getcrafty :: popular topics :: quilting :: quilts

View entire thread: Bulk Quilt Batting?

Posted by quornflour on 2008-08-31 23:24:47      Post Subject: Bulk Quilt Batting?



Does anyone know where to get cotton quilt batting by the roll?
I have currently 4 quilts that I need to finish and was thinking it might be better to buy it by the roll. Any ideas?

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View entire thread: Cats & Dogs Coloring Books!

Posted by Geree McDermott on 2005-11-16 15:49:37      Post Subject: Cats & Dogs Coloring Books!

Fun and Funky original illustrations of really cool cats and dogs in new coloring books! Not only are the great fun to color, they also make fabulous patterns for quilts, stained glass, mosaics, floor cloths, and more!

Please take a few minutes to check them out! Perfect for holiday gifts!

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View entire thread: Batteries Not Required

Posted by Megrnc on 2005-06-30 16:15:39      Post Subject: Batteries Not Required

My company is called Batteries Not Required and I make toys....No, not those kind of toys, get your mind out of the gutter! I make interactive play quilts for children. They feature matching pictures hidden under flaps of fabric - kids have to lift the flaps and make matches- much like the old game Memory. More info at Megrnc.etsy.com or www.batteriesnotrequired.com. Stop by and take a look!

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View entire thread: Seattle Sewers or Crafters--free fleece!

Posted by zbann on 2005-11-07 18:23:46      Post Subject: Seattle Sewers or Crafters--free fleece!

hi everyone,

I have a kitchen sized bag of fleece scraps. I want to give it to someone who can use it. They are smallish so they would be great for hats or quilts. Perhaps girlscout's crafts? They are mostly purple and pink through there is some light blue in there as well. non smoking home.

I live in Seattle's and tried giving this away on Craigslist but people kept flaking out! (I'm not trying to sound mean; but I no longer wanted to hear excuses about why people can not come pick up FREE stuff when they said they would) then I realized I should post here since so many crafters are here. Someone was bound to have a use for this.

My email address is bethsart@gmail.com please email a time and day when you can pick it up and I will send directions to my apartment. Tonight, Tuesday or Thursday are all great. Thanks!

Beth

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View entire thread: LongArm Quilting

Posted by quornflour on 2007-02-14 00:34:11      Post Subject: LongArm Quilting

I have been making quilts for a while now... as I would love to own my own longarm, I sadly have no room.
I am curious if anyone has sent their quilts off?
How much did it cost?
Was there a quantity discount available?
I have a corduroy quilt that simply will not fit in my machine and I do not want to tie it off:
http://www.quornflour.com/voxBlog/corduroyQuiltFullTreeSM.JPGhttp://www.quornflour.com/voxBlog/corduroyQuiltFullSM.JPG
As well, I am working on one that I would like a design put on.

So please let me know if you have any recomendations or good places or warning on the bad... or a house that I can have that comes with a long arm, I'll take that too.

Seriously though, anyone?

~Q

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View entire thread: Machine for years but don''t know how to use aching to learn

Posted by lizzymahoney on 2007-09-17 13:45:01      Post Subject:

I don't live in Tennessee. However, why not try the churches and places of worship, or ask all the neighbors and friends about their service orgs?

There's a quilt made of discarded things called an Ugly Quilt. I'm sure you can find it with a google or ask.com search. Ugly quilts started out of some woman's living room, moved to a church and then started up at other churches. The idea is to make inexpensive large quilts that tie in a neat bundle for homeless people. The size is adequate for a mother and child to sleep in it if necessary. It would be lots of seam ripping for the reclaimed fabrics, and lots of straight stitching.

If you can find people in your area making Ugly Quilts, you can almost certainly find someone to work with you to learn your machine.

There are plenty of books that are basic sewing guides. I've collected most of them, sad to say. Good Housekeeping, Singer, Readers Digest and others have these thick books with loads of diagrams showing how to thread most machines, how to clean and care for it, and the all important how to adjust tension. You can find these types of books at used book stores and at thrifts. Try all the used bookstores first, though. Maybe try amazon and ebay, too. Thrifts are iffy... Especially if people like me buy them first.

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View entire thread: Inspirational Hip Quilts

Posted by yardenxanthe on 2004-12-27 13:49:16      Post Subject: Inspirational Hip Quilts

I found this artist's great quilts website and thought I would share the inspiration with you.

Sarris Quilts

Check the Galleries. Amazing.

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View entire thread: new blog

Posted by sewchristine on 2008-02-04 08:19:48      Post Subject: new blog

Hi I''m new on this site and I thought I''d let you know about myself. I live in the UK and I sew, quilt, make bags and blog. I love all crafts although my knitting isn''t up to much! You can see my blog here: http://sewchristine.blogspot.com and currently I have a tutorial for sewing a glasses case to hold 2 pair of glasses. I also try to sell my bags and quilts on Etsy but I don''t sell much.

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View entire thread: Inspirational Hip Quilts

Posted by Morgan on 2004-12-29 18:30:45      Post Subject:

My faaaaaavorite quilts are these:
http://www.dsquilts.com/quilts.html
Uh, I love them! I'm so jealous!

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View entire thread: looking for charities that want crafters - any ideas? :)

Posted by craftfetish on 2006-04-26 08:35:24      Post Subject:

A friend of mine just introduced me to The Victory Junction Gang - it is a sumer camp for kids with chronic diseases and other serious illnesses.

They give each camper a handmade afghan and teddy bear and all of the beds have handmade quilts on them.

www.victoryjunction.org


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View entire thread: NYC/Tri-State quilters, designers who sew

Posted by revafisheye on 2004-11-08 13:12:44      Post Subject: NYC/Tri-State quilters, designers who sew

Hi Craftistas,
My friend Dan, an interior designer, has a client who wants to commission 3 quilts made from Marimekko dresses from the 60s and 70s. The designs would be modern and funky. Machine-quilting is preferable because, well, they'd like them done by Christmas. Since my sewing skills are severely lacking, I offered to open it up to the Get Crafty community and he thought that was wonderful idea.

I'll answer as many questions as I can in this thread, but I have no money details except to say that you would be paid. If you are interested, PM me and I'll pass your info along.

Cheers,
Leigh

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View entire thread: Selling Quilts - etsy - other?

Posted by craftfetish on 2006-11-16 11:00:41      Post Subject:

I am not a quilter, so this is just speculation, but...

I don't think that I would spend hundreds of dollars on a quilt without seeing it in real life, touching the fabric, seeing the construction, etc.

I would think etsy would be a better venue for smaller pieces like baby quilts, handbags, or art blocks than full size quilts.

But I also think that etsy would be great for people that may have seen your work in person at a craft fair and wanted to think about the decision before buying.

And I think if you did large pieces because they moved you, the $0.40 or whatever to list them would certainly pay off in terms of calling attention and attracting customers to your smaller items.

And who knows, maybe someone less cheap than me would be purchase through the site.

(The quilt you made for your sister is stunning by the way - you absolutely should make more quilts and price them accordingly)

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View entire thread: Washing antique quilts

Posted by j on 2007-12-28 13:22:00      Post Subject: Washing antique quilts

Does anyone know if the newer front loading machines are any safer than the old top loaders for washing antique quilts? What about the ones that have a steam option? Would that be good? Any advice will be appreciated.

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View entire thread: I have these craft books on my wish list...

Posted by Schmatta on 2005-02-10 16:03:08      Post Subject: I have these craft books on my wish list

I don't have any of these. But I do have a coupla hundred craft books to dispose of (incl. quilting, soapmaking, candles, wreaths, whatever). So if this thread develops and I see any "wishes" that I own, I'll PM you and offer to send 'em to you.
The only thing I would want in return is castoff silk clothing to cut up for quilts or cashmere sweaters to felt -- nothing good enough to wear.

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View entire thread: tips on a first meeting?

Posted by bookish on 2004-06-07 08:59:55      Post Subject: tips on a first meeting?

Hi!

I have only just begun trying to sell some cute quilts to a few gift stores in town. I have my first meeting today with a funky little shop called Sleeping Lizards. Instead of commission sales, the owner will just buy the quilts from me and resell them.

Does anyone have any advice to help my nervous jitters and make me seem even a little bit professional? Do you have any idea what a good starting price for me would be?

Some information about the quilts is that they cost about $7-10 to make and are 45" x 60"- took about 3-4 hours labor each. They are not very intricate, but more an artistic study of color.

Thanks for any repsonse!!
Keri

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View entire thread: Quilt Block Swap

Posted by kdaum on 2005-03-08 14:47:58      Post Subject: Quilt Block Swap

Hello Everyone,

This is my first time putting together a swap, so please bare with me.
Back when I was little, I always remember attending my mom's quilt club and seeing the other ladies' work. I remember that they used to swap blocks to use in quilts. Don't fret, that is not exactly what I had in mind.

