Quilting and Stuff by Knitnoid

Category Archives: Machine Quilting

Catching Up

September 9, 2025 8:51 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

The time simply has gotten away from me.  Between work, quilting and filling in at my friend’s shop, blogging has fallen to the bottom of the list of things to do.  First up, the August Stash Report.

The Stash Report

Fabric Added Since Last Report: 13.759 yards
Fabric Added to Date:  194.442 yards

Fabric Used Since Last Report: 32.67 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 147.139 yards

Net Fabric Stash: 47.303 yards

So did I meet the the August Goals? Some of them.

    • Finish Cascades. It just needs the borders before it can be quilted. – It still needs borders.
    • Keep up with the KTQ A Vintage Sampler Quilt Quilt along.  I’m currently 2 blocks behind. Looking at the schedule we should finish the top by the end of the month. – Quilted!
    • Monterrey Medallions.  I’d like to get the blocks made for this quilt. – In progress.
    • Sheryl. I just need to sew the binding strips together and get this one bound. – Still waiting
    • Auction Quilt Top. It’s a bad picture, but I need to rip out what little quilting I’ve done. – Still needs ripping
    • Shop Samples.  Yes there are two quilts in the picture and I want them done by Monday! Guess what I’m doing first? – Accomplished!
    • There is a customer quilt on the frame. I should get it done tonight – I don’t think there are any thunderstorms expected. – Accomplished!
    • Decoupage fabric to glass for a friend. – Accomplished! 
    • Prepare the mystery quilt clues (the next one is due Monday!) – Accomplished!

This is my Vintage Christmas Sampler by Kansas Troubles Quilters.  I caught up, got the borders on and even got it quilted over the long weekend.  It was promptly put in the stack to be bound and I started Monterrey Medallions. There are 4 different blocks in this quilt – the center star, Woodpile, Floating Stars and Jacob’s Ladder blocks. The floating stars are up next.

So what’s on the agenda for September?

  • Finishing instructions for the guild Mystery Quilt
  • Finish customer quilt which is on the frame
  • Borders and quilt Cascade
  • Finish and quilt Monterrey Medallions
  • Quilt Ruby’s Vintage Christmas Sampler
  • Mini Bow Tucks
  • Kit Clara
  • 20 Zipper Bags (take to retreat)
  • Rip out quilting from Auction Quilt
  • Kandy Korn Kitty Top  (take to retreat)
  • Assemble Riviana (take to retreat)
  • Bind Vintage Christmas Sampler
  • Bind Sheryl

I’m thinking some of this is not going to get done this month.

 

Posted in: A Vintage Christmas Sampler, Auction Quilt Top, Bags, Clara, goals, Kandy Korn Kitty, Machine Quilting, Mini Bow Tucks, Monterry Medallion, monthly goals, mystery quilts, Rivanna, Sheryl, Stash Busting Report

July Goals Update

July 7, 2025 12:35 pm ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

It’s only been a week, but I have a few updates on this month’s goals

  • Bind Wonky Trees  – I want this done so I can take it to the guild meeting on Monday. – BOUND and LABELED
  • Quilt the American quilt on the front of the frame. I’ll do that tonight, as my customer wants to bind it this weekend. – DONE
  • quilt & bind the Auction Quilt Top I bought last year – Its on the frame
  • finish the mystery quilt clues (the next one is due Monday!) – Monday’s clue is posted (and corrected)
  • help Ruby put up her design wall (I’ve got to find my other flannel sheet) – Can’t find the sheet so she’s ordered flannel
  • Keep up with A Vintage Christmas Sampler Quilt A Long.
  • Decide where I’m going to hang the framed backing.
  • Finish the prep work for the Wonky Tree class.
  • Complete the Cascades quilt top.  Bonus if I get it quilted and bound

Additional goals

  • Complete the Sheryl top
  • Make Hummingbird Napkins
  • Cut RWB Napkins
  • Cut Strips for RWB Jelly Roll Rug -DONE I cut 21 half yard cuts..  The large rolls have 2 of each fabric and small roll just has one.
Posted in: Auction Quilt Top, goals, Machine Quilting, Napkins, Wonky Christmas Trees

Maybe Its Summer

July 3, 2025 10:16 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

I’m not sure if its the heat or the storms, but I feel like I’ve not been in the Quilt Studio very much this week. And it’s not because I’m watching the Royals on MLB.tv.  They’ve been in Seattle and the game haven’t started until 8 PM.  Last night I loaded the Americana quilt which was brought to me Sunday afternoon.

I got the binding made for the Wonky Tree quilt.

