This is a quick project and a great way to make use of your machines fancy stitches, i save all of my batting strips after the squaring up process just for similar projects, a great scrap buster, who says they need to be all matchy match either, use what you got. Its so small it is a little easier to go bold , which is what i have done with numerous potholders, coming up....
This quilt was my first attempt at paper piecing, each block took forever, it seemed, then, hence why there are so few. I think i would be a bit faster now that i have the hang of it, oh and there is a card trick block in the center that was pieced normally. What i loved about this from the start was how precise paper piecing is, each block comes out perfect, this appeals to my OCD half (self diagnosed) 😇 and the fact that i was able to produce this quality of work so early in my practice because of the ease of use with this method. The results are encouraging, so if you are feeling diwn and need a little boost, check out a how to paper piece method on youtube before you get started, it really hels me to see something being done first, then to play around with it hands on.
This quilt is an earlier piece, raw edge applique and all over free motion quilted in my very own design, i was testing this design out to see how it would stand up on a larger scale, i wish i would have done a better job basting, i also tried out a new sandwiching technique that perhaps i did not do quite right or maybe it was the fact that the quilt was folded and put away between basting and quilting, however it happened, the layers moved around a bit and i have some baggy spots , if you know what i mean, i hope a good washing will fix it. The design itself worked out quickly, and that is something i appreciate.
I have decided to post my best items. I am donating all of the quilts that I made as practice and am looking for an appropriate local charity, probably Inn from the Cold, Calgary's local homeless shelters. Winter is coming and quilts will come in handy, heaven knows warmth is something that many will go without this season. I am feeling better already , decision made...
I have really struggled with the business end of my shop. It is hard for me to have an objective opinion about my own quilts, i have some fears regarding this whole endeavor. My internal dialogue is conflicted; one minute i believe i am under value- ing my work and then i am plagued with more negative self talk that goes a little like- my work is not good enough, i am asking myself, if the quality in the craftmanship is up to par, of course the first few quilts i made are nothing like what i can make today as far as quality, i learned how to sew a straight line, or i should say , i started the process of learning barely 2 years ago, i am in my second year now.. I have not yet made myself a quilt yet, instead i have busied myself with making gifts for my family, last count was 5 quilts for my mom, both my kids, a special aunt and my grandparents. I kept all these quilts simple and was happy with each of them. I am a perfectionist, i have had to make an effort in overcoming this defect of character as it has gotten in my way during life plenty of times. Perfectionism keeps me challenged as one can always improve, which is not such a bad thing over all, however when it robs you of pride in accomplishment or joy of completion it has gotten the better of you, and is no longer a positive motivator but rather a subtle enemy that if personified you would ban from hearth and home due to their abusive nature.
I struggle with balance, finding a happy medium, i wish i could see my quilts through the eyes of a few dozen different individuals so that i could view it objectively, more important, i wish to recognize the value of my own craftmanship and hold on to the love, inspiration, excitement and thought that went into each project, and let that be enough. I guess i am seeing the differences between gifting and selling and hope that i can find some pleasure in the selling department. Would it not be great to be able to earn some money by doing something you love, using creativity ever day in your work? The slight possibility of this is enough reason for me to plug on, when i start doubting myself or my work and start considering slashing my prices to the point where i am paying for the privilege to give my hard work away, i hope i can come back here and take a breath, and remember that all greatness is birthed through some not so greatly moments, to persevere and hang on, maybe one day someone will read this😉 and be able to relate. I am feeling a little lost in blog land and on etsy, like i am in anew place and struggling to find my way around, i dont know the language and am finding a lot of threads that claim to be directions but in fact leave me a little confused. I have found some good advice as far as the blog is concerned and that was to stay true to yourself and hang in there, try to be consistent, have patience as you will eventually get more traffic once you have a bit of a consistent history and you are for sure sticking around. I believe that all efforts are rewarded in time in some way or another, one door closes a window opens, let it be.
Hi everyone,
I am starting a new venture and am in the midst of opening my own online shop on etsy called Threads quilt Co. I wanted to call it kararist threads ( my hubby says he is being kararized when i give him a hard time) This is funny because i can be a bit of a terror during my creative process, i usually hunker down and push through in solitude, this is not always possible, as i have him to feed as well as our two kids, they all have to eat, even at inconvenient times, like in the middle of a quilt.. Only because i am so wonderful, do i stop doing what i am doing, sometimes it takes every bit of my strength to then re-focus my energies on dinner..
