Interview with Angela Walters

Listen to Podcast Here

 

 

Today’s podcast has an interview with Angela Walters, upper left on book cover. She is a great person to chat with about free motion quilting and long arm quilting. She wears many hats in her business including the You Tube Show called the Midnight Quilting show. All of her social media links can be found here on her website.

Here is her most recent episode on You Tube:

 

Katrina’s Minatures Shop is here and you can see the cute dragon softie!

Crochet by Renee shop is here and you can see the fab beanies and patterns!

Story about my collaborative quilt is here and I hope to get a way better picture of the quilt at AQS Grand Rapids! So excited to go

Quilts for cure website is here

Watch for My VLOG on You Tube after the Quilt Show Saturday but here is my latest video from the last Highland Games I went to

Harry Potter scarf pattern is here

Quilt on!

Vicki

a very cool quilt

 

 

The top is corduroy fabrics and the back is flannel. It is not your usual quilting cotton but it sure turned out to be a cool quilt. All of the corduroy is upcycled from clothing. It is warm and should be great for the cold days of winter. I quilted overall large fans and topography stitches in a golden color. I think it is a nice combinations of textures !

Branching out, you may find a huge new creative spark being started,  and upcycling clothes is a great way to use what you may have and not put more in the landfill. Plus YOU MAY ALREADY HAVE FABRICS ON HAND, saving you money and being a most frugal quilter. Love it! Upcycling and being frugal what is better?

 

Quilt on,

Vicki

Machine Quilting Monday

 

Here is a pen drawing of the three stitches I used on a quilt that I took off the frame last week. I will post a picture of the quilt after the explanation of each stitch.

I started learning free motion quilting by learning a stipple. I really focused on this shape and problem solved traveling with this fluid motion before I moved on to more difficult stitches. Whether you love or hate the stipple you need to learn this stitch because it is the basis of many foundations of the free motion quilting I do.

I love the ribbon candy stitch. It has a figure 8 feel. It is useful in borders!

 

Feathers are more challenging. I drew them out for weeks before I really was comfortable quilting them. They can be as easy as 1, 2,3.

 

First, I start with a spine. I do all over feathers quite often using a large spaced stipple. This method can be scaled up or down as needed in your quilt. Stitch the spine and then put a feather on the end on the top of your spine.

Next, make many featherss, see the arrows for “top rows” ? I try to make them teardrop shaped and make the feathers a little bit different in size depending on where it is in the curve as well as space that you need to fill. Moving right to left, fill the spine in a top to the bottom motion to make your shape.

 

 

Lastly, repeat the teardrop shape moving left to right as above only this row you are making the shape from bottom to the top.

Here are the stitches on my quilt!

Quilt on!

Vicki

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I finished this lovely quilt. I did swirls in the middle and the blue on the edge as a feather stitch the length of it. I am pleased with how it turned out. I love the skinny quilt. Would make a great back of the couch or even a bed scarf. I love the texture!

 

I love how this place looks and I did a photo shoot here with permission from the property owner. So I didn’t use the public garden because it is more difficult with lighting as well as the plants being nearly finished.

The light was perfect this am. I put the last stitches on just in time for the quilt to get a photo shoot. I did get a picture of a quilt (yep I did it all myself with a tripod and the timer on the camera!) AND I wrote up the pattern for Moda Bakeshop tonight. I had a great time making the quilt and can’t wait to reveal it! Last I heard my date on the Bakeshop was August 15th.

My friend did some binding for me. She has the best and sharpest corners. I have been working on a few quilts and I did get a quilt with nice corners yesterday, too. I listened to her tips! I was pretty happy with this success, and on the first try !

Quilt on !

Vicki

what I have been up to Highland Games and stuff

 

 

I went to the 168th St Andrews Society Highland games and festival. I had the opportunity to see Dan McKim again this year. He is retiring this year. He took first in the Pro division.

My husband competed in the Amateur division. A great day of competition.  I saw all of the games but I did walk about and see the festival. The music was good, lots of vendors and clan information. I have to say it is pretty cool and I enjoyed the day. I always have a pint in honor of my Scottish ancestors. I tried a whiskey and I have to say I still don’t like it, lol. Click on the videos below to see some of the games in action!

 

 

 

 

On the creative front, I finished the multi colored cowl on the lower left. It is a yarn that is spun and has roving.  You cast on about 80 or so on a large circular needle. Knit round one then knit where yarn is spun and purl where yarn is roving. When the cowl has used up the skien knit off. Magic!

I cast on a stockinette stitch scarf that will be a Harry Potter scarf like one from the Prisoner of Azkaban. Link is here for pattern.  I found the red yarn on clearance for 72 cents a skein! I had the yellow in my stash from when I was in a yarn a month club. I love the easy pattern.  You knit a tube then add fringe. How easy is that?

Then the most exciting thing is one of my quilts will be feature on Moda Bake Shop in a couple of weeks. I have the quilt nearly done. I have the how to pictures completed. I need to write the steps up. The most difficult problem is the cover picture. I hope for good weather otherwise it will be improvised inside. I have high hopes for my camera being able to take a really sweet photo. I have lots of spots I can get a nice picture.

Well wish me luck on the pictures lol,

quilt on

Vicki

A quilt top and investigation

back of quilt

valenitnes table topper

If you listened to my last podcast you will know I said I wasn’t going to piece quilts without intention until I caught up on my long arm quilting of my own quilts. Well, I must have impulsively said that. I had all morning yesterday before I needed to return to work after a good checkup at the dentist.  So, I didn’t have a batting nor the ability to buy one till Friday…. so I sewed a Valentines table topper. It was a panel I bought in Scotland in 2014, It had to be finished! You will also notice the back of a quilt I took off the frame for a customer and now the frame is open waiting to be loaded. The next deadlined quilt is mine. AGH, I need a batting. What to do after to table topper? I started testing a pattern for a friend who is making softies. It is a little dragon stuffed animal. So cute.  A nice change of pace for sewing. More to come on that pattern and my process will be another blog post.

Click on photos for a larger more detailed look !

I went on a investigative trip to the community garden. I have a quilt that will be featured on Moda Bake Shop mid August. I need to take a picture for the cover photo. I want it to be special. The pictures all the other chef’s take for cover photos are amazing and I am feeling a little nervous about the need to have a really good one! The quilt will go on the frame soon AFTER I GET A BATTING. Ugh I hate having wasted good long arming time because I don’t have a batting or backing or thread. Makes me a little bit nutty. But you make do and I have plenty other supplies and lists of things to do.

What makes a good quilt pattern cover photo? I would love to hear what you think? I think the garden has some potential for a good picture.

Quilt on,

Vicki

Machine Quilting Monday

I wanted to share a quilt I just took off the frame for a customer. Isn’t it the sweetest fabric collection? I chose to do a freemotion feather in the center. The first pink border has curls in it and the outer border is a curl, one leaf and travel with a loopy meander. Overall, I love the texture in each zone and that the quilting didn’t overwhelm the lovely piecing and the sweetness of the fabrics.

Click on each picture for more details. What is fun is how liberating free motion quilting is. I didn’t mark anywhere. I didn’t break the thread on the borders, just snuck in and out in a suble manner and it all flowed together. I used Superior Sew Fine thread and they have my favorite threads for long arming.

Here is a little video!

Quilt on!

Vicki