What I am thinking is this:
Each participant makes one 12" block, which must be completely sewn-So no gluing or stapling. You must do some sort of embellishment to it with cross-stitch, needlework, yarn, applique, adding buttons, etc. The only other pre-requisite is that the base fabric/fabrics be made of 100% cotton and that the piece be hand-washable. So stay away from sequins, please.

How much work you put into it is purely up to you; but just think of what you would want to get in return. You will have a month to finish and then ship it to a fellow swapper. If everyone is honorable (which I know you all are), you in turn will receive a block as well. This swap is a little more complex; but I think in the end everyone will be happy with what they receive.

If you are interested or have any questions, please let me know.
The deadline to sign up will be March 15th. At that time I will email you the name of the person that you should send your block to. It won't necessarily be the same person that is sending theirs to you.

Thanks, Kristy

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View entire thread: quilters in downtown Toronto?

Posted by hodge on 2005-09-11 09:01:33      Post Subject:

i'm not sure about existing quilting clubs in downtown t.o., but you could get in touch with the textile museum of canada (http://www.textilemuseum.ca) and ask if they know of any (they have lots of volunteers who are quilters i think). there is also a quilt shop on mt. pleasant near davisville that you could contact (not downtown downtown, but i think this is the closest quiltshop to downtown downtown): Quilter's Quarters (595 Mount Pleasant Rd., 416-487-1047)

another option is starting one up yourself. i am also a beginner quilter (very into modern quilts like Denyse Schmidt and quilted accessories) and really eager to learn more. i would love to do something like a quilt-along - choosing a project with a group and coming together to check out each other's progress, swap tips, etc. i just finished a big project and need to hibernate for a bit, but would be into something like this eventually. PM me if you would like to talk about this idea some more.

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View entire thread: I started a quilt-along...

Posted by Diana on 2006-01-03 13:49:17      Post Subject: a big yes to crazy quilts

I'm like you, I just love crazy quilts!! All that variety. Life is just too short to only use 100% cotton fabric. I'd be thrilled to join the quilters on line. I used to do traditional pieced and appliqued quilts, but now it's almost all crazy quilts. My Great-Aunt Gertrude keeps giving me loads of nifty fabrics to add to my stash. 2006 is going to be the year for me to work on a full size crazy quilt for myself. I've done two others, as well as lots of smaller c.q. projects, but those quilts I gave as gifts. Quilters Unite!!

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View entire thread: Pictures on quilts?

Posted by JennaGrace on 2006-09-04 01:09:06      Post Subject: Pictures on quilts?

Does anybody know how to make these quilts that you can put family pictures on like in the movie Stepmom with Julia Roberts? Or a website that makes them at a reasonable price?

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View entire thread: Finishing a Fleece Scarf

Posted by aubrigail on 2004-12-14 19:36:37      Post Subject:

You could cut longish fringe on the ends and then knot them (or even add same width strips of fleece to the knots to make the end of the scarf more fluffy)...I haven't ever done this but those tied fleece quilts are so cute and it seems like you could modify it to finish a scarf

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View entire thread: Looking for a classroom craft project with ''wow''

Posted by acscheuerman on 2007-09-11 11:59:56      Post Subject: Looking for a classroom craft project with ''wow''

I am responsible for coming up with a class project that twenty 11 yr. olds can do, together. The completed project will be donated to sell in the school''s charity auction, and I am hoping it will raise a fair amount of money. Does anyone have any ideas for a ''wow'' project that would have broad appeal to parents, grandparents and the community at large? We''ve seen lots of quilts with children''s handprints and tile mosaic benches/tables, so I''m hoping for something different. It''s a Catholic school, so religious items do particularly well. I had thought about a paper mache nativity set or set of painted Christmas dishes, but could definitely use some other opinions or ideas of where to look for resources. Any advice is appreciated. I''m not particularly crafty, but can probably find some helpers who are.

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View entire thread: T Shirt explosions

Posted by shuvaly on 2005-08-22 13:41:46      Post Subject: T Shirt explosions

hey, I have a buch of old youth group t shirts that I want to make something out of. I've see quilts, but I don't need another quilt!

Help me please!

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View entire thread: knitting- degree of dificulty

Posted by cherriesontop on 2004-11-07 07:02:14      Post Subject: knitting- degree of dificulty

heylo!

have you ever heard of project linus? www.projectlinus.org

Its a organization that delivers handmade blankets and quilts to sick babies or children. these blankets and quilts become like Linus's security blanket to them. They are a comfort if the child is going through a operation or chemo or anything scary.

Well anyways, my Girl Guides troop had decided to contribute to Project Linus. We are learning how to knit, next week and we figure if we do a couple rows of knitting each meeting (once a week) and maybe a little more when we have the time, we'll be done by the time we end our guding year ends (usually in May).

How hard is it to knit in the beginning? We have about 10 girls between the ages of 12-14 learning to knit (and I'm one of them!). Any tips for beginners would be greatly apprieacted!

Spanx a bunch!

cherriesontop

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View entire thread: Good Beginning Quilting Books

Posted by Nancy Flynn on 2007-03-15 19:29:23      Post Subject:

yes! i agree with xuli. i think the Denyse Schmidt book is great-- thorough, easy to understand instructions/tips, and more modern and graphic than some "old fashioned" quilting books (not that I have anything against traditional quilts--i love them).

and if you really want to get into the quilting immediately without stressing about fabric, there is also a "Quilt-It Kit" that has some of the same Denyse Schmidt instructions on project cards and enough DS fabric for a small quilted project...

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View entire thread: Selling Quilts - etsy - other?

Posted by honeybee on 2006-11-20 18:45:59      Post Subject:

you can do a search on etsy for quilts and get an idea of how others are doing selling theirs, as well as browse prices.
there are lots of people doing really well, even with more expensive items.
promotion is key, of course, and it's very helpful to have several items in your shop.

good luck! it's a gorgeous quilt.

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View entire thread: Quilting Arts articles

Posted by Katrin on 2004-04-28 23:41:27      Post Subject:

Oooh, neat! I've never tried quilting myself but have been considering it off and on for a while.

I belong to a women's organization that just had a meeting last night, where one member did a presentation on the history of quilting and all the quilts she has made. I think I'll check out that magazine for some inspiration and to show to her at the next meeting (don't know if it's one she reads already).

Bead embellishment sounds right up my alley too!

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View entire thread: questions for the quilters out there

Posted by Schmatta on 2006-03-28 19:08:02      Post Subject:

I make lots of quilts and also hate math and could give you some trix n tips, but I use fabric that I already have, so I can't help you with fabric amounts. And yes, researchasaurus, your quilt is quite marvelous.

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View entire thread: Selling Quilts - etsy - other?

Posted by quornflour on 2006-11-15 15:04:01      Post Subject: Selling Quilts - etsy - other?

So as I have been working on this last quilt, I was thinking that I should probably finally open my ETSY shop... 'cause I do not really know what to do with it and have another quilt that I have not done anything with for about a year now.
I have a few questions though:
has anyone sold any quilts on etsy? How much did it go for? It is not really worth selling for less than $450-$500 given the cost of goods and the time it takes. (quilt size on average is 108"x108" or really close to that)

I have other stuff I can list too but that is no brainer stuff, I am most interested in the quilt stuff... others experiences ~ or of course anyone who wants to buy one :)

thoughts?

~Q

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View entire thread: Selling Quilts - etsy - other?

Posted by msfish on 2006-11-17 13:35:50      Post Subject:

it's so inexpensive to list on etsy that it might be worth doing even if you don't expect results - and hey, you never know, right?

since you're in the seattle area, i'd imagine there are some local craft collectives or co-ops that might be able to sell your quilt on consignment. i don't know the area very well, so i don't know what's available, but my mother belongs to one in northern california (http://www.arteryart.com/About%20the%20Gallery.htm) and has had great success selling her pricier work (handmade baskets that retail from around $75-$200). i know they carry fine textiles (quilts, woven blankets) that are priced around what you would ask for your quilt (you have to be able to volunteer in the gallery to sell there, so this one wouldn't work, but i'd guess that you could find similar places in washington).

good luck - your work is beautiful, and i know you'll find someone who can give you what you deserve for it!

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View entire thread: tips on a first meeting?

Posted by bookish on 2004-06-07 14:56:44      Post Subject: thanks

Thanks for the encouragement!

Actually, the meeting went very well! The owner bought 3 of the 4 quilts I brought and really loved them. Since it was my first foray into the business world, I tried to give a good wholesale price. She thought it was very reasonable and took my first offer.

I will definately pay attention to giving myself a good hourly rate. I'm so new at selling that every suggestion helps. Thanks again!

