Mary Beth Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 Okay, finally I took pics of McTavishing...tell me what I need to do differently. I tend to quilt big so I layed a pen next to my sample so you can get an idea. This is the sample that my DH's ex-stepdad's girlfriend thought was beautiful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 Mary Beth, I think it is not too big and I think it is really beautiful, too! Much better than the "Bird of Paradise" you did earlier! "My DH\'s ex-stepdad\'s girlfriend?" (I\'m so confused!) Boy you sure have a lot of extended family! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
appr216 Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 OOOOOOOOOOHHH So beautiful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted January 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 now come one...you guys need to be honest. I really have worked on this, but it doesn\'t seem right. I sometimes get into a place I don\'t want to be. I have been watching Miss Karen\'s DVD and PPP. I know I will get it, or feel comfortable with it...in time. Oh my, I could tell you stories about my extended family.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 Mary Beth, I think you are like me, you go up and down but have to force yourself to go side to side! I really like the look of your lines and I really don\'t think it is too big! I think it also helps to draw a patch and quilt within that because when you have the whole piece like that it is easy to not stay focused on what area you are trying to fill! Heidi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmquilt Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 Mary Beth, I think it looks great you just have to keep going. Even Karen has to back track to a different place if I remember right on her video. Just keep going to fill in the space. Michele Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltfarm Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 Looks beautiful to me too Mary Beth. - Your DH\'s ex stepdads girlfriend huh - yep, I\'m guessing you would have some interesting family stories alright. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 I agree with Heidi....its hard to make yourself go side to side....but I don\'t think this is to big. Sometimes you will even be in a place that will want to make it bigger than this or maybe smaller. I think its a situation of whatever the hole calls for is what it gets. This is what makes each quilt different, as each of us have a different twist on how its done. No matter what it is like as long as its uniform its done correct.... It doesn\'t make any difference how you peel a spud once its been mashed who cares how it got into the pot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramona-quilter Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 I think that you are too hard on yourself. I like it. I like the curves and flow of it and that is what McT is. I think you have that nailed. If you find yourself stranded away from where you want to be, just back track or start off in a new direction going towards where you want to be and work your way over. I also think McT with some negative space looks good. That is, you have an empty space the width of an area where you would have 2 or 3 lines. So the empty space really gives the area a different dimension. This is not your bird of paradise effort, Mary Beth. This is finally McAtchisoning. Keep it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenscratch Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 Mary Beth, It looks good to me. I know what you mean about getting stuck in a place you don\'t want to be. Here\'s something I tried that seemed to help. I draw one squiggly line (which will be the first of a little section) then I backtrack halfway back up the line and make one perpendicular to it in another direction, then go halfway back up that line and draw another guide line, until I have a bunch of lines spaced out. Then I use those as guidelines to McTavish. That way I make sure to change directions often, without getting in a rut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted January 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 Linda, DH told me once that they looked like bananas, didn\'t really want to go for that look!! I probably should stop talking to him, but since he is my only roommate I can\'t. Teresa, That make sense, I\'ll try that and see where it takes me. Thanks girls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigletaz Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 MB - I saw Karen McT in person doin her thang and she had to backtrack several times during the class. I think it\'s great... don\'t be so hard on yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BethDurand Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 I like it! Teresa, Thanks for the idea on how you get to move around. I\'ve got a quilt of my own coming up that I want to play around with that, so I appreciate your ideas. Beth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenMcManus Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 Beth, It looks great to me! Can you show a pic of the whole quilt? I bet it looks fabulous. Theresa, that\'s a great idea for organizing an area to McTavish. Now, if only I could McTavish...........! Jen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 That looks like Classic McT to me!!! It is very curvey and the spacing is perfect! Keep up the good work, Mary Beth. No more Bird of Paradise--just McMary-ing (or McBething?? I\'m going to bed now--done enough damage here!!