And I found everything in my stash to make this Villa Rosa pattern “Sheryl”.  I’m going to double the size to use the entire layer cake.  I found this layer cake in a box of stuff I got from my friend Sheryl. My LQS is having a 25% off sale starting on the 4th, so I planned on getting the “sashing” fabric, but found this slightly gray white fabric in my cabinet – and I have enough! Not wanting a ‘white’ binding, found some lavender fabric in the cabinet which blends well with the layer cake.  All I need now is a backing, but that can wait until the top is made.  I’ll probably take this to an upcoming retreat to make.

Posted in: Machine Quilting, Sheryl, Wonky Christmas Trees

What I’m Working on Wednesday – 7/2/25

July 2, 2025 8:39 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

Not a whole lot has changed since yesterday’s post.  Yesterday evening there were thunderstorms, so I couldn’t turn on the long arm.  I did get the backing loaded and the batting cut.  After the storms blew through, I fired up the computer to begin working on the quilting design.

Apparently this is the first time I’ve attempted to do and E2E since I finally upgraded the Mach3 software.  Notice the blank spots at the top and bottom of the quilt layout.  I tried several times, then picked a different design that I know I’ve used.  Same thing occurred. Finally I figured out that the clip connect setting got reset with the upgrade.  I was then able to create the quilting profile, but I decided it was too late to start quilting.  Assuming there are no more storms, I’ll get this quilted tonight.

Posted in: CustomerQuilt, Machine Quilting

Wonky Trees is Quilted

June 30, 2025 12:03 am ⋅

It’s a small quilt, but it still took me 2 sessions to get it quilted.  I started with a little ruler work to make the ‘garlands’ on the trees, but I couldn’t remember how to mask the trees. Since it was late I decided to regroup in the morning.

I read the book, and watched 2 different videos on YouTube.  I eventually figured it out — for the 1st 3 trees.  When I advanced the quilt, I had to rewatch the video again. The last 3 trees I didn’t have to watch the video, but I did struggle with doing the steps in the right order, but I got it done.  I think if I had to do it over again, I would outline the trees completely, but naturally I didn’t think of that until I was halfway though the quilt. Maybe next time. Now to get it bound.

Posted in: masking, Ruler work, Wonky Christmas Trees

What I’m Working on Wednesday – 2/12/2025

February 12, 2025 1:56 pm ⋅

Last night I loaded a customer quilt on the frame and started quilting it.  It’s going pretty fast, but I need to wind another bobbin, so called it a night. While the computer was doing it’s thing, I worked on the remaining Laura’s Little Notebook Covers.  I think 6 are pinned and ready to stitch.

Posted in: designwall, Lauras Little Notebook, Machine Quilting

Weekly Goals for the Week of 1/20/25

January 21, 2025 12:48 pm ⋅

I have more quilting/textile goals for 2025 than I listed yesterday on my UFO list. I also want to post more regularly since this is typically how I track my quilting.  To that end I’ve come up with this schedule:

  • Sunday – 2024 Catch up.  Once I’m caught up I’ll revisit this.
  • Monday – Goals for the year or week.
  • Wednesday – What I’m Working On. This ties into the weekly Facebook post for Gulf States Quilt Association
  • Friday – Stash Report. How I’m doing on using my existing stash.

There may be other posts through the week, it will just depend on what’s happening. So this week’s goals are:

I have 2 quilts which need to be quilted this week.

I want to get this quilt from my UFO list bound and labeled. I want to turn it in at the next Brandon Quilters meeting.

There are 12 of these little notebooks on my list to get done by February 10th.  I want to get at least 4 made this week.

Check back on Monday to see if I accomplish these goals or if I’ve bitten off more than I can chew.

Posted in: binding, goals, Jelly Roll Twist, Laura Little Notebook, Machine Quilting

Quilt #2 of 2023

January 18, 2023 10:39 am ⋅

Quilt #2 is the 2022 Quilters By Hearts’ Desire Pizza Box Swap quilt.  Last year we each put a length of background and  focus fabrics, plus some FQs of coordinates in a pizza box.  We made the first block, then at each meeting someone else took the box home.  We don’t meet in December, so we received our boxes back in November with 10 additional blocks.  I made a 12th block then put them together to make this quilt.

The blocks are set together with a 6″ wide sashing and corner stones giving the illusion of alternate blocks.

The quilt is custom quilted with several different quilt designs.