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View entire thread: Just finished a New Art Quilt

Posted by Badbird on 2006-10-31 18:00:27      Post Subject: Just finished a New Art Quilt

I just finished this piece for a show I will be having in Texas in the Spring. It is a combination of applique, embroidery and quilting. It measures 28" x 22.5". I took about a week to do. My wrists really hurt.


http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n210/andzuill/quilts/Nature-Perfected2.jpg

Paintings and embroidery @ : www.andreazuill.com
Embroidery patterns @ : www.badbird.etsy.com

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View entire thread: Just got a sewing machine... now what?

Posted by Gluey on 2007-01-08 14:31:29      Post Subject:

I agree. Even the simple quilts can be pretty expensive.

I think you should just take some time to get to know your machine. Read the manual. Use some scrap fabric to try all of the stiches on all of the settings. Try all the different feet. Make a few buttonholes. If it has any interesting embroidery features, try those out. Maybe make a few flat stuffed animals first. When you know exactly what you can get out of it, then I'm sure your quilt will turn out even cooler.

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View entire thread: Caring for old Navajo Rugs

Posted by Em-crafty on 2005-07-25 21:44:21      Post Subject:

What a great thing to have! I'd suggest getting in contact with the Museum of Northern Arizona, http://www.musnaz.org/ - they may have conservation info on hand or perhaps they'd be willing to consult with you? If they are not helpful, maybe I can find a personal contact...a good friend of mine used to work there.

I've worked on some old quilts and seen advice to fasten pantyhose over the attachment on a vacuum cleaner and use that as a gentle way to remove dust.

Good luck on a neat project!

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View entire thread: Just got a sewing machine... now what?

Posted by Nancy Flynn on 2007-01-08 12:40:04      Post Subject:

i would recommend something even simpler and smaller to start with-- like a pillow case, just to get the hang of your machine without spending a ton of money on quilt squares, batting, backing etc.

the pillow case tutorial at
super eggplant is great. I also recommend her totebag tutorial-- that is the first thing I made when i got my sewing machine!

i found that taking a class was a great way to get comfortable with my machine, so if there is a sewing studio or workshop near you, i'd say check out their classes and see if anything appeals to you!

Not to say quilts are hard or a bad idea, I just think it is more satisfying to start out with one or two smaller projects!

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View entire thread: Frustrated Crafter!

Posted by Nancy Flynn on 2005-07-11 12:38:13      Post Subject:

what kind of crafts do you like?

tandy leather has a great catalog of supplies for beading! for embroiderty there is sublimestitching.com, there are a bunch of online fabric stores that sell neat stuff-- reprodepotfabrics.com is one of them. amy butler makes gorgeous fabrics, and has patterns for really pretty bags (and i think quilts). you can check her stuff out at amybutlerdesign.com

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View entire thread: Just got a sewing machine... now what?

Posted by mbar03 on 2007-01-08 14:27:11      Post Subject:

I do agree with Nancy that it's more satisfying to make something that you can start and finish quickly. Even the quickest quilts usually take some time.

If you wanted to make a blanket for your friend's baby, make a quick one. Here's what I do:

Get two 1 1/4 yard pieces of fabric (I usually use one piece flannel, one piece regular cotton). Sew right sides together, almost all the way around - leave a 6 - 8" opening. Trim the edges (most like the pieces of fabric won't be EXACTLY the same size), then turn right side out. Sew up the opening (I usually hand sew so you can't see where the opening was). Then, about a half inch to an inch in from the sides, sew around the whole blanket with the decorative stitch from your machine (I'm assuming you have a couple of decorative stitches). That's it.

They usually come out really cute and are generally appreciated, because babies are always spitting up on them.

(If my instructions aren't clear, let me know!)

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View entire thread: Hello from Montreal!

Posted by quornflour on 2006-11-01 21:53:22      Post Subject:

welcome! what is your etsy shop? I find myself making a lot of baby quilts lately, I'd love to see what other people do!

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View entire thread: Hello from Montreal!

Posted by VelveteenRabbit on 2006-11-06 08:26:48      Post Subject:

Hi Quornflour (cute name, by the way)! Thanks for looking at my quilts. The links worked for me but let me try them again:

My blog: www.annhovsepian.blogspot.com
My Etsy shop: www.annhovsepian.etsy.com

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View entire thread: textile museums in nyc?

Posted by WildSnowflake on 2005-07-22 10:12:08      Post Subject:

Honestly I'v never been there, but this might be of interest... http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_Of_Art/department.asp?dep=20 ( Antonio Ratti Textile Center of the Met). Also the Cloisters have the unicorn tapestires. I recall the Schomberg Center having some African textiles and modern day American folk quilts but I don't know if that was a special exhibit.

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View entire thread: Hello from Montreal!

Posted by VelveteenRabbit on 2006-11-06 09:06:49      Post Subject:

Aww, thanks, brdgt! Well, the pics I provided were quite small so, if you saw them more up-close, you might see that my pieces don't always line up perfectly. I think that's one of the charms of handmade quilts. :)

Anyway, don't feel bad -- I've tried crochet and knitting and stink at those! LOL!

Ann-Margret :)

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View entire thread: Hand Tied Quilts Hazardous for Babies?

Posted by Athos on 2007-10-20 01:24:07      Post Subject:

I have a copy of the book as well, and I also was confused. Hand tied quilts a choking hazard? really? If anyone has more knowledge as to why, I'd love to hear it. There's a vintage hand tied baby quilt on ebay I've got my eye on, but not if I can't use it....

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View entire thread: I started a quilt-along...

Posted by quornflour on 2006-01-03 00:11:52      Post Subject:

How does a quilt-a-long work exactly?
I am fairly new to quilting... though I am just about to finish my fourth one (that is what happens when work is slow). I am all about crazy quilts (much easier on my brain).
I am also trying to organize a crazy quilt square swap in "swaps"...

Let me know how it works I am very interseted to know more.

- Q

email: quornlfour@gmail.com
blog: http://spaces.msn.com/members/quornflour/

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View entire thread: Hello from Montreal!

Posted by VelveteenRabbit on 2006-11-02 08:20:51      Post Subject:

Thanks for the responses! :)
I don't sell my baby quilts on etsy -- they've all been made/given as gifts! But I do have photos I can share.

This is my latest one:
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c82/nickstokesfan/babygio.jpg

An original design for my boyfriend's nephew
The first one I ever made (which I'm keeping for myself)
For a cousin's baby
The only quilt that was commissioned and bought
A lap quilt for my cousin and her husband
For yet another cousin's baby
For a friend's baby
For another friend's baby

And I think that's it! :) Hope you enjoyed looking at them.
(If you browse through my blog, you'll find other stuff I've made - www.annhovsepian.blogspot.com - and if you really want to see my etsy shop (I still have to add stuff to it), that's www.annhovsepian.etsy.com.)

Thanks,
Ann-Margret

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View entire thread: Hello from Montreal!

Posted by VelveteenRabbit on 2006-10-30 10:24:13      Post Subject: Hello from Montreal!

I just signed up to join this community today. :)

A little while ago I started getting into swaps (Swap-Bot.com) and was looking around for other swap sites. I came across getcrafty and was really happy to see that it's not only a craft-related site, but it's so organized and interesting!

Although I'm a freelance writer and editor, I love to craft in my free time (baby quilts, patchwork totes, pillows, and other small projects) and have been enjoying exploring other crafters' blogs. I've started selling some stuff on etsy.com (sold one pincushion!) but what I haven't been able to do until now is become part of a crafters' community. I checked out craftster.org and found some helpful tutorials but somehow this site looks like it will be a better fit for me. :)

So... I look forward to getting involved and getting to know some of you, as time permits.

Cheerio! :)

Ann-Margret

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View entire thread: need a change; has anyone worked for/at JoAnn's?

Posted by quornflour on 2006-08-31 14:38:00      Post Subject:

Retail jobs are simply different from corporate office jobs; this is why I am more interested in knowing about corporate experiences with JoAnn’s rather than the retail side of things. I have worked in retail and generally speaking the store manager can make or break the experience for everyone that enters the doors: from the customer to the retail employees; regardless of it being a corporate chain or a mom and pop shop.
I want to know what the corporate culture is at JoAnn’s. Does anyone know? I am not looking for a holistic experience where everyone shows up and holds hands and makes group quilts (though that would be awesome); I like the business side of things. I like a company whose goal it is to make money be it a little or a lot. As long as there are no major red flags questionable activities, there will always be disgruntled employees who want more but do not want to work for it.
I am not a kool-aide drinker, I believe you work hard and go home; ne’er the two shall meet.

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View entire thread: Hand Tied Quilts Hazardous for Babies?

Posted by Nancy Flynn on 2007-10-15 11:44:06      Post Subject: Hand Tied Quilts Hazardous for Babies?

