilt Trunk Show of 9x12 art quilts exhibited at The International Quilt Festival in Houston last fall. This was followed by an overview of SAQA, its membership benefits, and their online website including SAQA University. http://www.saqa.com/

I'm still sewing quilts, and tonight finished the last block for a modern quilt-along I began a few weeks ago. I have several quilts in different stages of completion for family and friends. But since I made the art quilt in the workshop, I'm definitely looking forward to using mixed-media techniques. I've already come up with a plan and a theme for my first art quilt (or second if I ever quilt my fused one). I'll be blogging about the process once I get everything together.

My First Mini Quilt

I completed my first paper-pieced miniature quilt at the retreat last weekend. It's from the book Paper Pieced Mini Quilts by Wendy Vosters. The blue fabric I brought with me for the sky didn't work against the other colors, as the hue was off. So I had to go shopping in Melissa's store at The Compass Centre. She had the perfect batik for the sky, and of course, the name on the fabric bolt was "Sky." I had to quilt around the little red barn with black thread to make it pop and then made sure to quilt a door. It's not a barn without a door.

p.s. I got locked out of my bedroom again at The Compass Centre! It happened first in March, then it happened again this month! Are my roommates trying to tell me something? I know it isn't personal because another quilter was locked out with me this time. Thankfully I now know where Melissa hides keys, so my roommate was able to get the door unlocked. Those door locks have a hair trigger apparently and no one knows they've hit the lock button because they're so well placed behind the handles.

Blocks Finished for PS2 Quilt Along

Only 6 more blocks to go!

Quilt Retreat

Howdy from The Compass Centre at Mt. Calm, Texas. I downloaded an App that's supposed to make it easy to blog from my iPhone. I'll be here all weekend and might even finish a project or two. Hopefully I can even figure out how to upload photos to my blog and to my Flickr group.