A Piecing Accuracy Tip

I've confessed this before...I am an overpinner.  I pin a ton.  Yes, I pin the ends of 2 inch squares together.  Why?  Well, that's important to me!  There is a reason.

Here you see my piece going under the presser foot.  Notice the pin at the end.

The value of this pin?  Think sailing for a moment, or any boat for that matter.  The way you turn the rudder or a sailboat, or the engine on a motor boot affects the direction the boat goes.  I use this pin as an engine/rudder for guiding my piece under the needle.  Sometimes at the end of a piece it can veer left or right.  I find this annoying as it really affects accuracy.

Here you can see me maneuvering the pin left and right.  It really helps me guide the piece.

I generally sew until the pin is right under the presser food and then I left the fabric be pulled by the feed dogs into the machine and off of the pin.  In this way I keep complete control of all the stitches all the way to the end of the piece.

Here I still have control of the pin with my finger and the piece is completely sewn.  I now can pick up the pin and put it on the pincushion.

 I hope this tip helps you with accuracy.  Yes, it takes time to pin all the pieces, but it's something I find relaxing to do in front of the TV at night when I'm too tired to do anything else.

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

The Island Batik Ambassadors Four Seasons Blog Hop has Started!

be sure to check them all out!

Island Batiks also has a giveaway on their blog at www.islandbatik.com!

WEEK 1: WINTER

Monday, January 8 – Blue Moon Collection

Inquiring Quilter • Cheryl Lynch Quilts

Tuesday, January 9 – Mountain’s Majesty Collection

Fun Thread Designs • Little Bunny Quilts

Sophie Junction •Quilting Affection Designs

Wednesday, January 10 – Alpine Ice Collection

Freemotion by the River  •Slice of Pi Quilts

Thursday, January 11 – Alpine Jungle Collection

Purrfect Spots Designs  •Bejeweled Quilts

WEEK 2: SPRING

Monday, January 15 – Elementz

Den Syende Himmel  •Inspired Layers

Tuesday, January 16 –Southern Blooms

Yellow Cat Quilts  •Quiltologistreasures

Wednesday, January 17 – Morning Sunshine

Quilt’n Party  •Dessert Bloom Quilting

Thursday, January 18 – Season’s Shades

Inch Worm Fabrics •Kauffman Designs

WEEK 3: SUMMER

Monday, January 22 – Paisley Dot

PamelaQuilts •Seams Like a Dream

Tuesday, January 23 – Sunflower Serenade

Kathy’s Kwilts and More  •Whispers of Yore

Wednesday, January 24 – City Culture 2

Mary Mack Made Mine  •heARTs Creations

Thursday, January 25 – City Culture 2

The Quilting Rambler  •Lizard Creek Quilting

WEEK 4: FALL

Monday, January 29 – Autumn’s Grace

BeaQuilter  •KISSed Quilts

Tuesday, January 30 – Pumpkin Patch

Ark Angel Creations  •Seams to be Sew

Wednesday, January 31 – Plum Delicious

Masterpiece Quilting  •Adventures in Applique and Quilting

Thursday, February 1 – Northern Woods

Moose Stash Quilting  •Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting

Doodle Inspiration

Once a doodle, always a doodler.  I had fun drawing during a meeting.

I stacked these while I was playing blocks with my son.  I like the shapes....hmmm.

Some of the third graders at school made these in art class.  I adore them.  I think my favorite is the one in the upper right corner. 

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

On Ringo Lake - Clue #8 - Blocks

I am slowly pinning, slowly pinning yes I am...words rephrased from the Song that Never Ends...

I am an over-pinner.  Always have been, trying to reform, but it's a challenge and a process I suppose.

These are 1/3 of the blocks sewn...

And I had to lay one out.  So pretty!  Back to it hopefully soon.  The car died.  I have spent the last two days car shopping, but I'm almost ready to make a purchase!  I will be glad when it's done.

