Making a quilt for someone you love

I have made so many quilts since the day I started quilting. A lot of them have been gifts to people I love. I did not realize it before, but I do know it now that there is a method I follow - unknowingly - when I am making a quilt for someone special. Today, I'm sharing it with you all.





So I have made numerous quilts since 2010. When I started quilting, I usually made baby quilts (with a few exceptions). And Aadi was little at the time. He was my favorite prop to photograph my quilts. So he always thought that every quilt I made was for him!





The first quilt I specifically made for someone special - not decided-to-gift-it-to-them-because-they-love-me-enough-to-overlook-the-flaws - was the one I made for Aadi. After giving away or selling all his quilts I knew I had to make one for the little guy. I had just received a panel of Cat in the Hat in a swap and I decided to make a simple quilt using it. He had recently watched Horton hears a Who and loved the panel. So I was sure he'd love these characters too. I wasn't wrong. You can see his glee in that picture!





Next was quilt I made for my car loving nephew - Parth. He was about to become a teenager and wanted a larger quilt. I ordered some racing car fabric for him specially and made one titled Vroom!





Next was the quilt that changed my world! I made this quilt specially for my husband - Rohit, my Father-in-law and my brother-in-law to celebrate 100 years of the family business. It is a portrait of Dada Ajoba - Rohit's great-grandfather who started the family business in absolutely adverse conditions and grew it to heights! He is the inspiration behind all Dandekars! Making a portrait of him was an honour in itself.





Next was a Hawaii Quilt I made for my brother - Chaitanya and his new bride - Rucha. It was a small quilt meant to go on the floor of the really tiny apartment that they called their first home. It has been loved over the years and it gives me so much pleasure seeing it being used for their son now!





Then came the iQuilt I made for my little brother - Chaitanya. This one was special because it marked the beginning of another era in portrait quilt making for me.





All of these quilts, and many more that I have made for my parents, friends, cousins, nephews & nieces, have gone through a similar process, though they look nothing like each other. So what is this process that I go through when I make these?


I spend a lot of time thinking. I normally spend a lot of time thinking about all the quilts I make. But usually I am thinking about something else and a quilt design pops into my head. Here - I am thinking specifically of what to make. Will it be a quilt to put on the wall or one meant to snuggle under?


I choose each fabric carefully. Again, this is true for every quilt that I make. But the difference here is that I think about every fabric with respect to person it is intended for. Do they like the print? Do they like the colors? Is it soft enough to cuddle under?


I put it together carefully. Again, not that I am careless with my other quilts, but I do take special care while putting these together. Maybe mainly because I do not want to go through the agony of finding the perfect fabric for it again.


I reminisce when I make them. I find that every time I am making a quilt for someone, I tend to think about them and my relationship with them while making it. It brings back so many memories that I fall in love with them - again!


I love the look on their faces when they receive it. It is the ultimate payment for a labor of love. The expressions on their faces are absolutely priceless and I am so happy to be able to actually gift them a hug!


Have you made a quilt for someone you love? How was your experience when you made it?

Free Motion Quilting - Why I love it?

Do you know what is my favorite part of making a quilt? The actual quilting process. The process where I take my finished quilt top along with the batting and backing to the sewing machine and stitch those layers together. I have made a lot of quilts with Straight line quilting lately, but my first love has always been Free Motion Quilting.

I first attempted Free Motion Quilting in 2010 - on a quilt I had made using my Mom's old clothes. I had the brilliant idea of using an old curtain as batting. It made the quilt super heavy to move. I was using my lovely little Betty (Bernette e56) at that time. 

After a tiring 2 days of stippling the quilt, 3 fingers of my right hand were numb for 8 days. So much so that I thought I had permanently damaged them. I pricked them with a pin every morning to check and was about to tell my husband that I needed to see a doctor for my numb fingers the day the pin hurt! Thankfully, there was no permanent damage, I realized my mistake and never repeated it again.

But that wasn't when I fell in love with Free Motion Quilting. I was just exploring it at that point. I was stumbling around and still trying to get comfortable. 

Then I got my Bernina 330!!! That was a game changer! Suddenly Free motion Quilting started feeling almost effortless. I have made some of my most striking quilts on it.

When I was using Emily - my Bernina 330 - I was sure that I did not need the BSR (Bernina Stitch Regulator). I thought I was skilled enough to do the job. And if I used it, I will never develop the skill and control I need to be a good Free Motion Quilter.

I made some super extensive FMQ-ed quilts before I was introduced to the magical BSR!

The BSR changed my life! I know its a very dramatic sentence, but it did wonders for my work. It took my FMQ to a whole new level. I had better control and my stitches were awesome.

My confidence grew and so did my finishing.

I felt like I had more control over my quilting than before. And the quality of my work grew exponentially. I will forever be thankful to Sabine Schiner who gave me the BSR when I bought Ross - my Bernina 710.

I love how FMQ softens the look of the quilt.

I also love how it adds character to a quilt. And makes artwork out of mere mug rugs!!!

And sometimes it creates pure drama.

It has the capacity to elevate the quilt dramatically.

