Competing with Computerized Quilting

[Grammie]

Does anyone know the rules as they apply to the catagory of Computerized Quilting or have a sample of them.

Does the quilt have to be 100% Computerized to be entered into this catagory?

Can techniques be combined such as Freehand.

What about catagories that are other than whole cloth in the traditional way?

Even art quilts.

Are quilts allowed even with minimal Computerized Quilting in them?

Educate me please. Thanks

[Guest LA]

Hi Grammie Tammie, ( Gosh I always feel so funny calling you this, you are younger than I am!)

I will copy you on what I have when I get home, I am at the shop right now. (Slaving away watching CQ quilt for me! )

[sewingupastorm]

Grammie you are likely younger than me too

In any case I do not know the specifics but I would think that you used the computer on some part of the quilting but not necessarily all of it.

I know that Sharon Shambler will do some quilting on her longarm and then she will do other quilting on her domestic machine. I myself have already done a quilt where I did McTavishing on the longarm and then did the rest on my home machine.......................I got a first place ribbon on it too. So do I call it longarm quilted?

[Guest LA]

Grammie~

I have read through several quilt show categories, every one has their own "take" on the requirements.

For example, in the MQS catalog it states that the "computer guided software be engaged during the entire quilting process."

You may want to contact Carol Wiles to get some clarification on this, as I have seen freehanded background fill in many of these quilts.

I do not have her E-mail, but try Mary Hibbs @ maryhibbs@mail.com

I will be looking for an entry from you at the show!

[JoAnnHoffman]

This is what I know. The computerized category is totally done by computer. No freehand, no stitch in the ditch, no background fills done by hand.

All the other categories are open to computer mixed with freehand.

This is what I was told by Carol.

I was asking for a new categorie that combined computer and freehand.

[Guest LA]

Thanks JoAnn, now we can work on the show coordinators to make a new mixed catagory so they can keep up with us!

[Grammie]

Thank you Linda and JoAnn. I look forward to having a freehand and computerized Catagory.

With that said I think it too cool to do the complete quilt background and all by computer.

I can't help it. I like doing both.

[quiltjunkie]

Ladies,

This has been coming up in my mind a lot since so many of you seem to be opting for a computer..It certainly isn't fair for someone that has completely handguided the quilting process to compete with a computer, any part of the quilting process done by a computer..Let's admit it the background fill it one of the easiest things to do by hand guiding. It's those perfect center motifs and sized borders that are tricky to get perfect manually. As far as doing a quilt on a LA or a dosmetic, that's all machine quilted and I don't see much difference there, but there certainly is when you are talking about competing with a computer.

As much as I think it would be nice to have one to do "Perfect" quilting, I feel it's cheating and I don't know how much pride I could have in the quilting job when finished. And then there is the investment, not only in the price but the time..I work on the computer all day long and I don't know if I want that frustration with my quilting when it just won't work right.

[JoAnnHoffman]

Well.....I love doing freehand and custom but when customers give you quilts and all they want is edge to edge I can't see wearing myself out doing one quilt a day.

With the CompuQuilter I have done three quilts in one day and I was not physically tired.

If you create your own designs they don't have to be absolutely perfect, they can look like freehand. With the CQ you have that option.

If you are quilting for show for customers I think you should ask them if they want computer quilting or not. If they want custom and it's going on Aunt Betty's bed then I don't think they would mind and it would take you half the time with very impressive results. It's just wonderful to have that option. I was the first to believe that quilts aren't perfect, so I don't think the quilting needs to be perfect. It's folkart...but there are some quilts that call for CQ and some that don't. I think it's a judgement call and you know when to CQ and when not to. It is a lot of fun. Have you seen the newest On Track, look at the computerized wholecloth that won last year, it's incredible. It also depends if you are just quilting for yourself or if it is a business. If it's a business, then as Linda Taylor would say,"Time is Money"

You have those special customers with those special quilts and you know you want to totally freehand that quilt and give it your all. You want to win that ribbon with your talent. You just know when to CQ or not.

[tusistas]

I don't have a CQ but I know from trying to digitize embroidery designs -- it ain't easy -- not by any stretch. So I am in awe when someone can get the computer to stitch out something and have it balanced and enhance the quilt -- even when the design is in the software. There's still some talent in putting it all together.

Yes, I totally agree that hand guided quilting should not have to compete with computerized quilting. However, let's give them credit for the beautiful work they are doing. How do you think the hand quilters felt when the long armers started competing?

Isn't this an awesome hobby when you can do so many things with so many different tools? I don't think I'll ever get tired of it -- and I've only been quilting about 15 years (or so).

