Mary Beth Posted March 20, 2009 Report Share Posted March 20, 2009 Tell me if I am just imagining this, but I look at pictures of quilting on this site and on another web sites and in looking at the pictures posted of customer quilts I see tons and tons of quilting being done. The quilting is like show quilt quality, and lots and lots of quilting. Am I seeing this right or am I over reacting. Sometimes I get the feeling we are doing too much on our customer quilts. I mean, don't you want to hold back just a tad on the customer quilts, and really put the zing on your own quilts? I don't know, maybe my thinking is twisted or I have been at this too long. No, it can't be the later half of the sentence, that's only 5 years....okay, I'm twisted :P I just think we are getting carried away with our quilting on some of the quilts we do and probably are not getting paid nearly enough. Hey, maybe I just described "burnout"! Ha! I'm also my own psychoanalyst!! Anyway, I just wanted to say "Wow" I've seen some pretty fantastic quiting lately and I can't believe it is just normal, everyday quilting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted March 20, 2009 Report Share Posted March 20, 2009 Mary Beth, It all depends on the quilt to me. If the quilt tells me to quilt it a lot then I do. I just can't not do a quilt justice! I'm sure I don't always make what I should but like I said it all depends what the quilt tells me, within reason of course. Many of my customers see my quilts and want ones like them and I tell them up front it will be expensive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmiequilts Posted March 20, 2009 Report Share Posted March 20, 2009 I feel the same as Heidi, it depends on what the quilt 'wants', in general I love simple designs on quilts. I like custom to a point but sometimes there's nothing like a nice meander or just a crib or lap size with simple quilting. I am very honest about a heavily custom quilt and what it costs, there aren't too many that I'd like to repeat the exact quilting on! I've only done a few as heavily quilted as the guild quilt that I posted. That all being said I saw some quilting at a local show that left a lot to be desired, every quilt can't be quilted the same! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyonden Posted March 20, 2009 Report Share Posted March 20, 2009 I think that maybe we only post the ones we think are special or we really love. The everyday E2E just doesn't get posted unless we are ing to share a new panto or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IBQLTN2 Posted March 20, 2009 Report Share Posted March 20, 2009 I think you may be surprised at the difference in the quality of quilting on this forum in camparison to some of the other sites. When looking for a long arm I actually joined a few different forums and looked at as many of the pictures of quilts as I could. I was not very often impressed until I started to look at quilts on this forum. it was then I realized, hey this is the quilting level that I some day want to attain. Hence I started looking at the machines that were getting the job done. No offense to anyone who has machines other than APQS, I have seen wonderful quilts on here done by many different machines and even beginners have wonderful quilts on this forum and that is even more encouraging. I think it is the difference between professional machines and hobby sewing machines on a frame. You just don't seem to be able to get same perfection. For instance Sharon Schambers supports a machine and sells it as well. when I asked where were the quilts that she had produced on this machine there were not any. Okay, why not? She has wonderful quilts, but if she doesnt use the machine that she endorses, but uses something else it tells me that if my goal is to quilt like Sharon then I am going to want to use the machine she uses, or one equilvalent to it. So take a bow everyone the quilts on this forum are heads and shoulders above many others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted March 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2009 Yep, maybe that's it. Maybe I am just seeing the "special" quilts and not the everyday things. Some of you guys and girls can really quilt!! And I keep seeing these quilts that are just beautiful, and I think your customers must be blown out of their socks when they walk in and see that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 I don't tend to put up many pictures of my everyday quilts. Some quilts just want to be well held together and thrown on a bed, those get quick quilting and a smaller price tag. Others require a little (or a lot) more and whenever I can that's what I do. Sometimes a customer doesn't want to pay what it would cost to do a quilt justice, some we can figure out a compromise and some I turn down. I don't want to do a quilt I can't be proud of. I don't think I would feel right about saving my best work for my own quilts. It's exactly that which the customers have come for. Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sspingler Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 If I can figure out how to post pics I will. I let the customer tell me what they want.....or their price range. Today I got in a fairly large complicated quilt but her high end price is only $200. So instead of the usual high end custom that I would normally have chosen, I've decided to go with low end semi custom. It's only $20 more than what she wanted to pay but is willing to go for it. For my own, I generally quilt simple. You can also see some of my work on my blog: http://desertthreads.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoleneK Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Because we see so many awesome quilts on this forum, I think we are intimidated to post our everyday, run of the mill, E2E quilts. Like they don't compare or compete with the greater quilts and/or quilters. My opinion and why I don't tend to post pictures very often. The thing is, I love to see the everyday, average quilts as much as I enjoy seeing show quality quilts. Mary Beth stated:Sometimes I get the feeling we are doing too much on our customer quilts. I mean, don't you want to hold back just a tad on the customer quilts, and really put the zing on your own quilts? Who has time to quilt for ourselves? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraJ Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Jeanne, I think you nailed it. The quilting from so many on this forum is wonderful, artistic, and gorgeous. It's inspiring. Mary Beth, I love your showing what you do with the CL That too inspires E2E quilting (never done that yet!) The panto work and every day quilts that have been posted are fun in that we get to see what others have done on the quilts. Things we might not have thought of. Keep 'em all coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamarack Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 I like to tell my regular customers " thank you for letting me PRACTICE on your quilt....that will be $200" I still can't believe people pay me to quilt, it is a dream come true! But i do get what Mary Beth is saying and in the back of my mind i hope all this quilting for other will one day allow me to make that "WOW" quilt that is all mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seakitten Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 I sure do love seeing all the gorgeous quilting, so keep it up, you guys! I am really not at that level yet (she says after