Christmas Presents and Other Important 'Stuff'

This quilt is so large, that I can't get a full picture of it. However, here are a few, both before and after quilting.

 This one on the far right is a picture of the finished quilting. Now, with each quilt I learn something.

What did I learn on this quilt?
1. Never put the quilt on the frame until you have decided on at least 75% of the quilting designs that you will use...........otherwise, you spend hours, days, WEEKS trying to make those decisions.

Mary brought this quilt to me in AUGUST!!! AUGUST!!! (yes, it was this year). We decided on what we wanted to quilt in the gifts. We decided on what to use for the outside border. So, I zipped it on the frame basted the whole quilt in and just KNEW that this was going to go 'lickety split' ( that's really fast for those of you that don't speak Southern). Wellllllllll, I started with the border because I knew what we wanted in that area. I set it up and stitched the whole side border and two corners. The tension was perfect! I looked at the finished product and decided it should have been stitched 1/2" lower so that the bottom of the gifts would stitch in the ditch............out comes the seam ripper for stitch removal. I know better than to NOT listen to that little voice in my brain that tells me to stop after 6 inches of quilting.

While I am un-stitching, I can at least take some time and go ahead with the gifts. After all everything has been ditch stitched and is stable. So, I set the designs in the first two gifts and 'LET'S GO TO IT'!!' I stitched those out and wonder of wonders, turned the quilt over and I HATE the way that the tension is working on the bottom. OK, more work for the seam ripper.

By now, it must be at least October. Remember, Mary brought this to me in AUGUST!

OK, fast forward to Halloween..........the border has been un-quilted, the gifts have been un-quilted. I have all of the gifts now stitched with their special designs and now it's time for the sashings and spaces between the gifts.....but, no, the borders have not been requilted. It's time for quilt camp, so, we need to stop for that.

So, we get back to work after camp and it's time for the sashings and borders..........I decided to stitch the borders first (after all, I know what I want there). This time everything works BEAUTIFULLY!!! (I love my Statler!)

Fabulous! now I'm really on a roll. Let's get this finished before Thanksgiving. So, this is where everything stops.........again. I have no idea as to what I wanted to stitch in the sashings and around the ribbons. Thought about this for several days. Shopped all of the designers for ideas. Tried to dream about the solution.........wasn't happening. Anyhow, I finally came up with what I thought would work. Stitched it out and I was pleased, so then worked on finishing the quilt.

Well, guess what!! It's done!! Mary will soon be binding this beautiful quilt and have it on her bed for when Santa delivers his gifts.

Now, that was one thing I learned. What else might I have gleaned from this experience.

2. Thank goodness my custom clients are very patient and understand that I am not stitching anything on their quilts that doesn't 'feel' right to me. I love everyone of them.

3. My clients understand that my custom work is VERY SLOW............Thank you.

4. To that end, I will only be accepting 2 quilts a month for custom work. They could be hand guided, Statler assisted, or both, but I will only accept 2 per month. That said, my custom schedule is currently scheduled out to March of 2019. There is one quilt that is scheduled in for January 2019 that I do not currently have 'in house'. If it appears that it will not arrive, then everyone moves up in the schedule.

Custom quilting is something that I enjoy, but, it is also the most stressful, so, I am having to set some limits. I'm sure everyone can understand and we will all adjust to this new scheduling.

NOW AS FAR AS EDGE TO EDGE--------bring it on. I can usually have that back to you within 2 weeks..sometime sooner. This schedule is independent of my custom schedule, so, it moves faster.

Registration for February Quilt Camp will start the first week of December. Time to start thinking about the beginning of a new year as we finish up this one.

Now, here we are, the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Tomorrow I will load Penelope Statler and begin working on all of the edge 2 edge quilts that have been waiting for me to finish the Gifts. The weekend has been full for food, family, and football (GO TIGERRRRS). Time to settle in, decorate and enjoy the season. I have a few extra special quilts to complete before Christmas morning, but, that will happen. Life is great and I am enjoying the process. Hope you are too.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!! and LET'S GO SEW!!!

