HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Happy New Year to one and all!! I am so looking forward to whatever 2020 brings to the table, but, I certainly hope that it's all good.

When I first started quilting I would begin a new project on New Years Day each year. Usually I would be cutting a new pattern. However, this year I plan on either loading a 'show quilt'( I don't know which one) or beginning my MAJOR applique project.

I truly have not yet decided and it is already New Year's Eve. Whatever I choose will be fun to do.

In the year of 2019, there have been many hurdles to jump. Mr. OLT has been very sick, there have been relationship problems within the family, and I have been somewhat depressed about the entire situation. In 2020, that will all change!! The things that have previously caused the depression, I am just going to KICK TO THE CURB!!! It's sort of like 'out of sight out of mind' for me. That has worked well for me in the past and hopefully will work again.

We will find out toward the end of January how Mr. OLT is doing. We certainly hope for the best, but, will deal with whatever the outcome is. Dealing with 5 different cancers over the last 3+ years has been stressful, to say the least, but so far so good.

In addition to quilting beautiful quilts for many wonderful clients year round, I also do a 'little' traveling.

I have some 'fun' events coming up in the first part of the year. First up is the Myrtle Beach Quilt Party in January. I am so glad Pat and I started going to this event. We go a couple of days early and sew in our hotel room. Then we may or may not take some great classes. We are at the beach and get to see the ocean out of our window..then we get to have great meals with some fantastic friends. What a wonderful way to start the New Year.

February brings on the first One Loose Thread Quilt Retreat of the year. I can't actually remember how many years we have been getting together for food, fabric, friendship, and fun, but it must be at least 15. This is a retreat that is totally open to all who want to attend. We spend 4 days in the Gravatt Camp and Conference Center in Aiken, South Carolina. Everyone brings their own machines and projects to work on. We host a Mystery Quilt for everyone, but, you are not required to participate. The Gravatt kitchen furnishes us with delicious meals 3 times a day and we have nice warm comfy beds to climb in when we can't see to sew another stitch. If we want to sew at 3AM in our PJ's that is so possible during this retreat. I have people come from all over the country to sew with us. We have a great time and build many lasting friendships.

March will bring on the Quilters of South Carolina Spring Meeting. This event always reminds me of Southern Teas, but we don't wear hats and gloves. We have a couple of days of classes with a national teacher and then a big luncheon with that teacher being the guest speaker for the day. This year it is Gundrun Erla. I have been working on a couple of her designs and really love the way her patterns are written. So, I do look forward to taking a class or two with her.

April will bring us to MQX!!!!!! I am so excited to be going back to Manchester, New Hampshire for this show. We always have a great time and are privileged to be some of the first to see the 'new show' quilts. Janet Lee and Mary do such a great job with this show. With this location, everything is kept under one roof and easily accessible. Wonderful restaurants are within walking distance of the venue.The vendors are always top notch and did I mention the classes? No? Well, let me tell you, some of the biggest names in the industry teach at this show. Then there are the 'new teachers'. People you have not heard of yet. This is a good place to begin their journey and I have taken classes for many of the beginners that have gone on to be the 'biggest names in the industry'. Not only are there classes for longarmers, but also for any machine quilters. Classes in piecing have been added. They have classes for dying fabric or quilting on leather. Then there are those addressing the die cut machines.....many more...Such a big variety that it really become difficult to choose the ones you want.

I almost forgot. I am very excited that our South Carolina Longarm Group will be hanging an exhibit at Quiltfest Greenville in 2020. Our exhibit is titled 'South Carolina Dreams Big'. There will be 20 of the Hoffman Dream panels hanging that have been quilted in different ways by the talented longarmers that belong to this group. Put this show on you calendar to visit. 

In May, we find ourselves back at Gravatt Camp and Conference Center for our Mid Spring Quilt Retreat. No teachers this year, just time to sit and sew and laugh a lot. Those dates are May 14-17, 2020. Stay tuned for registration information sometime in March.

Then things get quiet around One Loose Thread and I spend most all of my time with my longarms until August and then things start up again. Summer Quilt Camp, AQS will be in Charleston,QSC will have our Fall retreat at the beach,Winter Quilt Camp in November and then the year is over.

TIME REALLY DOES FLY WHEN YOU'RE HAVING FUN!!

So, let's get this party started!!! I hope that all of you have a Blessed 2020. I am available all year to quilt your tops for you, just email or give me a call and we'll set up a time for drop off.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!!!
LET'S GO SEW!!!!

