New-to-Me Handi Quilter 16

Yes, I have finally acquired my own long arm!

Handi Quilter 16 with 10′ Rollers

After renting time on the great long arm quilting machines at Jackie Lynn’s in Irondequoit for several quilts, I wanted to have my own machine but really couldn’t justify the price of a new one. So when a friend at Genesee Valley Quilt Club posted this older HQ16, I jumped at the chance. Turns out, another member had purchased a new Nolting, so sold his Gammill to the HQ owner, who sold the HQ to me. Rather like falling dominoes!

Handi Quilter 16 Mounted on Oak Table

It came with a double oak table instead of a metal stand, which was a job to move into the basement space for my sewing room. But there was a great spot for it there.
The staff at Jackie Lynn’s cleaned and adjusted the HQ for me, and I now have a practice piece on it to get used to the feel. It’s great to be able to leave work on it and not feel rushed to complete a project.

 

2018 -Green Fuse

Wow, it’s been over a year since I posted on the blog!

Since the 2017 Genesee Valley Quilt Fest, I’ve been extremely busy with two projects: downsizing from a 4-bedroom house to a 2-bedroom condo, and chairing the first quilt show of the Rochester Modern Quilt Guild.

The show will be 10-5 on Saturday, September 29 at First Unitarian Church of Rochester, 220 Winton Road, Rochester, NY 14610. Hope to see you there!

And I’ve managed in the meantime to make a few quilts. I hope to cover them in upcoming posts, but here’s a preview of the free-motion floral quilting on a new queen quilt I’m calling “Green Fuse.” It’s inspired by Dylan Thomas’s “The force that through the green fuse drives the flower.”

 

This quilt should be finished in time to be part of the “Taking Flight” show. More to come!

2016 New Applique Project

Inspired by the silk applique class I took in September from Chris Wickert, I’m moving on to an original, all-applique project. Here are the steps I’ve taken so far: [If you’re seeing this on Facebook, please click on the photo to see all steps.)

Beginning Sketch

Design based on “Eden” (c) Kathy Thaden: http://thadenmosaics.com. I want to interpret the texture and glowing colors of mosaic tiles in fabric.

Pattern at Full Size

Next I cleaned up the edges of individual tiles and spaced them so even amounts of the background would show to represent grout. The final size will be approximately 24″ x 36″.

Tentative Color Placement

With a fistful of felt pens, I auditioned colors. The fabrics will have much greater variation, but this is a general sense of a progression from muted purples through nearly orange at the bottom.

Background Marked for Applique Placement

The background fabric is solid black, which should help the tile colors stand out. I used a chalk pencil to mark the placement of the appliques. I think I’m ready now to begin cutting fabrics and stiff interfacing to suggest the dimension of tiles.

More to come.

Complete – 2015 Princess’s Crown

This crib quilt is based on the traditional King’s Crown block, but I renamed it to reflect its size and color scheme.

2015 Princess’s Crown

This will go to the Genesee Valley Quilt Club’s Love and Comfort Quilt project. Here are some details, showing the crown details in the quilting:

2015 Princess’s Crown – front detail

2015 Princess’s Crown – corner detail

2015 Princess’s Crown – quilting detail

2015 Princess’s Crown – showing back

Everything for this quilt came out of my fabric stash, including the backing. With this completion, I have only one unquilted project waiting in the wings.

Update – Big Square 2015

Big Square Quilting Around a Corner

The quilting is about half done on this lap-sized modern quilt. I’m using my even-feed foot on this, trying to keep parallel lines and right angles. It’s harder than it sounds – so easy to get off just a bit, then multiply the mistake with each successive row.

Hopefully, the half-square triangles used to assemble the top are disappearing into the design. The quilting should help.
This will probably become a charity quilt, either through the Genesee Valley Quilt Club or the Rochester Modern Quilt Guild. It’s great to have these groups spreading the comfort to those who need it at critical times.

Genesee Valley Quilt Club – 2015 Quiltfest – My Entries

A final post about the 2015 Quiltfest. It was a magnificent show: nearly 700 quilts on display, a huge vendor mall, nationally known speakers and teachers, the Iron Quilter and jelly roll contests, a fashion show . . . we’re exhausted but happy.

2015 GVQC Quiltfest exhibits and part of vendor mall

2015 Quiltfest Exhibit Floor

Here are the four quilts I displayed in the show.

Courthouse Squares (on right) on display at GVQC Quiltfest 2015

Mock Kenzie on display at the GVQC Quiltfest 2015

Neo-Baltimore Petals on display at GVQC Quiltfest 2015

In Jest on display at GVQC Quiltfest 2015

Genesee Valley Quilt Club – Quiltfest Even More Photos

Genesee Valley Quilt Club – Even More Quiltfest

 

Genesee Valley Quilt Club Quiltfest – More Selected Quilts

Here are a few last photos from Quiltfest. href=”https://lotuscove.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/20150606_111713.jpg”>

Genesee Valley Quilt Club Quiltfest – Noteworthy Entries

Here are some quilts from the 2015 Quiltfest that won ribbons or that caught my eye: