Holiday Deadline, Quilt Prep and the Quilt Police!

Happy Labor Day Weekend!  Hopefully there is some sewing time in it for you!   

DEADLINE for Christmas gift quilts:  October 31 - that is my drop dead date to accept any quilts.  If the remaining space I have available fills up before then, I will move the date up to an earlier time accordingly.  I have made exceptions in the past and have paid for it physically.  My time is a very valuable resource and the Holidays can be a stressful time trying to get everything done.  I want to enjoy my Holidays!

Spray Basting:  I have had this come up a few times this year - PLEASE do not spray baste your batting to the quilt top and backing!!  I will not be able to use the batting.  I will not quilt anything that may damage my long arm.  Sticky spray basting is not good for my machine and causes a lot of problems.

T Shirt quilts:  I reserve the right to refuse quilting them if they are not constructed properly.  I highly recommend taking a class. The T shirt needs to be stabilized with a good type of iron on stabilizer (like Pellon SF101).  Zig zagged seams and seams that are bunched with too much extra fabric are hard on my machine.  If not properly constructed (too much fullness, not stabilized with a iron on stabilizer of good quality, one side longer than the other, hourglass shape) they are a huge headache to quilt.

Memory Quilts:  I will no longer accept these to quilt.

Seams:  Please double check all your seams before bringing your quilt top and backing to me.  I recommend using a stitch length of 2.0 mm when piecing your quilt top.  If a 3.0 mm stitch length or larger is used, the stitching around the edges of the quilt easily come unraveled.  If there are some seams that are less than a 1/4" seam allowance, please find them by pressing your quilt top and repairing them before you bring the top to me to quilt.  Sometimes, to get that perfect point and or match, we have to fudge a little with the seam allowance.  If that is the case, a smaller stitch length helps keep it sewn together.  Another fix is using a woven, iron on strip of interfacing/stabilizer ironed over the fudged seam.  If I have to repair the seam because it has come undone and/or popped open I will charge for it.

QUILT POLICE:  They do not exist and I am not one!!  I do like to do my best on every quilt I quilt.  I have pieced and shown my own quilts and know first hand the time and care that goes into each and every quilt.  I do not rush or quilt past a time when I am prone to make mistakes.  I do make mistakes and have unpicked my work more times than I care to admit.  I want you to be happy with my work!  If not, please tell me.  I appreciate the feedback!

Wide Backings 15% off

Here are the wide backings (108") that I have in stock.  From now until September 1, 2017, the price will be an additional 15% off the posted price.

Tula Pink Battle Free Fall (sateen) $18.99 per yard

Tula Pink Navy Free Fall (sateen) $18.99 per yard

Carrie Bloomston Spackle Newspaper Print $15.99 per yard

Carolyn Friedlander Doe Wide Screen in Carrot $16.49 per yard

Robert Kaufmann 108" Natural muslin $12.00 per yard

How important is the size of my backing?

Very!!  Please make sure I have at least 3" extra on BOTH the sides.  I like the backing to be as flat as possible so I use a tool on the sides that keeps a constant, gentle pull on the sides of the backing.  That being said, too much extra on the sides can cause other issues when rolling the quilt, so more than 8" each side isn't necessarily better.  I will have to trim the sides down.

Now, the top and bottom need to be at least 3" extra on both.  More fabric on the top and bottom is okay.  The backing needs to be square. If I have to square up the backing (and squaring up the backing is so important!) and don't have enough fabric on the top and bottom it is a huge issue.  I won't be able to quilt your quilt until I can get a new backing from you.  Frustrating.  If I need to sew fabric to the sides to have enough, I will charge for my time and materials.

Yes, piecing your backing is fine.  I generally piece mine and add leftover fabrics and blocks to mine.  Just make sure I have enough and it's squared up.

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(The back of my Alison Glass Alternative quilt.  It is pieced with Tula Pink's True Colors fabric and a strip of Alison Glass' Ex Libris fabric.)

How best to piece?  Well, if your quilt top is 54" x 72", buy 3 1/2 yards (126 inches).  Cut the yardage into two equal pieces of 1 3/4 yards (63 inches).  Pin the selvage of the two pieces of fabric right sides together with directional prints going in the same direction.  Using a stitch length of 2 mm, sew 1/2" away from the selvage.  Trim the selvage off.  Press the seam either open or to one side and press the entire piece of backing which should be approximately 63" x 84".  If you don't feel comfortable squaring your backing up at this point, let me know and I will do it.  

