Category: Longarm Quilting
Covers posts related to Longarm Quilting services or techniques.
Easter Sale!
What’s Going On:
Here’s the Details:
A Little Holiday Reflection:
12 Days of Christmas Sale!
What I’m Thankful for:
2020 has been a long year for everyone. There have been so many ups and downs, so much stress surrounding us all. I’m thankful for the good things that have gotten me through all of this. Loving family, great friends, two crazy pups that keep me moving, a wonderful garden, a beautiful place to live, and all of my fantastic customers. So many of you have been there cheering me on through self doubt and hectic times. It’s now time to give back to all of you!
Ready, Set, Sale!
This year my Christmas sale will be the 12 Days of Christmas. In order to not have anyone shopping during holiday family time I’m starting the sale Saturday the 12th! Each day I will be featuring one of my pattern sets @ 50% off. I will be reminding you daily on Facebook with links to each set, so make sure you hop over there and follow me! Here is the complete sale list, check it twice and mark your calendar with the ones you think are nice! Design Store
12th- Glacier Star
13th- Celebration Tree Skirt
14th- Vintage Rose
15th- Bali Wedding Star
16th- Feathered Star
17th- Fire Island Hosta
18th- Amazon Star
19th- Diamond Wedding Ring
20th- Mariner’s Compass
21st- Fractured Star
22nd- Paradise In Bloom
23rd- Dinner Plate Dahlia
All of these patterns have been a part of my growth and journey as a designer. A lot of my sets have stories which I will be sharing tidbits of in my daily Facebook posts. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed creating them!
My Wishes for you!
I wish all of you a peaceful and safe holiday surrounded by the ones you love! As we look forward to next year I’m excited to continue on this journey with all of you. May it be a bright year full of hope and cheer!
Memorial Day Sale
Join us this weekend for our Memorial Day Sale! 25% off Store Wide May 23rd-25th 2020! Use coupon code:
memorial25
Make sure to take a look around the Design Store as I’ve been adding new designs! Hope to see you all there!
Happy Quilting!
– Carrie and Finn
Easter Sale and Wishes!
Who is ready for a virtual Easter Egg Hunt . . .errr, Easter Sale Hunt?
Use coupon code
EASTER10
to get 10% off store wide April 11th and 12th. If you are ready for a little more challenge and adventure hunt through the store to find additional discounts! Find designs from 20-40% off . . .some are on sale Saturday, some Sunday and some both days, so keep hunting for those Eggs . .. errr Sale items and check back until your basket is full! I can’t wait for you all to find what I have hidden for you! Happy Easter everyone!🐰🌷🐣
During this season of confusion and uncertainty, I wish you all an Easter filled with Hope and Peace. May your baskets be filled with blessings and love, and may your houses be filled with those you hold dear. Stay safe and strong!
With Love,
Carrie and Finn
Holiday Thoughts and Sale!
It seems this time of year we are reflecting a lot on what we are thankful for and the joys and trials of the year coming to a close. One of the things I am most thankful for is all of you! Without every single one of you I wouldn’t be able to do what I do. My business has grown so much over the last year and so much of it is due to my wonderful customers that spread my name, support my designs, and trust me with their quilts. My heartfelt thanks to all of you!
With this in mind I wanted to take December and spoil you all a little bit. Instead of doing my monthly sale item I decided to switch it up! Hopefully there will be something to bring a smile to everyone’s face!
- Enjoy 10% off storewide for the entire month! Use coupon code DECEMBER10 to get your discount. (This does not apply to sale items.)
- Every weekend I will be featuring one of my big sets for 40% off! I’ll be reminding you weekly, but make sure to check back every weekend! (Don’t forget to grab your add on pieces while they are also on sale!)
- December 7th-8th: Queen Feathered Star Original Set and Queen Feathered Star Set B!
- December 14th-15th: Queen Dinner Plate Dahlia set! With Fill or Without Fill.
- December 21st-22nd: Queen Fire Island Hosta Layout 1 and Layout 2!
- December 28th-29th: Queen Vintage Rose!