spending all afternoon "practicing" SID). All that said, I really do believe there can be such a thing as too much quilting. On your everyday bed-quilts, I would rather see it light and soft, showing off the fabric rather than the thread. Show quilts are something else of course, but I am not there yet, and I will never be a Sharon S. or a Karen McT anyway. There's a place for all of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bekah Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 I am not to the level that many of you are yet, but I am getting better with every quilt. Most of my customers tell me, I don't want all that fancy heavy quilting, I just want simple pantos or CL. Cant' seem to find the time to finish a quilt for myself to quilt, but have a gorgeous QOV on the machine now I want to do some fun stuff on. I really really love viewing all of you that do such gorgeous work. It gives me something to aim for. So thanks for sharing all your photos. This is an interesting topic Mary Beth thanks for starting it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lym95 Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 I have some pretty plain practice fabrics I could post if you really want to see some sorry newbie quilting... mrmargie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted March 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 I love sorry, newbie quilting Don't get me wrong, I love the beautiful quilting. I do think we need to see some plain-o-plain-o once in a while. I have done several quilts that I haven't posted pictures of because they are just plain. I usually post the CL because I am amazed how they look when I am finished. Who knew I could do that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SandraC Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 I like seeing them all!!!....plain, fancy, whatever! But, for me, when I see some of the fancy stuff and hear the stories behind them it makes me believe that maybe I can do that, too! For instance the Burgoyne Surrounded lately, how fantastic was that? But with the discussion that arose because of it, I think a lot of us are more couragous about trying some of the techniques! Or the other day Jessica shared how to do a border treatment....how awesome to have it broken down for us so we could see that it isn't so hard after all. The lessons learned on this forum from our friends is priceless! Still like seeing the everyday quilts though, they show how a simple technique is all that is needed sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmiequilts Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Here's a busy quilt that I did for a customer, she made it with her 2 granddaughters, ages 9 & 12. I did simple loopy meander since the quilt was already very busy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattyJo Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Geez guys, I post anything that comes off of my machine cause I don't do that many - So if it is custom or an E2E, you get to see it whether or not you want to! Just my 2 cents worth. One thought that I have had (I do think occasionally) and that is there are a lot of quilts out there that are quilted to death when a simple amount of stitching would have been a lot better. Just cause there are a lot of stitches doesn't always make it a better quilt. Again, just my 2 cents worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmiequilts Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 I agree Patty, sometimes it's all about the thread and you can't see the quilt! Depends on the quiltmaker and the quilter! I did 5 quilts this week, couldn't post them all but most of them were much 'lighter' quilting than the guild quilt that I did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renae Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 I haven't been posting pics because mine are just panto quilts and all that I have seen posted here are soooooooo beautiful I am intimitated and don't feel worthy of any of them. I have been very busy quilting but I just don't do the beautiful work most of you do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sallyquilt Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Hey Renae- Being a newbie, I understand your thinking of being intimidated by the beautiful quilts seen here. I do like to see all levels of quilting though because it helps me see what I should aim for. The "simple" pantos and e-2-e quilts are helpful to see for design, thread, batting or just the quilt design. I do look at these quilts as inspiration and education. So I say--post them all!! Thanks to all forum members for sharing their hard work. Sally Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoleneK Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Sally, you're so right. We NEED to see the pantograph quilt too. These are our everyday inspirations. I need to know what to do with a simple top and quite often this forum is where I'd go to. And I think we do see more E2E on the forum than we're giving credit too, just the custom ones tend to stand out in our minds more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted March 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Not one person here should feel like they are less of a quilter just because all the pictures are of custom work. I agree, they are beautiful and can be a bit intimidating. I have a file called "Inspiriation" and that is where I copy pictures of some of the totally awesome work I see done. Not so I can copy the whole thing, but if I can look at one tiny element of the quilting and learn to do that, then I feel like I have accomplished something. I know it may get a little boring for the seasoned veterans to see a panto here and there....but remember they probably did pantos at one time too. Or at least very simple quilting. I think we all forget that sometimes. Maybe we should have folder set up with "Panto", "Freehand E2E", "Custom", "Heirloom", "Woop-de-doo" or whatever. Then you could post where you felt comfortable and could look where ever you wanted. Just don't ever feel intimidated to post your latest work. I think this is how we build confidence in each other. I would much rather "hold up" my quilt to you all, then face a room full of machine quiters and hold it up there!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Post them all--every single one! Please! Who doesn't like to see purdy quilts and quilting! I think the custom quilts get posted because the quilting really shows on them. The customer paid extra so the quilting would enhance her piecing. Overalls are usually suggested for those busy quilts where you cannot see much stitching, unless the customer was wise and provided a calmer backer. Aren't those reversible ones the best--- a pretty top and a wholecloth back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IBQLTN2 Posted March 22, 2009 Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 I say post them all too especially the beginners. as a beginner I find great encouragment in posting a picture of my latest quilt and getting so many nice comments. I know it isn't custom hierloom quilting, but it isnt supposed to be we all begin at the beginning and there is nothing to be embarrased of , be proud that you made it to a professional machine and enjoy the journey. The more we quilt the better we get so everyone get busy and get post your pictures, all of them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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