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Time Eater

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Quilting has been my delight since 1987 and the joy of teaching entered my life shortly thereafter. About 8 years ago I discovered that the internet would be a great way to exchange information about the classes and lectures I offered. I decided I needed to hire someone to teach me how to be the keeper of my own website and, thanks to Peter Queen, www.chrisquilts.net was born. It has been a real blessing to me. Besides class/lecture info I have descriptions and supply lists posted that can easily be “copy and pasted”, which saves me time, printing and postage. With the passing of time I realized what an exciting opportunity my website provided in getting the word out about the “Sew We Go” adventures Wendy Rieves and I lead throughout the US and Europe. Thus I felt I was really on top of the quilt/web connection.

Since then a whirlwind of change and uses for the internet has occurred and I was left in its dust. I had no intention of blogging, but the Lord had other plans :-). I’ll share that story in my Thursday post.

The big downside I’ve discovered with the computer is that it quickly eats time out of my life!!! I do enjoy writing my blogs and reading those of others, but that’s time I could be spending with my Babylok! How do you deal with this dilemma??? Keeping them close to each other in the studio helps, but I really need more :-). Help!

Photographing Quilts II

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I did it! I put bindings on both crib sized UFO and they’re ready to donate! But, before they go I’ve decided I had better take pictures for my records.

Here are my favorite tips using a simple, point & shoot digital camera:

1. The design wall in my studio is made from two 4′ x 6′ pieces of styrofoam insulation.  Many quilters cover their design walls with flannel because the fabric “sticks” to it, but so does every loose thread. Because I want to photograph on these boards as well as design, I covered them with the cheapest charcoal gray polyester I could find on the discount rack at Joann Fabrics. The colors of my quilts read true against the gray and the threads don’t cling to the polyester and show in my pictures. These walls are easy to move outside (my next favorite tip) and when they are next to each other there’s enough surface area to hang a bed sized quilt.

2. Photograph with natural light (outside) if possible. The ideal weather is bright overcast with very little wind. Avoid direct sunlight/high noon. My garage faces north and the doors are recessed about 6″, so I lean the board(s) inside the recess to protect it from wind and the lighting is good in the afternoon even on a sunny day.

3. The camera needs to be steady, so use a tripod or, if you don’t have one, place the camera (safely) on the appropriate height step of a ladder. One extra hint that can make a big difference is to remember that the design wall is leaning and by tipping the camera to match the angle (fairly easy with a tripod), the quilt will remain square in the picture.

4. I usually take a few snaps with the flash and few without. Then I can choose the best result.

This is certainly not a comprehensive coarse in photography and I’m no camera expert, but my quilts have been accepted into some big shows using these techniques. Even if you’re just shooting the quilts for your own inventory, its a blessing to have good quality pictures.

Photographing Quilts

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Before I get to my new topic of the week, I have one more UFO comment. Cheryl Anderson and I were recently discussing Pam’s comment that she thinks of UFO as opportunities. Cheryl took this to another level and now calls her UFO – Utterly Fabulous Opportunities! I wish I’d thought of that! Please visit her blog for more of her insights (Cheryl’s Chatelaine in the Blogroll).

Now to something new: years ago my dear friend, Necia Wallace, gave me some excellent instructions for photographing my quilts. She had spent some time as a professional photographer  and her advice has been invaluable.

Some of you may say you don’t need to take pictures of your quilts, but I beg to differ. Taking pictures along the path of your quilting life is a great way to keep track of how many you’ve made and how much you’ve improved. My memory is not what it used to be and scanning through my pictures is a happy trip down memory lane.

Speaking of a trip down memory lane – this is the only picture I have of my very first quilt. It was made in 1987, in a beginner sampler class taught by Sharon Grieve (now Grinyer). I entered it in the Sun Prairie quilt show and, even though it didn’t win anything, I was so proud (can’t you tell). This was way before digital and took a bit of guts to share :-).

I still have this quilt, but it was made to be used and it’s been loved into a much shabbier condition.

Many of us also need to take pictures of our work in order to enter competitions. This is when quality photography is very important, but no matter what the reason, if you’re going to do something, I feel its worth doing it right.

I plan to share my tips and tricks for quilt photography with a simple “point and shoot” camera in my Thursday post. Until then I’d love to hear from anyone who wants to share. Do you have questions on how to make your pictures better? Do you have a simple/easy way to get good results? Please comment if you dare :-)!

