jandcembroidery Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 I will always continue to use pantos; but in order to expand my experience and the fear of doing custom work, I'm following advice of posts I've read. As I sit here in front of the television tonight (with a very poor selection of programming to choose from) I have gone through my library of books and pulled two off of the shelf along with my sketch pad. For the next couple of hours I will read, doodle, and learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggienoella Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 This is what I'm going to do every night that I can too. Too bad osmosis doesn't work. Joan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 Draw, James, draw! Your panto experience will help a lot with custom stitching. You already know how to follow a line and stitch a smooth curve. Now with custom work you'll be following a stencil or marked line--or maybe an imaginary line in your head. Study quilting you see online. Bookmark the blogs of quilters you admire. Check websites of quilt shows for photos of winning quilts. Mine the APQS members list for blogs and Flickr accounts. Search Pinterest for quilty entries--like modern quilts or Double Wedding Ring quilts for specific quilting ideas for patterns. Draw/practice what you see and find most pleasing. And please keep a notebook of your efforts to not only remind you of possible designs for later use but to refer to three years from now to show how much you will have improved. Go!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delld Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 Ditto!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuiltGuy Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 So, maybe this is a good place to ask a follow up question? Do you just draw on a blank page? Or, and this seems more applicable to me...do you draw over a picture of a quilt or pattern design? While I suspect the answer is both I am curious what the recommended approach is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jandcembroidery Posted November 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 Draw, James, draw! Your panto experience will help a lot with custom stitching. You already know how to follow a line and stitch a smooth curve. Now with custom work you'll be following a stencil or marked line--or maybe an imaginary line in your head. Study quilting you see online. Bookmark the blogs of quilters you admire. Check websites of quilt shows for photos of winning quilts. Mine the APQS members list for blogs and Flickr accounts. Search Pinterest for quilty entries--like modern quilts or Double Wedding Ring quilts for specific quilting ideas for patterns. Draw/practice what you see and find most pleasing. And please keep a notebook of your efforts to not only remind you of possible designs for later use but to refer to three years from now to show how much you will have improved. Go!!! Thanks Linda. My quilting is a lot like my painting. I can't take a blank canvas and paint it, but with a reference photo I can create art. I just can't grasp the designs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shirleyl Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 Dave, you can do a little of both. Irena Bluhm has books out that are laminated and you draw directly on the pages with a dry erase marker. You can also do this with a copy and a sheet protector. You can print block designs, put them in a sheet protector and draw and erase until you like it, then if you have a scanner or copier, or digital camera copy it so you have a record. Doodling on plain paper is great. Shirley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 So, maybe this is a good place to ask a follow up question? Do you just draw on a blank page? Or, and this seems more applicable to me...do you draw over a picture of a quilt or pattern design? While I suspect the answer is both I am curious what the recommended approach is? I used a white board and a dry erase pen to practice. It's usually the first product recommended by instructors. Practice curves, feathers, and free-floating designs. Then you can draw blocks on paper to copy and use for block-design practice and CCs. Graph paper works well. The tablets from the dollar store that are lined to practice cursive writing are great for sashing and border practice. Drawing over a picture is perfect for practicing designs that co-ordinate and to test for scale. When faced with a quilt top that doesn't speak to you, the picture method is invaluable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterfly Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 Dave, I find that drawing on black paper with a white gel pen works great. Not sure why but I seem to draw better that way. i come up with more interesting designs and for some unknown reason remember the designs better when stitching. Give it a try. Jess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 My first books were Darlene Epp's little books, I took those with me on trips and practiced all the designs on paper every chance I had…it did really help, now those designs are ingrained in my muscles and seem to come naturally. Anytime you see a design you like just practice it over and over. After going through so much paper and ink, I went to a dry erase board, you are less apt to worry about mistakes, just draw and doodle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuiltGuy Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 Thanks to all!!!...Now off to my Art Teacher DW for some supplies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jandcembroidery Posted November 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 My first books were Darlene Epp's little books, I took those with me on trips and practiced all the designs on paper every chance I had…it did really help, now those designs are ingrained in my muscles and seem to come naturally. Anytime you see a design you like just practice it over and over. After going through so much paper and ink, I went to a dry erase board, you are less apt to worry about mistakes, just draw and doodle! One of the problems I have is all of the learning material I've acquired. The owner of the quilt shop I always went to, gave me a ton of books, stencils, and videos when she sold the long-arm. I just need to find the time to sit down and learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggy (SewAsylum) Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Since I use a sit down long arm, will the practice still help me, because I am moving the fabric, not the machine. It seems a bit opposite of what you guys are doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darlene Epp Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Yes, Peggy, anything you do will help. Draw, draw, draw, then draw some more. When I was developing The Pocket Guides to Freehanding, this is how they started. I folded a sheet of paper in half lengthwise, and then in thirds along the length. That gave me some boundaries to draw within. That's how