Frozen Winter Projects

Usually after the holidays I find it difficult to begin a new project.  This year I had numerous things going at once.  Early January I flew from frozen Wisconsin to Florida to visit friends and relatives.

First I visited my cousin Janet who lives outside of Orlando.  We spent 3 days together. It was wonderful to be with her, and we could be outside in shorts and t-shirts!  So I made a tiny quilt for Janet and her husband.

Winona Winter 2013, quilted photo by Ann Fahl, © 10 x 8 inches

When one doesn't feel too creative it is a good idea to make something small.  So I chose one of my favorite photos of Winona Lake, IN; (Janet and I both love Winona) added two borders and quilted the photo for them.

Winona Winter 2013 detail

I love how the quilting accented the piles of ice along the sidewalk.  I used a variegated gray/brown for the dark areas and a solid light gray for the snow.

After my visit with Janet, I drove up to Amelia Island and visited my friend Sally. Sally was the designer for my book A Black and White Tale.  She was staying at a wonderful house right on the ocean. The view was absolutely amazing. Again, I was comfortable wearing shorts and t-shirts.  It gives you a great sense of freedom, not having to wear heavy winter coat, scarf and boots. Sally is always taking photos with her iphone. Following her lead, I took some too.  We had a short but adventuresome visit. We shopped, ate all our meals out, and even took a boat tour of the area.

Vacation With Sally, a quilted photo collage by Ann Fahl, ©12 x 10 inches

For Sally, I made a photo collage, using some of the pictures I had taken, and one that Sally took. One of the strong visual elements of the beach house was the stairway over the dunes.  You will see it on the right side.  On the left is a sliced up photo of an old shrimp boat that is still operating on Amelia. The dark diamond shape is a picture by Sally that was an image of a beautiful hosta-like plant that I was waiting to see bloom.  It bloomed after I flew home, so Sally sent me the photo. Behind the diamond is a look down the shoreline.  Above it all is a combo of sky-scapes that I layered on top of each other.

Detail of the diamond photo taken by Sally

This was great fun, experimenting with Photoshop and transparencies at many levels.  After it was printed on "Printed Treasures" fabric, I added a double border and quilted it.

Detail of the boardwalk and stairway

For the quilting of all the above pieces I begin with monofilament thread in the top and bobbin.  With feed dogs down and darning foot installed, I outline the basic structure of the quilt. Then I begin adding colored threads.  I have found that using the Bottom Line on the top is great on photos because it is a fine thread, and allows the photo details to be seen.

When heavier thread work is called for I use whatever I want! Both the above quilts have wool batting and are bound with bias binding.  Bias makes a finer, longer lasting edge that using strips of fabric cut across the grain!

By the time I completed both of these quilts, I was ready to begin something a little bigger.  This will be the subject of my next blog.

Quilting Fresh Salsa! part 1

Let the quilting begin.....................................................

Here is my sample flaming spiral.  I don't make pretty samples this is really how I work. Did you want glamour?

Let me tell you this quilt has been a challenge from beginning to end. Beginning in the center, I have planned on quilting a flaming spiral with red thread in the center.  Just to make sure, I practice on a sample first.

The actual flaming spiral in the center of the quilt. I like how the thread subtly blends with all the fabrics

The plan is to work from the center out.  I have taped my paper plan to my sewing table so I can refer to it as I move out to the next row.  This feels very much like following a cross stitch diagram or knitting pattern. So I continue to make small samples, change thread color where needed and keep moving outward.

Here is one of the first yellow arrow segments just outside of red center.

Quilting the yellow arrow segments began with a challenge. I wanted to try quilting it with the red thread, and after sewing one leaf, I realized the error of my plan.  The yellow variegated thread really worked the best.  Notice how it subtly emphasizes the leaves in the quilting pattern. I did the same thing in all four arrow segments.

Detail of dark variegated thread on the green triangles.

I worked around the next ring around the quilt, using yellow and red threads.  Then I got a chance to use the dark variegated thread on the green segment. I was very pleased with how it looked. It took quite some time to quilt my way out to the outer edges of the quilt.  I took my time, stopping for the day when I got tired.

I have found that when I quilt for extended periods of time I start to make mistakes and bad choices.  Since there is no deadline on this quilt, I can just take my time. This is a very relaxing way to quilt.