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 It looks great to me too---I think each quilters McTavishing becomes their own. It is not a type of quilting that can be duplicated to be exactly like Karen\'s, or anyone elses either. Your picture is of a small area of McTavishing. It\'s the big overall picture that really counts---if you do this type of McTavishing around or into blocks on a whole quilt---it would be beautiful! Don\'t be so hard on yourself! Very nice McTavishing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattyJo Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 I have a question for all you McT\'g quilters out there. Does it "have" to be small? If so, why? If we are all suppose to own our stitching, what is wrong with it being a bit bigger? I\'ve seen stippling from micro to huge. Wouldn\'t this be the same? Just wondering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted January 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 Smarty pants!! Linda that is beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennan100 Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Your McTing looks great Mary Beth! I like the oversized, also, there are so many places it just fits and it\'s great in borders! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 If I could do a McT like that I\'d play our grandsons cello on the front porch for all to groan over! I really feel it is nice in size, and very pretty.. nice curves.. doesn\'t look like an octapus like mine.. and I missed the bird of paradise.. Really it is gorgeous.. RitaR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hollyc Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 I just spent a day in December with Karen in her studio and she starts wtih a long curvy line and goes off from there. The first line can be 10-20 inches if laid straight. You are so right that each quilter falvors the McTavishing. Karen\'s quilting is just exquisite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted January 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 I have taken Karen\'s classes, once at my machine quilter\'s guild meeting and once at MQS. First off, she is a hoot, and so willing to share her knowledge and skill. Second....wowsa, that girl can quilt and makes it look easy. My example is not a "real" quilt, but just muslin practice stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingupastorm Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Mary Beth ok here is honest. First I want to say that your McTavish looks fine but here are a few things that could enhance it (in my opionion for whatever that is worth) 1. Size is not important. I have done a huge meander in a sky of the Balloon Quilt I did for my guild last year and the custom heirloom I just took off my machine has a teeny tiney delicate McTavish. 2. I think McTavish looks better all filled in. If you fill in the rest of that area I am sure you will like it much better. I think of McTavish as a fill so by all means fill it in. 3. Your curved shapes are much the same and that is why they have that banana like aperance your husband describes. When I began to make more curved lines and have the direction change 3-4 times in the same line I liked my McTavish much better. Make some of em really long and with several curves. Vary the curves as much as you can. Do not worry if one line is spaced closer together than another.........this actually looks good as far as I am concerned to have them a bit less perfect. 4. BY ALL MEANS BACKTRACK YOUR LITTLE HEART OUT - I know I sure do and my friends say mine looks great. One last thing that I know Karen McTavish has said herself is that each person needs to develop their own style. Hey if it dosent look just like hers who cares. I recently saw a photo of one of her latest quilts and it had a closeup of her McTavishing and I noticed that it looked different from some of her earlier ones. Now all that said I think what you have is fine and my guidelines are hopefully what you were asking about how to make it better so just keep at it. I know when I look at photos of my first quilt with McTavishing and my latest I can see my own McTavishing (or maybe McKrenzeling has come a long way). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DebFigved Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 MaryBeth, When I was in Karen\'s classes, I remember her saying to go one direction about 3-4 times, then go another direction, then after 3 or 4 lines, go another direction....if you get in a corner, back track. You\'ve got the start, just keep going and fill it in. Also, Karen\'s own words were something like "everyone will have their own style". Karen\'s is McTavishing, your\'s is McBething. You go girl.... Also, in Cathy Franks class, she said her method of McTavishing is "onion skin". I loved her method too. And Cathy\'s explanation even helped me with Karen\'s style. Keep practicing. You are doing it beautifully. See you at MQS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted January 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Thank you!! Yes, I want honesty. I have a hard time getting my brain/hand coordination to do curves in a different direction. I need to work on that for sure. At least they don\'t look like bird of paradise any more....bananas make me think I\'m getting there. It\'s only a matter of time now. Yes, your suggestions are a great help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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