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Mary Beth

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Hi again, you might want to consider interviewing different designs on clear plastic. I use Preview Paper which you can buy through your notions dealer or clear plastic at your local hardware store. I also use Vis-a-Vis wet-wipe fine point markers. You'll be able to see exactly what the quilting will look like. Diane Gaudynski's technique of echo quilting would look nice in the blocks. It's similar to McTavishing but a more traditional look. You could do a cross-hatch design in the border.

Good luck!

Chantal Anderson

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Hi Mary Beth,

The "piano key" quilting would be a straight line from each point of the half-square triangles along the outer edge of the sashing, perpendicular to the sashing and extending across the width of the border until meeting the outer edge of the quilt. I'd jump across the swag portions as I came to them. Since the sashing's half-square triangles are evenly spaced, your "piano key" quilting would automatically be spaced evenly, too.

As for the flower pot and stars, I'd do another star inside the flower pot (and maybe a smaller one inside the first star, depending on the size of the first). On the stars, use the edge of your foot and quilt just inside the star's outer edge, "outlining" it on the inside of the shape. Add another one inside that if there isn't enough quilting once the first one is done.

Hope to see photos when you are finished--you've got lots of great ideas from the forum going!

You'll be great--you can do it!

Dawn

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Thanks Dawn. Yes, there are a lot of great ideas that I intend to try. I am trying to teach myself to slow down when I "get behind the wheel". I tend to be off to the races, like I need to move it fast because the needle is going up and down fast. If I ever get good at that I should be able to whip out a quilt in about 15 minutes :P I probably should talk to myself, since I talk slow and think slow....maybe I would quilt slower.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Okay, I'm starting this quilt today...everyone pray...keep your finger's crossed...do what ever it is you do...

I have printed off my Dawn Cavanaugh instructions...I think I'm ready...going to read through them several more times :) Do some deep breathing exercises....then get started.

Wish me luck!! ;)

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Dawn Cavahaugh...you hoo....

Tell me the order I need to do this quilting...I don't want wavey borders...or antything bad to happen...the piecing is perfect...this woman knows her stuff...the following web site is one of her quilts...Her name is ...I know, I know...she puts her pants on the same as we all do...a little nervous is good - I think :D

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Hi Mary Beth,

I was stumped with the same question after I made my first applique quilt. I finally found a book that provides alot of pictures of traditional antique quilts with close up photos so you can see what strategies were used to quilt in and around the applique. According to this book, from a historical perspective, quilters quilted right through the applique all the time.

The book is called Choosing Quilting Designs from the Rodale series.

I also tried using a technique that Sherry Rogers shared in the forum once, ie. taking some thin upholstery vinyl (from JoAnns) to rehearse various quilting options to see which one looks best first before you begin to quilt.

Dawn, I was wondering if the judges would give extra brownie points for hand embroidery using embroidery floss to add accent vines to the leaves?

Also, with cross-hatching, I'm wondering how close together you would recommend the lines to be? Since the applique hardly leaves any open spaces to quilt in, should they be relatively close together, around 1" ?

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Mary Beth

You will do a great job. I look forward to the finished work. I'm a lover of crosshatching. I really like the diamond crosshatching as well. Sherry Rogers has a great ruler just for that!

Thanks so much to everyone in their sharing. I've learned so much from this post. I'm usually not one to respond but this one I just had to because of the information.

Regards,

Pearl Herkamp

Quilt S'More

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Mary Beth,

By the time I've realized you've been "whooo hooo-nig" me I'll bet you've got the quilt done!

But just in case, here's the order I'd proceed in if the quilt were pinned to my frame instead of yours :) (Load the quilt as you normally do):

1. Pin-baste the sides of the quilt in place. (If her quilt is well-made as you suggest, and you're really concerned about perfection, then you can use your channel lock to stitch a vertical line on the batting and backing only, just outside the side edges. This will give you a guideline to follow as you pin the quilt's side edges in place. Don't stretch the quilt to the line--just use it to judge if you're staying on track.)

2. SID between the outer border and the top half-square triangle border.

3. Stitch next to the applique in the top border to hold it in place.

4. If you float your top, then do the "piano key" quilting in the top border. I would bring my thread up right at a seam between the the first half square triangle in the inside border. Next, I'd quilt straight up to the applique, putting locking stitches in the line as I approached the applique swag. I'd drag the thread across the applique and begin quilting again, starting with locking stitches and then continuing off the edge of the quilt.

Then I'd drag the needle back down to the inside border again, aligning the needle between the next two half-square triangles, and continue as above. This method will keep pushing the fabric in the same direction to prevent rippling and distortion between the straight quilting lines.

(I should mention that I personally don't float my tops, so I'd be doing the side borders first as I went instead of the top, and would need to rotate the quilt when I reached the bottom.)

4. Next I'd stitch all the way around the inside perimeter of the first row of applique squares. For this step I'd choose invisible thread since my favorite way to cross hatch involves stitching in the ditch to get from one line to another so that I don't have to take time to secure all those thread starts and stops. But you certainly can choose to begin and end each cross hatch line independently--you know the gal's style best.

The reason I'd use invisible to SID around the block is so that as I quilt in the ditch from one line to the other I don't have a lot of thread build-up in certain spots as I cross over them more than once.

4.5 SID around the half-square triangles in the the top inner border.

5. After the SID around the block, I'd stitch around all the applique with invisible thread to secure it in place. Go on each side of each applique piece--around the bird, inside the wreath, around each circle, etc.

6. Use your favorite method to cross hatch the block. I'd connect the lines as mentioned earlier by using the sashing to automatically space my lines (they'll probably come out around an inch apart or so.) Jump over the top of the applique when you approach it, securing the ends before jumping across and when you begin "on the other side".

