From A Friend of a Friend’s…

Remember Seattle Judy from the Club House Quilters?  As you can see Judy does BEAUTIFUL work!  Here she is last winter, posing with her hot of the machine quilt top, ‘The Long Road Home’ by Bonnie Blue Designs!

Well yesterday, I received these pictures of Judy’s newly quilted ‘A Long Road Home’…but it wasn’t Judy who sent them but Cathy her quilting friend!

Cathy has been reading my blog, thanks to Judy :o) and thought that I (being new to the Quilting Game) might like to see what magic she had spun on Judy’s quilt!  WELL OF COURSE I WOULD!!

As you can see, Cathy quilted a fan motif…I have often wondered how quilters quilted fans…do they follow a template, a round object…free motion..gawd forbid!  What?   Here’s how Cathy does hers…

“I used Kathie James’s Pantograph “Traditional Baptist Fan.”  Her pantograph gives you the best Baptist Fan design without having to use the acrylic templates.  The pantograph is rated advanced but I think as long as you practice it a little you should be able to do it.  Usually when I first do a pantograph, I do a run through with my laser turned on but the machine not running.  This helps train my brain on the design.  On more complicated designs I might do it a few times.

I purchased my longarm Gammill (Classic Plus) in 2005.  For many years I only did freehand quilting but then my mother-in-law suggested I invest in a few pantographs.  My rule of thumb is that I will purchase new pantographs if I think I would use them on my quilts and therefore might appeal to my customers.  If one of my customers has a unique quilt in which a pantograph would fit it, then I might look on some web sites I have in my favorites to see if I can find something that will work for it.  For example, I just purchased “Stensons and Boots” by Dave Hudson.  This pantograph was perfect for a western quilt I did.  Since I knew I would use this pantograph again, I ordered it for my customer and then will have it in my inventory.

One tip I will give you if you want to stitch through some designs for blocks but are afraid to do it freehand, rather than purchasing a roll of Golden Threads Paper—go ask your favorite doctor for a roll of medical exam paper.  Next time you sit on the exam table you will think of how many quilting designs you can sketch out on that paper.  Using your sewing machine with no thread in the needle, you can stitch through about 10 copies of a design on the medical exam paper.  The sheet on top will have the design traced with a sharpie and the rest are blank.  I usually staple the corners together to keep them from slipping.  When you get done stitching your design, use the rough side of the paper design as the right side (you can see the design better).   I then use temporary basting spray to hold the design down on the quilt and then stitch right through it.  After you are done quilting, tear away the paper and you can use a soft toothbrush or tweezers to remove any  paper that remains in your stitching.

Enjoy your machine and my best advice is get a cheap roll of muslin and some batting and practice.  Also purchase some preprinted panels to practice your quilting.  You can use the lines on the panels to play.  Then when you get done with the panels, you have a gift for a baby or a holiday gift.”

I bet Cathy didn’t realize that she would become a Guest Speaker on my blog…but I thought she had such wonderful advice that she should pass it along!!

So THANK YOU, CATHY!!  If I end up quilting half as good as you, I will be over the moon!!

Today, I make the JUMP…I am going to quilt a Baby Quilt for Heritage’s Charity Program!!  Wish me luck!

And for those of you who love this pattern…here is the name of the pattern…and where you can find it…at Bonnie’s house!

Thanks again, Cathy and of course Judy!!  I LOVE this quilt…and of course she is on that looooonnnng and getting longer…Bucket List! 

Have a thrilling Thursday and Happy Quilting!~P