A Top is Born - Finally

Due to the way I sew - multiple projects at a time, I don't finish tops very often. They are spread out over time. But this summer I have been concentrating on finishing a few quilts. The first finish is Spring Meadow.

I started this one at Quiltworx University in Tucson in 2019.  The process for Quiltworx University goes like this - everyone (about 50 quilters) does the same mixer. That means a pattern is broken down into 4 sections - center, first border, outer section and outer border. Then, for each section there are anywhere from 4 to 7 different options to choose from. So, even before fabric choices are applied, everyone's quilts will look different. The add fabric and you really have a terrific line up of wildly different quilts. The mixer for QU 2019 in Tucson was Prairie Star Mixer. 

I chose my layout options and fabrics on Quiltster, submitted it and like magic it was there, in a box waiting for me when I arrived.

Saul was a good sport and agreed to go with me to Tucson. It was held at Tanque Verde Ranch outside of Tucson, a beautiful desert property with Southwestern buildings and stately Saguaro cacti and colorful scrubs.  Oh, and did I mention, the food was delicious - Saul's favorite part.

In addition to lovely hours of sewing, we were treated to a trunkshow by Judy. We got to see a bunch of new projects coming out. I always look forward to this and I make a list of what I want to make next.

Fast forward 3 plus years: sweet Saul's passing, COVID, some more travels, and several quilts. In July of this year (2022) I went to Quilt Camp at the Quiltworx retreat and training center, spending 10 days working on Quiltworx quilts with other Quiltworx fans. 

I opened the tote with my Meadow Star project and my first thought was "What was I thinking when I used these colors? It looks like the Easter Bunny yacked up on the wall." But as I got all the pieces up on the design wall and began assembling it - especially when I added the Kaffe Collective Cabbage Rose fabric, it all came together.  Granted it wasn't my usual color palette, but I liked it.

Its 100 inches square and will cost a pretty penny to have it quilted. I've started saving! It feels so good to get one of the beautiful Judy Niemeyer quilts finished. Judy designs them  so they are not difficult, but they do take perseverance. Oh, and I started a new one while I was there, so my net Quiltworx project numbers didn't change.

 If you're interested in learning more about Judy and Quiltworx, let me know. I have an entire trunkshow dedicated to the beautiful Quiltworx quilts.

  

A New Quilt From Start to Finish - Chapter 8 Assembly

It's done! SQUEEEEEEE. Well, the top is done. So I'll call it done for now.
I started this baby at Quiltworx University in Bakersfield in 2018. Now as I'm packing for Quiltworx 2019 at Tanque Verde Ranch in Tuscon Arizona, I am so pleased that I can take this top with me and show it off.  
If you look at previous posts, you can see my progress from the planning stages, to the first cut, to the paper piecing sections, and the borders, and now to the last stitch (well not the very last stitch - it still has to be quilted and bound of course).
Assembly was not a quick, easy thing. There were LOTS of points to match to get this thing together. Also - it seems flat, but only my long arm quilter will know for sure. 
The beauty of Judy's patterns (one of the beauties that is) is that once its done, you look at it and wonder "How did that go together?" She is a genius that way - Sections, Baby, Sections!
So, here are some tips for putting together large, complex sections into one larger, complex quilt:
1. Don't wait til the whole quilt is together to pull papers, trim threads and press. Give your self a break and do it by sections. Ask me how I learned that one (grin)! 

2. Use glue, pins, and sew basting to get those important points to match.  I finally used sew basting to match it up - I increased my stitch length and just sewed just the areas that really needed to match. Even then, I needed to do some unsewing and re-basting. But once they did match, I sewed the whole seam again with a regular stitch length.

3. Be careful of bias edges. Judy does a lot in the design and fabric layout and cutting instructions to help you tame those bias edges. But there are still some stretch that you need to be careful of. I used a lot (a whole 16oz bottle!) of Best Press to keep my edges from stretching. I think it really helped me match my seams.

4.  This is a big (queen size) quilt, so when I was sewing the last few seams, it began to get a bit unwieldy. So I added a small portable table behind my machine to hold some of the weight so it didn't pull as I was going for that accurate quarter inch seam.

I am so happy with California Cat Tails. I am bringing it to Quiltworx University, and hopefully there I can send it home with a longarm quilter who can really make it shine. 

The next post will be the finale for this series - California Cat Tails quilted and hanging - maybe in a show. 

