A new quilting chapter - The "new-to-me" Avanté Longarm

 For many years, I have looked on with a dreamy glaze, of those people who made the leap to a longarm quilting machine.  I had almost resigned myself to not ever buying one.  When you think of the price per quilt, it really is an expensive investment with questionable payback.

But sometimes, the heart wants what the heart wants.  I had kept one eye open for a chance at a used machine and when one became available, I decided to take the plunge and buy it.  I am now the proud owner of a Handiquilter Avanté machine!

Now, where to put this monster!  My daughter is in her last year of post-secondary education, so I asked her if I could put a quilting machine in her old room.  It's still her room, but the reality is she is on the verge of a new chapter in her life that likely will have her living closer to wherever her job ends up being.  Her response to my vague description of "Any objections if I put a quilting machine in your room?  It means I have to clean your room from now on." She said yes without asking questions about this quilting machine.  That's how good a heart she has.  Still, do you think she'll be shocked when she comes home for Christmas and sees this:

My new-to-me long arm

I am fortunate to have enough friends with longarms who warned me of two things - you will need to practice as this is a whole new style of quilting, and you will have issues with tension.  It pays to have wise friends!  I got some cheap cotton fabric in a bargain bin at a local fabric shop and have it a whirl!

First attempt - Topside

The first attempt was fun and terrifying.  It was fun to see the potential, but terrifying to see how much my quilting skills were impacted.  I even did a quick pantograph pass and it was not great.  Then, I turned it over:

First Attempt - Back Side

YIKES!  Tension disaster.

So, stay tuned as this new chapter begins and let's see together where it takes me!  

PS - Did I mention that Avanté means "Forward"?  How appropriate as I begin to move forward on this journey of longarm quilting.

What did you say today's date is?

Are you like me and losing track of time through the COVID-19 pandemic?  It took me a moment to realize today is September 1st (double-check the year, yes, it's 2021!).

September starts off my favourite time of the year as we have many events this year and we've hit that sweet spot in the weather where it is warm enough to still wear shorts but cool enough to open windows at night, turn off the air conditioning, and let in some fresh air.  It also represents that time of year I like to refer to as Elf Overtime.  

I have a tendency to over-plan all the wonderful homemade gifts I will give for Christmas and traditionally I'm lucky to complete ONE.  Why would a global pandemic change that approach (she says, dripping with sarcasm)?

This year, I have 6-8 quilts that I'm eyeing to complete by Christmas.  Most are in progress UFO's and goodness knows my UFO list is long enough that finishing that many would make a dent.  Of course, September also means the launch of my local quilt guild's annual mystery quilt and the annual Bonnie Hunter mystery is just on the horizon.

September is the month where my optimism is at its highest and there will still be hope even at the end of this month.  Still, I hope you'll come along for the ride and maybe, if you are like me, we can encourage each other along the way.

One way to help myself to have an incentive is the Elm Street Monthly Challenge.

My one monthly goal for September is the completion of the Summer Swag quilt I'm working on, based on a workshop I took with the pattern's creator, Krista Moser.  Krista is returning to our guild this month as a guest speaker, so I'm feeling a little pressure to get this quilt done.

What do you look forward to now that September is here?  Any special projects you're working on?  I'd love to hear about it.

It's been a hot minute!

It has been both hot and a while since I last wrote.  I've been off working on a complete rebuild of my local quilt guild's website, including building a members-only portion, a members forum, and an e-commerce platform.

It also happens to be a summer of extremes and we're experiencing near-record heat, with daily heat warnings.  I count myself as lucky as many people are dealing with so much more - forest wildfires burning out of control, record flooding in the eastern US from back-to-back tropical systems, and of course, no one could ignore the situation in Afghanistan at present.  Quilting is a refuge from all of it that I have been happy to immerse myself into once more.

I have two projects I'm actively working on right now, with two more on the sidelines, and I anticipate up to 3 more starting before the year is out.    The two in my immediate view are a mystery quilt from our guild and a Krista Moser pattern that is from a workshop I attended with that charismatic lady.  Our guild launches its new season of meetings in September and Ms. Moser will be our keynote speaker, and the big reveal of the guild mystery will occur.  Nothing like a deadline to get one very focused.

Two projects at once!