Longarm Quilting--Down to the wire

T'was the weekend before Christmas:

Well, I am down to the wire. One regular client quilt to do and then the last 'promised' Christmas client quilt to finish and deliver on Monday. It's been crazy good over the last few weeks. I am so glad that I do my Christmas schedule the way that I do it so that I can work-in these last minute quilts for clients.

Unfortunately it appears that one top being mailed to me has been lost . I hate that and it's the first time this has happened in the 10-12 years that I have been in business. So, here are some suggestions for mailing your quilts or top to or from your longarmer:

1. ALWAYS put tracking on your package

2. Wrap your top in plastic in case it arrives on my doorstep while it's raining.

3. When you declare what is in the package do so as TEXTILES......never say it's a quilt.

4. You can insure your package, but with the understanding that you will never get the full value out of it if lost.

5. Inside the plastic bag, make sure that you have pinned your name, address, and phone number to a couple of places on the quilt/top. Then ship it and track it and make sure the person receiving it is also being updated as to where the package is.

I'll post a few pictures over the coming days of what's going on at One Loose Thread. We are looking forward to a quiet Christmas with tons of great food and lots of laughter.

Registration continues for the February Quilt Retreat. That is always a great time to renew your creative juices and spend time with old and new friends.

As the year draws to a close I want to thank all of you for your prayers and support. It's been a rough year at One Loose Thread and with Mr. OLT, but, we have made it to this point and we hope to carry through for another year. We could not do that without all of you.

So, here's wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year!! LET'S GO SEW!!!!

PS:  GO TIGERRRRRRRS!!!!!!!!!! (That's CLEMSON TIGERS!!!)

SOME DAYS!!!!

Some days I just really need to sit in a chair and not move a muscle.
This is the Hoffman Dream Panel that I quilted last weekend:

So, Friday, I put the binding on this one and started trying to find fabric to bind this one:

Well, I found a great stripe to use. I cut it in the wrong direction and did not have anymore to use. So, I stitched those strips back together and ended up with fabric that would be 6" to short for the binding.

Sent out an SOS and Beth K. went head first into her stash to find some pieces for me to check out. Went over to her house this morning and came home with a piece for this one and two possibles for a Dream Leaf Panel.

Started work. So excited. Stitched all of the strips together, ironed the binding and started applying it to the front of the panel. (keep in mind that I usually machine stitch my binding) So I got to the join and cut one side to short!!! Brilliant quilter that I am, I promptly pinned a new piece on the end of the binding and started stitching....Yep!! ran over the pin full force. Bent the needle bar of my Bernina 180. Yes, it does get better.

About this time Cooper decided he needed to surf the counter in the kitchen.
WHO ME??

No, he is not a Dachshund!!!!!

Mom........I would never do anything like that....

He knocked the grease can off of the counter. Thankfully, there was just a little oil in it, but, I did have to stop and clean that up.

Back to my project for the day:
I also have a Bernina 153 that is the same footprint as the 180 (thankfully!!), so I swapped out the two machines. finished applying the binding and took it to the ironing board to press it out.

THAT is when I realized that I had stitched it on the wrong side. So, now, I need to spend sometime hand stitching the binding down.

This has been quite an eventful weekend. I could have done without many of these 'events'. Now, hopefully, I can sit for a few minutes and stitch down this binding without cutting my finger with the scissor or using my hand as a pin cushion.....

Sure hope that your weekend has been uneventful and full of sunshine and laughter. Special prayers are going out to 'Smilie' and Noel for tomorrow and the days and weeks to come. If you have a minute or two, I would appreciate it if you would add a word or two for them too.

Have a good week...and ....LET'S GO SEW!!!

Folding Quilts for Shipping

One Loose Thread and Sisters Oregon!!

I am just going to take a minute here to post some pictures of our FABULOUS trip to the Sisters Quilt Show in Oregon. I'm trying to get all of our pictures together so I can share all of them in one place, but, that will take some time and I am currently prepping for Summer Quilt Camp. So, this is what I currently have. Hope you enjoy them.

One Adult Beverage

Maybe there is a Clemson fan in Oregon???

The 'Frayed Knots' were in SISTERS!!!






There will be more later when I have more time. Special thanks to those who supported this trip. I hope we can do something like this again in 2021!!! This time....Lobster!!

Thanks to Country Heritage Tours for taking such good care of us!!

Let's go sew!!