P.S. I did take this to Tanque Verde. It did not go home with a quilter, but I came home with a contact to send it to.

A New Quilt From Start to Finish - Chapter 7 Curved Seams

I am getting close to being done with California Cat Tails. Check out previous posts in this series - A New Quilt From Start to Finish. In this post, I'll show you how Judy has us sew sections together - especially sections with curved seams.

After doing the paper piecing, you have to trim the pieces on the final cutting line. Sometimes they have a curved edge - a straight ruler really doesn't work too well on a curved edge! So I turn the ruler over so the sticky bits are up (not against the fabric) and I turn the ruler as I cut. It takes a bit of practice but really works great, Judy does it freehand, but I find the pressure of the ruler on the paper and fabric gives me a more accurate cut.

There are a couple of tips that lead to successful curved piecing:

1. Transition Reference Points (TRPs). These are points used to match the sections - much like those notches we cut in our middle school sewing class. On some of the pieces, you sew through the paper and fabric using a basting stitch - when you have one template for each fabric. For the pieces for which you have only one template for a stack of fabrics, you have to mark them first and then sew. I have found the best marking tool is the Sewline Trio. It has a fine erasable chalk lead in 3 colors - grey, pink and white. 

2. Smile over Frown - when you put the pieces right sides together flip them so that you are looking at the"smile". It is much more likely to sew without puckers if the smile covers the frown. 



3. Match and Glue - match the ends (which have been trimmed with "smart corners") and the TRPs. Use a dab of fabric glue pen on these points and then ease the in betweens glueing as you go but making sure not to stretch the fabric, which is usually on the bias.



4.  Double S Curves - sometimes, you have to sew the curves in 2 parts so that in each part the smile is on top. Usually there is a TRP where the curve changes. So you sew from the end to the TRP, then flip the pieces over and sew from the TRP to the other end. Magic, Presto, its done! 

So now I have the 4 quarters put together. I think they are pretty good looking if I do say so myself. Thanks to Quiltster I could audition the fabric before I even started cutting!

Curious about how it will look all assembled and quilted? Stay tuned.

A New Quilt From Start to Finish - Chapter 6 Borders

I started this quilt, Cattail Mixer (more creative name to come), last February at Quiltworx University in Bakersfield. I've been posting each step along the way from Design and Coloring on Quiltster, to Assembly Line Paper Piecing, completing the Center Star, and Appliqueing the Cattails. I am closing in on completing the final papers. Then starts the last chapter - assembly.

Since this quilt is a mixer, I got to choose from several different borders. There is an inner border, an outer border, and the outermost border. All the borders have millions of pieces! Last week I was at a retreat at Quiltworx in Somers Montana, and I spent some time (lots of time) doing border pieces.  I got really good at assembly line paper piecing. I keep thinking I ought to count the pieces in case I want to give a smart a** response when someone asks me how many pieces are in the quilt. I still might do that.

I put part of the outer border together to get an idea of how it was going to look, and I think it rocks! Now I just have to assemble more border sections and then work on the outermost border. Borders, Borders, Borders!


I'm getting close, I can almost taste the final assembly. I love the mixer quilts and can't wait to start another one - after I finish this one (she says, with her fingers crossed).

A New Quilt From Start to Finish - Chapter 3 Center Star Prep

Right! The design is finished (Chapter 1). The colors are chosen (Chapter 2). All using Quiltster. All that was fun, but now the real fun begins. First step - preparing the papers and cutting the fabric. Get ready to invest in ziplock bags!

Judy's patterns are foundation paper piecing patterns. The patterns come printed on newsprint and are printed precisely so that if you align them carefully and then staple them together, you can cut them all out at once. The instructions say to trim them within about 1/8 inch of the outside line. I've occasionally been a little sloppy with my cutting - trimming about 1/2 to 1/4 inch away. It makes it a little more difficult to place your pieces properly so that they cover the space completely (for those of you new to foundation piecing, this will make more sense later).

Once I have all the foundation papers cut for the center section, I put them in a ziplock bag. Now it's time to cut the fabric. Before the fabric gets cut, the fabric layout sheets (also printed on newsprint) are cut out in the same manner as the foundation papers. However, the fabric layout sheets are cut right on the outside cut lines. This is so that you can lay them accurately on top of your fabric stacks.