I just got my hands on a copy of Last-Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts (which is a wonderful book, by the way), and was surprised to read in one of the projects that hand-tied quilts are considered a choking hazard, presumably because babies can somehow untie the ties and eat the thread? I certainly wouldn't risk it now that I've read it, but it seems like an unlikely scenario, particularly if the quilt is tied with embroidery floss (which is impossible for me to untangle when it knots accidentally, let alone when double-knotted on purpose). Have you heard this before? Do you think it is so?

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View entire thread: Soon to be stay-at-home artist mom

Posted by tmuska on 2004-04-14 15:23:51      Post Subject: Soon to be stay-at-home artist mom

Soon to be stay-at-home artist mom will soon need stay-at-home work!

If you or someone you know could use any of the following things please, PLEASE email me: tmuska@hotmail.com

Calligraphy and Hand Crafted Invitations
- If you are planning a wedding, shower or any other affair, and would like to give your invitations an added personal touch and class, then I’m your artist


Ceramics, Glassware and China
- Are you decorating your home and looking for a little extra touch but just can’t find anything that goes? A simple vase can be transformed into a work of art. Glasses can take on a whole new personality with a delicate hand painted accent.
- Someone you know getting married or having a baby? I hand painted plate or platter could be the perfect unique gift!
- If any of this sounds interesting to you… I’m your artist


Hand Sewn Crafts for you or for someone you love!
- Embroidered clothes, tee shirts, slippers, bathrobes, PJ’s – you name it!
- Blankets and quilts
- Pot holders and placemats
- Table cloths and napkins


On a more elaborate level, murals, paintings, faux finishes are always available!

Surprisingly affordable!

tmuska@hotmail.com
visit – www.tatianamuska.com

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View entire thread: Craft Show Experience

Posted by bookish on 2004-10-22 10:18:15      Post Subject:

Thanks for all the information- that was incredibly helpful. Actually I was shopping for more materials and a cute old man was chatting with me about shows (he had A LOT of experience) and mentioned something about keeping the booth full as well. The idea about having not for sale items is a great one as I make queen size quilts for our bed about every other season but of course would never sell something that has been used.

Sorry for the late "thank you" but I have been away from the computer- tied to my sewing machine when I'm home and travelling a lot for the "real job"!

Miss M- I would love to meet you as well and I think the show will be in your neighborhood! It is at the First United Methodist church in Plano on Nov 6th and 7th. I've never been there before but my mom and I will be in the booth. I am terribly nervous so a kind face is more than welcome.

Keri

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View entire thread: Making a quilt with a sewing machine

Posted by bookish on 2004-10-07 11:35:50      Post Subject:

This is a pretty vague overview- you are welcome to PM me with more specific questions... I've been making quilts for a couple years now.

1. cut strips for the top. An easy way to do this would be to use fabric with the same width (ie. 45") and to make this the width of your quilt and then to make it about 60" long. This is the standard size that I make because it is just so darn easy to work with. Your quilt would then look as though it is horizontal lines- which is a good look to showcase the actual fabric. Squares and blocks need to be more precise and are time consuming.

2. Sew the strips together- this is your quilt top.

3. Cut batting (I prefer flannel) and a backing the same size as your quilt.

4. Use a BUNCH of safety pins and pin all three layers together- the more pins you use, the better your quilt will look.

5. Quilt by running machine stitching through all three pieces.

6. Use quilt binding to sew all three layers together around the edges- you may want to find a library book with instructions for "mitering the corners"

Good luck!

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View entire thread: Quilt Binding??? I need help!

Posted by quornflour on 2006-01-03 14:05:30      Post Subject:

I can make the binding, that requires a sharp eye and a small iron... it is the actual act of sewing it that I have such a problem with.

A great book is: Denyse Schmidt Quilts: 30 Colorful Quilt and Patchwork Projects

It has a big long section on binding... the principal I get, it is the actual doing that I am having trouble with...

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View entire thread: beginning sewing tools?

Posted by boleyn on 2004-11-04 23:54:08      Post Subject:

I use a rotary cutter to cut out both quilts and clothes. It makes for a smooth edge, instead of my usual jagged, wonky cuts. Always have a seam ripper; no matter how good you get at sewing, you'll always need it! Pinking shears and Fray Check are great for fabrics that tend to ravel. And chalk or air-erase markers are great too.

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View entire thread: For Colorado Springs, CO

Posted by alteredtome on 2005-09-01 09:38:02      Post Subject: For Colorado Springs, CO

There have been some of us over on craftster.org, trying to get some kind of craft night together, but alas, there's only 2 women interested here in the Springs (me and someone else). Anyone else here?

I also wanted to let the Colorado community know about a new craft store I just stumbled upon on in the east end of the Springs. I'm not associated with them in anyway, but I was very impressed and I wanted to let Coloradans know about it, so I hope it's ok to post here. It's called Quilts and Crafts, run by a mom and daughter team, Omega and Trina. It's a quilting and scrapbooking supply store on the NW corner of N. Carefree and Powers, next to Diamond Shamrock. They are having a grand opening on Sept. 1st, 2nd and 3rd, with discounts, and they are also giving away prizes, including a crazy expensive quilting sewing machine (Trina said it's worth over $1000). You can enter anytime between Sept 1st and 3rd and you don't have to be there to win, they'll call you. Omega will be teaching quilting classes and Trina will be teaching scrapbooking/altered books/stamping/etc classes. The store is very well organized, with some scrapbooking and quilting supplies that you apparently can't get anywhere else (like this very pretty stained glass paper that Trina was showing me). Very cool, so check these ladies out before you head to the big stores, especially for all you east-enders, since it's in the same vicinity as Joann's and Micheal's. Support your local craft store! :)

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View entire thread: sewing

Posted by Morgan on 2005-01-04 04:50:57      Post Subject:

I love sewing too. But unfortunately, my sewing machine's in storage for some dumb reason. & my boyfriend was supposed to get it out today, but he couldn't find the pedal part, so no machine for me... I'm going stir crazy! I haven't sewed many clothes, but I like sewing (pretty simple) quilts & purses. Plus I like sewing paper stuff, like sewing books together, or I made some stationary decorated with stitches, & a purse out of maps covered with contact paper. Ooooh, I miss my baby!!!

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View entire thread: cheating on crafts?

Posted by karikazo on 2004-10-06 11:48:07      Post Subject:

ooh, this is such an interesting question. I think about it a lot because of the quilting angle--it's certainly common, even among dedicated quilters, to pay someone else to do the quilting (a step which is VERY time-consuming if you do it by hand, and may require specialized equipment if you do it by machine).

Even a quilt artist like Nancy Crow--http://www.nancycrow.com/--usually pays someone else to quilt her tops, though she chooses the quilting design, so all the design decisions have been made by her. She's the grande dame of art quilters, and like other art quilters, when her quilts are exhibited, credit is given to the woman who did the quilting. Though it's still a "nancy crow" quilt.

I have mixed feelings about the practice.

I agree it's totally great for people to do *any* kind of crafting, and if paying someone to do the part you find tedious, or don't know how to do, will allow you to craft stuff that you wouldn't have otherwise, then yay for that. As long as any work that is sold or exhibited gives proper credit to those who contributed.

On the other hand, I think I would feel like I was "cheating" if I did it. Especially because quilting a full-size quilt is a very significant process. It's not just "oh, here's these last couple of technical steps to finish it off." The quilting designs, and the skill with which they're executed, have a significant impact on the aesthetic impact of the quilt. I make quilts partly because I love the process (including the months of hand-quilting) and partly because I want to exercise creative control over something, to make my own creative decisions.

Also, I'm still learning my craft. My hand-quilting has improved tremendously from practice, but is still nowhere near as great as those Amish ladies' quilting (sigh...). I wouldn't feel like I really "own" my craft, and my quilts, if I shirked that learning process. Having a creative vision and getting joy from the process are both very important in my quilting, but those things must be supported by technical excellence, no matter how damn long (*gritting teeth*) it takes me to learn it!

And, frankly, I also feel a tiny bit of jealously of those who can pay someone else to baste, mark, quilt, and bind their quilts. Because I could get a lot more done if I could afford to do that. I have dozens of quilts rolling around in my head that I can't start yet because I have so many other projects underway. But I can't afford to pay a nice Amish lady to quilt for me, so instead I grumble privately about how paying someone to quilt your tops is "cheating".....when really it's just another way of approaching the craft, and one that's been practiced for a long time.

oh dear god I wrote a book. Basically I think that people making stuff should be the end goal, and there's not one perfect way to do that and be a "good" crafter or quilter. Personally, I wouldn't pay someone to finish my quilts even if I could afford it, and I plan to feel proud that I do them myself. But I'm also glad that Nancy Crow is free to spend more of her time designing fantastic quilt tops, since they are a source of inspiration to me.

blah blah blah blah blah

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View entire thread: I love this paper...

