DQS 6 update

I have now finished all of the quilting on my DQS6 quilt. Now I just need to attach the quilt label to the back (which I just made yesterday using a product that is new to me, I feel a product review coming on!) Lastly I need to make the binding and attach it (Lolly I think you are rubbing off on me!) Then my lovely little quilt will be on it's way to my swap partner.

Remember that stain i talked about in my previous post? Well I ended up cutting most of it off when I squared up my little quilt. There is only a small stain left now, but most of it if not all of it will be covered by the binding. Don't worry I still plan on using a special technique on the center flower that can be used to cover up a stain.

So here are the pics of my quilting done on my Kenmore 19233

I still have lots of practice to do before I get good. The most important thing I learned in making this quilt was having proper tension on the machine (see next post.)

Friendship Quilt v2.0

This is a surprise quilt for someone very deserving. I don't know if they read this blog or not so I can't mention who it is for. It is a "joint venture" between a good friend (can't mention names) and myself. The top has been pieced by my friend, I think she did a super job, and I get to do the quilting.

Yes I know this looks very much like my daughter's quilt I've posted before (here.) That's because we fell in love with the fabrics, found a great deal on them, and ordered them at the same time. We thought the fabrics were very cheerful, bright, and perfect for our recipient.

I'm a little anxious about the thought of doing the quilting on such a special quilt. I really want to try something different besides stippling or quilting it in the ditch. So I snapped a picture and imported it into Illustrator so I could "try out" a couple of quilting motifs before actually committing to thread.

The top half of the quilt was drawn out with a "pumpkin seed" motif, and the bottom half was done in a quasi pinwheel motif. I think I have fallen in love with the pumpkin seed motif. I love the way it forms circles and flowers at the same time. I'm still undecided on what to do with the borders, I think I might do the borders in the ditch or echo just slightly to the inside of each "piano key." I'll definitely stick to the free motion cherry on each corner block.

(click picture to enlarge)

Oh yeah, I'm trying to get this done within the week! Yes, including the binding. Yikes! I also need to figure out what I'll be using for the backing so I can get started. Wish me luck and stay tuned for progress pics!

Painting a door

I found it! My picture was saved to the desktop for easy access and I had forgotten where I put it. This will be more of a tips post rather than a step by step post.


Materials I used:

• Interior latex paint (white, gloss)

• Angled brush (I love my Purdy)

Tips:

• Dust and clean your door first. (I like Simple Green)
• Paint with the grain of your door ( Sections 1, 5 & 9 were painted with horizontal strokes, the rest were done in vertical strokes)
• Look at your door and you will see the "sections" already picked out for you
  
• Start on the top half of the door ( the numbers indicate the order in which i started painting.
• As I painted section 1 I also painted to the top of the door (when it is open)
• As I painted sections 3 & 7 I painted the inside edge of the door (when it is open)
• Let dry a couple of hours before you come back and decide whether you need another coat. As your door is drying it may look uneven but will look perfect once dry.
  

I like to use the glossy paint on doors and trims because it stands up to cleaning and it just "pops" and brightens any room. I especially love the effect on a windowsill because the paint seems to reflect the light into the room better.

I do have a more common type of door (with out the curved panels) I'll try and do up another little numbered picture of that door as well. Feel free to ask me any questions!

This week I hope to tackle the french door in the kitchen and maybe even the staircase in the living room!