Why I deserve a long arm machine!!!

I have always felt the need to convince, myself more often than anyone else, the need to justify my desires!!! When I needed to shift rooms for my studio, I spent a lot of time telling myself how the room had little light and how the area was not enough for me and a few friends to sew together!!!

Since quite some time, I have been seriously considering buying a long arm machine... And ever since I have come to know that this one is available in India, I have thought about it a lot more than I should have...

Then after the marathon sewing and arty session, I decided to justify myself that now I have acquired enough skill to desire a long arm machine!!!

Rewind to a few months back when I made this quilt top...

I had big plans for this one!! It included writing and selling a pattern... Yay!!!

But then I did this...

"What?", you're asking me??? Well I started quilting it with the most awesomely brilliant idea I had ever had!!! Each block was made of 12 improv-curved pieced strips, so I decided to quilt EACH STRIP with a different design!!!!

After doing 2 blocks in 2 days, I picked the quilt up and kept it away, for a while.

Every time  I saw it, I would remind myself that it is going to take a lifetime to finish!!!

But after completing 2 quilts in a week, I decided I want to tackle this one before I started anything new... My initial idea was that I'd quilt the bottom 3 and 3 more (randomly) blocks in this manner and then do a stippling on the rest...

I timed myself and was amazed that it took me about 30 minutes to quilt one block!!!

So I kept repeating "If it takes 30 minutes to finish one block, 10 blocks aren't going to take a lifetime!!!" and started quilting...

I was done in 2 days!!! Yay!!!

Now came the daunting task of selecting a fabric for the binding! NOTHING from my stash satisfied me! I actually pulled out ALL of my neatly arranged shelves (Didn't I tell you I cleaned my studio?) and auditioned EVERY fabric that I had... But nothing appealed!

Today, I posted on the Facebook Group that I wanted suggestions for the binding and I must say the girls just swept me off my feet!!! It was one of their suggestions that I do the no-binding binding!!!

Hop on here to see the super-easy awesome looking binding tutorial!!!

And I finished the quilt today!!!

Here's the quilt in all its glory!!!

And here's the binding from the back!!! 

I'm just so happy about the quilting!!! Yay!!!

Do you like the quilt???

Here are all the blocks one by one - Block # 1

Block # 2

Block #  3

Block #  4

Block #  5

Block #  6

Block #  7

Block #  8

Block #  9

Block #  10

Block #  11

Block #  12

I love that since it does not have sashing or borders - even the binding is not seen!!! It just goes with the theme!!!

Quilt Stats :
Name : Leherey - the waves...
Size : 48" x 64" (Lap Quilt)
Fabric Used : Kona Cotton (Poseidon Fat Quarter Bundle)
Assorted Indian Prints for the back
Thread : Aurifil #2805, 4140, 4655, 4633 and 3770
Bobbin (5005 & 1128)
All 40 wt.

Lesson learnt : No quilt can rake a lifetime to finish! Just deal with it and check it off your list!!!

Now if I can do all that gorgeous quilting on my 330, dont I deserve to get a long arm machine???

What have you finished recently???

On a finishing spree...

After completing the Hawaii Quilt & More Peace last week, I finally got my creative (note I'm not saying quilting/sewing) mojo back! And I'm just so glad!!!

A while back I had made these for a friend, and forgot to post the pictures...

Baby Sleeping Bags - pattern from the book Handmade Beginnings by Anna Maria Horner

A baby set - A sleeping bag, bib, blanket, booties and burp cloth!

See the cute blanket...

Thats how the little toy is attached! It folds to look like the little boy is sleeping on the blanket!!!

After making 2 large / tiring projects and a 2 month vacation from quilting, it was REALLY time for a studio cleanup! I just could not function any more... The thought that I'll soon be hosting workshops made it even more vital that I cleaned up my sewing room!!!

It took 2 days... But finally got it done...

The other side... 

Added some color to the table...

 Dont think about what the Family Word Finder is doing there, its just there to raise the Speaker that I now use to play podcasts on while I work!

Rearranged drawer of threads... I still have my thread rack, but I use that to keep all my local thread and this drawer to keep my special ones - Aurifil & Mettler (mostly Aurifil - 'coz I love them the most!)

 

I need to do something about making partitions here, everytime I open or close the drawer, the spools go on a ride - each along a different path!!!

I made a pillow for my sewing room from the fabric that my wonderful cousin brought for me from Ikea Singapore! Since I loved it so much, I made another one for the living room! 

These are HUGE - 24" x 24" and I'll probably end up using them on the floor!