Anyway, please do not take the above to seriously, just my brand of humor, getting off track... i am opening an etsy shop as i am finally satisfied with the quilts I am producing. I am a bit of a perfectionist and am struggling still with listing some of the things i made earlier, the last two quilt tops i have made, i am really happy with, i am adding borders to those star log cabin block and will be listing those shortly in my shop. Still not sure about some of the others i had in mind, i made quite few table runners while i was practicing free motion quilting, these small quilts could be considered art quilts, i will have to pull some of these items out, i really want to make a good go of this shop, i want to sell good quality items at fair prices. I could really use some advice as to whether i should be listing a few of my items with flaws like a pinched back from the quilting, if the blemish is mentioned and photograph of flaw is shown, and this minor flaw is reflected in the price, or , should i be leaning towards listing fewer items that are more up to my standards... and priced accordinly. Pricing is another thing i find challenging, to put a monetary value on ones artistic creation, this is difficult. I wonder if a quilt appraiser can value a bundle of quilts for a fee, this way i would know they are priced fairly, i dont want to sell myself short, but still have to be competitive, after doing a bit of market research, i am more confused than ever as there are huge differences in price, quality of construction or difficulty of pattern or the materials used do not seem to be what individuals are guaging value of a piece by, but more often asking prices that are way too low or way too high in my opinion. Maybe somewhere in the middle is where i should start. i would love to hear what some of you might do..Please look through the following pics of the things i am listing and considering listing in my etsy shop. I am hoping that my reluctance to list some of these items due to imperfections is unfounded...... I guess my biggest challenge will be to recognize the value of my own craftmanship... Another Aha moment, as Oprah would say.... thanks for reading, if anyone has indeed read this far 😆
Sincerely,
Kara
I have been staring at these blocks that my mom (by heart and in-law) had given me during our last visit in Vancouver B.C. Inititially I had thought I would add more of the same blocks as i had a couple of the same fabrics from moms fabric stash, so i started strip piecing, there are a few really great tutorials out there that show how to do this particular block, i will have to track said tutorials down again and figure out how to add the link.... I pieced a dozen strips or so and held it up to the quilt, i was way off, i should have been auditioning prints from the start, i figured as they were similar value it would not matter, i was wrong...So back to the drawing board... I layed out all the blocks on the design wall, one more row of blocks would have completed this design perfectly but alas, i did not have the right fabrics, so I decided to add some borders to it, maybe i would use the strips i pieced as a postage stamp border instead. I auditioned a couple of the same prints used in the blocks and found i preferred the a solid white as it brightened it up where as the other prints made it look muddy. The white fabric gives your eye a break from all the busy prints while showcasing them in the best light. I was going to add another couple borders but decided against this after auditioning several, sometimes less is better.
Now it came time to make my sandwich, i taped my backing- a vintage floral, also from moms scrap stash, down to my cutting table and layered batting and our quilt top and spray basted between layers. I have decided to try my hand at hand quilting, this is what mom does. I have only quilted by machine, i do enjoy free motion quilting, but i do not lime the shine an invisible thread puts on a top, and that would have been my only option on this top or i could have used a taupe or grey thread, the thread would have really stood out in some places and disappeared in others given the variation in colour and print. So, my mom is an amazing hand quilter, her stitches are so tiny and even and straight where they should be straight. Mom marks her quilts with bits of masking tape, after stitching 3/4of a block and finding I have some really wobbly lines, i tied and buried my thread last night , i think today i will be using the tape, and i will have to try out the thimble, it would help , if i could push the needle back up from the backing without getting stabbed. Pictures to follow, i just have to finish my tea...
This is what my space looks like in the middle of a quilt, fabric everywhere, floor covered in thread, i sweep up at the end of the day, most of the time.. This is where i do my cutting and sewing. I refinished this table myself, i had not intended to use it as a sewing table, it was suppose to be temporary, but over time i have grown quite fond of this set up, it is a pub style table and has been lowered ever so slightly, i do not have to hunch over to sew, which makes bigger projects much easier on my back. I have a drop leaf table that is on wheels that I can slide out from under the table to be used for cutting and sometimes i stretch my quilt backing over it with clamps and lar my quilt batting and top and spray baste or pin. My other sewing machine is tucked away in the storage cupboard that is contained ubder this table top. The dresser was also a project of mine, it was given to me, i painted and distressed it a bit and added the glass pulls and use it to store my fabric. Inside the fabric is folded up to a consistent size and filed on its side, so everything is visible at a glance. The end table that i have next to the dresser stores my ufo, s that I intend to complete at some point....... I also painted a peg board and hang all of my rulers, templates, patterns and cutting tools etc. I keep Grannies thread and other haberdashery in a decorative cupboard that i open every now and then and look through the shiny silk threads that i use sparingly to quilt the odd item that i plan to keep for myself. I can feel her with me in these moments and can feel her smiling. This is my favorite space in the house. Sewing is my meditation and or medication...