UFO Musings

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FORTY-SIX! That’s how many UFO’s I had in my bins! I figured that would make everyone feel better, but Lois Jarvis beat me with 67! Lois is also a teacher and she has a delightful blog: http://rust-tex.blogspot.com.

While digging through my bins I decided to have my husband take a picture and….notice the smile. I’m adopting Pam’s positive attitude towards UFOs. They are just waiting to be needed :-). The one I’m holding is from 1991. Can anyone beat that? 

Many of my UFO’s are class samples. That’s not an excuse – just the truth.

In looking through my bins I found 2 crib sized class samples that are already quilted and only need binding. I’m stating here that I will finish them and send them off to Project Linus before the end of the month.

I also found a wall sized top in patriotic colors. I’m going to add borders until it’s the right size for Quilts of Valor and get that sent this month too! I’m writing this here so someone will check up on me and make sure I keep my word :-).

I’ve belonged to a number of guilds that have attempted to address the UFO dilemma and here’s a few of their ideas:

Years ago Linda Marcou, a member of Common Threads Quilt Guild, challenged the members to choose one  in January and bring it finished in December. As a reward all those who were successful were given one of her  handmade labels. I still treasure that special addition to my finished quilt. 

I currently belong to Patched Lives Quilt Guild. Last year they offered one entry into a drawing for each UFO finished  in a year with an exciting prize for the winner.  Many took up the challenge.

Evelyn Link is a friend who’s guild in Arizona asks members to bring 3 UFO”S to a meeting and the guild votes for which one should be finished. Let’s take that to another level – you grab 3 to show to a friend, let her pick one to finish for you and you do the same for her! I wonder who I can get to take up that challenge – hmmmmm.

So often UFO’s are just tops. If you

1. can’t afford to send them to a long arm quilter 

2. don’t have time to hand quilt

3. like free motion quilting, but don’t like to meander,

try this: quilt that next project with the design you doodle when you’re bored. You’re probably really good at it, it will flow easily and the quilt will be done without too much effort. Or, take a free motion quilting class and when you return home, practice all the techniques you learned on a UFO you aren’t really attached to. Then donate it to charity. The recipient will love it and they won’t see all the mistakes that jump out at you. By the time the quilt is done your free mo-ing will have improved!

Hope this is helpful. Please let me know if you’ve been inspired to get something done! I’m rather excited about the accountability I’ve forced myself into in this post. If you’d like to gently commit yourself as I have, feel free to write it in a comment here :-).

Satin Stitching

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I’ve just returned from a very enjoyable weekend teaching at the first annual Sewing and Quilting Expo held at UW-Platteville. There was a nice variety of presenters, great vendors and entertaining evening programs. Next year’s event will be held June 10th & 11th and I highly recommend it! I wish I could post a picture of some of the fun, but alas, I forgot my camera :-(.

Snuggle & Learn Quilts for Kids and Replique Quilts

It’s time for my next “topic of the week” and, since I just did a Saturday lecture on Repliqué and it’s fresh in my mind – satin stitching seemed like a good choice. This machine stitch is made by increasing the stitch width and decreasing the stitch length. It can be used as a design element or to cover the raw edge of an appliqué. Of all the ways to appliqué, this is my favorite. So much so that I’ve written 2 books on the subject!

Do you like to do satin stitch  appliqué? What do you like/dislike about it? Are there questions you have on how to improve your technique? Do you have a tip to share?

I’d love to hear from you. I look forward to any comments and will address them as well as some of the questions I hear most often from students in my Thursday post!

PS Yesterday my son, Brad, graduated from Madison Media Institute with a degree in audio engineering. It was a proud moment. If you happen to know of any job leads in the area of sound production or recording, please let me know :-).

Stash Storage

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Thanks to everyone who commented about their stash. I found the responses very eye opening and I learned a lot. They helped me to see how different we are. Some collect by fabric line, some by style of fabric (ie: Asian), some by exactly what’s needed for the next project and some just buy what speaks to them in “that” store at “that” time. I would fall into the last category.

My philosophy is to have a well rounded stash with a good variety of colors and values so that I’m able to create my next project without having to go shopping (a good theory, even if it doesn’t always work). The majority of my fabrics are arranged by color and I developed a method of storing them when we moved into our current home 6 years ago. I was able to design my new quilt studio in our walk out basement with lots of light and a good amount of storage. I have quite a bit of space, but it’s not limitless, so I still have to be organized. 