Posted by girlsavage on 2005-04-06 18:50:53      Post Subject:

nerf- I have never done it myself. I did however see someone do it on HGTV I could have sworn it was on Simply Quilts,but, I searched all the episides on the web site and could not find it. Anyway, I know it involved shaving creme, fabric paint, haircombs and picks with random teeth cut out of them and a childs plastic swimming pool. It was very cool. Sorry I couldn't find the link.

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View entire thread: 10 TV Shows You Hate

Posted by Selah on 2005-06-27 16:23:36      Post Subject: 10 TV Shows You Hate

I'm liking the lists. What shows would you rather have your nails pulled out than endure?

1. The Golden Girls
2. Designing Women
3. Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman
4. Emeril
5. Room by Room
6. Cops
7. Simply Quilts
8. I Want to be a Hilton
9. Judging Amy
10. Law and Order: Criminal Intent (I love the other L&Os but Vincent D'Onofrio's character is insufferable)

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View entire thread: cheating on crafts?

Posted by xuli on 2004-10-01 19:09:00      Post Subject:

Thanks for your thoughts, Craftistas! These are all good points being brought up, and I especially like this analogy from Athos:

i think it's the same as finding a dress pattern and fabric you like, and paying a seamstress to make it for you. nothing wrong with it, but you didn't make the dress yourself.

I totally understand people who are dedicated to a craft, but don't necessarily have the ability to finish all aspects of the craft. And I understand people who have crafty businesses -- especially people who sell quilts -- because it's just so much more efficient time-wise to have someone else doing the "grunt" work when what you're marketing are your own crafty designs and ideas. (And Shawneemonkey's example of the Amish women doing it is really good, too, because my understanding of quilting businesses that have Amish ladies do the quilting and pay them fairly for it is that they are investing in a really high-quality product, because Amish women have been passing down this knowledge for such a long long long time and have lots of knowledge and experience that your average hobby quilter just wouldn't have.)

But -- for hand-made things made for personal use ... I dunno. My friend's mom as example: I'd always admired my friend's quilts, and she always told me with such pride that her mom makes them. Then as I started getting really interested in quilts and really looking at the work on them, my friend was like, "Well .... actually .... she didn't do that part. She designed and pieced it though." It just seemed weird, even though my friend's mom wasn't the one claiming to do it herself.

And I guess another thing is that I get *such* a feeling of satisfaction out of a knitted garment after I've done all the blocking and seaming and tedious finishing stuff. I'm just not sure if I'd get that really satisfied feeling if I didn't do it all myself. I mean, yarn can be so expensive, and a knitted garment (even when made with relatively inexpensive yarn) is such an investment of my personal money, energy, time and work. But it's worth it in the end to me because I feel like I've really put myself into it. And I love being able to say, "I made that." It just seems like it would change the relationship between me and the things I make if I were to say, "I sorta made that."

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View entire thread: Clevelanders.....

Posted by bessiemae on 2004-12-26 19:28:50      Post Subject:

Any room for an Akronite, or Kent to be more specific? Don't knit or crochet, but maybe I could learn? Do lots of other wacky crafty stuff....quilted/beaded boxes, funky quilts, truly outrageous Halloween costumes for my kids( samuri this year with brocades and the Liberace cape 2yr ago.), and am totally into pillowcases/monogrammed household linens.

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View entire thread: lots of plain white hankies...?

Posted by poohma on 2005-05-24 19:13:28      Post Subject:

How big are they?

Do you have kids (or access to some)? I would turn them loose with fabric crayons and paper, have them draw some great pictures and then transfer them to the hankies. Then make curtains or throw quilts from them, using coordinating borders and strips.

Or if you are feeling really adventurous, piece the embellished hankies together with lace to make one very cool summer T-shaped (bog) coat to wear at pool or party.

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View entire thread: need a very special craft idea for best friend's 30th bday

Posted by moneypenny on 2004-10-06 15:53:30      Post Subject:

My mom just made some really cute mini quilts for all of her sisters. She had an old photo transfered onto a peice of fabric (she had it done somewhere, maybe a graphics shop? But I know you can buy stuff at Michael's for transfering photos onto fabric) and then made it into a small wallhanging quilt. It looked awsome! I think this would look great with japanese Kimono fabric, which is kinda expensive, i think, but a girl can dream, can't she?

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View entire thread: stitching appliques

Posted by sun bear on 2004-04-27 13:22:59      Post Subject:

what deborahthecraft said, plus go slow. the zigzag is much heavier and better looking when you sew slowly rather when you fly through the design.

I love doing applique, which is funny b/c my mom really hates it, she's totally into the symetrical design quilts and I like to make the random ones. I also used to love to zig zag designs into towels or do towel on towel applique, I still have the same towel since college b/c it has my beloved teddy bear on it. You can try practicing by drawing a line on a scrap and trying to trace it before ruining a piece that took you a while to cut out.

Now I want to do some applique and there are no good cheap cloth places around...boo, must go home in june and steal some :)

jt

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View entire thread: cheating on crafts?

Posted by shawneemonkey on 2004-10-01 15:30:59      Post Subject:

funny - there's an ad at the bottom of my page for "handmade quilts - starting at $79". heh, those must be really small quilts if they're truly handmade.

back on topic: i can see having someone do the quilting stitches, i have no problem with that whatsoever. heck, there are Amish women (and others) who make a very good chunk of change doing that! HOWEVER, i do object to claiming that someone else's work is one's own. one must give credit where credit is due. plenty of professionals do that - "designed/pieced by ABC, quilted by XYZ".

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View entire thread: cheating on crafts?

Posted by xuli on 2004-10-01 13:21:33      Post Subject: cheating on crafts?

So, I've known for awhile that some yarn stores offer services where they'll do all the finishing on stuff that their customers have knitted -- weaving in ends, blocking, seaming, etc.

But then a few weeks ago, I was shocked to learn that my friend's mom, who makes these gorgeous quilts, hasn't actually quilted in years. She does all the designing and piecing, then ships the quilt top, batting and backing to a quilting shop where they quilt it all together for her. I've never met this friend's mom, but her quilts are so pretty. I felt like Sammy Sosa's biggest fan must've felt when they found cork in his bat.

The idea of paying someone to finish my knitting projects might be tempting if I could afford it, but I still think that if I did that I'd never feel OK about telling anyone that I'd made something. But maybe I'm just bitter because I can't afford it, or maybe I'm just a crafting prude.

What do y'all think?

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View entire thread: Quilting?

Posted by stella on 2005-02-09 18:49:22      Post Subject:

i hate quilting, so i don't have much advice. okay, well, i don't like making patchwork things or the action of hand-quilting, but i don't mind making other kinds of quilts.

if you're doing any machine sewing, invest in a walking foot for your machine. you really need one to machine-quilt, but they also make it easier to sew on bindings, etc. my walking foot broke, and i'm very sad about it, because i used that thing all the damned time, even for non-quilting projects.

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View entire thread: how to make this braided rug?

Posted by bookish on 2004-09-16 08:57:16      Post Subject:

Miss M-

I haven't finished the rug and I haven't given up. It's just one of those projects that takes a LONG time. Mine is still a very little coil, though it is fun to do when watching a movie. I used 1 1/2 inch strips that were cut with a pinking rotary cutter so that the edges wouldn't fray so wildly. Each strip is 45" long- any longer and the strips will get knotted while you braid.

I used regular thread to bind the bottom. I stitched it several times though with small, tight stitches. It may never be a living room rug but a bathroom or front door mat would be a little easier. Maybe after Christmas...

It will be so pretty if (when) it gets done... I sell patchwork/collage wallhangings and quilts too so I toyed with the idea of stitching the small coil as a part of one of those things.

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View entire thread: Quilts of Gee's Bend

Posted by bessiemae on 2005-07-07 06:50:42      Post Subject:

Yay!!!!! I'm a quilter! Alone in world of knitters!

Selah- I saw the Gee's Bend quilts in Cleve, over the winter, and it's been written up in "Piecework"( the World's BEST handwork mag!). Magnificent!

My mom taught me to quilt, hook rugs, do all sorts of other needlework and crafty things. Her latest passion is rug hooking(NOT latch-hook) and she buys Thrift store wools to felt and strip(cut into 1/4" strips for rugs). I still haunt Thrifts/yard sales for lux clothes/fabrics to make crazy quilts.

One of my bestest friends started a custom hand quilt business to fund her Int'l travel. She charges roughly $400 for custom designed twin-sized quilts in amazing lux fabrics. Made enough last year selling her quilts to fund trips to Cambodia and Egypt. And she's a SAHM with a toddler and preschooler.

But! One thing that kinda concerns me is the rise of the Professional Quilter, as it sorta decreases appreciation the inherent naive qualities that make Gee's Bend quilts so amazing: points on corners may not be "pointy", binding may not not be perfect, not "square", use of "found" fabrics, etc. Those are precisely the qualities I look for in handwork.