[quiltmonkey]

I equally respect everyone's opinion on this topic. That said, regardless of what anyone's opinion is on quilting and how it was done, my thoughts are that it's sure nice that advancements in technology give all of us the options and choices. And, we get to choose from an abundance of things with this quilting industry. So many beautiful fabrics, battings, patterns, books, threads, embroidery designs, quilting designs, and especially the many talented professional artistic quilters who are making themselves available to share, to teach and HELP ALL OF US become better at what we love to do... Yaaay! Isn't life fun?? We are so lucky in this time and place.

Like I said in another thread, I appreciate all types of music, from heavy metal to classical. I also appreciate all types of quilting from the very endearing hand quilted item to the stuff we can do with the computer. It's all way cool to me.

Have a great day, everyone. Happy quilting.

Shana

[Grammie]

That's one of the reasons we want a Catagory so we can be judged for the beauty of the quilt in a manner that would not be competing with a quilt that is 100% guided. I love to quilt freehand/Man and do all the time. Some quilts call for it and others do not. I quilt for others and they love the perfection and you cannot beat it for EDGE to EDGE if you quilt for others. Precision with the computer takes planning out and accuracy. Like others I think it is WAY COOL to have options that we can choose from. From a business standpoint the CQ will pay for itself and my husband is even able to assist me at times when I have too many things going on. My Customers Absolutly LOVE the designs I quilt on with my CQ. THEY LOVE LOVE LOVE them. They have even purchased Designs for me because they think I'm it. I just love my customers. I may not be a STAR in the real world but I am the star to my customers and we have fun with it!!! lolol I hope you do ok when when they come out with the REMOTE control system. Just think....... I can stop that machine while I'm piecing and check it when I choose. LOLOLOL

QUOTE "I feel it's cheating and I don't know how much pride I could have in the quilting job when finished" Gee so I'm not suppose to be proud of this Quilt? My customer loved it and I thought that was what mattered most. Gee suddenly feeling inadequate. Ok I'm over it. Thanks for sharing.

If it is cheating.........

I cheated myself a $575.00 quilt this week. I wish I could do that when I play POKER!!! lolol

[chickenscratch]

Grammie, You are too funny.

If they add a category for mixed computerized and freehand, then do they need to add categories for stitch regulated and not stitch regulated, domestic machine vs. long arm vs. short arm machine. Do you see my point? I do not have a stitch regulator or a compuquilter, but I feel like my quilting, like everybody else's, should be judged by how good a job I did with what I have available; not by how good I did compared to everybody else who might have better equipment. I will follow this thread and see what develops with this category thing.

[dancingstitcher]

That's a very pretty quilt Grammie. I haven't tried the CQ so am no expert to give a highly qualified opinion here. I do appreciate the unpredictable art where there are surprises in the presentation. I believe that it adds to the richness and quality of a piece. It shows that the imagination of creation was at work at every step of the process. It's like playing music live with an instrument as in contrast to playing a disc or DVD. Live performances are filled with the unpredictable and a connection with that particular audience that makes the delivery unique.

I thought it was interesting to talk with Myrna about quilt LA design this week because she said that a quilt just talks to her right before she starts working on it. She doesn't have a concrete plan drawn up as to what she wants to do to express herself with any particular piece. I know that Barbara Olson has said the same thing when I took her class on "Intuitive Design" this last summer. I couldn't see an artist giving up all that flow of inspiration in leting the creation evolve.

Just got back taking three days of lessons with Myrna and it was fantastic fun, both from enjoying her company and from learning so much in such a short period of time. If anyone reading this needs lessons at any level, get in touch with Myrna. She's a real gem with a unique gift of being able to communicate and educate in the world of quilting.

Vicki

[countrylanequilting]

This is such an interesting topic to explore the variety of reactions to computerized quilting. IMQA is always striving to make the MQS show reflect the needs and trends in the industry. Each year we evaluate the quilt show (and entire show) to make changes and improvements so the show is fresh and exciting to all quilters. One of the most valuable tools we have is your evaluations and emails to us with your comments and concerns. When you go to ANY show or take ANY class, the evaluation forms you are asked to fill out are so important for planning the future shows and classes. Please take the time to hand them back then or mail them. This year several changes were made for the MQS show that were a direct result of the evaluations that were turned in at the show by teachers, students and vendors. One of those was the computerized quilt category. Keep them coming. We would like for you to send the suggestions you have been making here and any others to either Carol Wiles, quilt show director - finalstitch@yahoo.com or Mary Hibbs, Volunteer and Special Events Director - maryhibbs@mail.com. My partner, Janet, and I now have a CompuQuilter. Why we didn't buy one until this year was a combination of many of the thoughts that were presented here. But since we are in business and are very serious about our busines we definitely see the value in using every technology available. We love the hand guided and computer.

[SherryRogers]

Hi Grammie

Glad to read that you got over feeling inadaquet in ANY way. I feel it takes ALOT of talent to be able to choose designs that compliment the quilt no matter what vehicle you use to exacute them. Your quilt is just lovely and you and the quilt both are stars . You keep on keepin on girl!

