Quilty Crime Friday Borders

Time for Quilty Crime Friday.  I've taken a couple weeks off for one reason or another, but I'm back again this week with another quilty crime!!

Let's talk about borders and quilty super powers

 shall we?  

If I could have just one quilty super power it would be to have the ability to make the fabric fit into the space it is supposed too.  Sometimes, it's too small, but MOST of the time it's too big.  I've got too much fabric and a small area to put it into.

Let's take a look at a few quilts that I worked with recently.  They all are beautiful quilts, but the borders were not put on correctly or the fabric may have stretched a bit but..... I had way, way, way, way, way too much fabric in a few places on the borders.  

When I see seams that don't run parallel with the machine, I know there's trouble ahead.

 

 I must keep the sides on the mark.  If I don't I will have ripples galore 

at the end of the quilt.

Above is the extra fabric from moving the quilt back into square.

 

I will then pin the fabric attempting to evenly distribute the excess evenly.

 

I will stitch the sides into place and then begin quilting.  I'll try to move the fabric to keep the hopping foot from creating a pleat.

Below is a quilt that I have just layed out, and it's going back to the quilt maker for a border fix.  With local customers this is possible.

  

I will run a stitching line across the top of the backing to lay the top of the quilt on it to keep/make sure the quilt is on the backing as straight as I can get it.

 

Sometimes I will add a couple of markings on the sides of the fabric to keep the borders straight.  Locking my machine on a horizontal path I will do something like this....from this point on just click on the photos to see the remarks that I have written.  I feel like I may be repeating myself......

 

WHEW!!!!!!!!!!!

Now that those are done, here's what a good border 

looks like on my frame.......

I'm just about done with this quilt and no extra fabric was

to be found!  GREAT JOB!!!! Quilt like this make my life

so much easier and the end result is beautifully perfect!

 

 That's it for quilty crime Friday.  Hope you have

a super weekend and there is tons of wonderful

sunshine in your life.

thanks for checking on me....

hugs,

joanne

love to hear what you've got to say.........

 

How about a few quilts??   Let's just throw some out into a blog post and call it done.  I'll be adding more pictures of these quilts to the other blog later, but let's get a few posted shall we?

First quilt was made by Sue in NH.  It was a stack and sort, of sorts.  It's one of those designs where you lay 10" (layer cakes) in a pile and make a few slices, move a few on one of the stacks and then stitch them back together.  These are fun and quick quilts to do, add a border and you go from a lap quilt to almost a twin.  Perfect for an older kid or teen.  Good job Sue!!

Here's a quilt from Lisa in NH. Lisa is a newer quilter but her piecing is fabulous!! Here is a bright and cheery baby quilt that she made for a friend's baby.  The colors are amazing and I know this quilt is being loved on a daily basis! 

 

Another one of Lisa's quilts.  This was the first one she brought me.  Again, pieced perfectly!!  For a newish quilter she is doing FABULOUS!!

 

It's all about the bugs on this quilt!!  Made for a little boy the buggy fabric is better than perfect!!  Julie in NH made this cute little quilt and the ants that I quilted on it makes it over the top cute!!

 

Another quilt from Julie.  The design of this quilt is amazing!!  The different designs that are all happening in this quilt is what makes quilting fun!

  

This quilt belongs to Judi in NH.  Judi did a great job with all of the baskets in the design of this one.  

This modern quilt is one of mine.  Found the pattern on Pinterest and knew it would make a perfect wedding gift.  The fabrics are a Moda print and very new, fun and funky.  Started off with a jelly roll and then had to scour to find the border fabrics.  

OH MY GOSH!!!  I can't begin to tell you how much I do just LOVE this backing fabric!  It's a Shannon Fabric, (Minky) but it's kinda like for grown-ups.  For some reason I associate Minky with/for kids, but put this fabric as a backing and you will have the adults melting.  LOVE IT!!!!!  AND the quilted hearts - just says wedding!

Don't you just love the colors of this one?  Kristina made this quilt for .... HER!!  Yea!!  The pinks and purples are secondary to the greens in this quilt, but ooohh so pretty!! We decided on a modern-ish quilting design to finish it off.