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View entire thread: advice/online resources for 1st time quilter?

Posted by sewing stars on 2004-08-02 12:22:23      Post Subject:

Warm and Natural! use that for the batting, it is thin but also warm in cooler temps.

There are different ways to finish quilts.

For the edges go here.

For "hand-quilting" go here
or for tying off a quilt go here.

fwew! that's a lot of info!

good luck!, but most of all have fun!

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View entire thread: advice/online resources for 1st time quilter?

Posted by Athos on 2004-08-02 16:30:45      Post Subject:

xuli, i have a really good quilting book i can bring to the next SnB for you. i'd be happy to loan it to you for a couple of months (but it was a gift, and i am planning on quilting some next year, so i do need it back).

i also recommend checking out the gee's bend exhibit from the whitney, and denyse schmidt's quilts, for a modern take.

Gee's Bend
http://www.npr.org/display_pages/features/feature_970364.html

Denyse Schmidt
http://www.dsquilts.com/

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View entire thread: Something interesting to do with old jeans, etc?

Posted by mele on 2006-10-04 15:49:56      Post Subject:

I have cut them into 8" squares & made quilts. No backing or lining needed. They are warn & durable enough for anything!

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View entire thread: Quilts of Gee's Bend

Posted by Selah on 2005-06-30 05:50:27      Post Subject:

Athos - You summed it up much better than I did. You're right on about it making you reevaluate what you need. As I was looking at these quilts that I could never come close to replicating I thought about the stacks upon stacks of forgotten fabric in my craft room. I'm going to try and use up what I have in honor of my own southern grannies and the pieced quilts they made out of necessity not whim.

Oh man quilts make me ramble and melt inside.

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View entire thread: Quilts of Gee's Bend

Posted by Selah on 2005-06-29 19:54:14      Post Subject: Quilts of Gee's Bend

Someone can bounce me somewhere else if they think this is the wrong spot for this to land, but quilts remind me of home and comfort (plus I like this forum the best, shhhh) so I posted it here.

We just got back from the Museum of Fine Arts Boston (free after 4 on Wednesdays) where we got to see the quilts of Gee's Bend. Amazing. See them if you get the chance. I'm so inspired to quilt again using repurposed fabric. Maybe I'll finish that denim quilt yet.

http://www.npr.org/programs/totn/features/2003/feb/quilts/youngstrips.jpg

Here's a link to NPR that has an interesting history of the Gee's Bend.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=970364

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View entire thread: Quilts of Gee's Bend

Posted by xuli on 2005-06-30 17:46:06      Post Subject:

Thanks for starting this thread, Selah! I love the Gee's Bend quilts ... and this inspired me to take out my blue jean quilt again, too, and work on it some more.

Also, I've been thinking about this thread on and off all day, and I found this beautiful poem in an anthology I'm reading for an upcoming exam. Check it out; it's amazing.

MY MOTHER PIECED QUILTS
by Teresa Palomo Acosta

they were just meant as covers
in winters
as weapons
against pounding january winds

but it was just that every morning I awoke to these
october ripened canvases
passed my hand across their cloth faces
and began to wonder how you pieced
all these together
these strips of gentle communion cotton and flannel
nightgowns
wedding organdies
dime store velvets

how you shaped patterns square and oblong and round
positioned
balanced
then cemented them
with your thread
a steel needle
a thimble

how the thread darted in and out
galloping along the frayed edges, tucking them in
as you did us at night
oh how you stretched and turned and re-arranged
your michigan spring faded curtain pieces
my father's santa fe work shirt
the summer denims, the tweed of fall

in the evening you sat at your canvas
---our cracked linoleum floor the drawing board
me lounging on your arm
and you staking out the plan;
whether to put the lilac purple of easter against the red
plaid of winter-going-into-spring
whether to mix a yellow with blue and white and paint the
corpus christi noon when my father held your hand
whether to shape a five-point star from the
somber black silk you wore to grandmother's funeral.

you were the river current
carrying the roaring notes
forming them into pictures of a little boy reclining
a swallow flying
You were the caravan master at the reins
driving your thread needle artillery across the
mosaic cloth bridges
delivering yourself in separate testimonies

oh mother you plunged me sobbing and, laughing
into our past
into the river crossing at five
into the spinach fields
into the plainview cotton rows
into tuberculosis wards
into braids and muslin dresses
sewn hard and taut to withstand the thrashings
of twenty-five years

stretched out they lay
armed/ready/shouting/celebrating

knotted with love
the quilts sing on

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View entire thread: netflix: what's in your queue?

Posted by Schmatta on 2005-02-08 15:53:32      Post Subject: netflix queue

Oh, I thought I was over the trauma, but this thread brings it all back. On November 15 my home was burglarized. The bad guys took my tv, dvd, computer, Bose radio, etc., etc. Don't know why they overlooked my quilts and art and craft pieces.
How I used to love Netflix! I had watched all of Six Feet Under and The Sopranos. I loved Boys Don't Cry and Monster.
When I replace these electronics and sign up w/Netflix again, I'll come back and tell you what I'm watching.

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View entire thread: Quilt/sewing/craft table

Posted by happyhats on 2005-05-24 22:26:35      Post Subject:

I'm not sure about your space issues, but I saw a wonderful fold away table on craftster.org out of an old door and hinges that the person was using for their sewing table. Then, of course, you would still have to buy the cardboard topping for your quilts, but it would be close to free and very compact.

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View entire thread: advice/online resources for 1st time quilter?

Posted by xuli on 2004-08-02 12:43:00      Post Subject:

Awesome! Thanks so much to both of you for the info! (I really like this quick-turning method, and I like the way tied quilts look, so I think I might do that.)

I forgot to mention in my original post that I'd LOVE recommendations on good how-to books for new quilters. I had so much fun with the first part of this project on Saturday, and am really excited about the next phase ... AND I already feel the "new-craft-addiction" coming on, so I'm pretty sure this won't be my last quilt. So for my next quilt it will probably be worth the time & effort to spend some time researching/reading up/learning more about the craft, and since a class is probably not feasible for me right now I'd love book recommendations.

Keep 'em coming, y'all -- I really appreciate this!!

(I'm thinking that my next project will be a quilt out of all the old blue jeans we were going to donate, but it's made my boyfriend a little bit worried. Yesterday he caught me checking out the blue jeans he was WEARING and he said, "Oh my god, I know that crafter's gleam in your eye. You want to quilt the clothes off my back now, don't you?" And of course, I couldn't deny it ...)

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View entire thread: vintage quilt top ---> duvet cover - help please!

Posted by delqc on 2005-10-06 15:30:46      Post Subject:

I personally find duvets are more comfy than quilts anyway - I find they adjust to always be the right temp - not too hot or too cold.

Post pics when you're done!

del

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View entire thread: Quilting

Posted by karikazo on 2004-05-03 11:49:12      Post Subject:

These pictures are great!

I am obsessed with quilting, but unfortunately I don't have a camera so no pics. I love Denyse Schmidt's style, too (I have the stationery that Chronicle Books puts out with some of her quilts pictured on it), and you might also check out Fun Quilts http://www.funquilts.com for more wacky-modern type quilts. I LOVE a lot of their pieces and am dying to do their week-long quilt design workshop in Chicago...I hope they offer it in the future, since I can't swing it this summer.

For art quilts, I like Marilyn Henrion's work a lot (www.marilynhenrion.com). Such beautiful colors.

I'm really fond of all the books by Mary Mashuta ... Cotton Candy Quilts, and another one I can't remember. She has a very "loud", colorful style using a lot of vintage and retro prints in startling combinations. At first I thought her quilts were too busy, but they've grown on me a lot. She does a nice job of making traditional geometric blocks look fresh with wacky color and print combinations.

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View entire thread: How many unfinished craft items do you have?

Posted by Diana on 2006-12-01 14:00:37      Post Subject:

Trust me--all real crafters have tons of UFOs. It's just our way of enjoying the process. Not every project that is started has to be finished. Sometimes I just want to try a new technique. I personally have lots of UFO--3 full size quilts, 4 needlepoint pillows, more cross stitch projects than I can count, 11 alone on the stack in the living room, plus valances for the bedroom and living room. And I am sure there are more that I have forgotten about. Forget about the guilt of UFO's. Just enjoy the process!!

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View entire thread: is your craft sometimes subversive? sometimes political?

Posted by anthrogirl on 2006-02-09 08:30:28      Post Subject:

You might want to look at a wonder children's book called Show Way, which is about how black women used quilts to free their families from slavery. Most slave quilts were actually maps. Later those same designs lost their meanings, and are now just pretty patterns. Now that's what I call subversive art.

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View entire thread: is your craft sometimes subversive? sometimes political?