Originally posted by Grammie

QUOTE "I feel it's cheating and I don't know how much pride I could have in the quilting job when finished" Gee so I'm not suppose to be proud of this Quilt? My customer loved it and I thought that was what mattered most. Gee suddenly feeling inadequate. Ok I'm over it. Thanks for sharing.

[qfairy]

I was the same way but since my back has given me such fits, I HAD to opt for another way that I could keep quilting. As for the pattern part, yes, most customers just want them and want them yesterday, so the CQ helps get them what they want. I will still do some freehand work as I have some that like my work. But now have a problem keeping up with the hemming of them, as they are now quilted faster than i can hand hem them...hehe but LOVE IT. Thanks to TOny.

[tusistas]

Exactly, Grammie!

Your quilt is awesome. I respect that very much. There's a lot of learnin' that goes into running CQ and the computer behind it.

Goooolllly, imagine a remote controlled system you can operate from across the room? Man, that would be a w e s o m e!

[digisuz]

Hi Everyone,

Grammie Tammie you are a hoot !! . . . . . and a very talented computerized and hand-guided longarm quilter. I agree that we should have separate categories clearly defining ?all-computerized?, ?mixed technique ? computerized and hand guided? ( and I think the quilter should specify where they used each technique and whose designs they used), vs. ?all hand guided? (also specifying who's designs they used or were influenced by). Then maybe there should be categories for computerized and hand-guided where you used all your own original designs, nothing inspired or interpreted from another talented quilter who you have copied, otherwise you could be said to have ?cheated?.

We don?t need to argue about whether or not computerized quilting is ?cheating?. I respect and love all quilting techniques. We are artists that love to express our art placing designs that attach 2 or more layers of fabric together. Please don?t loose sight of the fact that long arm quilters were considered by hand quilters to be cheating too (some still think this).

We all know there are many ways to get quilting designs on fabric. Whether you follow a paper design with a laser, or you?ve taken classes with expert quilters and you?re expressing their original ideas for designs by practicing their techniques, or you trace or needle punch a quilting design on Golden Threads paper or water soluble stabilizer, then follow the design with quilting stitches by machine or by hand, or you?ve practiced and come up with an original quilting design or technique, or you?ve used stencils to pounce or draw on the fabric with water soluble pens to follow with your machine, or you have purchased some tools that help you make perfect circles, arcs, and straight lines, or you have drawn a design on paper and digitized it so you can size, rotate, and mirror image it to arrive at nearly infinite creative possibilities ? it?s ALL good !! We all have in common that we love to express ourselves with quilting. No matter what technique we use, we all practice our skills and we all have something wonderful and artistic as a result.

For longarm quilters who have found that they get physically fatigued or have body aches due to long hours of quilting, adding a computerized system to their machine greatly diminishes this fact of longarm life. I had a work-related injury that has permanently messed up my right shoulder and neck. I became very attracted to a computerized longarm system because of that. I knew that if I spent long hours only hand-guiding a LA machine that I could re-injure myself and get back into a bad pain cycle. With a computerized longarm quilting system, I have been able to work fulltime as a professional quilter. I can make a living for my family with my quilting, digitizing and teaching. CompuQuilter has allowed me to do that and to remain in the profession of longarm quilting that I LOVE.

If you think computerized quilting is ?cheating? then unfortunately you haven?t given yourself the chance to see what the world of computerized quilting and digitizing is really all about, and what it offers. We spend time just like you, developing our skills. In many ways, we have the greatest amount of freedom and creativity. We can quickly learn to proficiently place all computerized edge-to-edge designs on customer?s quilts and get a return on our investment and bring money to our families to pay bills. While we have money coming in the door, we can take classes with talented hand-guided quilters to learn techniques to embellish our computerized designs, or we can train in more advanced techniques to learn more and more exacting ways to custom place computerized designs, while sizing, rotating and mirror-imaging them. We can create elaborate design layouts on paper then actualize them on a real quilt. What computerized quilters and digitizers do is very flexible, exciting, creative and lucrative. More and more talented quilters are realizing the opportunities in computerized quilting and the level of expertise and talent is soaring. We can place thousands of theme related designs on our customer?s quilts and every time we do that, we are being creative.

This year we will see an even greater boom in designs and possibilities. There are designs emerging with background fillers digitized, there are sets of designs with up to 16 separate elements that all coordinate within a theme that can be mixed and matched like puzzle pieces to create beautiful whole cloth quilts. Because of one of CompuQuilter's design categories, it will be possible to see our computerized quilting machines being used like a hybrid between a quilting machine and an embroidery machine. There are professional embroidery digitizers who are learning to digitize for quilting machines and they will bring an added element and talent to the look of quilting designs. There is precision, skill and massive creativity involved in digitizing and designing computerized designs, as well as in deciding how and where we will use the designs and placing them exactly where we want them. We will see amazing possibilities with how we will be able to manipulate designs and make custom lay outs, and we will see advancements in digitizing that will knock your socks off, so please do not say that we are cheating. We are quilt artists who express ourselves in a particular way, and what we do is here to stay. We want your friendship and support, just like every other quilter.