So......you want to make a t-shirt quilt?

So, you want to make a t-shirt quilt. No problem, right? All you have to do is sew the shirts together. Put a border around it. Get some fleece for the backing and take it to the longarmer.......right? WRONG!!!!

Let's talk about t-shirt quilts.
#1.Choosing the shirts.  You do not have to include every t-shirt you or your child has ever worn........No, you don't.
  It's really better to pick anywhere from 12 to maybe 24 of your favorites and only use them. The more shirts, the heavier the quilt. A queen size quilt with 60 or so shirts can weigh up to 10 pounds!!!! Mercy!! you could not even turn over under that quilt and heaven forbid if you need to wash it. Sort out your shirts and keep your quilt a comfortable twin or long twin size. 

#2. Stabilizer. We all have our favorites. Mine happens to be French Fuse. I have a commercial heat press and it is a simple matter of fusing this to the backs of the 'rough cut' shirts. Then I can cut to size and work with my design wall to arrange. French Fuse is also easy to quilt through..another consideration when choosing your stabilizer.

#3. To sash or not to sash. I like the quilts with sashing. That's my personal preference, but, you can stitch them all together in a pleasing design and work with that. The larger the quilt, the more it needs sashing for stability and reduction in weight. Cotton fabric in the sashing weighs less than all of those shirts sewn together.

#4. Batting. Personally, I prefer Thermore for the batting in t-shirt quilts. It is lighter in weight and will dry faster when washed. 

#5. Backing.  Although I have not had any problems quilting minkie and fleece..........I really prefer not to use them on the backs of these types of quilts. The stuff is just TOO HOT!! and requires almost a commercial washer when it's time to clean them. But, if that's what you want to use...I can still quilt them and won't complain. It is, after all, your quilt. My personal preference is either Grunge wideback or Moda's Primitive Muslin. Both quilt beautifully and they are snuggly on the back of a quilt.

#6. Binding. I prefer that my clients do their own, but, I will bind for you for a fee. Binding, I feel, should be cotton fabric to either match the border, or sashing, or to compliment the shirts in the quilt.

#7. Quilting. Yes, you can hand quilt these quilts and I will pray for you and your muscles, joints, and fingers while you do it. Yes, you can quilt them on a domestic machine. You need to have lots of Advil or Tylenol handy and a massage therapist on call......but, you can do it. Or, you can send them to a longarm quilter and we can do this for you. I do alot of these quilts.
Many longarmers will do these quilts and will use a large open meander. That's what I do if the quilt is not well stabilized and square. If it is, stabilized and square, I will put speciality designs on it with my Statler Stitcher. We can do a design that works for the quilt and for the special person that you are making it for. I have done, baseballs, tiger paws, ballet shoes, just to name a few.

So, you want to make a t-shirt quilt. I think that is fantastic, but, let's just follow a few guidlines so that you can have a beautiful end product. 

The easiest way to make a t-shirt quilt is to 'quilt by check book'. Yes, just bring me the shirts. We'll discuss the quilt and the layout along with the quilting design and the finished product. 

So, you want to make a t-shirt quilt.........LET'S TALK!!

That's it for today. We'll talk again soon.

Catching up with Longarm Quilting

Yes, I was out of the studio for a full week, so, yes, I am really behind. I had a great time at the Myrtle Beach Quilt Party and I now understand why many of my friends have been attending these last 29 years. I'll certainly go back.

However, now to get back to work.

The first of this week I was working on the border of this Dinner Plate design and I kept having severe thread issues. I contacted Fil Tec (Hab+Dash) and they have replaced that thread. It was delivered today and I should be back to using the 60 weight thread by Monday. In the meantime, I have been working on the red areas of the quilt. I have arrived at the middle!!!

Obviously, you can't see the quilting in this picture, but, trust me, it is there. Tomorrow I will continue down the quilt and will hopefully finish the red areas and start the black areas. I am actually going to hold off on going back to the borders until the full interior of the quilt is completed.

What is shown here in the red is all of the quilting that has been done this week. It does not show the weeks+ stitch in the ditch that was done before I went to the beach.

I love every piece of this quilt. Carol had told me that she felt as though a lot of these quilts are done heavy in feathers, and I agree. What appears as 'feathers' on this quilt are what I call 'bat wings' and the swags are some type of leaf. They don't have the curve of a feather and I just love them.

This quilt has an 'edgy' feel to it, so there are a few curves, alot of spikes, plenty of lines, and there will even be some circles....

