Diana and Paula

Posted on March 21, 2013 by ginabean • 2 Comments

 Seriously, aren’t I lucky to get to quilt all these quilts. I am in love with Diana’s Alchemy/Field Study fabric combo. The colors are so vibrant and look amazing together.
I quilted it with the Diamonds are Forever pantograph. This is one of my new favorite pantographs.
Not too long ago, I quilted Paula’s quilt with it. I am also drooling over the Art Gallery fabrics she used. I wish some of the shops in our area carried the Art Gallery Fabrics. I don’t think any of our LQS do. (let me know if I’m wrong.) The Diamonds pantograph creates a great secondary pattern, too. It shows up really well in the background fabric of Paula’s quilt. 
Filed Under: fabric, longarm quilting, pantographs, quilts

Abby’s Quilt

Posted on March 20, 2013 by ginabean • 1 Comment

 This is Abby’s amazing quilt. I love the soft mint green she chose for her background. She made it using the Designer Star Pattern by Lee. 
Swirls seemed to suit this quilt perfectly. (but really, what wouldn’t swirls look good on) I quilted it using the Outside In pantograph. I also used one layer of Quilter’s Dream Poly and a layer of Quilter’s Dream Wool for the batting. I love how the swirls really show up in the negative space with the two layers of batting. I have to admit, I didn’t really get the whole two layers of batting thing at first. However, now that I have tried it out, I have changed my ways. I am embracing this trend, for sure. I was also an exclusive cotton batting user, but I am digging the poly and wool. 
I hope it is okay that I have kind of turned my blog into a little bit of a show and tell for my customer’s quilts. I just get to see so many beautiful quilts each day, I feel it is a shame not to share them with you all, too. I also think it is interesting to see how all the different pantographs I have actually look like on a quilt. 
Filed Under: longarm quilting, pantographs, patterns, quilts

Oh Baby!

Posted on March 20, 2013 by ginabean • 2 Comments
 This is Gina’s (owner of The Little General Fabric Boutique) little baby quilt. Any little baby would be so lucky to be swaddled up in this beautiful quilt. 
I used my new pantograph, Centerra, to quilt it for her.
All of the gorgeous fabrics can be found at Gina’s modern quilt shop and Gina has a wonderful eye for putting fabric together. Visit her shop in Reynolda Village to be inspired. 
Filed Under: longarm quilting, pantographs, quilts

A Finish- Finally

Posted on March 19, 2013 by ginabean • 3 Comments
So happy I finally finish this quilt. Just in the nick to time, too. Our class has a little pre-class meeting tonight to select fabrics. (I will get some better pictures to show you. It’s rainy here today and I need to get a couple people taller than 4′, a.k.a my kids, to hold it up.)
I got a new pantograph and decided to use it on my quilt. It is called Centerra. (Told you that my buying these is a little out of control. They are about as addictive to buy as fabric.) I also used one layer of Quilter’s Dream Poly batting and one layer of Quilter’s Dream Wool batting. I really love how using the double batting worked out. The quilting stands out and it is so comfy, cuddle-ie. 
While I’m at it… I might as well show you the other addition to my growing pantograph selection. 
It is called Chamomile. It looks great all quilted up. I just used it on a sweet little quilt for a customer’s granddaughter. 
Filed Under: BOM class, longarm quilting, pantographs, quilts

Modern Fabric Group Therapy

Posted on March 17, 2013 by ginabean • 0 Comments

Photo  Courtesy Karen Gray Design 

Photo Courtesy Karen Gray Design 

This is a new quilt designed and pieced by Karen Gray for Modern Fabric Group Therapy. She designed this Block of the Month quilt based on the book Colorstrology. I quilted it for her about a month ago using my new Bubbles pantograph. She was kind enough to let me share her pictures of it on my blog. (I’m kinda bad about forgetting to take pictures of the quilts I get to quilt.) You can read all about Karen’s Modern Fabric Group Therapy, the book that inspired her quilt and how you can receive a pattern to make this beautiful quilt for yourself on her blog, Karen Gray Design. 
Filed Under: longarm quilting, quilts

First Timer

Posted on March 15, 2013 by ginabean • 3 Comments

Photo courtesy of Lee Monroe
 A little while ago my friend Lee told me she was teaching a class at a LQS and I asked her if I could quilt her quilt for her. The shop didn’t have a sample of my work and I thought it would be a good opportunity to show them what I could do.  
Photo courtesy of Lee Monroe
Lee quilts her quilts on her domestic machine herself and had never sent them out to a longarmer before, but she agreed to let me do it. (No Pressure there, right?!?) We decide on the Whole Lotta Bubbles pantograph and Quilter’s Dream Poly Deluxe for the batting. The poly batting really helped to show off the quilting. She was so happy with it and I was so relieved and happy that she was. I am glad I didn’t ruin her first longarm quilting experience. Shew! Lee is teaching a class on how to make this beautiful quilt and you can read all about it on her blog. Check it out. She makes wonderful things!
Filed Under: longarm quilting, pantographs, quilts

You’ve Got Mail

Posted on March 13, 2013 by ginabean • 0 Comments

I was inspired by all of the beautiful quilts and quilting that I saw at QuiltCon and I came home determined to get my butt in gear and get some sewing of my own done. You know what that means…fabric shopping! I got these beautiful Sketch Cottons in the mail today. I can’t wait to cut into them. When Fletcher was a baby, I would stay up late in the evenings and get some sewing done. It was always a very productive time for me. I wasn’t distracted by the phone calls, mommy duties or other things that made me loose focus. (I can loose focus very easily.) Once Nolan came along, I just wasn’t up for staying up late anymore. I am ready to shut it down by 8:00 and usually choose to do things that I can work on while sitting in bed or watching t.v. Things like binding or applique. I have so many things swimming around in my head and patterns and fabrics that I want to use that I really need to start taking advantage of the late night productive time again. 
Filed Under: fabric

So Close

Posted on March 11, 2013 by ginabean • 6 Comments

My BOM sample is almost done. I’m soooo close. Maybe with a little after the boys bedtime sewing, I’ll have it done by the end of the week. I will be glad to have it done so I can work on my new Denyse Schmidt quilt. I have exercised some major self control by not abandoning the BOM to work on it. I have a deadline to meet.
Filed Under: BOM class, quilts

Lemoyne Stars

Posted on March 9, 2013 by ginabean • 1 Comment

I only have a few more Lemoyne Stars to make before I can get the sample for the BOM class finished.  My teaching counterpart finished hers yesterday and rubbed it in my face that she finished first. Whateva- I’m pretty sure mine is gonna get quilted first! 
Filed Under: BOM class, quilts

New Projects

Posted on March 8, 2013 by ginabean • 5 Comments

QuiltCon has really inspired me to start some new projects. I have become a little obsessed with wanting to make quilts with lots of negative space so I can put to use some of the skills I learned in Angela Walter’s class. I picked up this pattern at the show and was lucky enough to meet Denyse Schmidt and have her sign it for me. The other day the strong March winds blew a tree limb over the power line. With no power I couldn’t longarm. What’s a girl to do?!? I took the opportunity to take out the last of my Flea Market Fancy stash and start cutting. I can’t wait to start! I especially can’t wait to quilt it! 
Filed Under: quilts