- Schedule an E2E Quilt to be quilted and receive 10% off! Contact me to discuss your quilt! (10% off applies to all E2E quilts scheduled in December even if quilted in other months.)
Have a wonderful Holiday Season with your loved ones! I look forward to seeing where our quilting journey takes us all in the new year!
~Carrie Barone~
Arizona Cactus Table Topper
Arizona Cactus Table Topper Set
Enjoy 25% off the Arizona Cactus complete set for the month of August. Stop by the Design Store to take advantage of the sale! Keep reading for pattern details, tips and tricks!
The Design:
Many of you know that I worked for Judy Niemeyer for several years. I was working for her during the time frame the Cactus designs were being produced and I fell hard for this little block! I have two table runners and a bed quilt from this pattern. I immediately set to dreaming up designs for this set and produced some of my first and most favorite designs!
When I got this little sweet little table topper from CI Sue Wilson to quilt it gave me a chance to work with a new layout. Her beautiful RJR Fabrics were so feminine and immediately had me thinking of delicate pretty designs to enhance them!
As we all do, I have grown and enhanced my techniques over time. This is one of my early creations so the style is a little different than my current flavor but I hope you all still enjoy it just as much!
***Note: All Peak to Prairie Quilting pattern sets come with Placement Layout sheets to help you navigate the pattern names. There can also be additional information on these sheets so please look them over before starting your quilt! ***
I start almost every Quiltworx quilt with Stitch in the Ditch. I use monopoly thread and work my SID through the WHOLE quilt, getting it into one piece. Then I go back and work each color of thread through the whole quilt.
Spikes, Spikes, Spikes!
If you watch my current work you all know that 99% of the time I leave my spikes to POP. I love the varying density this gives to my quilting, I love how it emphasizes the spikes and makes them a focal point, and I love the clean look this gives to a quilt. However, there are times when you just want to quilt those little buggers down . . .and not do all that SID! This set of flames gives some nice texture to these spikes without overpowering them. Easy to place, manipulate or divide as needed you can fit them to the craziest piecing!
Most of the time when you are working on small projects like a table topper time is a factor. Who wants to pay their quilter hundreds of dollars for a small piece like this? And we all know some of these small projects can take just as long as the big ones. This little swirl design places nicely over the little spikes and saves a ton of time!
The spike background swirl is also easy to place and manipulate. If needed you can easily divide close to where a new curl comes out from the previous one. There is only one line of stitching at these points and makes for the easiest manipulation.
Feather Fun:
Now that we have those pesky spikes out of the way lets have some fun! Oh how I love me some feathers and these whimsical little designs have a special place in my heart! Both are easy to place, and fun to look at! While this might be the set they are designed for I have used them over and over in different quilts!
There is no better finish to a quilt than a feather border! This simple swooping feather with curl accents is fun and artistic. Originally designed for a 4″ border, it will come in handy over and over. Make sure you SID along the outer and inner border to give a nice straight finish to your quilt.
The End Result:
Diamond Wedding Star
Diamond Wedding Star Set
Enjoy 25% off the Diamond Wedding Star complete set for the month of July. Stop by the Design Store to take advantage of the sale! Keep reading for pattern details, tips and tricks!
The Design:
Who doesn’t love the beautiful Diamond Wedding Star design by Quiltworx.com? The beautiful arcs, the star accents, the circular layout and all that negative space keep your eyes moving and soaking up intricate details!
However, when it came to quilting this beauty lovingly pieced by CI Kelly Grant, oh my gosh! What to do in all that asymmetrical negative space? What is the best way to break down those blocks into repetitive manageable patterns? And how do you do all that and create a beautiful, impressive design? The good news is you don’t have to worry about it. I spent the hours agonizing and deliberating and designing so you didn’t have to! Here’s some tips and tricks to make using my patterns a breeze!
***Note: All Peak to Prairie Quilting pattern sets come with Placement Layout sheets to help you navigate the pattern names. There can also be additional information on these sheets so please look them over before starting your quilt! ***
I start almost every Quiltworx quilt with Stitch in the Ditch. I use monopoly thread and work my SID through the WHOLE quilt, getting it into one piece. Then I go back and work each color of thread through the whole quilt.