WHAT A WEEK!!!!

It's Sunday morning and I returned from Quilt Camp on Friday. Everything is packed away. Now it is time to reflect on our 4 days at Gravatt Camp and Confrence Center. It is time to make some decisions on how I do things for retreats, when retreats are scheduled, and what type of retreats I am hosting. I do this at the end of every year. I sit and reflect, make lists, make decisions. I do this for my business and for my life.

One of the first things I need to do is to thank each and every 'Frayed Knot' that attended the One Loose Thread Retreats this year and every year prior for the last 10+ years. Without you this endeavor could not happen.

 I also need to say a gracious thank you to all of my longarm clients for trusting me with their 'children' and allowing me to finish them. When I look back at the quilts that I have worked on this year, your talent humbles me. You have also allowed me to work with quilts that I might love to make, but, would never take the time to do so. However, working with yours.....I can almost say that I have.

This November retreat ( as all others) was an eventful time. The 'show and tell' was amazing as usual. The wide variety of projects showed the depth of interest and experience of the quilters. The sharing of ideas and knowledge was fabulous as usual. Unfortunately, we did have an event that made all of us realize how fragile our time together is.

Sue is doing fine and is home from the hospital now. We had a visit from EMS with red lights and sirens. However, this brought to my attention a few additional emergency procedures that I need to have in place. Among our group is always at least 1 nurse and this time was not different, except we had 3. Unfortunately one was the patient, but, thank you to Wilma and Judy for your fast response to the emergency. Once a nurse............always a nurse.

I have scheduled 4 retreats for next year along with the trip to Sisters, Oregon for the quilt show. Our dates are:

                             February 14-17, 2019-----this is a UFO retreat
                             April 25-28, 2019-----this is a UFO retreat
                             July 8-16, 2019---------Trip and tour with Country Heritage to Sisters, Oregon
                             August 7-11,2019----------this is a UFO retreat
                             November 12-15, 2019-----------this is a UFO retreat

So, no classes this year, as of this writing. You never know, that may change if I get requests for some special technique, quilt, or project.

Registration for our February dates will begin right after Thanksgiving. So, if that is what you would like to be given for Christmas......tell your family to contact me or they can just give you a check for partial or full payment.

There is still some space available for the Sisters trip. All you need to do is contact Country Heritage Tours to register and you can tell them that you want to be part of the 'One Loose Thread' Group. They will reserve your space with all of us that are going.

That's it for now. I will be in the studio from now until Christmas. There are a few spaces available for Christmas quilting and I will have Penelope Statler running until December 21st. So if you have some last minute tops that you need to be done, just call and we'll see what we can work out. The edge 2 edge 'que' always runs faster than the custom que. Custom quilting is currently scheduled out to late March-early April, 2019 so if you want something special, you need to reserve time on that list. If I have the piece 'in house' I may get to it sooner.

Thanks again for all of your support of my business and for me personally.
Now, Let's go Sew!!!

WHY DO I CARE??? This is a rant.