Fabric stacks??!! Yes, with Judy's method, you can cut stacks of fabric - saving time and possibly cut fingers. The instructions tell you how many of each color of fabric to stack. Then you place the layout sheets on top, paperclip them together, and cut the whole stack at once, cutting on the "cut" lines. The Quiltworx folks are geniuses - they even give you the proper order to cut the pieces out. This whole process saves time, fabric waste, and ensures fabric is on the proper grain.  Judy has a video of this process on her YouTube Channel. Check it out! 

My center section uses 3 colors - 2 for the center spikes and the light teal for center background. Then I also had bright green and dark green "ribbons". Most of these fabrics were cut in a similar fashion and put into the ziplock bag for the center section.  The pieces that will be used for foundation piecing are cut over-sized and the template shows the grain line and which side will be the side that you sew on. Several pieces - including the dark green ribbon - are cut exactly the size needed to sew on and might be marked by stitching reference points. Although I am showing a pic of the center section stitched and put up on the board, don't worry, I'll cover the foundation paper piecing process. I just wanted you to see the colors. 

You can either cut all the papers and fabrics at once, or tackle it a section at a time. Remember your ziplocks! My quilt has 4 sections, each section requiring at least 1 bag, some needing as many as 7.


OH, I almost forgot something. How do you know, besides looking at your Quiltster picture, which fabric is used where in each section? This is so cool - for each section the instructions have a place to put a tiny slice of each fabric - a key code if you like. Don't even think about skipping this step. Many times I looked back at my key to make sure I was using the correct fabric.

So now my papers are cut, fabrics are cut and everything is waiting nice and neat in multiple ziplock bags - labeled with a sharpie of course. Quilters should buy stock in ziplock bags and sharpie markers!
Next Chapter - Judy's assembly line techniques for foundation piecing.

A New Quilt From Start to Finish - Chapter 2 Color

Now that I have the different sections of this
quilt chosen (check out this previous post about designing this quilt), I get to color it. Quiltster is a great tool for auditioning fabric. There is an option to choose fabric collections - Judy's fabrics, Kaffe, Bali Watercolor Batiks, and more. Excitement building, big time!



To give myself some limits, I only designed with the 1895 Bali Watercolors. Even then, there were so many to choose from. I would suggest identifying a color scheme and sticking with 4-6 hues and their cooresponding tones. I have a board on Pinterest reserved for color schemes. I saw these leaves and it immediately spoke to me. This would be my palette. 


Just for fun, I tried a few other ones. In this one I used peacock-inspired colors. I get a big kick out of coloring quilts that I may never make. It helps get me out of my color box.

So here is what I finally decided on. Not quite as much purple as in the leaf picture, but I like how it turned out. At this point, I still haven't seen the fabrics next to each other, so I'm taking it on faith.





Another cool feature of Quiltster is that it gives you a yardage chart - either total or by block. At Quiltworx University, we were the guinea pigs for the newest feature of the system - the fabric requirements were sent straight to the quilt shop that was hosting our event, Thimble Towne. So my fabric was cut into strips and was waiting for me when I got there. Although I do enjoy the fabric shopping aspect of quilt making, this feature would save lots of time. I'm not sure how many or which stores will be connected to Quiltster, but I'm excited to find out.

Check out Quiltster - even when you are not designing a quilt, it's a great creative on-line activity.

My Favorite Designers - Chapter 3 Judy Niemeyer

I have just finished a terrific week in Bakersfield California at Quiltworx University with Judy Niemeyer, her daughter Judel and about 10 Certified Instructors. I’m writing about my project in separate posts. And boy, is there a lot to write about!

I’ve known about Judy Niemeyer for several years-most quilters have. I knew her designs were intricate, mostly paper pieced and I knew she had her own line of batik fabrics. WOW so little did I know! 

Judy designed and made quilts by hand for 20 years. Then she discovered foundation paper piecing and recognized the revolution that it could be to help quilters make complex looking quilts. Although I don’t know the exact history of how she got from then to now, I’m sure it’s been quite a journey.

Now she has 75 or so Certified Instructors that are trained in her methods that help quilters make intricate quilts in a very efficient manner, saving hours by using an assembly line approach. For those of you thinking that this might take the fun and tradition out of quilting, I would argue that the fun is still there, you just spend less time pinning and trimming. There are also hundreds of patterns, lines of batik fabrics, and a great on-line program called Quiltster that is absolutely going to revolutionize the design and fabric buying process. 