As mentioned above I'll have more of these posted to the other blog later today.  Hope you have a wonderful day....

thanks for checking on me,

hugs,

joanne

love to hear what you've got to say........

So....

No quilty crime this week, too much going on.  Too much on my mind. Too much to think about.  Too much, just too much.

My thoughts on blogging is to keep it upbeat and happy, but sometimes it just can't be that way.

Cancer

The word that stops lives.

The word that makes us think.

Too much to think about...

just too much.

I have a good friend who's fighting the battle, another who is dealing with a husband who's cancer has returned.

And now...another friend.

too much...

hugs.....

joanne

love to hear what you've got to say.............

My Quilty Nightmare!! A bit twisted...

Nothing more frightening than waking in the middle of the night attempting to figure out - What the heck????

I've been working on this quilt for my son, and I finally have it together but want to add a couple of borders to it, you know to make it bigger.  Borders are the simplest way to make a quilt top larger.  Anyway, it's been quite the project.  

As you can see from the couple of photos here the layout of the blocks weren't an easy task, even the hubs got involved with his engineering logic-which was the answer by the way.

So, to the nightmare...I (in my dreams) took the top to a local quilt shop, but not one here in New Hampshire, one in Indiana to get some suggestions for  border(s).  They immediately whisked my top off to a back room, I was puzzled and being the polite person I am didn't say anything.  WELL....the next thing I know I'm hearing a longarm machine and when I look at the top on the frame it's MINE!!!

Holy Toledo!!!  WAIT!!!   I CAN DO THAT!!!!!!

And then before I know it I'm handed a bill for $400!!!!

WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

For an 80" x 80" quilt that's .0625 per square inch!!!

Nightmare, I'm tellin' ya'!!!

Woke up in a cold sweat!!

Stop the train, I do not want to ride that ride!!  Whoa!!

Other than that, I'm spending tons of time on the computer attempting to learn the program Inkscape.  AND, doing lots and lots of quilting.  I need to start posting those fantabulous quilt photos that I have.  I've seen lots and lots of great quilts.

Okay, off to the trenches...

thanks for checking on me,

hugs,

joanne

love to hear what you've got to say...............

Quilty Crime Friday!! Tension - Check it!!

Time for Quilty Crimes Friday again!

This week I'm focusing on tension!!  And I'm not talking about the kind you get from the family...can't help you with that one!  But we can take a look at a couple of quilts that have come past my machine, so you will know NOT to do this!!  And if it's happening while you are stitching - STOP!!  Stitching!!!  Here we go....

Tension, it IS important!

Here's the backside of the top.  Thread is very loose and not laying flat and even on the fabric.

 

This is a tangled mess. A clear indication that there IS a problem.  And if you notice on the blue more of the "loopies".

 

Here's what it looks like on the front side of the top.  Those seams are not nice and tight.  Machine quilting is what will be holding this quilt together.

 

Again, the "loopies" do not hold your fabric nice and tight.  You should not be able to see your threads like in this photo.

 

Unfortunately the entire quilt was like this.

 

It doesn't happen often, but it should never happen.  Here's another one...

This row of stitching above isn't toooo bad, but it's still not good.

Below, you can see the very, very big "loopies".

 

Again on the front side of the top, you can see something 

ain't quite right.

Once those loopies get so big, you start getting into stitching that looks a lot like this .........

 

Now that I've shown you what not to do, and how it's NOT suppose to look, I'm sure you are wondering if I've got some answers to fix the problem.  

As a matter of fact, I do.   I found this great information by just googling (not sure how I lived before google) "how do I fix the tension on my sewing machine".  I've read over the article and there is a lot of great information and not too detailed or too simple.  Here's the link.....

 

 How-to-Adjust-Sewing-Machine

Take the time, figure it out, it's worth it.

That's it for today..next week I've got to get back to posting all of the great quilts I've been working with.  I've seen some real beauties, so stay tuned and come back soon!

thanks for checking on me,

hugs,

joanne

love to hear what you've got to say...............