This is the cabin i pieced in the first round, i started working with the theory of lights on one side darks on the other, as you may see here, if you share my opinion, is that there may be more to this than that. I just started reading a text on practical colour theory, hope it helps me avoid further fuglies. More to come in way of update. I have made a discovery that solves this problem, i am in the middle of executing this solution, and will have pics soon that will show how i was able to take these same fabrics and mix them with my own more modern fabrics with what i am hoping is success. So far so good i have some log cabins that i am happy with , all i had to do was start using the wrong side of the fabrics that were making the addition of my fabrics impossible. I discovered that i Love these fabrics wrong side.This is probably due to the fact that i love grey and the wrong side of fabrics tends to have this neutral threaded through it. The wrong side appears more neutral which enabled me to add some nice accent colour without it being overwhelming, and it works.. i was so excited when i discovered this as it was like i immediately doubled my fabric stash in terms of colour value....more pics of the new blocks that i find pleasing, coming soon... i welcome any comment, please feel free to share any experiences you may have had with your own fugly fabric pairings and any solutions you may have discovered to make it work.
This is my very first quilt, i made in the end of 2012..or possibly in 2013 ? The date on the label is covered by binding. As you can see, i lost all the points while squaring up the quilt in the end. I was so proud of its squareness that i did not fret too much about the lost points. This is why it is so important to square up each block prior to piecing. I am a bit of a perfectionist, so one would think that this quilt would disturb me beyond measure, Odd as this may be, this quilt still hangs in my living room. I find the colors to be very soothing and perhaps the fabrics are its saving grace as i still enjoy the odd glance at it. Despite its many flaws , i still enjoy it. Maybe it serves as a reminder that perfection is not my aim, even though it is something i strive for. It is a reminder that perfection is not necessary to wholeness or completion. It is a nice reminder of my progress as i can see where i have improved since then, i hope to continue improving and learning , a special thanks to all who post tutorials, to which enabled me to learn this skill in the comfort of my own home in my own time, no need for a sitter :)
This is my first attempt at a log cabin quilt. I just came back from a visit with my family and my mother in law showed me all of her finished quilts and i found every one of them inspiring. Mom had also allowed me some time going through her fabric stash. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning, such a guilty pleasure :). Needless to say, when we got home, i could hardly wait to get started on my new project, practicality won when i managed to get us unpacked first. I find i require a tidy space to get my creative juices flowing, sometime the creative pocess can in itself get a bit messy but i try to atleast get started with a tidy environment. The middle of a project can look like chaos to the untrained eye :) it is organized chaos and i am okay with that, it all gets tidied up in the end..
Anyways, mom has made some amazing log cabin quilts, i have to ask her permission to share some of these beauties with the quilt world as they are perfection, she has an eye for detail that is unsurpassed , all her points and seams are perfect, not to mention her use of colour or the hand quilting, OMG, the hand quilting is simply to die for. When i first started sewing a little over a year ago, i had had no idea just how talented this incredible woman is. My appreciation for her quilts continues to grow, i am blessed to have such an amazing teacher.
Anyway, I meant to try my hand at a light and dark log cabin quilt, where the log cabins orientation creates a dark and light diamond shapes. Mom had successfully done some really scrappy log cabins this way that i more or less fell in love with...My goal was to use all the fabrics mom had given me and anything from my own stash that would work....
So i started cutting strips at 1.5" and separated my lights and darks. Then i chain pieced 4 cabins to start. I was not pleased with the look, the fabrics just did nothing for each other, i wanted scrappy, but this was fugly looking. So i changed my colors and went to something a little safer for me- grey / white and navy, with the red center, this was way more to my liking. I chain pieced a dozen in these colors and was pleased. I hate to waste, and i still was not ready to abandon the scrappy look yet, at this point i was using more fabric from my stash, which was not the original plan. Let me just say , the fabrics i had gotten from mom are lovely, but somehow, when i pieced them together it was just wrong. Maybe, if i were to just keep piecing the fugly block would grow on me, but it is a lot of effort to make for something that was looking like it was going to be hideous. I know myself to get easily discouraged and knew how important it is to be pleased with the outcome of something i am just learning. So , the first block i finished was with my safe colours, the grey/white for the light side and the navy for the dark. Then i wanted to play around a bit with more colour and aimed for a scrappier block, again with my own fabrics i mixed it up a bit, there was not enough contrast and i was not pleased, funny thing is, it sat on the design wall for a couple days and i started to like the low contrast in that the star shape is so subtle up close as the fabrics are so loud that the star disappears, until you stand around ten feet or more away and then the star can is easily be seen. The over all look has grown on me. Now i am unsure as to what to do as far as, Should i make one large quilt? Or make a couple baby quilts or wall hangings?
Not sure yet...
I am really proud of these blocks, it is the first project that i have used my new quarter inch foot for, and wow what a difference, this is the first time things lined up for me as well as they did. Then squaring up the cabins before piecing the blocks , really does make huge difference, i could not believe how much i had ro shave off each cabin, it all adds up...
So many cool things to do with a log cabin, chain piecing is my new bff.