Soap Box Rant July 7, 2018
As I have been standing over my quilt frame today I am trying to figure out why women so undervalue their abilities. I have spent the last 4 hours dealing with poor piecing, wavy borders, selvages left in a quilt top, puckered seams and just over all frustration. I just can’t believe that a professional longarm quilter would work with all of this for less than ½ of minimum wage. With everything that I have had to deal with on this top my hourly wage will be approximately $17.00 per hour. This comes to $105.00 for the quilting. Whereas if another longarmer was to do the same piece that I have done, her hourly wage would be approximately $8.50 per hour.  That would be $50.00 for the quilting. Why would someone do that? This person is supposed to be a professional. She has invested in her machine, threads, designs……….yes she has computer assist. I just don’t get it.  Does she so devalue her ability that she feels so inferior that she should charge so much less than the local going rate? And is doing so, devalues my work, knowledge, and experience. Someone please explain this to me and tell me, WHY DO I CARE?
I will say at this time that this ‘other longarmer’ is not in my area. For that reason, she really has not impacted my business, but, she will impact the businesses of other longarmers in her area. So, will she have these prices for a year to get quilters to bring her their tops for quilting and then try to raise her prices? Will she burn out on quilting because she has taken on so much business. Once she tries to raise her prices what will happen then. Who knows. Quilters do shop for quilting just like they do for fabric.  What might she do/ feel, when another longarmer comes along and starts working on tops and cuts her prices even lower than the first one.  WHY DO I CARE?
I know this all sounds like sour grapes. It may be, but, I’m just trying to understand the business of longarm quilting. I have been in this business for less than 10 years. However, I already know the costs both financial, physical, and mental. It’s not all chocolate and good wine, let me tell you that. Every time I put needle to fabric it’s someone else’s fabric that they have put money, blood, sweat and tears into and now it’s my responsibility to bring it all to life. I suppose that I really am taking all this stuff too seriously. Maybe I should just throw the top on the frame, line up the e2e, push the button and walk away. Then whatever happens, happens………… I’m not made that way. I treat each top as though it is mine and I am going to send it to a judged quilt show. Yep, maybe to seriously. WHY DO I CARE?
So, WHY DO I CARE?
I care because I want my new profession (I am a retired Dental Hygienist) to be taken seriously as a technical art form. This profession takes time, money, practice, continuing education, upgrading equipment, another stash of threads, batting, so much more than most people realize. Then if you do this as a LEGAL business, you have taxes, insurance, bookkeeping, more paperwork than you can believe, rent, electricity, heating and air…. Never mind that you might be in your private home..you still have these expenses. So, WHY DO I CARE?
I care because I love my new profession. I love the people, the art form, the fact that I am pushed to my creative limit every day. I love it when one of my clients cries tears of joy when she sees her finished quilt. If she wins a ribbon in a show I am just as proud of her as though I had won it myself. I love the fact that I can contribute to various charities by working on some of their quilt tops. I love it when I deliver that very first quilt back to that beginning quilter and seeing the look on her face when she actually ‘sees’ her quilt. Let’s not forget that I love being in a position to take some great people on quilt retreats where we all enjoy this wonderful artform.
I ‘think’ this completes this rant. I have said all of this before. The members of the South Carolina Longarm Group have heard me say all of this out loud and with extreme emotion. I really should just let it lie, but, I find that very difficult to do.
BECAUSE I CARE

Thanks for your time,
Joyce Greer-One Loose Thread Quilting, LLC

A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

I was looking through and found these pictures from 2012. Some of them I remember, some and don't. I hope you enjoy looking at them.

https://oneloosethread.blogspot.com/p/customer-quilts.html

JOIN ONE LOOSE THREAD ON A TRIP TO SISTERS' IN 2019 !!!

Let's take a trip to Sisters Oregon!!!
Register with One Loose Thread now to reserve you seat on the bus!!

Yes, I have set a tour with Country Heritage Tours for us to visit the famous Sister's Quilt Show in  the beautiful state of Oregon in 2019 .  Country Heritage tells me that this tour always sells out and they are limited on the number of guests that can travel on this tour. That is why I have started this process so early. We can get our seats and begin to pay for our travel so that, by the time we leave, we are in a good position to just have FUN!!

The actual dates of the show are July 9- 15, 2019, however, we will need to arrive on the 8th of July to begin our journey. You will each make your own flight arrangements into Portland, Oregon. Our 'early' arrival will not be included in the cost of the tour, so you will be responsible for this one night at the hotel. Country Heritage is in the process of making the arrangements for this extra night for us.  Then, Country Heritage will take over on July the 9th and we can all just enjoy the journey.  I am so excited about this trip and it is probably the only way that I will ever get to this show.

Some of our expected destinations on this tour will be: The Sisters Show, of course. Along with 'The Stitchin' Post, Latimer Quilt and Textile Center, Portland Rose Garden and so much more!