I've got a long way to go on this project, but, a very hard deadline that I am seriously trying to make. We'll be up early and work late over the next few days trying to make that deadline. I'll let you know how it goes.

Have a great weekend!!!

A day in the Life of a Longarm Quilter

OK, so this was day 2 of stitch in the ditch. Day 1 was totally unsuccessful and nothing was accomplished. I had thread breaks, skipped stitches and nothing but frustration.
Well, I spent 36 hours reading, studying, dreaming and problem solving with my brain and a few hundred longarm quilters. I figured there were several problems.

First: This is not the way that I loaded the top. I had originally loaded it where it rolled on the inside bar. That caused tension when I moved Penelope. The quilt rolled too 'fat' and caused some drag. So, when I started this morning I unzipped it and rolled it on the outside roller. That really helped alot.

Second: I really loosened the quilt sandwich. Not so sure it was to tight, but, that couldn't hurt.
Third: I cranked the tension back down on the primary tension disks. Then I really loosened the tension at the intermediate tensioner.
Started stitching and would you believe.................It's perfect........well, almost. I am still seeing some of the dark gray bobbin thread pull close to the top of the quilt, but, not so much that I'm concerned.
Long story short...........I quilted for over 6 hours with 1.............I repeat ....1 thread break. And, I went back to using Superior Monopoly on top.............It has been a glorious day!! PLUS the sun was shining outside!!!
I did not get to the half way point, but, things are moving faster, so hopefully tomorrow I can finish this part.
That's it for tonight...........I'm off to try out my new Air Fryer. We'll see how that goes. Now that things are moving along, I know I'll sleep better. So, until tomorrow!!!

The Story of a High Custom Quilt and the Life of a Longarm Quilter

It is January 2, 2019 and I have finally loaded this quilt on my frame. I am starting the quilt with it on Penelope Statler. I have had this top for over a month, but the client knew that I would not  be in a position to start work on it until now. I have also just received the digital designs for this quilt. Most of what I will be using is from Laurie Thomas of It's a Quilt Thing. I will use a few others from other designers and let you know what they are and I will also be doing some freehand work on the quilt.

The first decision that I needed to make was whether or not to add additional batting. My client wants Dream wool and that is a really good choice. However, I feel as though this quilt needs the additional stabilizing that a thin cotton, poly or blend black batting on the back would offer. So, I have added a layer of Hobbs 80/20 next to the black batik backing.
I have those on the frame and now comes the quilt top. Perfectly pieced by a Certified Judy Niemeyer instructor. It is the new Technique of the month, Dinner Plate Dahlia and it is beautiful (even though it is done in Georgia red and black------or Carolina garnet and black). Insert evil laugh and a big tiger paw!! It is also 100% batik fabrics. Not just the top, but, the backing too.
It took 5 hours to load and baste the quilt top on and now it is time to stitch.

January 3, 2019:
Well, I have spent the entire day with this quilt. To say it has been frustrating is an understatement. Bull Bat time could not get here fast enough. I am working on the stitch in the ditch that is really necessary on these tops. I started with a medium gray bottom line bobbin on a black and gray batik backing using first Superior monopoly smoke. Well, I was having thread breaks every few inches and when it wasn't breaking I was getting skipped stitches. Talk about frustration!!! So, I unquilted what I had stitched. Next it was Dark Gray in the bobbin and Clear Superior Monopoly on top............same thing. So..........I tried YLI clear thread with the dark gray in the bobbin......same. I also stopped plotting for the Statler, dropped the belts, put on the extended throat plate and started hand guiding the machine.........no change.
Finally, I decided I was exhausted from fighting with the process for the day. So I shut down and turned off the lights.
I have poured a glass of wine and I'm sitting here talking to you. I think that I have also decided to try Superior Microquilter tomorrow instead of invisible. Microquilter is 100 weight thread and should work well. Notice I said 'should'.
Once I get these 'bugs' worked out, things will begin to go smoother and faster. It is still going to be quite a journey. So, you are on board and we'll talk periodically to let you know the progress. So, what does the quilt actually look like? Well, this is a look at part of the top:

Remember, as I go forward with this, that this top is 100% square and perfectly pieced. Any problems that arise are typical of some that longarmers have, but, that are not usually known by our clients. I just thought you might be interested and it might also go well for you to understand why we charge what we do for our quilting.
Have a good evening and remember that 'Tomorrow is another day'..........