Warm Wishes and Respect For All Of My Quilting Friends,

- Suzanne Moreno

Digitizing for CompuQuilter Instructor

cqdigi@charter.net

541.660.8053

[CherylUribe]

I very much appreciate every-one's opinion's here. Really enjoying this thread. Thanks to everyone for contributing!

I started quilting on my domestic machine. Also learned to hand quilt around the same time. Then a non- regulated Longarm, onto a regulated Longarm, now I'm onto the CQ. It is an evolution for some of us and not for others.

For me I love the versatility that I have with my own skills combined with the computer. Having the CQ is a great time saver. I can also have my 12 year-old run the machine for me if I get behind or need help!

[chickenscratch]

I certainly didn't mean to imply that it was cheating or unfair in any way. I just feel that every quilt should be judged as an individual rather than being compared to others, regardless of how it was created. The CQ quilts I have seen are fabulous. And some day I will have a CQ of my own so I can make these beautiful masterpieces. Until then I am content to keep learning and improving my skills with what I do have, and I would expect that my quilts would be judged based on being quilted with a non SR, non CQ machine.

[kennan100]

I'm with Grammie here. Still a Wanna-be but working my plan! I'm a 6th generation handquilter, always for my own pleasure and to help my friends get family quilts finished. There was a time when I felt like machine quilting of any kind was taking the easy way out:cool:, and I was initially hesitant about machine peicing but cratered on the fast because I really do not like peicing, it's sole purpose in my life is to play with color and design and to get me something in my hands to quilt! I have become more and more dissatisfied with the limitations that handquilting was putting on me, both time-wise and as an artist. (It took 22 years to get that way but....). I have often taken a year or more to finish a quilt, an then still go back a year later and add to the design. I take great pride in my 12 stitches per inch and my handpeiced, handquilted 1" hexegons. HOWEVER. I want more! I want a machine that will give me perfect stitches, all the same length so, yeppers:D I want the stitch regulation. I think it would be fantastic to whip out an E2E on the computer, digitize my own patterns and watch the machine just stitch it's little heart out. I think it would be sooooo great to let the computer do the basic design and then go behind it and embellish on that, add to it. I keep saying my fingers get itchy just imagining all this! There was a tme when I thought that using any machine, even a non-regulated machine doing freehand was cheating. But I'm a grownup now and I got over that and understand that there is more kinds of art, more ways to be creative, an a whole lot more imagination in me than I can possibly get out by restricting myself to handquilting. And that's how I feel now, confined and restricted. I have no way of getting all this out of me and onto a quilt. But I'm going to! I really admire your work, Grammie, but look out behind you 'cause here I come! YEEEEHAAAAAAWWWWW!

[kennan100]

....and another thing! I agree, that categories should be broken down a little more. I also think that that can go too far and make the entire competition so involved that I might not be interested in figuring out which of 500 categories my peice might fit in, and who to give credit to and worrying that someone is going to get their feeling hurt or be insulted if they think I used their design and didn't give them credit when I was thinking I made that up in my own beady little brain! I would not want to take the risk so would probably stay away from competition. It would take all the fun out of it. Break it down somemore but just go so far and stop.

[BarbWetzel]

I agree that CQ should be in a class of its own... If someone wants to pay the price for the CQ and use the designs that are available, that is a personal choice.

As a professional Manager at UPS, options should always be a choice.

There is no one here that things a CQ quilt should compete between a hand quilter free handed.

Maybe the quilting groups (Classes) should be broken down just a little finer.... maybe more of us would offer up some quilts.

Barb Wetzel

CQ Owner

Milli Owner

[JoAnnHoffman]

Has anyone read this months Unlimited Possibilities. On the cover is Ranae Haddadin's quilt Sugar and Spice. This quilt won first place in the Computer-Aided Machine Embroidery category at the 2006 Houston Quilt Festival. It is stunning and I assume no one questions her obvious talent.

The computer guided longarms are just huge embroidery machines with no hoops.

If there are no separate categories for computerized longarm, computerized longarm with freehand in a quilt show then I think on the quilt entry form there should be a place to say whether you used a computer or not. I guess it would be up to the judges to make the final decision. Beauty is beauty and I think not allowing all types of quilting in a show would be cutting off our noses to spite our face. At one time longarm quilting was only thought of as making mattress pad quilts. I don't think people think that anymore.