So that we have our seats, I have paid deposits for 20 seats. In order to insure your seat on this bus you will need to make an immediate $200.00 deposit and that will be made through One Loose Thread (because I have already made this deposit). All other payments after that will be made directly to Country Heritage Tours. The  cost of this tour for 2019 is $1925.00 double occupancy and single is $2825.00.  This will not include your air fare or any additional days in the Portland area.

Following receipt of your deposit, you’ll receive a confirmation letter with all the information necessary to schedule your arrival and departure. All balances are due 60 days (90 days for international) prior to the tour departure date. Following receipt of the final balance, and 4 – 6 weeks prior to tour departure, you will receive the final Pre-Departure travel information.(From Country Heritage Tours)

Additional information will be available in the very near future. However, if you want some idea of what is in store, then you can visit the Country Heritage website to get some ideas.

https://countryheritagetours.com/tour/sensational-sisters-tour/

So, to recap:
1.Our tour is through Country Heritage Tours.
2.To travel with the 'Frayed Knots' of One Loose Thread, I will require a $200.00 deposit, since I have already paid that to the tour company.
3.Once you register with me, then all other communications will go through Country Heritage Tours and One Loose Thread Quilting.
4. Currently, American Airlines has a Non-Stop flight out of Charlotte, NC directly into Portland. Hopefully this will hold as this is our 'go to' flight.
5. You do not have to travel directly with One Loose Thread to be a part of this tour (just register through One Loose Thread), so get with friends from other parts of the country and meet us in Portland in 2019!!
6. Any questions? can be either left in the comments or, contact me through either Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/One-Loose-Thread-Quilting-160844243951197/ ) or Instant Messenger


So, LET'S TAKE A TRIP!!!

QUILTS, QUILTS, QUILTS

I have been really bad about posting. It's been a busy time, especially with a week in Manchester,NH at the worlds best quilt show MQX. I took a full 4 days of classes, saw a lot of beautiful quilts, shopped with some great vendors, and reunited with friends previously made and made some new ones too. Such a great show, I highly recommend it.

So, allow me to post some recent finishes for client. Some of these go all the way back to the first of the year.

Hope you enjoyed these.
Now, let's go sew!!

SPRING QUILT CAMP!!!!

Many times I refer to February quilt camp as 'Looking for Spring' quilt camp. The reason is that we are in the doldrums of winter and usually we are seeing sleet, snow, rain or a combination of all of those. The days are dark and the excitement of the Holidays leave me with a drained, empty feeling. Well, let me tell you, WE FOUND SPRING!!! The last 4 days with the 'Frayed Knots' of One Loose Thread were beautiful!!! The weather was warm enough for shorts and flip flops. The sun was shining and the skies were beautifully blue with occasional white, fluffy clouds. I could not have asked for better weather for this retreat.

I want to thank everyone that participated. We had several new faces (always a good thing) and many more 'old friends' (and I mean that in a good way). We sewed, we laughed, we cried, WE ATE!!! My goodness did we eat!! The Gravatt kitchen out did themselves again!!! I love the fact that the food is excellent and varied. Pat, Ruth, and Belinda really work hard to make our stay very special and have us coming back for more!!! We'll see you in May!!

We are always looking for a few new quilters to add to this bunch. This is NOT a closed retreat and everyone is welcome. You can come and quilt, just sew, knit, scrapbook, crochet, or just sit and read a book.......Camp is a time to 're-center' yourself. We leave problems at the gate and just enjoy the time that we have with each other.

Now, it's back to work for me. I have to get lots done this week because I will soon be off to Charleston to work with the Cobblestone Quilt Guild and the quilt show at Omar Temple. I always look forward to this and it is the only time I can really 'give back' to the guild. I am an out of town member so during show week I try to do as much as I can.

Have a great day!!! I am off to sew on some binding, and load both of my longarms to do some quilting!!

It's Sunday with One Loose Thread

This has been a very busy and fulfilling day.

