Oh you guys…..last week was a pretty busy week here at the Cooking Up Quilts house. Busy, but not very productive. Would you like to see all the personal sewing I got done last week? Here it is – please try to contain your excitement. 😉
Whew! that’s a lot, right? Four tiny little half square triangles. Ha! Okay, so even though I didn’t make much personal progress, I am making a LOT of progress on the customer quilt I currently have loaded. And I’m uber excited about working on it. Because I’m using a combination of free motion, rulers, and (you guessed it) the ProStitcher that was recently added to my long arm. In case you missed it, you can read more about that in my last post.
There’s a lot of detail quilting in this project so it is taking a bit of time. I do have a deadline for the quilt, but I am working hard to simply enjoy the process and not let that deadline loom over me like a scary deadline monster.
The quilt has two borders and I knew at a glance how I was going to quilt the inside one. You can see just a peek of it in the photo’s above and below. I had to think a bit about the outside border but once I had an idea I love the way it looks. Kind of like a dressed up piano key treatment. My client is using wool batting by Quilter’s Dream and it gives fabulous texture. Just look at the way that border pops! I’m feeling the need to add some of that wool batting to my own stash.
In addition to the ruler work in the borders, I’m also using rulers to stitch a curved crosshatch design in the setting triangles. I love using the curved templates from The Quilted Pineapple for those curves. Linda has the best curved quilting templates! I have a set of six, but have found I could use one of her larger ones for larger triangles so I’ll be ordering another one soon. No affiliation, I just want to share with you what I use in case you’re interested.
The quilt is a sampler type, with 18 different blocks. I was stressing a bit about coming up with 18 individual designs. That’s a lot and was pushing me creatively! After a discussion with my client, she assured me that I didn’t need 18 designs. Instead, I could choose a few designs and repeat them on the blocks. Knowing that, I was able to relax a little about those blocks.
So off to the ProStitcher I went! I have that computer and I am looking for ways to use it, right? What better way than to use it for all those sampler blocks. I looked for designs that didn’t look too complicated or too formal. I wanted ones that would work with the loops in the sashing and the crosshatch in the triangles and fit the overall vibe of the quilt. I found two that were exactly what I was looking for.
The stitching is difficult to see on the blocks above, but it shows a bit better on the second block. I hope you can see how the curvy designs flow with the other quilting. I really like how it looks together, and how easy it was to stitch out using the computer. I just had to rotate, resize, and nudge the design into place and the machine did the rest. I can already see how much help that computer is going to be.
So that’s what I’ve been working on. The plan is to finish the quilting on Wednesday, if nothing interferes. Fingers crossed that everything goes according to plan! I also *hope* to make more progress in my sewing room. You know, more than just four half square triangles. 🙂
Using the ProStitcher to add to the ruler work and free motion quilting I’m doing is my crush for this week. Now it’s time for you to share yours! What project has you excited to be in your sewing space? Please share, we would love to read all about it! You can link any blog post, Instagram or Flickr pic, here’s how:
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Beautiful quilting, I love all of the designs.
Your quilting trumps the four little blocks any day – beautiful work!
WOw – your quilting is beautiful!!! and the sewing – ha ha – I understand!!
Ooh, those curved rulers have piqued my interest! Way in the back of my mind, I’ve been wondering how to figure out which ruler I could order to fit the curved flying geese blocks in the graduation quilt I designed for my son. (Nevermind that I haven’t started cutting that one out yet, let alone piecing it yet!) Are those rulers sold as a set? I’m going to check them out RIGHT NOW.
Hi Beth! I love that you recommend those curved rulers. I have been trying out a few different ones I already one, and they’re just not quite right. Eyeballing is okay . . . but I’m more of a perfectionist and like the curves to all have the same curvature, if you will. Your set of six looks like it would fit many different situations, so I’ll check them out. That first border picture – OMG!! I just want to feelllll it. I knew you would find some uses for that computer . . . and the inspiration you found looks fabulous. Your customer will be thrilled, and you are already so it’s beyond a worthwhile investment. Not that you need the validation, but sometimes it helps to just say YES. ~smile~ Roseanne
I love the puffy lines on the border. What a fun project. I bet rulers are fun.
I want those rulers but have been reluctant to buy the whole set. One day I will! And I love the double piano key border too.
Great quilting. You do such a wonderful job figuring out what to put where and then doing it. Nice to see you incorporate the robotics with your custom work.
The quilting is so pretty, Beth! I always enjoy seeing what you are working on, and how you are making it happen. Even though I don’t own a long arm, I learn something from each of your posts. I would like to try rulers on my domestic at some point though!
I love the quilting! It has such great texture. I’m sure the client is going to be quite happy with the results!
Fantastic quilting, you are already quite the expert with your new computerized stitching!
The custom quilting looks fantastic and I like that you are using a bit of everything in the quilt from rulers to the Pro Stitcher!
I covet your rulers! Your quilting is so so pretty!