Geta's Quilting Studio

09 November, 2009

Your shadow trapunto quilts

A few days ago I received a message that filled my heart with happiness !
Patti bought my shadow trapunto e-book just three weeks ago and she already finished her first attempt !

Here is, a WONDERFUL 19" x 19" piece ! I was so excited when I saw these pictures !

After I admired her work, I read her message:
"It was loads of fun to do...I need to go shopping for MORE organza! I have lots of ideas that I'd like to try. Thanks so much for the ebook....it is fantastic! I love this technique and you made it so easy!"

I am more than happy !
Thank you, Patti !

Here are other beautiful shadow trapunto little quilts made by:

Elaine
Mary
Mary again
Jan
Jan again
Angela
Tammy

Thank you all for sending me pictures and for sharing your shadow trapunto experience with me.

06 November, 2009

Just for fun

I think that my name, Geta, is strange for most of the visitors of my blog.
A few persons asked me how to pronounce it.

A lot of people call me "Greta", I don't mind, but it is funny for me because "Greta" sounds very differently from "Geta".

I am a very shy person, you will see below one of my quilts instead of my face :)

In case you are wondering what the translation for "cadouri-din-inima" is ( from the address of my blog http://cadouri-din-inima.blogspot.com/), I can tell you it means "Gifts from the heart" in English.
At the time I opened this blog, I did not realize that only my Romanian friends can remember this address ( and I did not think that I will have so many friends abroad !).

Have a wonderful weekend !
Geta

04 November, 2009

The winner...

of the October giveaway is ...

Ann D of Batiks by the bay.
Congratulations, Ann ! You won this little quilt.

I would like to thank you all for taking the time to enter this giveaway.
A special thanks to all of you who blogged about it or added my badge on your blogs. I appreciate this effort.

If you are not the winner, you will have another chance in the November giveaway. Soon...

01 November, 2009

Christmas Quilts

This is my collection of Christmas quilts.
If you want to make your own quilts, the designs are available for purchase (for a great deal!). Check out my website for details, and for bonuses...

I used the designs to make shadow trapunto quilts ( because this is my passion), but they can be used for other quilting techniques, too.
I tried to make quick and easy designs.

This piece can be stitched in one day...

I made this in less than one day...

I love postcards !
The same magic of shadow trapunto in a little piece
that can be made in one hour !

The quilt below is one of my first shadow trapunto quilts.
I made it two years ago. It is 40" x 40" (100 x 100 cm).

I was in love with this quilt. Shortly after I finished it,
I made my first miniature, using the same design.
It measures 15" x 15" (37.5 x 37.5 cm).

Just to see the difference in scale...

I was so proud of it...

I hope you like my Christmas collection...you can make your own collection, too !
See the details ...

25 October, 2009

October Quilt Giveaway

This giveaway is closed now. Thank you all who participated !
I will choose a winner soon !

I am happy that I finally finished the quilt for the October giveaway ( other Christmas patterns and quilts in a few days...).

It is small but I made it with much love !
It measures 13 inches (33 cm).

This is a shadow trapunto quilt. