And Now For Something Different…
Moon peeking through the tree branches. Andrew took this one, don't know where or when.
My last post was about new beginnings. Well, a new beginning is in progress around here. No, I’m not pregnant! I’m 55, and my baby days are through. However, I’ve had an epiphany of sorts…
Machine quilting, at least with my current set-up, sucks! No kidding, huh? After spending three fun-filled days machine quilting “Barn Dance” and “Rail Fence,” change is definitely in the air.
First, crawling around on the floor pin-basting a quilt has got to be a recipe for a trip to the chiropractor. When I’m done, either my knees hurt, or my back hurts,or my wrists hurt, or my neck hurts. Or all of the above. Plus I’m going to rip up that nasty old carpet next summer, and put in laminate flooring, so there won’t be anything to pin the quilts to in a few months.
Second, repeatedly horsing forty inches of quilt, batting, and backing through an eight-inch opening on a sewing machine is REALLY not fun. Also, it makes it very hard to have any semblance of control over the quilting, even if your quilting is composed mostly of what is supposed to be reasonably straight lines. I doubt my sewing machine enjoys this process much, either. After all, this isn’t what she was built for.
Third, if my goal this year is stashbusting, I gotta get a lot faster at making these quilts. Selling them is my eventual goal, but if they’re time sinks, making a living is impossible.
So, what are my options? Investing in a machine quilting system? I have considered this, but most of those systems are pretty pricey, and they’re geared towards people who want to do it as a business.
Paying someone to machine quilt donation quilts doesn’t seem too cost-effective, does it?
Soooo, what’s the answer? Quilt-as-you-go, also known as QAYG. This involves sewing the strips or pieces directly to the batting and backing that’s already cut into block-sized pieces. I’ve tried this in the past, but having to join the blocks by hand is a long and time-consuming process.
I should have known that someone would come up with a way to join the blocks by machine. Here is an excellent tutorial detailing how to do this. Quick and easy! I can’t wait to get started.
Most of the QAYG blocks I’ve seen involve strips. This is good, but I want to do something different. There will be a joining strip in between the blocks, so I need to take this into account and use it as a design feature. I’ve been mulling this over, and I think I have come up with a design that will utilize some of the the nearly 200 four-inch squares I’ve got on hand. I’m pretty excited to get started on this.
My fisherman is heading home today! I sure have missed my sweetie. (If you want to know, I think that's a king salmon on the left, a lake trout in the middle, and a coho salmon on the right.)
My big news is that my honey is on his way home today! He may make it home tonight, if he feels up to driving through. Today is a good travel day, as there’s nothing major on the radar between here and TN.
It’ll be good to have him home. I’ve kept busy, so the week has passed reasonably quickly, but I’m ready for him to come home.
Tagged with: donation quilts • qayg • quilt as you go • scrap quilts • stashbusting
Filed under: Sewing Adventures
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Love that shot of the moon through the trees.
Thanks for the link for getting quilted blocks together. I had developed my own method that involves quite a bit of stitching by hand. I’m glad to have another technique that’s all machine stitching to add to my “bag of tricks”.
Here’s wishing a good trip home from Tennessee for your husband. This will certainly be a loooong day if he does it one.
Hi Nellie,
My philosophy of life is to use my sewing machine whenever I can! With my wrist problems, I like to “save” my hands for knitting, or for hand quilting small projects.
We take sewing machines for granted, but it wasn’t always like that. Could you imagine having to make all your clothes by hand, and hand-hem sheets and towels, too? Sewing machines must have seemed like a God-send to our great-grandmothers.
Just heard from Andrew. He’s south of the WI line, and is feeling good. He’s pretty sure he’ll make it home tonight. But I told him to stop if he gets tired, even if he’s only 100 miles out!
I’ve always loved the QAYG quilts in this book — they’re done in strips and the sashing is either a part of the design or hidden on the back.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1574865048/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&qid=1265318978&sr=8-1&condition=new
Oooh, Mary, thanks for the link! After looking at it, I just ordered it inter-library loan. It looks like it’s just what the doctor (or me) ordered! I had thought about doing quilts in long strips, and this should help with the ideas.
Hi Darlene just happened on your blog …..I was interested in the QAYG method so checked out the tutorial ….thanks for the link I am making a textile mural with my kids at school and i was wondering how easy it would be to put together all the blocks having never done such a large piece before……..5 mtrsx4 mtrs….i will certainly try this method …..by the way have you any Welsh connections I was reading that you’re granny to Taliesin…the name has welsh connections (I am Welsh)….thank you and all the best
Lorna
Hi Lorna,
Let me know how the QAYG method works for you. I’m itching to try it, but I’ve gotten a little sidetracked with library books and dyeing some fabric! Hope to get to it in a day or two.
No, I’m not Welsh. Had a Irish grandma though, so that makes me more Irish than anything else. My daughter’s married to a Norwegian boy, but they do like those Celtic names. Their other boys are Shadrach (which is from the Bible) and Kieran. Don’t know yet what name they’ve chosen for the new baby! I’ll find out in April, though.
I went to Wales in the early ’80’s as part of a trip to England. I would love to go back someday. It’s a beautiful country.
Hi Darlene I will certainly let you know how it works the mural hasn’t started life yet it is in the planning stage ….it is a mural to celebrate the QE 11 Terminal at Southampton Docks ( i am welsh by birth but live in Southampton at the moment) I am excited to start it but nervous that I may have bitten off more than I can chew ……..i have done murals with my pupils before but not as big as this one …….i will probably post pics on my blog as we progress…I have just started a blog so I am a bit new to it all.All the best by the way I love your quilts
Lorna