A bit about process

Hi there. I am back....well I never really left, but here I am back on the blog. I have been working on this quilt for some time. It was going to be a pattern...it may still be, but I am just dipping my toes into the pattern realm. Patterns are funny for me. I almost never use a pattern but I love techniques. I will apply new techniques all day long...but to sit down and follow a pattern makes me crazy. Well, that makes things tricky when I try to write a pattern, right? I mean I never use a pattern why would anyone else? There must be a market for it out in the quilting world since I see so many of them.

As I was piecing this top I knew exactly how I wanted to quilt it. You see, I really wanted to quilt an appliqué quilt, but I didn't want to take the time to make and entire appliqué top...so I just made 4 appliqué boarders and stitched them around the quilt.

It has been a while since I have quilted in the Welsh style and I kew I wanted to give it a go in the solids portions of this quilt.

I began by trying to use my quilting templates, but that just grew frustrating. You see, my machine is an old one and the extended throat plate was not intended for use on my beast of a machine...so I just chalked in the out line of the design and went to town quilting.

I know it is not perfect like the computerized quilting but I really like the whimsy of it. I spent last week going to long arm dealers (Nolting, Gammill and a Viking machine) to check into upgrading my machine or just all out buying an additional one. I like my Gammill so very much and I don't NEED anther machine, but my husband brought it up and now the idea is buzzing around in my mind like mad.

I love the freedom of just quilting away on a top...whatever is in my mind, I can quilt it.

Do I even get enough tops to justify another machine or a better machine? Big thoughts around here....I guess time will tell. This machine fell into my life so fatefully, I have never regretted a second with it. At any rate I am accepting quilt tops for both custom quilting and all over quilting. Shoot ma an email if you would like a quote for one of your tops.

Yours,
Tia Curtis