Both Judy and Judel are down to earth, easily approachable, smart

women. Quiltworx is a family company. Son Bradley does the computer based drawing and designing. The other employees and CIs are also like family. The family lives in Kalispell , Montana.  It’s not an easy place to get to, but WOW is the area gorgeous! Just outside the west side of Glacier National Park.

Every year or so Judy designs a technique of the month quilt that incorporated several techniques for quilters to learn and master. The last technique of the month was Vintage Rose and I fell for it in a big way. Vintage Rose was my introduction to Judy’s designs and techniques. The technique of the month patterns can only be done through a certified shop or a certified instructor. I made mine through a certified shop in Illinois - Peddlers Way. I went to a retreat center in Illinois, just over the Missouri border by Hannibal. It was a beautiful old farmhouse with a modern retreat center added in a separate building.

So here is why I like Quiltworx patterns:

• Quilts can be designed in Quiltster so that you can visualize what the quilt will look like in different color ways.

• Quilts can be designed with mix and match sections. Choice of 6 center stars, 9 borders, etc.

• Papers are newsprint so they are easy to tear off. 

• Papers can be stacked so they can be cut out in layers as opposed to one at a time.

• Pieces are drawn to take advantage of grain line, so that each piece is either on grain or on bias as appropriate.

• Fabric is stacked under template layout and cutting sheets so that it can be cut out in layers.

• Fabric pieces are of a generous size so that they will easily cover the section.

• Parts can be assembly pieced so you reduced thread, and needle up and down time.

• Parts are put together with smart corners and transition points so they easily match up.

• Appliqué piece templates are lazer cut on a sticky leave-in material that makes it so easy to prepare shapes.

They have thought of everything, and if someone thinks of something new, it can be easily incorporated into the next series of quilts and updated into older patterns.

This company has a great history, but more importantly, they are really pushing into the future with a vision. I can't wait to see what comes next. 
Check out Quiltworx and Quiltster! You won't be disappointed.

A New Quilt From Start to Finish - Chapter 1 Design

Most of the quilts you’ve seen on my blog are finished or in process. What I haven’t done yet is to document a quilt from idea, through design, stitching, quilting to completed quilt. I am just getting ready to start a quilt at a workshop, so I thought I would take the opportunity to document the entire process.

A while back an intriguing email arrived from Judel Niemeyer Buls about Quiltworx University at Thimble Towne in Bakersfield California. One of the quilt options for this workshop was an exclusive design called Cattail Mixer, meaning the it was a mix of several different patterns based on the Judy Niemeyer Cattails in the Meadow pattern. I immediately forwarded the email to a few friends to see if anyone wanted to join me at the workshop. No takers, so I decided to go on my own.

So here we are six months later and I am sitting in a hotel room in Bakersfield California waiting for the workshop to start. The process so far has been unique. Instead of going to a fabric shop and auditioning fabrics, my normal modus operandi, I designed the quilt on Quiltster.

This process of quilt designing on a computer is great in theory, but was way outside of my comfort zone. Not only did I have to choose between different centers and borders, I had to choose fabrics. I am one of those people who likes to pull 15 bolts from the shelves, lay them out and then choose 2 or 3 fabrics that work well together. Then I fill in.

Designing Cattail Mixer Queen was different. I had a couple of main designs to choose from. I choose cattails because it reminded me of my childhood - as we drove around beautiful California on weekend trips, my mom would ask my dad to stop so she could collect dried flowers, among them are cattails. They had to be just right - too “ripe” and they would explode. I don’t remember if there was a down side to not ripe enough. Mom would spray them with hairspray to a keep them intake as much as possible. She had taken a flower arranging class and make beautiful arrangements for our table and home.

I already had a subscription to Quiltster so I hopped on and got to work. For section A, the center section, I had the choice of 9 star points. Look at all those options, how was I ever going to choose? I wanted some action, but not too much. One iteration of the design looks much different from 8! So after trying out several of them, I finally decided on 84270. It gives the center a bit of interest.

Section B next. I knew I wanted cattails because, well, that was the name of the quilt and it had sparked fond memories. But there were 6 options so I could make another one later that looks totally different.

Section C was the on point inner border. Again, lots of cool choices!  I tired several and finally settled on 10713. A series of framed pointed triangles.

Outer borders, section D, came with 4 options. After auditioning, 96405 won the day.

So now I have a design and it’s time to work with color and fabric. That comes next.