To square the backing up, take the two selvages (top and bottom of the backing) and match them together by folding the backing in the middle.  Watch for any bunching along the fold/seam.  Move the selvage until the fold lies straight.  Using a large square ruler and the lines on your cutting mat, line the folded piece up and cut the sides even and square with the top and bottom.  Again, if you don't feel comfortable doing this, let me know and I can do it.

I do have several 108" backings in stock if you would like me to provide your backing.  I will post pictures and prices per yard in a later post.

Piece out, Julie

Busy Summer! With a Promo at the end...

It is August already!  August!  This summer has flown by.  I don't know where it has gone, but I can document some of it in pictures.  Pictures of quilting and quilts.  Some of my own, some made by others.  And a new puppy.

First, here is a sweet, little addition to our menagerie.  Her name is Penny.  My husband almost hit her one night on his way home.  She was abandoned in the middle of the road.  No one in the area claimed her, so she came to live with us.

Look at that face!  Resistance was futile. That was taken the night my husband brought her home. She is now about 3 months old now and we are working on house training her.  Uh huh.

Now for some pictures of quilts and quilting:

King size quilt for our bed, made with Essex yarn dyed linen, and Anna Maria Horner's Pretty Potent. I love the modern quilting on this!

A Frozen quilt for a special birthday girl!  Yes, that is Cotton and Steel fabric you are seeing.  The white is one from the Rudolph fabric collection and the rest are from Spoonflower.  The quilting pattern is a snowflake pattern.


The next three quilts are Jessica's of Sew Patched Up.

A nautical edge to edge on this gorgeous Tula Pink Salt Water in Metro Rings!

A striking and beautiful quilt in Waterfront Park quilted in Vanilla Swirls edge to edge.

And finally, Jessica's Hop Skip Jump quilt done in PB&J.  The quilting is called Starflower.  Love this one, too!  The colors are the ones that I gravitate towards - mustards, navys, corals, grays...yum.

AND now for the August Special on long arm quilting!  Any E2E pattern this month is only 1 cents per square inch PLUS a 10% discount for any new clients!  Got some Christmas quilts done?  Send them to me!  Got some tops that are piling up?  Now is the time to get them finished!

If you are on InstaGram, please feel free to follow me - JMylander and #creeksidequilting.  Would love to see what you are up to!

Several Quilts Done!

I have several quilts to post pics of!  I have been busy quilting!  Lots of fun patterns AND quilts to play with.  What more could a quilty girl want?  Well, besides MORE fabric...and some cleaning fairies...okay, maybe a live in chef...(oh, wait, that's my husband!)

This Tula Pink Saltwater quilt was made by our CCMQG.  It will be raffled off with all the proceeds being donated to the local animal shelter.  I LOVE the quilting pattern on this one!  It is called Nautical E2E by Designs by Deb.

I loved the design so much, I put it on this baby girl quilt.

Another one that got quilted is this GORGEOUS one by Jessica.

LOVE this one!  It may not make it back to her.  The quilting design is Damask E2E by Wasatch Quilting.

And this one that was a gift to my niece and made from Kate Spain's Terrain.

 The quilting design is called Flared Flowers.

Right now, I have three quilts ready to be quilted.  I will post pictures of those when they are done!

WIP - Catching up on Quilting

I have several quilts that need to be quilted.  3 of my own and 3 for a client.  I am not starting any new projects (or catching up on other WIP's) until I get these quilts done!  So on this gorgeous Wednesday, I am locked away upstairs quilting before I have to go into work.

Today, I am working on a special quilt for a special person.  A birthday is coming up soon!  I pieced the quilt with Kate Spain's Terrain fabric and Moda porcelain.  I want to keep this one! Love the colors!  I am using King Tut thread in Morning Sky which is a nice, very light gray, purply, rosy color.  Well, like a morning sky!  The quilting pattern is one of Anne Bright's called Flared Flowers.  I am also doing a border on this quilt with the Flared Flowers.  My price for doing something like this is $.03 per square inch.  (See my website for services and prices here at Creekside Quilting Services.

Now for some pictures!

Oh, I just love Terrain!  The colors and patterns are to die for!

Wish me luck on getting all the quilts quilted!  Linking up now with Lee at Freshly Pieced.  What are you working on today?

Lucky Stars Christmas!

Yes, I did say Christmas!  Because I have to show you what just came off the frame!  A cheery, lovely Christmas quilt!  It is hard to think Christmas when it is sunny and warmer outside - okay, at least where I am at.  I bet for some it is not so hard with this snowy, cold winter we have had.

 A closed up of the quilting which is Wasatch Quilting's Simple Modern Christmas Trees E2E pattern.  The thread is Superior Thread's King Tut in Holly and Ivy variegated color.   I wish I could keep this one, but it isn't mine.  The size is 45" x 60".

Spring is coming!