Since I'm still piecing, I'm using the guild mystery as a "leaders and enders" for the chain piecing I'm doing.  I have not cut my thread and started over with something on the machine in, what feels like a long time.

I'm looking forward to a very active quilting season and pursuing both my own projects and some extras as well.  

What have you been working on lately?  I'd love to hear about it.

Virtual Quilt Canada 2021 - Opening Day Anticipation

Today is the day the Canadian Quilters Association is launching their annual celebration of all things quilting in Canada, appropriately titled "Quilt Canada".  This moving festival of inspiration, education, celebration, and of course, shopping, is normally held in a different city across this vast country.

Last year's event, planned for Alberta Canada, had to be cancelled due to COVID-19.  This year's event, scheduled for Toronto Ontario, had to be converted to a virtual event.  Today marks the very first Virtual Quilt Canada.

The organizers have gone to tremendous lengths to make this a wonderful event.  The next four days will be filled with all the things that make Quilt Canada what it is - inspiration, education, celebration and shopping.

I plan on sharing my perspectives on this amazing event with you here and I hope you enjoy it too.  I should note that attending Quilt Canada requires registration and the registration deadline has now passed.  If you have signed up, feel free to reach out to me on the Networking tab.  If you missed the window, allow me to be one voice sharing their perspective on this national event.

The label says it's done!

 It may have taken 2+ years, but my "Healing Waters of Reconciliation" is DONE! 

 This was a guild mystery quilt from 2018-2019 and I finished it on Mother's Day.  How appropriate!  The yellow fabric is called "Healing Waters" and was designed by a Canadian First Nations artist for Northcott Fabrics.  It is the lifecycle of a loon - the very essence of motherhood - and utilizing the image of a loon, which is one of my favourite birds on the water where I live.

This quilt was also a challenge for me - it is done with stitch in the ditch quilting, followed by a ruler quilting border of continuous loops, and finished with some free motion quilting, including outlining those loons.  This is also the first quilt I've done that's for me.  I think this is such a special quilt and I can't believe how proud I am of this journey and what I've learned.  2021 is definitely the year I am stretching myself as far as quilting goes.

The final step - the label - is complete and I have one less UFO in the pile.  What is something you've done that pushed you but you were so happy to accomplish?

The free-motion quilting water is fine! Jump on in!

 How to learn something new?  You can watch others until the proverbial cows come home but at some point, you must jump in and try it for yourself.  Then, like any skill, you need to plan on practice, practice, practice.

This was a guild mystery quilt that I had already done stitch-in-the-ditch quilting on.  Fate must have wanted to give me a nudge as my mother gave me a present of the perfectly coloured thread to use to highlight the fabric already there.

The time had come to jump in the free-motion quilting waters!

I started with a continuous loop border using the ruler quilting techniques I had learned from the Continuum project.  I then went truly free-motion with outlining all the looks and adding in some filler motifs in the larger solid-coloured portions.

I'm over halfway done quilting and it is wonky, and inconsistent and threads everywhere, and I think I love it.  It's far from perfect, but I'm so proud of myself for jumping in and trying it.  That is a piece of advice I would offer any quilter hesitant about free-motion quilting.  Take a project you don't love or one that you feel comfortable sacrificing to the practice heavens, and go for it.  I can already see the progress over the course of the quilt.  I don't think I'll ever do a simple stitch in the ditch quilt again.

I'm a Quilting Magpie!

 Confession time.  I see new quilt projects like a magpie in fictional tales sees shiny objects.  In a year when I have more than enough projects in hand to keep me busy, I now find myself with two more - one in hand now and one on the horizon.

The first is a decision to participate in Angela Walter's Free Motion Quilting Challenge (Flora & Foliage Free Motion Challenge).  While the challenge and videos are free, I decided to splurge and purchase her panel fabric, borders, backing, and thread package.  I've never quilted a panel before, so it represents a first for me.  I've also never done a free motion class before, so again, more skill improvement is the rationale for undertaking another project.

The second is an upcoming workshop in June with Krista Moser to learn to do her "Summer Swag" quilt design.  I'll save that picture for a later post.

So, now I have to think about magpies, and I'm going to embrace an alternate description of the magpie, According to Wikipedia, "In East Asian culture, the magpie is a very popular bird. It is a symbol of good luck and good fortune."  Yes, that is what quilting does for me!