Lets start with those beautiful blocks!
The Simple things:
- The Arcs: Beautiful ribbon feathers flow down each arc and are simple to place.
- Star Points: Simple designs with dense fill to provide a varying density to the design. The star tip pieces are designed to have 1/8-1/4″ boundary around them. The center star small points are designed to have 1/8-1/4″ space at the top and have the base of the design touch the bottom edge. A simple P2P arc completes the center star (not included in set. Use your P2P curve included with your Statler)
- Feather Unit: Simple base with dense fill included. These are also designed to have a 1/8-1/4″ space around the outside. The feather spike units are so small I found the most effective treatment was SID and then 1/4″ stitching along the points. Keep it simple in this small space.
- Melons: Simple and elegant pearl melon easily places in these spaces. Also keep that 1/8-1/4″ space around the outside of these pieces.
The Pearl Ring and Feathers:
When I first looked at this stunning quilt laid out before me, I could see this elegant pearl ring around the star units. I knew the effect would be stunning! As I began digitizing and laying out the design on the screen it occurred to me . . . If I don’t have these perfectly angled as they go around the circle it is going to ruin the effect. How do I make this happen easily??? And how do I help my fellow quilters make this happen??? What to do . . .
If you knew me at all in highschool . . or were my mother . . you know that I was abysmal at geometry. It wasn’t the shapes and angles, but all those darn rules that stumped me. The irony of a universe that took a girl that was terrible at geometry and continually steered her towards quilting is not lost on me. So while one of you other mathematically gifted people could look at this and figure out some complex equation or give me the exact degree this needed to be situated at , that was never going to happen for me. . .and I knew many other quilters would also glaze over at the idea.
Well, where there’s a will there’s a way and I did come up with a simple solution! I included a circle template in the design set. This will NEVER be stitched. It is simply used to place the designs.
Mark out your boundaries for your stitchable background areas and place the circle template (at its original size of 28.80″) so that it intersects several of the star tips as shown. Use the template circle to line up the pearl background. It does not need to be exactly on the template line to create the desired effect, it just needs to be at the same angle as the template. Make sure to toggle the template as sewn before starting to stitch!
Do your best to have the pearl background hit those diamond points for another lovely effect. Less than perfect piecing on your quilt? The straightline sections at the bottom of the pearl unit are designed to be 1/8-1/4″ away from the seamline and can easily be adjusted to accommodate the piecing.
What about the feathers you ask? Easy, easy to place. If possible, work on the sections that mirror each other at the same time, to ensure they are as symmetrical as possible.
The Borders:
While I was so excited to have all of this negative space to work with, the more I played with it the more I realized the asymmetrical nature of it was going to prove a challenge. I wanted something ‘different’ and ‘outside the box’ and I absolutely love what I came up with! What’s more? It was really easy to place and stitch!
Note: The borders where the last thing I stitched on this quilt. If you are doing them first I’d stabilize your blocks in some way first. Either with SID or basting.
Start by placing the outside pearl hoops. Make sure to check the size of the hoops against the Placement Layout Sheet. Start stitching these from the corner out. Next place the crosshatch piece. Line up the outside edge so it continues the line/angle from the block. Now it’s time to place the feathers. Do Not use the already stitched patterns as your boundaries. This is a big area with dense quilting and there will have been shrinkage. Trust me! You will thank me later! Instead, draw a brand new boundary along your stitched patterns and place the feathers. You may even want to double check your last feather or two before you stitch them. Always safer to double check than to pull out your seam ripper.
The side border will done the same way. Hoops first then the feathers!
The End Result:
I hope this has helped break down the process of quilting the Diamond Wedding Star. Does this quilt take time? Absolutely! Is it a hard quilt to quilt? I hope you now realize that no, it’s not. I love how easily you can get great results with this set without stressing over every stitch. The space built in around several of the designs as a ‘design element’, make them easy to place, start stitching, and walk away.