  • Outer border – Alienfleur Border & Corners
  • Inner border – ABM HFzag drop
  • Setting Triangles – Anne Bright Hippie Double
  • Setting Corners – Anne Bright Hippie Single
  • Pieced Blocks – Anne Bright Hippie 4 Block
  • Blocks formed around Corner stones – Sweet Dreams BD 2013 003
  • Triangles formed in sashing – Kalediscope

At this point I must give a huge shout out to Capri, the System Administrator  on the Innova AutoPilot Mach3 Owners FB group and owner of Bear Paw Quilts.  I posted in a panic Saturday morning about something weird in my file when I opened it to resume quilting. She spent nearly 2 hours on the  phone with me working through fixing the issue, then teaching me what I needed to do to finish the quilting. She also suggested the quilting motif for the blue sashing, which still needed to be quilted after I finished the computerized quilting.

I’m not sure it shows well here, but it is Point to Point curves from corner to corner.

I took the quilt outside before I bound it and all of the great texture can be seen.

Quilt Stats

  • Started 1/9/2022
  • Finished 1/16/2023
  • Quilted with Glide 40wt in Cool Gray 7 – 4 bobbins
  • Legacy 80/20 batting
  • Top before quilting and washing 73 1/2 x 91 1/2
  • After quilting and washing 67 x 86 1/2

 

For the label, I created a document in Word and printed it onto printable fabric.  I moved the blocks out of month order, so the label reflects the block order and includes the name of the quilter, the block they made and the month they made it.

This quilt is on my 2023 Brandon Quilters UFO Challenge list.

Posted in: 2023 Brandon Quilters UFO, Machine Quilting, Pizza Box

A Quick Finish of a UFO

December 30, 2022 6:47 pm ⋅

As mentioned in my Countdown Day 1 post,  I took a class back in April 2009 on free-motion quilting on my sewing machine.  Managed to get the center done in class and simply didn’t finish the piece.  This afternoon I sewed a couple of FQ to the top and bottom so I could load it on my longarm.

Originally the intent was to do free-motion on the long arm, but I decided the piece was too small to mess with, especially since I had cool triangles I could drop into the corners.

I sewed an envelope closure and used an 18″ pillow form.

 

Posted in: Final Countdown, Machine Quilting, pillowcase

The Final Countdown with Prairie Moon Quilts

December 29, 2022 3:25 pm ⋅

I have sporadically participated in The Final Countdown with Prairie Moon Quilts over the years and I’ve decided to do it again this year.

Today’s task is:

Choose something you can finish quickly and do it

 

This past year I’ve been working hard to knock my UFOs out.  I finished all 12 of the UFOs on my 2022 Brandon Quilters UFO Challenge list, plus another 5, so there’s not a whole lot left that is a quick finish.  After going through my UFO list these are my options:

On the left is the Machine Quilting Sampler from a class in 2008. Free motion quilting on my sewing machine is not a skill I ever became proficient at and at this point it is unlikely that I will.  However, my free-motion skills on the long arm could use some practice. I could add some fabric to each end so I can load this on my longarm and finish the quilting there.

On the right is another class project, this one from May 2012. The first thing I need to so is sit still, in good light, and do the embroidery, then I can decide how to finish the piece. Maybe I need to pull my notes and thread and set this by my chair to work on while I’m watching TV in the evenings.  Currently I’m re-watching The Librarian — both the moves and the TV show.

A third option is to simply finish these blocks.  I think there are 26 or 27 blocks that each need 2 more logs.  Once that is done I can start on the quilt top. This quilt is on my 2023 Brandon Quilters UFO Challenge. It is what I’m working on until the next Quiltville Mystery Quilt clue comes out on Friday  I want to have this quilt completed (quilted, bound, labeled and washed) by mid-January, so I can’t procrastinate on this quilt.

On my 2023 UFO list5 is the Pizza Block quilt. I plan to have finished by mid January as well.  I haven’t decided how it will be quilted, but I can make the binding so when it comes off the longarm I can finish it.

Finally there is this quilt – Princess and the Pea.Also on my 2023 UFO list, I threw it on the long arm and the computer quilted it earlier while I was working on the log cabin blocks. Then I realized that I have no idea what I’m going to use for binding.

 

So, in summary the plan for my  ‘quick finishes’ are

  • loading the machine quilting sampler on the long arm to practice my free-motion quilting
  • gathering the thread and working on the embroidery on my Faux Applique in the evenings
  • finish the last of the log cabin blocks so I can begin assembly
  • make the pizza box binding so it will be ready to go when when the top is quilted
  • decide and make the binding for the Princess and the Pea quilt.

I won’t get them all done before the first, but I should have significant progress on all of them by the 9th.

Posted in: Final Countdown, log cabin, Machine Quilting, Pizza Box, Princess and the Pea