(I don't have a stitch regulator, so the way I "secure" the ends is to move more slowly as I approach the applique, creating those teeny-tiny stitches that are hard to rip out if they happen by accident. Use your needle up/down button to put in tiny stitches, or stop about 1/4" shy of the applique, and put the machine into manual mode to put tiny stitches in.)

7. Add any detail quilting as needed on top of the applique.

(yes, judges like to see quilting on the applique for accenting, especially if the patch is quite large.) Hand-embroidered stems would be a nice design element, but not always necessary--quilter's choice.

8. Advance the fabric and center the second row of blocks between the rollers. SID around the second blocks.

9. SID the half square triangles in the sashing between rows one and two. (Since I turn nearly every quilt, I wouldn't do the vertical sashing strips until I turned the quilt; but since you've secured the edges of the sashing by stitching around each applique block in this instance, you could do the vertical sashes too.)

10. Repeat until the bottom border has been completed; Remove the quilt and trim all the traveling threads on the back before turning so you don't snag any with the machine.

11. Re-mount the quilt by turning it 1/4 turn clockwise. Quilt the remaining borders as before, and sashing if not done in the first pass.

12. Call the gal and make lots of money, and grin all the way to the bank :D!

Let us know how it goes (or if you're done, how it went!)

Dawn

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Yippee...no, the quilt is not even loaded...cucumbers needed to be made into relish first...then I went to the hospital to deliver Jessica's quilt, and now I'm finishing the relish...no time for dinner....

Thank you for these insturction. I am printing them off as we speak ;)

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And so....what about thread?? Should I use So Fine?? Should I use Signature?? And what about when I stitch over the applique, I use matching thread...what does that do to the thread on the back? I think I am starting to panick...I think I need oxygen....

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Breathe, Mary Beth, Breathe...

Use a matching thread on the applique. So Fine will give you a "dainty" line while the Signature will be a bit more robust. I'd go with the So Fine.

As for the backing thread--did the gal have any issues with invisible? If you're sweating bullets over it, invisible in the bobbin can save lots of headaches when it comes to stitching over and around applique. For example, if her backing is light and you use light thread, there's a chance you'll see dots of light thread peaking through to the top wherever you stitch on the applique. Conversely, if you match the top and bobbin thread color you'll have lots of color changes on the back and starts and stops tend to be more noticeable.

But with invisible in the bobbin, you don't have to worry about either issue. Use Mono Poly if you want the thread to be a bit more durable, since it's polyester as opposed to nylon.

To wind invisible thread on your bobbin, be sure to loosen the tension quite a bit if you have the turbo bobbin winder. You want the invisible thread to behave like normal thread, so pull it through the tension discs and guides, and then let go of the tail. If it's kinky like a corkscrew, loosen the tension some more.

Only wind the bobbin half-full to avoid having it stretch as it winds. Also, loosen your bobbin case. Put the bobbin into the case and thread it under the tension finger. Then tug on the tail as it exits the case and let go. Again, if you see a corkscrew effect, loosen the tension some more.

You're going to be fine, and you'll do a great job. She wouldn't have asked you if she didn't also think so! If you're still having trouble breathing, I'll bet your daughter can refresh you with a few Lamaze techniques to help you relax and "give birth" to this project :)!

Dawn

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okay, I have started the process...however, when I stitched around each block...the blocks are so big that I can roll back to do the half square triangle border...I'm trying to follow instructions to the "T" :)

Sooo I have started stitching around the applique just as you (Dawn C.) instructed...and I think that I will never talk on here again...because it is going to take me forever to complete this silly quilt...how much did I charge her? :o

It's been very nice knowin ya all....;)

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Ok, Mary Beth, I'm sitting here in cheerleader mode. :P You've got ME nervous now! :mad: I keep scrolling back to see the picture and then scrolling forward, saying "yep, yep, yep, ooooohhhhh, yep, oh gee, yep" or is that "yelp!". Glad you've started it, but it's wearing me out trying to help you from here! You're more than good enough to handle this, once you get going it will just flow along! (I get waaaay to emotionally involved in these thingys!)

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Thank you girls....for your support...I am at my real job right now....so I can read and type...once I leave here at 12:30, it's back to the quilting. At the end of the day yesterday, I made a mistake and will be ripping out when I get home...pray that I don't cut the quilt top.

I am trying to do everything by the letter. Not a partial float, but pinning the top and sides like I learned from Dawn in Quilting 101 a long time ago. I forgot I had pins in the sides and tried to roll the quilt back and almost ripped the pins out of the sides....did a dance...didn't help...Note to self...be more careful, (and here's a tough one) pay attention!!

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Mary Beth, repeat after me..."The day job is just temporary, Professional Longarm Quilting is my REAL job.".

Bonnie, please nudge me if you catch me holding my breath, or at least catch me before I hit the floor when I pass out! 'm taking drugs tonight so I can sleep. I keep waking up with the Cabbage Patch thing going on. Dreaming I'm quilting!

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These blocks are huge...20". I can't get the whole thing in stitching distance. For one thing I have my base extender on most of the time so I bump into my front bar. Can't get an entire row of crosshatch, so I am going as far as I can, so far stopping at the applique in the middle, then will try to make it match up when I roll...It's pretty slow going...but I keep repeating..."I can do this...I can do this". After starting to stitch my crosshatching yesterday I started second guessing my color choice on thread....then the type...I decided to rip it all out...then decided to walk away and just stop for the day. I came back to the room about an hour later and looked at it again, and decided I am nuts...the color is fine...Today is a new day!!

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