Here’s what I’ve found works for me. I don’t like to dig in bins and I want my fabrics protected from light, so I keep them on wheeled carts. 

The carts have 3 flat shelves each and the shelves measure 15” x 20”. I purchased the carts to fit in a cupboard built under my counter and made the mistake of having the cupboard built first (duh!). Surprisingly, it only took a short bit of internet surfing to find them on a physical therapy supply website (of all places!). I’m sorry I don’t remember the site, but I’m sure the size you need can be located fairly easily.

Most of my fabric pieces are around a yard, but many are as small as a ¼ yard and some are as large as 2 yards. I fold each fabric to approximately 7” x 9” so they can be stacked 2 across and 2 deep on each shelf.  That way I only need to spin the cart to see other colors.
You may notice that I have bungee cords wrapped up the sides and over the top of the carts. This keeps the fabrics on the top shelf from flying off if I spin the cart too quickly :-).

 Now you may not have a cupboard such as mine, but I envision this working very well for the many quilters I know who make their studios in the empty nest rooms of their college age kids. These carts would fit beautifully into those abandoned bedroom closets and if the machine is in a different room, the wheels make it all very mobile. This would also be helpful for those who make their sewing space at the dining room table – the fabrics can easily be in whatever room you need them.

My main fabric stash fits on these carts and there’s still a little room to spare. My multicolor prints, hand dyes and batiks are not grouped by color, but category, and they fit on one of the carts also. I have to admit that the fabrics I use less frequently such as my holiday fabrics, children’s prints and flannels are still in a bin or two. Nothing is perfect. The only down side I’ve found to this system so far is that when I finish a project and there are fabrics left over they don’t magically reshelf themselves. Any suggestions?

           Kathleen’s comment about storing smaller scraps is a whole new topic. I have a large fish bowl on my counter that I fill with these “too small to fold” pieces and strips. When it gets full I dump them in a bin and when the bin gets full I make myself do a scrap quilt. My most recent one was from Sharon Rotz’s book: “Log Cabin Quilts With Attitude”.  That top used up most of my scraps and is awaiting borders. The trouble is I’ve already refilled my fish bowl. So many quilts, so little time. Here’s a true confession: Sometimes when my fishbowl gets full and I can’t deal with the guilt, I’ll dump it in a bag and donate it to my guild’s next white elephant auction. My friend, Laure Reuters, purchased my last “guilt dump bag” and made a delightful quilt with it!

I’ll watch for more comments and come up with a new topic on Monday :-)!

Blessings,

Chris

PS Here’s how I fold yardage to fit on the carts:

step 1: lay out fabric length with original fold
step 2: fold left edge over 9" (1/4 yard), repeat as needed
step 3: fold remainder into thirds

Welcome!

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I’m passionate about almost every aspect of quilting and this is obvious if you visit my website: www.chrisquilts.net. But I love teaching and sharing what I”ve learned almost as much as actually stitching. That’s why I’ve decided to try my hand at a blog. I hope this will be a place where we can exchange ideas and tips for making all the steps in the quilting process enjoyable. I’ll also share techniques I’ve discovered to simplify the road blocks, overcome mental blocks and just make the quilting process more fun!

Here’s the plan (I’m posting it here to keep me on task): Each Monday I plan to pick a topic of the week and ask you for your thoughts, input or questions. I’ll watch anxiously for your comments and happily respond if necessary. On Thursday I’ll post my “lesson” for the week and hopefully you’ll find it helpful and want to return!

So – my first topic is:

what's a quilter to do?

The Stash! How do you store your fabric? What is your system for sorting? By color? Value? Manufacturer? Or do you just throw it in a pile and dig when needed? Please let me know if this is a topic of frustration for you. I can’t wait to show you how I’ve handled this often tricky subject.

Blessings, Chris

Hanna & Grandma

PS    Even though this has nothing to do with my topic, I can’t resist sharing one of my recent quilts. This silhouette was made from a photo taken when Hanna was 2.  I created this little quilt using my Repliqué technique. I’ve written 2 books on Repliqué and share it through lectures and workshops too. All the information is available on my website:

 www.chrisquilts.net.