I love how Free Motion Quilting makes my quilts look. Have you tried it? Do you love it or hate it?

My "Swayam" experience

It was on my way to the airport for my 2019 QuiltCon trip that I met Shilpa at my uncle's home and a new experience began. Shilpa had tried to reach out to me earlier, but somehow we never connected. After the unveiling of my Shivarjayabhishek quilt, she stayed in touch with me and we arranged to meet at my uncle's home in Mumbai. She was the twin sister of his son-in-law so it would be the perfect place to meet up. At that time I never imagined what was in store for me. The chat with Shilpa ended with an assurance from me to meet up after I come back and discuss the possibility of me speaking at a future Swayam event.

The event actually happened on July 2019 and it was an absolutely memorable one.

In May I met up with the content team of Swayam and they helped me prepare my talk. I was used to speaking in English. And though it is my mother tongue, I realized I did not speak fluent Marathi on stage. But Navin, Shilpa and Bhagyashree patiently helped me put in words what I meant to say. My first draft script was 30 pages! And I had about 20 minutes to speak. It was a tough job to edit it down without loosing important content. But the team was just brilliant..

As the date was nearing, we were constantly speaking on the phone. The week before the event, they even finalized my attire! That is how much seriously hard they work! On the day of the event itself, I felt confident and composed because I had prepared well. I usually speak extempore in my talks. This was the first time I was following a script.

There was another aspect that I was slightly nervous about. The talk was followed by a short Q&A session with Dr Uday Nirgudkar. For those who are not aware he is one of the senior journalists in India. And intelligent, learned (and always in the learning mode) he has studied a huge range of subjects that include, but are not limited to, IT , Infrastructure , education technology , finance , BPO and global marketing and politics. He has keen interest in arts and literature. Facing him was the biggest fear in my mind.

Another thing I was excited about was the presence of Padmavibhooshan Dr Raghunath Mashelkar as the chief guest. To get the blessings of a man who is so innovative and inspiring was just brilliant.

The first speaker was Dr Ujjwala Sahane. She told us her heart touching story of despair, gut and sheer bravery! Mother to a child who suffered a hearing impairment after a stroke at the age of 9 months, she took us with her on the journey of her deaf and mute daughter to become a well renowned Bharatnatyam Dancer. We witnessed the performance by Prerana (she was named Priyanka at birth, but her parents  changed her name to Prerana - meaning inspiration - because they wanted her to inspire others like she inspired them). Had I not known earlier that she cannot hear, I would have never believed it! She did not miss a single beat!

I was  set to speak after that. I was so touched by the story of Dr Ujjwala and Prerana that it took me a few moments to find my zone when I started speaking. You will see me fumbling for words in my talk in the beginning. But after a few minutes, I was more comfortable and later even enjoyed the talk myself.

After me was this energetic young guy - Amrut Deshmukh - known to Indians as the Booklet Guy! He made the app Booklet where he publishes a summary of one book every week! His story too was simply amazing! The way he started - by sending out broadcast messages on  WhatsApp - and then WhatsApp actually banning him for spamming - to now having a dedicated app for his service! He is such an inspiring person. I love books, but I made sure I concentrated on 'what' I was reading after listening to him!

The audience was amazing. A lot of them came to meet me after the event. It was truly humbling to see the love pouring from so many of them!

This was all the speakers, sponsors, Dr Nirgudkar and Dr Mashelkar at the end of the event.

Apart from the wonderful opportunity they also gave us each a wonderful personalized trophy to take home. I know I'm going to cherish it all my life.

But the main heroes of this wonderful event were the members of the organization team - The Swayam crew. These guys worked tirelessly to make it a seamless experience for everyone - speakers  as well as the visitors. The program began on time AND also ended on time! It is an almost impossible feat when there are at least 5 people giving a total of 8 talks! But these guys are known for doing it with perfection.

We all left the auditorium that day taking home much more than what we expected to get.

Here's the video of my talk at Swayam. Though I'm speaking in Marathi, the video has English subtitles for all my non-Marathi speaking friends.


And here's the video of my interview with Dr Nirgudkar. He asked questions that I had never expected and maybe I gave him an answer or two that he never expected either!!! At the end of it I realized, there was absolutely nothing to be afraid of.


Here is a link to the Swayam YouTube Channel. I really recommend you watch a few  of their videos. They are all really inspiring stories of grit, talent and wish to be someone different! Each speaker has been chosen for what they offer to the society. And it is a treat to listen to them all.

You can find them on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter. You can also visit their website to know more about what they do.

AGF Stitched : Symphony Quilt

When Fat Quarter Shop invited me to be a part of the Art Gallery Fabrics Stitched :  Symphony Quilt along, I was overjoyed to say yes! It took my fabric ages to arrive. But I got it in time to make one block and make it into a mini quilt for my mother-in-law.



I will definitely be making a larger one with this pattern. It just comes together very fast!

You can go to the Fat Quarter Shop's Jolly Jabber  to find the blog post, video and the other wonderful quilters who are quilting along!