Posted by teanutbutter on 2006-02-09 01:39:20      Post Subject:

this is great--i will look into how crafts relate to marx, thanks for the suggestion and feedback about it. it's a very interesting comparison and it might make for some great informational design (charts and graphs) about labor, costs, actual value, etc. (i'm in a graphic design program).

and to anthrogirl, thanks for bringing up quilts. the concept of quilts (and other crafts) communicating family history also appeals to me.

i really appreciate this help! thanks!

teanut :-)

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View entire thread: who quilts?

Posted by karikazo on 2005-09-13 11:10:14      Post Subject:

ohhh, I'm so glad to see quilting mentioned when I happened to pop in here for the first time in ages.

I'm slowly moving from traditional-style to artsy-style quilts. I adore it. I am a member of my local quilt guild and while some of the members and workshops are very un-hip and not to my taste, we also have more artistic members and some workshops about exciting new techniques. It's possible to make very hip or artistic quilts, but they have very little presence in the media, compared to hip knitting or other crafts.

Here's some things I like to look at. Sorry I am too lazy to make pretty links.
http://www.angelamoll.com/secretdiary.html Love these "secret diary" art quilts.

http://weewonderfuls.typepad.com/ Wee Wonderfuls often has links to great quilt things, or her own nice quilts

http://www.angrychicken.typepad.com/ ditto Angry Chicken--she features a quilt-related thing every Monday, and she sells "small quilts" in her online shop.

http://www.lisacall.com/index.html Lisa Call makes really beautiful art quilts and she also has a blog: http://blog.lisacall.com/

http://www.ruthbmcdowell.com/ Ruth McDowell's art quilts are fantastic, as are her daughter's--I think her daughter used to post on this site or supernaturale, can't remember which one.

http://www.janesassaman.com/ Another fav art quilter, Jane Sassaman, who has so much energy in her work.

http://www.pamrubert.com/ Here's one more art quilter, who makes cartoony-style quilts that are very charming. She also has a nice blog: http://www.pamdora.com/

I don't have a link but I recall someone on craftster once had made a Super Mario Brothers quilt that was very cool.

ETA: I almost forgot Fun Quilts, one of my favorite sources of inspiration--http://www.funquilts.com/ They have a great new book out called The Modern Quilt that has very hip designs.


I don't have much advice about putting on the binding (if that's what you were talking about)--I'm not very good at that yet myself. Each book or website has slightly different instructions; I found that the instructions in The Modern Quilt (the book I just mentioned above) helped me a lot. It gets better with practice!

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View entire thread: Boyfriend Craftiness

Posted by jmdandona on 2005-06-29 16:18:18      Post Subject:

My boyfriend makes quilts. "Boy quilts," I call them, because they are very geometric and tend to feature non-traditional themes like bugs, skulls & roses, and other funky stuff. There are so many cool "novelty" fabrics out now... and it makes me smile to see him bent over the table, designing a new pattern and working out all the angles. Not something that I personally have much patience for!

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View entire thread: becoming an aunt! need ideas/patterns for baby quilts

Posted by mistress tuesday on 2005-10-18 13:25:55      Post Subject: becoming an aunt! need ideas/patterns for baby quilts

My best freind is having a baby and so is my brother, so i am becoming an aunt twice over in the next year... i want to make quilts for my little neice and sex yet to be determined relative...I am looking for fun, funky quilts, not cutesy little bunnies or anything... its just not my style... so if anyone has any ideas or patterns or anything please let me know... also if you just have info on how to effectively turn a design into a quilt pattern that would work too... thanks!

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View entire thread: who quilts?

Posted by shawneemonkey on 2005-09-14 10:53:35      Post Subject:

i'm a quilter! i've posted a couple of my quilts in my blog here:
http://getcrafty.com/blogs.php?user=shawneemonkey&entry=4971
http://getcrafty.com/blogs.php?user=shawneemonkey&entry=3678

shows like Quilt Visions (http://www.quiltvisions.org/) and Quilt National (http://www.quiltnational.com/) always have some interesting pieces AND they put out books with images of the quilts as well, in case you can't get to the shows. i've been to one of the Quilt Visions shows and it's just INCREDIBLE to see the quilts up close. very inspiring.

i also like Nancy Crow's work (http://www.nancycrow.com/) and the quilts of Gee's Bend (http://www.quiltsofgeesbend.com/quilts/) and of course, Denyse Schmidt. oh, and there are loads and loads of other quilters, too many to mention!

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View entire thread: Something interesting to do with old jeans, etc?

Posted by sarabell on 2006-10-03 17:50:06      Post Subject:

i'm moving this to 'share a craft.'

and at the moment, i'm making cases for those 99-cent ikea pillows for my couch out of old jeans and some old drapes i got from the flea market. i've also made stuffed critters, totebags and quilts out of old jeans. in fact, used denim is the primary fabric i use on the rare occasion that i sew.

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View entire thread: Minneapolis

Posted by Evil Angel on 2005-08-30 11:33:20      Post Subject:

So that was me that showed up! The fall/winter is right around the corner and I'll be stiching up my crazy quilts duvet! I'll be busy for Sept since my son will be in school. *sob*

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View entire thread: Quilting

Posted by BumbleV on 2004-05-03 12:14:20      Post Subject:

oooh, perfect timing! I just started looking into making quilts last night and was looking everywhere for interesting quilts to get the creative juices going. That Fun Quilts site was great! I think I might try their free pattern. Thanks!

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View entire thread: Quilting

Posted by Morgan on 2004-05-02 07:44:57      Post Subject: Quilting

I've become obsessed lately with making quilts. I haven't had any time to start, but I have got tons of great ideas. I'm really interested in modern-y ones, not like the grandma ones, although those are really nice, too. Here are a couple inspirations:
http://www.dsquilts.com/drunklove.html
All her quilts are completely awesome- look at the rest, too!!
http://www.quiltart.com/journals/journals.html
I think these are actually really small quilts, like the size of a piece of paper (& I think some of them are terribly ugly!), but I like the idea of making a big quilt with just one big picture instead of repeated patterns.
I've only made one quilt so far, a patchwork one with my old clothes, which I love, but I'm all jazzed about making great works of art!!! I got a sewing machine from my boyfriend for Christmas, but I've been so busy with school I haven't had time to do anything with it! I don't really know that much about quilting, so I hope I can find a class this summer or something.
Anyone else got the quilting bug?

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View entire thread: Quilts of Gee's Bend

Posted by Morgan on 2005-07-20 09:34:45      Post Subject:

It's so nice to see quilts that aren't perfect, & here you guys say that you like those better!!! I'm incapable of making anything straight or perfect. Even when I use the stupid rotary cutter, things get cut out crookedly, and even if the pieces are straight, they aren't be the time I'm done sewing them!! I've never taken a class, and kinda taught myself to quilt (with a little help from my grandma), so I guess it's natural that my quilts will be a bit wonky. But I love them anyway, and the wonkiness makes them look more handmade. Besides, why would I want something that looks like I bought it in a store? & I LOVE using old clothes & recycled material. My stash is mostly old fabric from my grandma (including some velvet my grandpa got in Japan in the 1950s that I can't bring myself to use) and garage sales, though, so it's not exactly a lot of recycled stuff, except for my t-shirt quilt.
Yay for wonky!!

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View entire thread: Describe your craft area

Posted by bessiemae on 2006-07-11 08:29:34      Post Subject:

My craft area now is a mess of works in progress. I have 3 quilts in different stages. I carved out space in my smallish dining room. My drawing table is set up in a far corner with rolling vertical drawers tucked beneath. A drawer for glues/and fastners. Drawer for paints/markers/colored pencils. Sewing notions, etc.

Sewing machine is portable and fits nicely under the drawing table when not in use. A large portfolio holds my larger, fancier hand made papers. Smaller papers( scrapbbok), cardstock, and stickers are held in check within a plastic accordian file. Ott light clamped to table.

Quornflour sent me a lovely collection of tiny boxes, just right for fastners, beads, etc. Being boring, keep oft used pens, knives, etc. in a platic cup.

Bulletin board on wall behind the drawing table keeps bits of trims, inspiration, etc.

Big items, like pillow forms, batting, bolts, are kept in a cedar chest or plastic bins in basement. Craft books/magazines and linen/hand dyed or DMC threads are kept in a bookcase, next to a chair with good light.

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View entire thread: Quilters under 25

Posted by kdaum on 2005-02-28 17:00:14      Post Subject:

Hello All,

I'm 25 and have been quilting for at least 15 years now. My mom and aunt are part of the local quilt club and I used to tag along. I still have my first little sewing machine...it could only do one basic stitch and only go forward (no reverse).

I have made countless quilts and unfortunately didn't take photos of all of them. All sizes too, mostly about 36x36 as it is a good size to work with. Yet, I made my sister one of those T-Shirt quilts for X-mas two years ago and it fit a twin bed.

In college, I worked with a fellow art professor and did an Independent Study on the history of quilting and how it has evolved. For the class, I made two quilts also...a more traditional Amish one and a more modern one (still have the modern one).

