Pixxie is Famous

My sweet little forever pup has her photo in the November 2010 issue of Machine Quilting Unlimited.

That's right, Pixxie the Professional Quilt Model has been moonlighting as a Professional Batting Model for Legacy Pellon, how be it, just in my living room... but all those late night photo shoots have finally paid off (grin) and her photo is in print!

Seriously, I'm on cloud nine today as I received in the mail the November issue of Machine Quilting Unlimited which contains my article on What to Do With Left-Over Batting Scraps.

If you are a machine quilter, either with your domestic (home) sewing machine or any form of short-arm/mid-arm/longarm quilting machine you really really need to subscribe to this magazine - and not so you can have your own photo of Pixxie, but because it's a fabulous magazine.

Vicki Anderson does a fantastic job of covering the quilting scene - sacrificing to go to as many quilt shows as she can to give us the inside scoop - including "down under" when she recently went to the Australian Machine Quilt Festival (wish I could have been her bag lady, I would have gladly carried the luggage to be able to go!)

Okay, so besides being some what jealous (in a good sort of way) concerning Vicki's travel adventures, I really do love this magazine and have subscribed for years. I love seeing the award winning quilts, I enjoy the articles - especially the ones with regular columnist Kimmy Brunner; and I always come away inspired. This month's cover quilt and feature quilter is Lisa Calle - oh my, do I drool over her quilts and have loved her DVD Feathers of a New Generation. Of course, I love it that she quilts on the same machine I do, an A1 Quilting Machine. Anyway, there's lots and lots of eye candy and inspiring articles in this November issue so if you don't already subscribe contact them and tell them you want the November issue!

Oh, and did I mention that Vicki is generous? When she read on a longarm list that I was putting together a gift basket for my A1 Quilting Machine booth at the upcoming Houston International Quilt Festival she was one of the first to respond and offered a full year gift certificate for Machine Quilting Unlimited to the winner of the drawing! (More on all this in a day or two about the upcoming show and other generous sponsors - so stay tuned)

Okay, so there's my unsolicited commentary and endorsement for Vicki's wonderful magazine, the one that I will never let my subscription expire! And the one who made my puppy famous (grin).

Oh my, I need to get a bigger box of doggie treats, all this fame has gone to Pixxie's head and she's demanded an increase in salary!

I'm Still Here - Updates

Newsflash!

Someone kick me...less than 3 weeks and counting until the Houston International Quilt Festival and I decide it's time to upgrade/transfer my domain and website... What was I thinking!!!

....all that to say this....

www.quiltsnkaboodle.com can be found at www.quiltsnkaboodle.co during my transition.

It's going to take some time for the website to be all flashy and fun, but it's functional....this also means my email is kinda goofy right now. At the new site you will also find my change of email address until the old one can be reinstated (about 24-48 hrs)....so bear with me as I'm UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

And say a prayer for my sanity (grin)

Remembering Ike - Quilter Style

Hurricane Ike 2008 was the third costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United

States, according to Wikipedia, behind Hurricane Andrew of 1992 and Hurricane Katrina of 2005. It was the most intense Atlantic storm of 2008 – when it made its final landfall near Galveston Texas on September 13, 2008 it was a strong Category 2 hurricane with a Category 5 equivalent storm surge. Ike was blamed for 195 deaths, 112 in the US with 23 still listed as missing. Damages from Ike in the U.S. were estimated at $29.6 billion, with an estimated $3 billion in Galveston alone. This hurricane also resulted in the largest evacuation of Texans in our state’s history and became the largest search-and-rescue

operation in U.S. history.

Today marks the 2 year Anniversary of Hurricane Ike. Many of you were a part of my blogger support team, lifting my family up in prayer during those eventful days of struggling to know if we should evacuate, then the aftermath of returning to see many of our neighbors in total devastation. You faithfully followed my blog through the healing and participated in the Quilts of Hope campaign. You may remember my special little gift from God two months after the storm reminding me that sometimes He calms the storm and other times He calms the child...this story is part two of Reminder of God's Beauty in Creation posted November 13, 2008....

The little parrot that graced my window sill so many months ago left a lasting impression and I knew that one day I wanted to play tribute to God for sending that little visitor my way..I asked my youngest son to take one of my photos from that day and translate it into a painting for me in hopes that I could then translate his art into a quilt...he never totally finished the painting and the quilt was put on the back burner..

Until a week or so ago... It was time.

With Son #2's painting and my original photo I attempted to make a translation to fabric using my blue washout marker...

Several hours later I had a 20 x 20 mini tribute quilt...if any of you have ever done a wholecloth (which is a quilt where the fabric is all one piece and the design is made with thread) then you know this is the scary part - hoping that all the blue marker actually washes out like it is suppose to!

It did, and I blocked it to dry. Now comes the fun part!

I've been intrigued by Irena Bluhms coloring on wholeclothes for quite a time now and have been eager to give it a try. Instead of using colored pencils or even crayons I decided to play with Tsukneko Fabrico pens - pens I used in a workshop last summer with Jamie Wallen.

Have to admit, this is another scary part! All those long hours of marking, quilting, waiting for it to dry - what if I messed up with the coloring!

Well, what if I did? It's only fabric right? Grin.

I kept trying to get the colors right based on the painting and the original photo. I was very pleased and pleasantly surprised that the coloring was very relaxing. I put on the iPod and listened to an audible book and was lost for hours!

One negative of working with these pens is the limit of colors. I really wanted a more intense blue for his back feathers. I'm sure if I knew more about using this product that there's probably a way I can achieve the look I want by the way I layer the colors...so this is my homework for the next project, to learn as much about this technique as possible!

These corner feathers are one of Irena's designs : IBBS26 Floating Corner Swag. Many of her designs are digitized but I don't have a computer so mine were hand guided.

The other negative about these pens is that they run out! I went on a search today to purchase more purple pens and had to resign to ordering over the internet...so there went my goal of finishing this tribute quilt on the anniversary of Ike...

No matter, it's not the date that's important, it's the enjoyment of the process and the meaning of the quilt. My beautiful reminder that God indeed is in control, has always been in control, and always will be! He uses simple creations such as this parrot to remind me that He is Creator God and He uses things like Hurricanes as an opportunity for communities to be united during difficult times and learn to rely on Him.

PS when the quilt is finished I'll post the results - stay tuned!

Loading a quilt with zippered leaders and Tensionology!

I would like to continue a tutorial I started several months ago concerning attaching zippers to leaders on a longarm - this post is going to show you how to load a quilt using these zippered leaders. In addition I am including information on using A1's patented Tensionology - which allows you to keep the tension consistent throughout the quilting process as well as advancing the fabric with a click of a button. Even if you don't have an A1 I hope you will find something beneficial in this post - be sure and at least skip to the bottom to see the finished quilt (grin). If you would like more information on the A1 and Tensionology just visit my website Quilts 'N Kaboodle. AND if you'd like a PDF version of this post or the previous one just send me an email requesting it (use the feedback form on my website). Okay...lets' get started!

Tensionology™ 101: Loading a Quilt with Zippered Leaders

Zippers on your A1 Quilting Machine offer several advantages. If you have not installed zippers please refer to my previous tutorial on how to do so. Regardless of having zippers or not, pinning or using a chain stitch, this tutorial will share how to load a quilt using your Tensionology ™ feature on your A1 Quilting Machine.

Now let’s begin where the last tutorial left off…

Having zippers on your leaders typically means you have at least two sets to be able to switch out quilts with the ease of zipping one off and the other on. In the above photo I’ve shared how I marked my second set of zippers.

I’ve marked my zippered leaders to corespond with the take up rollers. On my machine the take up bar that is at the back of the machine is # 1, it’s easy for me to remember this because it’s a solo bar. The other two are on the front of the machine and may be ‘stacked’ or off-set – either way, the take up roller that is your batting access bar (the one that moves) is #2 and the other one is #3.

This translates to #1 equals the top of the quilt backing, #3 is the bottom of the quilt backing and #2 is the bottom of the quilt top. With Tensionology ™ you do not “float” your tops (you can, of course, but then you lose the purpose of keeping the tension on the entire quilt sandwich which is why you purchased Tensionology™ in the first place!)

For those who do not know what this looks like, here's a photo of an A1 quilting machine with the tall pole being the Tensionology. Tensionology is a patented design by A1 Quilting Machines and Stewart Plank.

On each set of zippered leaders I marked the corresponding center – doing so by actually zipping each one on to it’s proper location and making the mark according to the center that was previously marked on the actual take up roller. By doing all this labeling you have not only greatly reduced any opportunity for confusion as to what part goes where, but you have also guaranteed that your centers will truly be center. In addition I chose to mark one inch incriments with a zero center and going out to 60 on both sides, to save time I just labeled 5,10,15, etc. (See first photo)

With your zippered leaders properly labeled you are now ready to attach the quilt backing and top. This can be done by pinning or using a chain stitch. My photos will show attaching using my Janome Cover Pro, but again, pinning works just as well. For the record, I’ve pinned for 6 years and this is the first quilt done using the chain stitch. The choice is yours! The important thing is that you notice the proper placement of fabric to the leader. By the way, if you are pinning this can be done both at the machine with the leaders already zipped on or unattached as described in the photos.

With a batik backing it’s hard to tell which is the right and wrong side of the fabric in this photos, but it will show up in the next photo when you see a seam (grin), for now, just trust me.

I’ve started with the Quilt Backing Top, which is labeled as #1. For the sake of instruction the side of the zippered leader that is labeled will be called the RIGHT side and the unlabeled side will be noted as the WRONG side. Find the center of your quilt backing and place the RIGHT side of the backing to the WRONG side of the zippered leader, matching centers and working your way from the center out, place pins about every 10 inches in preparation to sew.

My example is a chain stitch from my Cover Pro – you may have a serger or sewing machine that does this. I chose to use two different colors of thread so I’d know which was the top and which the bottom to make it easier to pull out later. Again, you may choose to pin using the pins that came with your machine package, regardless, here’s the list of which side goes where:

Quilt Backing Top: Leader #1 Quilt Backing RIGHT side to WRONG side leader

Quilt Backing Bottom: Leader #3, Quilt Backing RIGHT side to WRONG side leader

Quilt Top Bottom: Leader #2, Quilt Top WRONG side to WRONG side leader

It is important that you predetermine how you will load the quilt top, typically you will attach the bottom of the quilt top to the #2 leader, but on occasion if something is directional you may wish to reverse this. For the sake of the tutorial we will be attaching the BOTTOM of the quilt top to the zippered leader #2. Again, WRONG side of quilt top to WRONG side of zippered leader.

Ta Da, this part is done! Now let’s go to the machine!

Okay, this may look a tad confusing, but let me explain. The top take up roller (#2) is being held up by the batting access lever. I’ve zipped on the #3 zippered leader which holds the Quilt Backing Bottom and have all the fabric draping on the floor. Then I roll it up by hand, very roughly. I know this doesn’t look right, but trust me.

Next attach zipper leader #1 to the solo take up roller #1 at the back of the machine. It too is going to look rather unsettling – hold on, there’s a reason for this.

I know, it looks sorta woppie, but that's okay for this point.

Now it’s time to play with the Tensionology™

I sometimes have technical difficulties with blogger... turn your head.. the pole is suppose to be vertical not horizontal. I'm sorry!

This is the pulley end of the bottom take up roller #3. (Again, take up roller #2 is raised by the batting access lever so it’s not in the photo). Notice the arrow on the pulley near the connection to the bar. (If yours doesn’t have an arrow you can add one with a sharpie). This pulley needs to have the wire wound around counter clockwise. I’m using the wire/weights on the left, which are the back side of the machine or panto side.

Next add weights. I generally find that two weights give me the tension that I desire. Play around and decide what you prefer, 1, 2 or 3 weights realizing it can vary from quilt to quilt. One word of caution – if it is too tight you may experience thread issues during the quilting process.

Now take the fob that came with your Tensionology™ and advance the fabric to the top take up roller #1 by pressing B on the fob – I remember it as “B for back” because I am generally working from the front of the machine - although that line of thinking doesn’t work totally logically because you’d think “A for advance” and B actually advances … SO just think B to go BACK on to take up roller #1. Whatever works for you (grin). Again, this is a rough roll, it looks strange but don’t be overly concerned how the fabric is rolling. After all the backing is on take up roller #1 you will press A on the fob and now rewind to have all the fabric on take up roller #3 slowly, carefully, smoothing as you go until it’s all neat and proper. This technique is especially helpful with pieced backings. During this process the weights will go up and down as the wire is being wound/unwound on the pulley.

Photo above shows the fabric beginning to wind around take up roller #1. Photo below shows it advanced all the way around take up roller #1

Now it's time to re-roll it back where it belongs on take up roller #3, making sure it's smooth.

Now it’s time to load the batting and baste it to the top. I’ve not given you photo documentation on this as it was covered during your set up/training. For reference here’s a simplified explanation. With the batting access bar still holding take up roller #2 in the upward position, place the batting along the top edge of the quilt backing. Smooth out by hand; release the batting access lever to lower take up roller #2. Adjust the quilt by advancing or backing up the Tensionology™ to where the back of your backing and batting come to an area where you can push the machine to its further most point to create a channel lock and then stitch down the batting to the backing with a straight line – this will be your reference point to line up the top of the pieced quilt. (If this isn’t clear, refer back to the Attaching Zippers blog/You Tube to demonstrate how to create a channel lock). Some prefer to stitch from the center out to each side; I generally go from left to right. Again, personal preference.

Once the batting is in place it’s time to attach the quilt top. Zip the zipper leader #2 containing the bottom of the quilt top to the take up roller #2, taking care to spread the quilt top over take up roller #1.

If you notice in this photo I’ve begun to roll the quilt top onto take up roller #2. It is most critical that you take your time and roll smoothly. There’s no ‘back and forth’ process as we did on the backing. This is where you will want to make any slight adjustments due to fullness in the piecing, always maintaining a good horizontal placement of the quilt top, easing in fullness as needed. Once complete, baste the top of the quilt to the backing/batting. It is most important to do this step before adding Tensionology ™ weights (ask me how I know!)

Again, baste the top of the quilt to the backing/batting sandwich.

This is the most important photo out of the entire tutorial on loading a quilt with Tensionology™

The top pulley is connected to take up roller #2 ,the one that holds the quilt top; by the way, this photo shows the rollers in the “stacked” position, if you have the Horizon or don’t have your rollers stacked they will be slightly off-set, however, the placement of the pulleys and wires is the same. Take up roller #2 wraps clockwise using the wire on the front side of the machine and take up roller # 3 wraps counterclockwise using the wire from the panto side of the machine.

Add weights and you are done!

Again, the photo is taken from the front of the machine with the Tensionology ™ on the right hand side. Looking at the photo the weights on the left correspond to take up roller #3 (Quilt Backing Bottom) and the weights on the right attach to take up roller #2 (Quilt Top).

And good ole blogger is making me humble again...can't seem to make the photo go the right direction, but you guys are smart and can kindly turn your head to understand the proper orientation (grin)

On this particular quilt I wanted to stabilize it by doing all the continuous curve stitching in the double wedding ring "ring" before going back and quilting in the blue background. The photo below shows my take up leader #2 released from the quilt sandwich, which I will describe how to do...

It is MOST important when you get to the bottom of the quilt and the zippered leader #2 is exposed to take the time to remove the tension by removing the weights BEFORE unpinning or removing the quilt top from the zippered leader - otherwise once the tension is released by the removal of the pins the weights are going to come crashing down - not a good thing if you have a cute puppy in the room - poor Pixxie was scared out of her wits when I discovered this error (grin). If you think about it, it makes perfect sense, but it you are like me and you are quilting in the moment...well...enough said.

On the same token, once you have completed the entire quilt you will want to remove the weights from take up leader #3.

I can't tell you how much I love this A1 innovation! Having a fabric advance is wonderful, especially when you are trying to complete a design element and need just a little more throat space. Click of a button and the quilt advances to allow more room, click again and you can bring it back to where you were all the while keeping PERFECT tension on the quilt sandwich! No more puckers on the back from rolling or rerolling! If you don't already have one, I highly recommend adding it to your A1 - and if you don't have an A1, I can tell you how to get one!

Hopefully this tutorial has helped demonstrate how to load a quilt with zippered leaders, and that you have seen the value of rolling and rerolling the quilt backing to ease out any fullness.

As always, after a few quilts you'll be a pro at this - but if you are still new to longarm quilting, and perhaps Tensionology, you may find it helpful to print this out and have by your machine. Just visit my website and on the contact us page fill out the feedback form to request a PDF version of this tutorial and/or the one on attaching zippers. It's my thoughts that us quilters have to stick together and help one another!

If you've held on this long I want to share with you the completed quilt!

Double Wedding Ring, pieced by Dena

On display with the assistance of my Professional Quilt Model, Pixxie

The backing was pieced and had some beautiful batiks - I think the quilting really shows up more so from the back than the front.

Here's a close up of the front.

The wide border on the side had feather-like ferns that formed a heart shape as they came together.

Here's the border design element from the back.

Thanks for joining me in this continued adventure of longarm quilting.

Karen O in Texas

Wishing Talent was Contagious

Ever wish you could just stand next to someone full of talent and it rub off on you? That somehow what they possess would be contagious and you'd get a fatal case of it?

Those thoughts have certainly crossed my mind these past few weeks as I've surrounded myself with talented quilters, both on a local and national level.

Recently Cactus Quilts in Texas City hosted a workshop with Cynthia England, best known for her pieced landscapes which are highly published and have won numerous awards. Cynthia is a "home-town girl" residing in an adjacent community and has been an entertaining guild speaker at a couple of my local guilds. Her work is amazing with so many small pieces. When I discovered she would be teaching a workshop locally in a small intimate setting I jumped at the opportunity!

Pictured above is Carla, owner of Cactus Quilts, myself holding my class project, and Cynthia...okay, true confessions - that's HER class sample (sigh) and mine is only a work in progress...

This is how my project looked at the end of the workshop. Cynthia is an encouraging teacher and I can say that the entire class enjoyed our process of learning her technique. It's time consuming, but the end result will be rewarding! Ah, but another true confession, I was really wishing I could just take home the class sample - it would go so well in my beachie bathroom...

My pastor at Calvary Houston has been teaching on the Ten Commandments and wouldn't you know it, the day following my workshop the topic was "Desire to Acquire" ....

Exodus 20:17 (NIV)

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

How did he know that just the day before I was desiring Cynthia's talent and wishing I could acquire her little quilt (grin)...

Okay, as Pastor Ron explained, God is NOT saying that we can't have goals, dreams, desires (I want to grow up to be a talented quilter). In reality, He wants us to be the best person we can possibly be with the talents and abilities that He has given us. What He is warning us about is being obsessed with someone else's possessions (or as in my case, the talents of others). The word covet means to lust for what is not yours.

It's easy to fall into the "If I Only Had" syndrome. Y'know, if I only had a bigger paycheck I'd be happy, if I only had a nicer home, if I only had a better car, if only I had the right clothes or the right look, if only I had the right spouse/kids/family, OR translating it to my life as a quilter, if only I had the right tools (and there's an abundance of notions and machines out there), if only I had the right fabric, if only I had the talent and imagination of so-n-sew, if only....I had all these things THEN I'd be happy.

Luke 12:15 (NKJV)

¹⁵ And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

It's been said that multi-millionaire JD Rockefeller was once asked "How much money would be enough? and his answer, "Just one more dollar."

Truth of the matter, we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we carry nothing out. And so having food and clothing, with these we shall be content (I Tim 6:7-8)

Okay, so how does that translate to my life, specifically to my life as a quilter...I'll share as I share more quilting photos!

The very next weekend was our quarterly gathering of the Bayshore Longarm Quilters. My favorite part is show and tell!

Debra is sharing one of her quilts quilted on her A1 Quilting Machine that she's only had a few short months. I love our group - not only do we appreciate the color/design of the piecing but we KNOW to look at the quilting too! And we celebrate together the success of others.

Grace is sharing her success of this beautiful Texas quilt, one of her first "big ones" and "one of her own" done on her new A1 Longarm Quilting Machine. Grace unselfishly quilts a lot of charity quilts for the Mainland Morning Guild in Texas City. We all marveled at her creativity in her design elements, especially the hearts which she carried on to the backing fabric (deep in the HEART of Texas).

Lisa pieced this beautiful black and white quilt for her son and his wife, and since her longarm frame isn't as large as mine I was given the opportunity to quilt it for her (it's a King). She saw the completed quilt for the first time during our show and tell. It was fun to share a little of the lime-light with Lisa. I had posted on facebook that this was one of those quilts that I'd like to say "oh, I don't know what happened to it, it must be lost" (grin) and then keep it for myself... oh my, I'm coveting again! Even jokingly.

Pastor Ron shared the application of the 10th commandment...(1) learn to be content (2) enjoy what God has already given you (3) cultivate a gratitude attitude (4) hold lightly to the things of this world - as previously mentioned, we can't take it with us! Or as Job put it "the Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord" and (5) be a giver - share and bless others.

That's what I hope to achieve in my quilting life (my personal life too, but this is suppose to be about quilting). I want to hold on lightly to the things of this world. I enjoy my quilting "things", I get pleasure in making my quilts, but they won't go with me...my desire is that they be inherited by my family, and the abundance shared with others (and there is an abundance, how many blankets can one person use here in hot humid Houston area). In the meantime I want to be grateful for the possessions I have, to be wise as I acquire, to be appreciative of others who will share their talent with me, who can teach me, guide me, inspire me...

Our little group of longarm quilters was blessed by the sharing of one of our talented and inspiring members, another "local" celebrity, Tom Russell who lives just north of us in a neighboring community. Many quilters recognize Tom from his Simply Quilts TV sessions with Alex Anderson or his nationally award winning quilts that have been featured at quilt shows (including the International Quilt Festival held annually in Houston) and in magazines. I've had the privilege of hearing Tom speak at area guilds a couple of times already and I have to tell you he weaves a spell-binding story that has you intermittently laughing at his stories of a man entering a quilt guild and everyone thinking he's in the wrong room and then being totally awed by his creations as he shares them one by one.

The Bayshore Longarm Quilters meet quarterly in my studio - I can honestly say that this gathering had the most positive responses concerning being inspired to explore and develop our individual talents. Tom, thank you again, I hope you know how much we appreciated your willingness to share with us!

Yes, I still wish that talent was contagious. I think in a good way, it is. Not if you envy or covet what someone else has or does, but when you celebrate their successes and when in turn they inspire you to do your best. Being content with what you have and still reaching for your dreams, sharing your dreams along the way so that others can help you and encourage you. I just love my quilting friends!

Okay, for the record, Tom got to enjoy all of five minutes in my favorite chair on the deck under the tiki hut (grin).

Then I whisked him and Kathy away to my favorite "vacation destination" - our local escape, La Brisa for a wonderful lunch and time to visit..

Still mulling over the thoughts of being content and being grateful for what I have... the next afternoon I pulled out a UFO to work on...it was actually cut out in early 2008 from left over fabrics to test out a version of a pattern called Jack's Chain only this version is called Ferris Wheel from the Vol. 6 book on hexagons by Marti Michell whose template I used to cut the pieces.

This was all I had completed in 2008, besides all the cutting and planning that is! By the end of "my day off" last Sunday I had pieced all the little circles and partial blocks and have the quilt laid out on my "design floor" in the studio.

Were it still is a week later! Lots of set in seams with this, but I'm working through it and enjoying the process. I've having to ignore that the colors aren't turning out like I envisioned (sigh) and it looks more like someone threw little squares of color on a busy piece of fabric...oh well, not everything is a perfect plan. But I'm grateful to have the opportunity to "practice" and perhaps I'll actually take the plunge and do the original version of Jack's Chain with 9 patch squares and SOLID hexagons (grin). In the meantime, I'm holding on to this loosely knowing that I can't take it with me!

I'll end with a few critters from my backyard this week....just another reminder of God's creativity in His creation and how He provides for "the lest of these"

Knowing that He will provide for you and me too!

karen