Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Re-Quilting a quilt

Sounds strange, doesn't it? 

Recently Janice here in NH contacted me about a quilt that she had that her sister had made.  It was a beautiful quilt but Janice felt that she couldn't use it on a daily basis because it was coming 'un-quilted'. Janice had lost her sister to cancer and really wanted to display and use this quilt on a daily basis.  

It is an amazing quilt and her sister did a fantastic job on the piecing.  I'm guessing the quilt is just a few years old based on the fabric used, but it was constructed using good quality fabric.  Looks like an older Thimbleberries to me, but I'm just guessing.


Janice's sister had mainly done a machine stitched in the ditch and a few other spots of creative stitching to creating a great design on the back side of the quilt.  There were a few area's where the stitching was coming apart and a few spots where there was some tension issues.  This is what worried Janice.  She wanted to use and love this quilt daily and didn't want to do further damage to the beautiful piece.


I took the quilt in, talking with Janice about stitching just enough to stabilize the quilt but I wasn't sure how I was going to do it.  I struggled with how the best way to secure and stabilize this quilt.  At one point I considered just sucking it up and doing it on my Janome keeping true to Janice's quilt.

BUT....if I did that who would know what I had done, and what was original to the quilt?  I didn't feel that it was my place to mimic the work already done.  I wanted Janice to know exactly what stitches were done by her sister. 

If  you are a quilter you will get it.  I wanted Janice to be able to touch the spots and know the work her sister had put into the quilt.  I felt mine had to be different but not overshadowing her sister's work.


I felt a basic meander done by the computer to keep the design evenly spaced and perfectly stitched.  This would not attract any attention to the quilting and simply secure the quilt.  Above you can see the area I quilted over the original quilting.  I re-quilted the quilt.
 

 


If you take a close look at the back there is no question who did what on this quilt.  It is now ready to be used and loved on a daily basis without worry about the quilt falling apart.
 
 


It is a remarkable quilt, and I know that Janice will think of her sister every time she looks at the quilt.
 
 


It truly was my pleasure to work with this beautiful quilt.

thanks for checking on me,
hugs,
joanne
 
love to hear what you've got to say........

 

Friday, July 11, 2014

Quilty Crime Friday - Open Seams!!!!

Quilty Crimes Friday - Open Seams!!

Just a quick reminder that all photos are used without harm (hopefully) to the quilts involved.  I may (or may not) have asked the quilt owner for permission to post photo's of these quilts.  

Intent - Learning.  I am attempting to explain and demonstrate what a longarm quilter sees when quilting a quilt and why you should strive to make your quilts the best they can be.  Having said that, I hope to re-post these same post in the future with helpful hints and web sites detailing important information.

On with the show......


OPEN SEAMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As a longarm quilter I can't think of anything else worse than an open 
seam in a quilt.  Probably because when it happens the 
first tool I grab is one of these.....


Yup, I'm doing quilt surgery.  Didn't know I had that kind of a 
degree did you?  If you are a longarm quilter chances are 
you do too.  Here's where we begin...
 

 
Fortunately on the quilt above I was driving the machine so I could stop quickly.  There weren't too many stitched made in the same place before the machine stopped. But when the computer is running the machine I'm looking at this.......go ahead, click on the photo for a BETTER look!








I'll need to tell my customer that there is a "problem area" so I mark it and move on.   Here's another.....


 



I'm hearing....

CLUNK....CLUNK......CLUNK......

 My heart is racing and sinking all at the same time.  "Clunk" is 
ever a good sound to hear.  I know I'm going to be doing some
quilt surgery and it's never a good thing.  

This happens way more than it should.....









 
 
 It's a better thing when I catch the holes/open seams BEFORE the machine does, but I don't always see then.  

People - THIS is the reason longarm quilters ask that you "check your top before sending it to be quilted".  We do this for a reason....

NOW, do you UNDERSTAND the reason????

That's it for today...hope you don't think I'm being too harsh with these 
Quilty Crime Friday post.

My tag line on emails is 

"just trying to do the best with what I have to work with"

Some days it's a little more difficult than others, but I'll
keep on quilting, hope you will too.

Thanks for checking on me,

hugs, 

joanne

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



(side note, I've already got the next post lined up and it's a follow up to this post, some stay tuned and come back!)