I spent today morning playing with canvas, crayons & hair dryer to make these for my sewing room!!!

So happy with them that I'm planning to host a make-art-with-the-kids party with my friends this saturday - the same friends with whom I went on the memorable Kaas trip.

The first is Warms!!!

Some cools!!!!

And one mixed!!!

 I'm also working on getting the quilting on this one finished... 7-1/2 out of 12 blocks are done and I want to finish it by tonight!!!

 

Going off to finish that one now....

I am awaiting a package from Fat Quarter Shop... Once I get it, I have another super announcement for you guys!!! :)

What are you working on???

Modern Mini Quilt Challenge!!!

Jennifer from Elisson Lane Quilts is hosting a Modern Mini Quilt Challenge.

Initially, I thought of making a quilt for the challenge... But I sort of have too much going on right now, so decided I'll just enter one of my favorites...

Which one do you think I'll enter?

Yup, it is the "I'm a little crazy" Quilt.

It was a mini quilt I made for the "Its all about me" blog hop hosted by Madamme Samm.

It was fun to take a pattern and personalize it!

I did some crazy quilting in the background because it suits me (I am a little crazy. Who else can make a quilt in 24 hours?)

I also added the paisley quilting ( A little bit of India)

I also added a layer of extra batting under "me"  - thats me too!!! LOL!

this is just sooooo me!!!

I am proud of the total impact of this tiny quilt! And by tiny I mean, its just @ 12" x 15"!

I'm proud of this one and thought it would be worthy of an entry into the challenge!

I would have entered the Harry Potter Quilt or my latest finish More Peace, but both did not fit into the "size" criteria...

:(

Wish me luck!!!

Cheers!!!

More Peace!!!

So why does my post title say "More Peace"?

Do I want a more peaceful life?

Ha-ha!

Well In Marathi More = Peacock & Peace = Feather
(at least they're pronounced that way)
So More Peace = Peacock Feather

It is the latest quilt I finished!

I all began on the morning of  12th June. I had just completed the Hawaii Quilt and was looking for something else to do. 

The inspiration came when I saw the cover of this issue of Quilting Arts (April/May 2010).

I was stunned by the quilt on the cover.

It is "Vanity" by Susan Brubaker Knapp

I went through her blog and found out that she has used dyes on white fabric to do it.

I will never be able to do that, I thought and just pushed the thought away.

But the image kept coming back to my mind...

The I came across this video by Nancy Zieman &  Natalie Sewell where they show we can use Oil Pastels in Landscape Quilting.

Now I got excited. This is something I can totally do!!! I thought. It all started at about 4 pm on 12th June.
And I was ready...

I needed to buy oil pastels though. DS has them, but I could not find the shades I wanted.

By 4.30 all the pieces were cut and fused down.

By 5.00 pm the quilt top was ready - shaded and all. Basted.

I was so excited about the quilt. But was scared that I'd ruin it somehow!

I quilted it patiently. Using my regular foot # 1 on my Emily (Bernina 330). I used black 40 wt Aurifil Cotton thread both on the machine as well as in the bobbin.

As the quilting completed, I was more and more confident!!!

And then at 11 am on 13th June (less than 20 hours since I drew my first sketch) the quilting was done!!!

It took another hour to bind it and it was ready.

But I knew it needed something more...

Wasn't sure what.

The I saw something that Rohit had brought for Aadi.

 

Some fun glitter gel pens!!! I tried just roughly scribbling over a piece of fabric (just wanted to make sure it did not ruin it) and it seemed to work.

So I got started.

I used the yellow (lemony one) over the brown and light green, Blue over the blue and the darker blues, green over the dark green and black over the black and also for the stems and on the stitch lines too.

I'm just so happy with the result!!!

I stepped so much out of my comfort zone to make this one.

I managed to 'completely finish it by 9 pm on the 13th June. But considering that I did everything - including helping my MIL prepare Mango Jam - it actually took less than 10 hours!I will be teaching my technique in workshops very soon!!!

I love the shiny effect of the glitter pens...

Have you experimented with craft supplies on your quilt?

If not, I urge you to do that. Maybe on a small piece. But do experiment!
Trust me, it is worth it!

I used a solid lime green for the back!!!

It looks more like a dandelion on the back!

I even added a label - if thats what you call scribbling details on the back with a permanent fabric pen!

Details of the Quilt :

More Peace
Size : 28" x 20". 
Materials used : Cotton Fabric, Poly-Cotton Batting (very thin & light), 
Aurifil Black thread 40 wt, Oil Pastels and Glitter Gel Pens!!!

Experience - awesome!!!



Cheers!!!