Curious about designing with Quiltster?These small screen shots don't do it justice, so check out their intro video here!

                

Curious About Judy Niemeyer and Quiltworx Patterns? Start Here

Judy Niemeyer, her daughter Judel Buls, along with a great staff, run Quiltworx.  I love Judy's designs. I've started 2 quilts and have several more in line. I'm even planning on taking a couple of workshops from Judy and Judel (her daughter) this year. I'm seriously thinking about becoming a Certified Instructor. 

Judy's designs are foundation pieced, very complex and absolutely gorgeous. They are also a little intimidating. Like many things I do, I jumped in with both feet and up to my eyeballs - starting with the Vintage Rose 2017 Technique Quilt, which I'm currently assembling, having finished the foundation piecing already. It looks kind of like a bird of paradise in this picture - this is 1/8th of the design.

So, what is so special about Judy's designs (besides the obvious beauty of them)? Well, mainly it's the process of assembly line piecing (chain piecing plus assembly line pressing and trimming), her techniques for success (using registration points, glue basting and others), and Quiltster - an online tool to design and color your quilt.

If you are interested in doing one of Judy's designs but you're not ready to jump into the deep end like I did, I have a recommendation - Start with these simple, but striking projects:

Stained Glass Window (Quilt or Wall hanging)

               or 

Impatiens Placemats.





And lucky for you, I'm teaching how to make these projects at Mea Bernina and Babylock at the end of the month.

In class, you'll learn how to use Judy's templates to cut the fabric, how to assembly line foundation piece, get an introduction to Quiltster, how to sew curves (Impatiens), and how to do an inside point binding (Impatiens). These classes will give you the skills and confidence needed to tackle some of the more complex patterns, or at the very least you'll catch a little of my enthusiasm for Judy's designs.

I love Judy's designs and I love teaching classes. Come join me! We'll have a blast.

Vintage Rose by Judy Niemeyer - Part One

I'm not sure I even know where to start. The beginning maybe?

I've been watching the Judy Niemeyer and Quiltworx phenomena for a few years. The patterns are really stunning and look very complex. Last fall I saw the new teaching piece Vintage Rose and fell in love.
OK, I have to make this. 

Thus begins my search for a workshop. I consider myself an experienced paper piecer, but I have never made a Judy Niemeyer (JN) quilt before and it seemed a little daunting. I won't go through the list of workshops I looked at - suffice it to say I was looking at everything from Montana to Phoenix. I found the perfect workshop at Kinderhook Lodge in Barry Illinois. It was sponsored by JN Certified shop Peddler's Way in Washington Illinois. Perfect place (4 hours drive), perfect time (beginning of May), and did not break the bank.

Diane and Linda, the ladies at Peddler's Way Quilt Company were so nice and helpful in getting me started. I ordered my pattern - the instructions and foundation papers - from them. On their advice, I signed up for Quiltster, an online program that enables quilters to design color placement on JN quilts. Given that there are hundreds (or more) pieces and thousands of coloring possibilities, there is no way I could have chosen colors without using Quiltster.  I worked up four possibilities and finally decided on a turquoise, orange, and pink colorway.

Since the workshop was only four days and the project quite intense, we had some prep work to do. Here is where it really started getting challenging. I've done a lot of paper piecing, but Judy's process includes cutting and stacking pieces so that the quilter can assembly line sew or chain piece. This was new to me. 

Judy's foundation papers are printed on newsprint, and included in the pattern are cutting templates. The directions indicate what size to cut large chunks of fabric. I pinned the newsprint cutting template to the fabric chunk and then cut along the indicated cutting lines. Most of the time my color choice required a stack of eight fabrics. So now for each section I have lots of stacks of fabrics clipped to the newsprint template. 

Ok, so I have my fabrics, most of them precut; pattern read, reread and highlighted; sewing machine and supplies packed; I'm ready to go.

Kinderhook Lodge is just across the Mississippi River from Hannibal Missouri. Good luck that there are at least three quilt shops between here and there - I decided to stop at two - Missouri Star in Hamilton and Hickory Stick Quilt Shop in Hannibal. Let's just say I left some money at each one.

Kinderhook Lodge is a beautiful facility - great food, and a peaceful setting. I'm hoping our guild can arrange some retreats there. Our Vintage Rose cohort is already planning a reunion next year.

So, are you curious about foundation piecing the Judy Niemeyer way? Stay tuned for Part 2!