I chose to make mine in the beautiful Wonderful Things fabric by Bonnie Christine.

I absolutely love this line - especially the beautiful Wash Aquarelle Study that I used for the backing!

Here is the front of the quilt. I love the beautiful floral fabrics and the fact that the quilt came together super fast!

I used a zig-zag quilting stitch on Ross - my Bernina 710  with my Dual Feed System. I love how it combines the ease of straight line quilting and the crinkly look of free motion quilting!

Sometimes everything just comes together in a beautiful manner! This quilt brought my new favorite fabric (somebody please gift me a bolt of that lovely Wash Aquarelle Study!!!), my new favorite quilting design and a quick-to-come-together pattern!!!

I used Aurifil 2115 (Lemon) in 50 wt to piece and quilt it.

Super happy to gift this quilt to my Mother in Law!

BTW, here is a sneak peek at what is involved in getting that perfect shot of your quilt!

Sometimes its all just worth it!!!

Cheers!!!

What to expect...

I have mustered all the courage I have and sent off emails to a lot of people telling them that I am interested in teaching at their guild/retreat/shop... actually anywhere that people (if any) are ready to come and learn from me!!!

So, I thought it would be good to write a post about what you can expect if you invite me to teach.

I do teach a number of classes locally (in India), but for the international ones, I have chosen two that I feel reflect my best works! 

So first up, ABSTRACT Expressions

This quilt is inspired by the work of the Canadian artist Martina Shapiro. The process of making this quilt was just so much fun that I had to share it with others!

The plus point

This is a GREAT workshop for beginners!!! If you can sew a straight line, you can do it!
You DO NOT need to be an artist!!! No sketching/drawing/painting experience necessary!!!

I conduct this workshops in two formats.

First is the TWO day format. Here is how it goes :

This workshop is divided into four quarters. In the first quarter, we will be talking about basics of Expressionism and Fauvism. We will also discuss the basics of portraiture and the effects of light on the faces. 

We will then spend some time getting acquainted with the process of portraits by Martina Shapiro. Playing with acrylic paints comes next before lunch time!

By the end of the first quarter the students will have made an abstract portrait in paint.

This is the time when people start having a little confidence in themselves (and me). 

In the second quarter, we will begin working with fabric. And by the end of the first day, we will be done creating the outline of the face the students will make into a quilt.

On the second day, students start working on the colors of the face. This is the most interesting process, as they think about colors and the way they blend. It is absolutely fascinating to see how faces and their expressions evolve! And this part of the workshop gives me pure joy!!! 

At the end of the two days, the class  leaves with  completed portrait quilts. Each quilt is unique and I find that more often than not, you can find a glimpse of the maker in their quilt! By this time, the fears of making a 'portrait' are all gone and people are already wondering what their next portrait will look like.

I also have a shorter version of this class that I conduct. I do prefer the TWO day format though. It makes it fun for the beginners as well as the experienced quilters!

In the ONE day class, We skip the painting part. The students just sketch the portraits in their notebooks and get started on the fabric portrait. Also, we discuss the details about Expressionism and Fauvism while the students work on their portraits instead of keeping dedicated time for it.

This class might feel a little rushed for some people, but they can always get in touch with me via email if they have any doubts.

In both the classes, I have also (now) prepared handouts that I give to the students for them to understand the process better.

Click here to download the supply list for this class.

Now we come to my second class ABOUT face

This class is based on the REVERSE Applique technique that I teach in my eBook ABOUT face.

It is my claim that this is the fastest method one can use to make a portrait quilt. You DO NOT have to be an artist. You DO NOT need to know how to draw.

How fast, you want to know - It took me 3 months of working 3-4 hours of work everyday (it amounts to about 270 hours) to make the portrait of Dada Ajoba. But the iQuilt, which has 3 shades, took me just 7 days with 1-2 hours of work everyday (about 10-14 hours) and the Alex Veronelli quilt, with 5 shades, took me 3 weeks with 5-6 hours every WEEK (15-18 hours). Can you make a portrait quilt faster than that?

If you know how to do 'follow the lines' Free Motion Quilting, and you wish to make a portrait quilt. This is definitely the class for you. 

The first quarter will be all about taking/ selecting  photographs, editing and printing them. By the end of the first quarter we will finish copying the image onto the base fabric.

In the second quarter, we will be stitching the design and we will start cutting away unwanted fabric, revealing the design underneath.

This is a class where the students are much more busy than I am!!! As they cut away layer(s) of fabric, they are simply overjoyed to see their portraits taking shape! By the end of the third quarter the design will be all cut away!!! And the quilt top will be ready!

In the last quarter, the students will learn how to quilt the face so that they can enhance their work even further.

At the end of the TWO day workshop, the students will leave with a finished portrait quilt of about 24" x 30" in 2-3 colors.

I guarantee that you will finish the quilt if you make it in 2 colors. But if you want to make a  quilt  in 3 colors, you might have to go home with just the quilt top (finished) and you can continue doing the FMQ at home.

Click here to download the supply list for this workshop.

If you need any more information about my workshops, please feel free to email me.