Another bonus for my JNQ junkies is that several of the patterns from the star unit will also fit in the Autumn Pines wall hanging!
How to Hang It
The Conundrum:
Throughout my Longarming career, one of my biggest struggles has been to get quality photos of my finished quilts. Before I hand off a customer quilt I like to get a few (or sometimes a 100) pictures of the finished project. Photography is important to me and I’ve learned over the years how vital it is to get quality photos of quilts to showcase my designs and quilting. Some of my past techniques have included draping quilts over the longarm machine, laying them on floors, and even hanging them from my machine light bar. This usually left me climbing on furniture to get pictures of questionable quality.
A year ago I made the difficult decision to have my studio separate from our living space. I was lucky to be given work space in my boyfriend’s dad’s house. (That’s a mouthful isn’t it?) The walkout basement gives me plenty of space to spread out. Which means I’ve finally been able to set up a quilt photography space! I determined that the extra bedroom with the nice big window to create side lighting would be the best space to use. So now comes the question . . .How to hang the quilt?
What I Needed:
My requirements for my system were:
- Low budget
- Ease of installation
- Low impact/damage on the wall
After a trip to my favorite helpful hardware store (I swear those guys groan when they see me coming), I had supplies and a plan! And at $24.75 for supplies I had hit all my requirements! Here’s what I had:
- 2 eyebolts $2.79
- 50 ft of soft thin rope $5.99
- 10′ metal conduit 3/4″ diameter $5.99
- 1 boat cleat (to tie off with) $2.49
- Curtain hangers (optional) $7.49
What We Did:
After recruiting my boyfriend and his power tools, we went to work! First we installed the two eye bolts as close to the ceiling as we could. I wasn’t too concerned with them being perfectly even as I figured I could level the quilt as I pulled it up. And honestly, what are the chances of me holding my camera perfectly level anyways? This is why I have Lightroom!
Then we slid the hangers onto the conduit and ran our rope through the center of it. You will want considerably more rope on one end than the other as one rope will travel to the other eye bolt before going down the wall.
Next we strung the rope through the eye bolt on each end of the wall. Then we ran one of the ropes over to the opposite end of the wall and through the eye bolt on that side (so one eye bolt has two ropes running through it. This allows me to raise and lower the quilt from one end. Finally we installed the boat cleat to tie the ropes off.
Now I was ready to load a quilt! First I tie off the hanger so it is about half way down the wall. This makes it a convenient height to load a quilt on. The curtain hangers easily clip onto the edge of the backing and batting. (I’m careful not to clip them onto the quilt top as I would be concerned about leaving marks.) Next I untie the rope from the boat cleat and pull the quilt up to the top. Tie it off again and happily take pictures!
The End Results:
I have been so pleased to have this up and running! It’s easy load a quilt on, and it raises and lowers easily! But I do have a few critiques of the system.
- Installing it on a 8 foot high wall means that a lot of my larger quilts still drape on the floor. My only taller option would be outdoors. That’s just not a realistic option day to day here in the rainy Flathead Valley.
- My metal conduit does bow a bit. Originally I had wanted a wood closet dowel. However these were very expensive and I could only find an eight foot option. Next I considered PVC but decided this would be too flimsy. I consider this slight bowing of the metal conduit acceptable for the inexpensive price. Also the fact that it is light weight, while leaving it susceptible to the bowing, makes it easy to raise and lower.
- I’m not sure if the curtain hangers shown here are the best option for this system. They are easy to use, but I don’t feel that they hold the quilt as flat as I would like. I’m still debating other options.
What about lighting you ask? Currently I’m using my extra plant and chicken lights. You know, the ones with the metal shades and clamps that you can find at the feed store. I made sure to purchase bulbs that didn’t have a yellow tint to use with them. While this has been working moderately well in conjunction with the natural light, I have plans to experiment with my system. Stay tuned for more info!
Do you have a quilt hanging system you love? I’d LOVE to hear about it! Email me at cfbquilts@gmail.com!
Stretch Away the Stress