Along the way, I found that the darning foot was catching on the spots were all the seams come together. Since I have reached my limit of blog space, please see part 2.  Continue to scroll down.
Ann Fahl

Quilting Fresh Salsa part 2

Darning feet for Janome, the center metal foot is adjustable.

One of the monumental challenges I faced is what happens when the machine gets to an area where many seams cross. The foot would get caught on the "lump" and not move.  Then when I tried to force it I'd get a few huge stitches, which didn't look very good.

My goal is to create as even a stitch as possible. It stumped me for a little bit, and I realized why many quilters send their tops out to be quilted! Then I remembered that I could adjust my darning foot. (See image above, the center metal foot.)  All I had to do was spin the little wheel above the needle bar until the foot was high enough to just skim over the lumps.  It took awhile, but I found the correct level. For a complete blog on darning feet check out my earlier blog. For Bernina owners, Diane Gaudynski has a method to alter their darning feet check out her blog to read about this.

Altering the darning foot. If you have the above, clear style darning foot, many people find that it drags above the throat plate, even if the pressure on the foot has been reduced to zero.  This isn't a manufactured recommended procedure but it works:

• Remove the foot from the machine and slightly bend the little bar down (area shown below the arrow).
• To do this, turn the foot upside down, and firmly press the bar onto the edge of a table or something substantial to do the bending. Bend it just a little.  You will feel it "give."
• Do be careful, as you can damage the surface of the table when doing this. Your are responsible, not me.
• Re-attach the foot on the machine, if it is still dragging, remove and bend it a little bit more.

So much for darning feet, let's get back to the quilting.  I completed the center quilting by continually consulting my plan as shown in blog "Machine Quilting Fresh Salsa." This wasn't the fastest quilting job I've ever done, but I followed the map and finally reached  my destination.

Now it's time to quilt the border. How in the world am I going to quilt it?

Ann Fahl

Variegated Thread with Fresh Salsa?

My three choices for thread in the red areas of the quilt Fresh Salsa.

You may think that selecting thread for a quilting project is a small thing, but it's more important than you think.  It pays off when you make the right selection. So now I've got this top that is a cacophony of red, green and yellow, what thread should I choose?

One of my issues with sending your top out to someone else to quilt is that you usually get one color of thread for the quilting. This would make my quilts so boring! Mattress pads are quilted with white thread, how exciting is that? I choose to use multiple threads, usually depending on the color of the fabric where it will be used. No mattress pads for me.

Learn to machine quilt so you can finish your quilt in the manner you choose!  You can do it!

Auditioning the thread. This is shown using white paper just for illustration. It should actually be done on the fabric of your choice.

 Back to Choosing Thread:

• Pull out all the colors you think might work.
• Audition them by unreeling about 36 inches of thread and letting it puddle on the project.
• Give each thread a rating:  yes, no, maybe.
• Give a second look to the yes and maybe threads, I throw the ones I like best into a basket or bowl, so they are accessible when the quilting begins.
• If unsure whether to use thread A or B, sew up a little sample of both; hold each sample up to the quilt top, and this should help you make your decision.
• There is nothing worse than having to rip out lots of machine quilting, after you figure out, you should have used another thread! I have lots of personal experience in this area.

Solid color or Variegated? This is a personal question. Most of the time I prefer to use variegated threads when I quilt. It makes the stitching more exciting on solid color or mottled fabrics. But if you are using prints a solid color thread may be a better choice.  Audition both types of threads to see which you like best.

Contrasting or Matching thread?  Here are some tips I have learned over the years.

• Matching thread will be less visible, and will hide irregularities in the quilting.
• Contrasting thread will really accent the quilting, look great from a distance, but will show everything little booboo.
• A slightly richer color will subtly enhance the quilting without being too distracting.
• Lighter threads on deep fabric will usually look good.
• Dark threads on light fabric are very challenging, all the mistakes will show.
• The choices are up to you.

Rainbow variegated threads, # 851, 814, 844 from Superior Threads

I have chosen three threads to use on my quilt, most are subtle contrasts with the rich colors in the quilt top. The yellow will look great on the small yellow areas of the quilt, because it mixes several yellow tones there will be subtle contrasts and matching colors here. The red thread includes red, purple, and gold, this makes the red areas more exciting. The darker rainbow thread looks great on all dark fabrics and will make the green areas richer on this quilt top.

The quilting will begin next.

Ann Fahl