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Free Motion Friday - Japanese Fans

I'll admit it.  I am totally sucked into my current show quilt (which I can't show you yet) and the Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt On Ringo Lake (I'll show you that tomorrow), so what to post today?  Well, the quilt on the wall behind my couch in my living room seemed like something fun I haven't shared.  It's about 10 years old.

I have an entire stack of Asian fabric I fell in love with.  Ask me how many quilts I've made with it....you're looking at it.  Just this one.  I have a lot of Asian fabric aging nicely in my closet.  

I had fun quilting pagodas in the corners.

See the beads in the very corner?  they cover up some not so nice quilting.  It took a little time, but made a big difference.  All the fans have this detail.

Around the center circle are twelve cranes.  They are each trapuntoed.  Unfortunately, their beaks are rather skinny and hard to see.

In the outer border I had fun with a sashiko pattern.  Sashiko is a traditional Japanese needle art usually done in white thread on indigo.  If you Google it, you'll find lots of familiar quilting patterns.

The center of this is a trapuntoed Japanese family crest.  I have no idea which one, but I really like it.  When I first sewed the background fill behind it my tension was really off.  The only good part is that it was so loose I could just pull it right out!

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Island Batik Ambassador 2018

I am thrilled to be an Ambassador for Island Batik again this year!  I can't wait to see what fun projects and fabrics they have in store for us.

Here are a few quilts that I've made for them over the past two years as an Ambassador.

There are a few more....somewhere, but you get the idea!  It's a blast and I can't wait for this year.

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

A New Year's Thoughts and Goals

It's the first day of 2018...where did time go?  I'm not sure?!

So, let's look back on what I posted about the first day of 2017.  I guess maybe it's ironic that I haven't looked at this list since then, though I have completed a lot of it, so that's good.  

For 2017:

1.  Write a pattern for Island Batiks

I submitted a proposal, but it wasn't accepted.  At least it was partially complete.  I'll be working on that one again for 2018 for sure.

2.  Try to get articles/patterns published in magazines

I had an article in Machine Quilting Unlimited

I also had two other quilts published in their magazine.  One was a winner in their contest.

3.  Finish that show quilt that's been sitting still for the last 6 months.

I finished it!  And I have another sitting that is almost done...I AM going to finish it for MQX!

4.  I will have my first solo exhibit of some of my blog quilts at the Minnesota Quilter's Show in Duluth in June :)

Completed!  It was so fun to see all the quilts hanging together.

5.  I will be teaching/lecturing at local quilt guilds here in MN and in WI.  I'm excited!

Done!  And more scheduled for this year.  Yay!

6.  Hopefully I will start teaching at Forever Gifts Boutique in Prescott, WI.

Done!  It has since changed ownership, so I need to talk to the new owners.

7.  Use Paypal and my card reader correctly and hopefully enough to justify the initial expense

Done!  It works well when you remember what your password is...when you don't it can be embarrassing.  Oops.

8.  Think about what's next....another book?  An online class?  There are thoughts, but what do I really want to do?  I'm not sure yet...

Well, I did another book, self-published this time.  Done!

9.  I have a piece of embroidery I want to do a "quilting vintage" quilt with

Done!  And it went on to ribbon at MQX.  You can read more about it here.

For 2018:

1.  Write a pattern for Island Batiks and (fingers crossed) continue to be an ambassador for them.

2.  Try to get articles/patterns published in magazines OR work on a new book to be proposed to quilt publishers.  Let's be real...it's one or the other until a book is done.  That's the way I'm leaning right now.

3.  Finish that show quilt that's been sitting still for the last 6 months.  Yes, I have another.  I hope to have it done for the MQX deadline.

4.  Fill out the paperwork to apply to teach at a Minnesota Quilters Show in the future.  This also involves developing class and lecture proposals.

5.  Figure out a good place to teach locally.

6.  I have another piece of embroidery I want to do a "quilting vintage" quilt with

7.  Sell some of my small pieces as the pile is getting rather large.

Well, that's a lot.  Here we go...

I hope you get to quilt today!

Suzy