I'll try and get some photos up of some, I'd love to see some of your stuff too.

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View entire thread: Quilters under 25

Posted by kdaum on 2005-02-28 16:59:13      Post Subject:

Hello All,

I'm 25 and have been quilting for at least 15 years now. My mom and aunt are part of the local quilt club and I used to tag along. I still have my first little sewing machine...it could only do one basic stitch and only go forward (no reverse).

I have made countless quilts and unfortunately didn't take photos of all of them. All sizes too, mostly about 36x36 as it is a good size to work with. Yet, I made my sister one of those T-Shirt quilts for X-mas two years ago and it fit a twin bed.

In college, I worked with a fellow art professor and did an Independent Study on the history of quilting and how it has evolved. For the class, I made two quilts also...a more traditional Amish one and a more modern one (still have the modern one).

I'll try and get some photos up of some, I'd love to see some of your stuff too.

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View entire thread: MAGAZINES

Posted by gardenkat on 2006-10-25 09:26:18      Post Subject:

Not sure what you mean by easy -- It's unlike any other magazine I've seen on the market. The projects run the gamut of very easy to quite complicated!

Unlike English or American magazines that concentrate on one craft only -- knitting vs. beading vs. scrapbooking or (in the US) dinky 'crafty' craft magazines; this mag combines all of those with (usually) very high quality eclectic selections which include all of those as well as embroidery, painted furniture, clothing patterns, quilts and more.

Often, when I get to the instruction portion of the mag, I'm surprised by some of the items listed because, earlier, that item had looked like part of the design scene rather than something to craft.

I think of it more as a design/idea resource rather than a how-to guide b/c I need to create my own instructions based on past experience or on similar projects from other sources -- cause I can't read french!

For others... Belle Armoire is pretty good for conceptualizing (tho' I've stopped buying it - While I love reading it, I never made anything based on the articles)

Burda, also, usually has very nice craft patterns among the clothing patterns. I think there is a specific Burda craft/handwork magazine, but I've never come across a copy.

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View entire thread: Need Ideas for 15 yards of Jeans fabric

Posted by Sewlittletime on 2006-05-09 07:29:22      Post Subject:

15 yards!!!! Holy moly!
If you went the tablecloth route, you could always reupholster your dining chairs to match, or make seat cushions if they're not upholstered.

I like those denim quilts where the right side shows the raw edges of each quilt square, so that they get all frayed and fringe-y after you wash it.

And if you DO decide to learn to sew.....a dress would be very pretty once you are confident in your skills.

Oh my, so much fabric and so many great ideas.

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View entire thread: quilting help?

Posted by Astoria on 2004-12-29 15:01:36      Post Subject:

I have only made one quilt. most of the quilts we had around grownig up were top all squars/design and the bottem a plain piece of fabric with batting in the middle. for cutting out fabric you can just use normal scisors, you might want to make a paper pattern of your square, (or shape of your choice) and pin it to the fabric and cut around it. After you sew togather your squairs you attach it all togather. I just tied the quilt off rather than machine quilting. I am sure there are other people here who wil be able to give you wonderful advies

Astoria

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View entire thread: Quilting

Posted by sewing stars on 2004-05-03 10:37:41      Post Subject: Quilts

http://www.sewingstars.com/images/alumni-table2.jpg

The one on the left my friend made, and the one on the right I made. She used Aunt Grace fabrics and did little fabric origami pin wheels on some of the squares. I just made a crazy quilt log cabin.

Quilting is so much fun, I love picking out colors and matching them up. Denise Schmitt's quilts are so awesome! I totally have hero worship when it comes to her quilts.

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View entire thread: Quilting

Posted by Athos on 2004-05-03 12:20:08      Post Subject:

yes!

i am extremely interested in quilting. my grandmother was a great quilter, and my mother's trying to find out what happened to all of her fabric when she passed away, in the hopes of getting it for me.

i love ds's quilts. i keep a file of tear sheets of quilts that i'm interested in for when i do get moving with a project. it seems kind of daunting!

oh, and the spring issue of marie claire ideés has a quilt pattern in it. it's a basic, romantic toile, but i like it a lot.

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View entire thread: Quilting

Posted by Morgan on 2004-05-04 14:59:55      Post Subject:

Yeah, I meant how do they do the quilting all the layers together at the end? Sometimes they have really complex or repetitive designs. But I read the "how we make our quilts" section at funquilts.com, & it said they use a machine, which makes a lot of sense! I love the circles, too. They use them a lot at that site, too. I think I'll try hand quilting next time. The chalk pencil part seems quite logical! It might be a bit too much work for the string quilt, though... & that would probably work best with straight lines, too. So the next next quilt, then!
The Kaffe Fassett quilts are really great, too! So many rad ideas!!
I save pictures of the ones I like, too! So far, they're mostly from the internet, so I have a file on my computer for the pics.
My mom bought me a whole beginning quilting package, with a rotary cutter, a mat for underneath (although it's small), & the clear measuring thing. Very smart! It works really well!
I can't wait to get your package, Researchasaurus! I'm really excited about the fabric scraps now! Fabric is pretty expensive, especially here in Sweden. I'm going to have to stock up when I'm in the US this summer, especially with those 40% off Joanne's coupons!! I'm going to be living at home with my parents in California for four months. I don't know how much I'm going to get done, because it's like 100 degrees all summer there, which doesn't exactly inspire quilt-making. But it's a perfect craft for Swedish winters!

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View entire thread: Quilting

Posted by karikazo on 2004-05-04 08:07:48      Post Subject:

Morgan, I love that ds string quilt, too. The colors are so great.

When you talk about the designs on the quilts....do you mean the quilting (not pieced/appliqueed) part? And what kind of shapes do you mean?

I quilt by hand and I usually either a) echo the pattern of the pieced shapes (just quilting in or around them, in the same shapes) or b) do a simple geometric thing to contrast. A simple crosshatch of diagonal squares or lines is one of my favorites. I have a great little chalk wheel I use to draw the lines on the top of the quilt right before I quilt that line (I use a ruler or the edge of a book or whatever to help get the line straight).

For other patterns, like "feathers", cables, wreaths, or (for a more modern look) concentric circles (ds uses that a lot, and I love the look)...well, for concentric circles you could probably use a compass. I haven't tried this, so someone let me know if you have a better method of marking these. I've tried just eyeballing it and it's hard to do IF you want them to come out accurate (on the other hand, the wiggly homemade look can be really nice, too).

For feathers, cables, etc., a stencil is a big help. Quilt shops and fabric shops have them. There are also some books that tell you how to draft your own shapes and make your own stencils.

You can also machine-quilt, of course. You can get some neat techniques with wacky threads (invisible, metallic, etc.) that way, or use very very small motifs that would be impossible to hand-quilt but can be cranked out on the machine with practice (and may not even need to be marked on the top first). I haven't tried machine-quilting, however.

There's a great book called The Fine Line http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0809298848/qid=1083675755/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-9875854-7181707?v=glance&s=books that deals with how to choose a quilting design that will look great (and be practical) on your quilt. The quilts in that book are great inspiration anyway (no teddy bears!). See if your library has it--I highly recommend it.

Oh, I forgot to mention The Quilt Index.
http://www.quiltindex.org/ It's sort of a digital library for different online quilt exhibits, and it's really nice if you want a chance to look at a lot of older quilts. My favorite is this one: http://www.quiltindex.org/basicdisplay.php?pbd=illinoistest-a0a0b6-a Such a fantastic quilt!!

blah blah blah QUILTING blah blah blah blah!

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View entire thread: quilting help?

Posted by Morgan on 2004-12-29 18:25:15      Post Subject:

I did the same thing with the cardboard template of a square to make my first quilt. I traced around it, I think, then cut out the shape, but my squares weren't too even. & it didn't get any better int eh final quilt, but oh well, it looks extra homemade! You really don't notice it unless you look closely. I got a rotary cutter afterwards, & it was pretty cool... they sell a kit at Joanne's for like $40, so my mom bought it for me using a half price coupon. Okay, found it here's a link:
http://www.joann.com/catalog.jhtml?CATID=24988&PRODID=47248
If you want a traditional quilt, you do the whole top & do a bottom or use a plain piece of fabric (a sheet works great) for the bottom, & sew it together at the end with batting in the middle (an old mattress pad or blanket is perfect!). So you'll be quilting the three layers at the end. If you wanted to quilt each square then sew them together, I think you could make one of those quilts with the exposed seams.... but I don't really know. Never tried it. I think it would be nice though, because I think it's akward to try to move around a big quilt during the quilting part.
Oh, my granny says it's very important to iron all your seams flat in between... but I have problems folowing this rule because it's so boring to iron!! I like to think it doesn't make a difference... but all the experts say it does!

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