Sampling bigger

Here I posted about my freemotion quilting samples. While making them I also created a mini quilt sampler.  

I'd sorted some hand dyed fabric that I'd purchased ages ago on Trademe (NZ's version of ebay) and had never used mostly because the fabric was quite flimsy and the colours a little light.  

For the initial piecing of the front used gentle curves then the back with straight piecing. Then the back became the front!  

For each segment a different quilting pattern was used with varying threads. 

back

closer look

 











One of my favourites is the fill in the slim white piece.

While I could keep this as a sample it is also the right size for a neonate quilt or maybe a large cushion.

SAQA Benefit Auction 2015

Every year SAQA holds a benefit auction where members can donate a 12x12" quilt.
While the auction starts in September, the quilts can be viewed on SAQA's website.  My 12x12" quilt 'Like Tapa' appears on page 5.

Like Tapa

For this years quilt I wanted to create the look of a tapa cloth using non-traditional materials.  

The first stage was to transfer my hand drawn design onto an Ezy carve printing block using Saral transfer paper. I've been using these blocks as I find them easier to carve into than the usual lino.  I haven't found them in NZ so whenever I go to Australia I buy a few more.  They come in a range of sizes, using the 12x12" size is perfect for this project.

design drawn on a piece of paper

 









 

initial cuts (red marks from transfer paper)

cutting more detail

cutting complete

adding another layer of colour

Creating the pattern by rubbing with Paintsicks.  






Pinning the fabric to the base helps prevent unwanted movement and ghosting of the image.

selecting thread for the handstitching

The flowers and the darker strip had an extra layer of batting to give a trapunto effect. The machine quilting was mostly done with co-ordinating thread around the shapes to emphasise the trapunto.







Videos have been made detailing the creating of some of the quilts, have a look here.

Accessorising

My favourite accessory for my Bernina (440) is the multi-thread holder.  It is just the best for the bigger reels of thread and especially metallics and the silky threads such as the Madeira Polyneons. 

 
Before I had the holder I'd put the larger reels in a small container out the back of the machine so the thread would thread through ok.  This mostly worked although there were times when the reel would bounce out of the container or the container (and thread) would end up on the floor.

While there are single thread holders available to have the ability to store several reels is great.  If I'm working on a project with multiple thread colours I can have them all in the one place.  What is a little annoying is needing to unthread when the bobbin needs to be wound. 


The unit comes with one main holder and two smaller holders that can be attached to the back (see photo above) or sides (see box photo).

The best time to purchase one of these multiple thread holders is when the Bernina dealers have their accessory sale.   

A glimpse

I've been busy quilting the quilt that I started earlier in the year. (here, here, here and here).

The deadline is scarily close and at ~2m square this is the largest quilt I've ever quilted!  

I'm doing straight stitching - so no free motion fancywork on this! Sewing one line and then restarting on the same side instead of attempting to turn the whole quilt around.  While this is using more thread it is making it more managable.  


As I'm not quilting (yet) into the border, it also means a few threads to thread in.  

Using two King Tut threads, one in each direction.
 
What I'm little bit proud of are my DIY skills to construct the frame I used for basting the quilt - more on this another time.

Increasingly Modern

Aotearoa Quilters has a travelling exhibition called 'Growth', entries were due by 1 July.  My quilt 'Increasingly Modern' has been selected along with 19 other quilts.  Its first showing is at the Percy Thomson Gallery in Stratford (Taranaki).

Increasingly Modern

At first I struggled with this challenge as I couldn't get past kids growth charts!  The quilt was a bit of a last minute effort, I had been looking through some photos and came across my quilt, 'Painted Chocolate Blocks'.

Painted Chocolate Blocks

That sparked the idea of using the same technique to some how (!!) create a quilt representing growth.  I eventually decided to represent, as a graph, the growth of modern quilting.

 

I drew a diagram to work out the layout, there is even a bit of Fibonacci series in the sizing of the squares.



 
The shapes are painted using freezer paper stencils and Pebeo Textile shimmer paint - the glittery ones.

painting in progress

Then the quilting, this was a slow process.

I quilted around each painted block in a similar colour - the advantage with this is if there are any imperfections in the painted line the stitching sort of blends it out and the eye only sees (hopefully) the straightness of the stitched line.  

I mostly used my current favourite thread - Madeira Polyneon.  I've found I can't finished off the threads using the machine either with its knotting off stitch or several small stitches together.  It leaves either a noticeable blip of threads or they unravel - mainly a problem with these shiny polyester threads.

quilting and all those threads

I start by pulling the threads to the top when I start and finish each piece of quilting.  Then threading to the back and burying the threads later.  I tend to do some quilting then threading off and a bit more quilting, etc.  instead of leaving the whole lot to the end.   




As I quilt (and thread threads in) I often listen to podcasts on my iPad - one I'm following is Charlotte Scott's click here to listen.

For the white quilted area I wanted a wonky look that matched the painted squares.  While the blocks may be wonky they need to be vaguely straight.  To help with the 'straightness' I tacked horizontal lines and then quilted the squares mostly within these lines.  When I'd nearly reached the top I did check that the top row of blocks would line up with what would be the top edge of the quilt.  

angled closeup

 










The purple line is a piece of ribbon, hand stitched then machine stitched.

And somehow more purple is creeping into my work!

SAQA 2014 Benefit Auction

I've completed my SAQA 2014 Benefit Auction 12x12 quilt, except for a name.  Until I have a name I can't do the label ...  

untitled

I keep thinking of names but they all have 'kiwi' in them.  The US (and elsewhere) call kiwifruit 'kiwi' - this quilt is nothing like kiwifruit!

The auction starts in mid September and quilts need to be in the US by 1 June - so a little while for a name!





 
I started with a piece of sun printed fabric that had been sprinkled with rock salt.

The designs came from a couple of NZ Quilter magazines with some modification to fit in the square shape.  Again I used my current favourite technique paint sticks with a freezer paper stencil.

freezer paper stencil

Once the design was painted I used some boofy batting and stitched along the outline of the shapes.  The batting was then cut away and a layer of cotton batting added along with the backing.  

back view

The design was outlined with a Madeira metallic thread and the rest densely quilted.

front in progress

The piece was then faced.  Now back to a name ...