the size and shape of the Pocket Guides came about. Thirteen years later, they're still a top seller. I see their influence in so much of the freehand quilting I see today and can only be grateful that I didn't know how to quilt "freehand" but was determined to learn. A lot of paper ended up in the shredder, but enough of it was good enough to put in those little books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jandcembroidery Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Since I use a sit down long arm, will the practice still help me, because I am moving the fabric, not the machine. It seems a bit opposite of what you guys are doing. Peggy, I agree with Darlene. Before I got my LA I used my DM on a grace frame; before that, I quilted at the kitchen table. I took a small 24" x 24" sandwich (quilt that is) and practiced free motion quilting. I started by stitching names in cursive, things I learned in elementary school. That was simple and natural. Then I drew a 4" x 4" box and sectioned it into 4 - 2" x 2" blocks. Using a book for instruction (Free Motion Quilting Made Easy) I was able to make simple 4 petal flowers, and then progress from there. Once I got my frame for my DM, I quilted in a more crude method by taking the stylus on the carriage and with my right hand using it as a pencil to draw. Now that I have a longarm, I find it harder to quilt. I can follow pantos but still fear custom free motion. Yes, Peggy, anything you do will help. Draw, draw, draw, then draw some more. When I was developing The Pocket Guides to Freehanding, this is how they started. I folded a sheet of paper in half lengthwise, and then in thirds along the length. That gave me some boundaries to draw within. That's how the size and shape of the Pocket Guides came about. Thirteen years later, they're still a top seller. I see their influence in so much of the freehand quilting I see today and can only be grateful that I didn't know how to quilt "freehand" but was determined to learn. A lot of paper ended up in the shredder, but enough of it was good enough to put in those little books. Darlene; used them the night I wrote this. I think there is something wrong with the left side of my brain though. I can only seem to move in one direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheagatzi Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 I practice on a white board constantly - I have it on my lap as I watch tv. When I'm on the phone with my dad (he talks a lot ) I have a notebook in front of me and doodle. I think the one thing that I need to do now is get a sketchbook and have some of my practice designs in a notebook so that when I'm discussing with clients i can show them some ideas. sometimes sketching on the fly on the whiteboard doesn't come out as good as you hope. Also, when it comes to practice I'm sure others may disagree but I really think it's important to have something meaningful to practice on. A sheet of muslin or just a practice quilt doesn't make it meaningful to me, so if I make a mistake - I just move to the next spot. Whereas a panel, baby quilt, charity quilt does - I plan more carefully, and stitch with purpose. I use pinterest a lot to look for patterns and ideas to practice. "longarm quilting" and "longarm quilting patterns" "machine quilting patterns" are good places to start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 James it sounds like you were gifted with a treasure trove of books to work through, you are right, there is so much to read and go through. You will find your niche and those things that will come easy for you to draw and then quilt. For instance I seem to find it easier to do those formal bump bump feathers rather than the amish style open feathers. Drawing those things you want to learn to quilt will absolutely come easier and easier over time. You know another resource to look at for little custom ideas are preschool coloring books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darlene Epp Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 James, don't give up! My brain was the same way. I have several cousins that are great artists and I was sure I must have been behind the door when those genes were handed out! I needed a ruler to draw a stick man, and then needed to be told where to put the arms and legs! Seriously! What I realized after awhile, is that all these freehand designs are made up of shapes we learned as children. I'm sure your brain knows what a circle is, and arc, an "S" shape, etc. Study freehand designs and figure out what shapes are used. Then say the name of the shape out loud as you draw it. When you get to the front of the quilting machine, put your hands on the SIDES of the handles so each hand can only push. In this way you're training the weak side of your brain. Try this when you're doing pantographs from the back of the machine too. Going forward and back, your hands are making the same motion; they're either pushing or pulling, but when going side to side, if you're holding the handles normally, one will be pushing and the other one pulling. Instead of gripping the handles, try flattening your hand out a bit so your hands can only push. You'll still need enough grip that you can push and pull forward and back, but try this exercise and I think you'll see the improvement. My students had great success and immediate improvement when they used this technique. You are at the same place I was at many years ago. With determined effort, and a lot of drawing, I improved quite quickly, but I concentrated on ONE thing at a time. I'll never have the "vision" some quilters have when they look at a quilt, but by breaking it down into manageable bits, I can turn out some decent work. Probably not award winning, but that's never been my focus or my goal. I just want happy customers and I want to take pride in my work. Start at the beginning of the Meanderings book and work your way through it. Each design is built on the techniques you learned on previous pages. Don't skip ahead. The Reverse Loop design is one of the most important things you can learn as it is the foundation for just about everything else! This much I know! If I can do it, ANYONE can do it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyG_Quilts Posted November 8, 2013 Report Share Posted November 8, 2013 Some quilters I know have a piece of clear plastic sheet from the upholstery department at the big box fabric store they put over the quilt top and use dry erase markers to practice over the actual quilt. It is also suggested that you put blue painter's tape around the edges so that you don't actually draw on the quilt itself accidently. I have not tried this yet, I just got some clear plastic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leigh Posted November 9, 2013 Report Share Posted November 9, 2013 I have only done free motion quilting on my tops and a practice in paper till I feel confident . Then do with machine a few times to make sure we are in tune the quilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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