I started my day by finishing up a client's custom quilt. That took about 2 hours. Then I pulled it down for pictures...another hour. After those photos, I spent another hour or so working with them and setting them up as a 'smile box'.

I do a smile box for most of my custom clients. I try to take the quilt from start to finish in a really good slideshow format. Yes, I even include my problems when I create a tuck in the back, but, I also show how I take care of the other issues that might occur with wavy borders or really 'full' blocks. It helps both of us to remember what happened and how the issues were addressed.

Then, I decided that I wanted some outside photos of the quilt....Did I say it is REALLY COLD in South Carolina right now? Well, it is, but outside I went. Took those pictures and came back in to edit them. That took another hour.

Then it was time to trim the quilt...did that. Now I have just spent the last hour removing all of the basting threads from the quilt. Finally, it is ready to place in the bag for pick up.

Invoice posted to client and 'Smile Box' sent to client and posted to the blog.

Started all of this around 9:00 this morning. It is now around 4:00 and it is Bull Bat Time for sure.

So, I have poured a glass of Pinot Grigio and I will now settle back and enjoy the evening. That said, I am going to go cut more half square triangles and work on Bonnie Hunter's mystery, 'On Ringo Lake'. I am very close to being ready to piece the blocks.

May all of your seams be 1/4"...............

Custom Quilting of the 'Girl Next Door' is complete

I finished this quilt today after about 5 weeks on Olivia's frame. It is 100% handguided quilting. Even though the top had an issue or two, I was able to deal with it and I am very happy with the results. I believe that my client will be too.

Customize your own slideshow

New Year New from One Loose Thread!!!

Happy New Year to all of you and thank you very much for your support over this last year. I am looking forward to 2018 and plan to make it a very good year.

For those of you that have been waiting so patiently for your quilts, thank you. Now that the crazy Christmas schedule is over, I can get back to regular scheduled programming for quilting. I hope to have everything that is currently 'in house' completed and back to their owners by the end of February. That is with a few exceptions. I have some heavy custom quilting that is on the schedule that will run later than that time. 

All edge to edge that comes in will still be completed and returned to you within my normal 2 week time frame.

I am currently scheduling custom quilting into June of 2018. Because of this, I will only schedule 2 custom quilts per month, whether they are hand guided, Statler assisted, or a combination of both. Once I get through this backlog of custom quilts, this may change. However, for now, I am going to hold to this scheduling time frame.

Please keep in mind that the 'quilting' part of One Loose Thread is still the major focus of the business. However, I love hosting our retreats and will continue to do so as long as it continues to be 'fun' for us all.

There are, currently, 4 retreats scheduled for 2018 and each is different.

 Spring quilt camp is currently registering and Beth Karr has designed an interesting mystery for us. May Mester 2018 will start registration within the next week or so and this year I am trying something a little different. One building will house our Judy Neimeyer class with CI Karen Conley. She will assist us with many different JN designs that we currently have in process. At the same time, if you have never worked with the Quiltworx patterns, she will be offering 'Moroccan Courtyard and Fractured Paint Box. Either of these will allow you to learn the process and finish with a fabulous quilt. The other will be hosted by Cindy Bundrick as she takes you through the construction of a beautiful bag and wallet that looks as though it is from a high end boutique.You will complete both projects within the weekend and still have time to work on other projects that you might bring with you.

I will, at this time, tell you that this will be our last May Mester that will feature a Judy Neimeyer class with a Certified Instructor, for a while. Karen has been with us for 5 or 6 years now and it's time for us to move on. I am open to suggestions from the 'Frayed Knots' as to which direction we should take with this project.

 Summer camp and Fall camp will both be bring your own project camps with several surprises thrown in.

That's all the news that I have for now other than these little 'tid bits': Mr OLT is doing very well. Loosey is adapting to her new collar and is smart enough to 'get it' on the first beep. Rocky is tolerating Loosey and loves her very much. 

Have a fabulous day and may all of your seams be a quarter inch!!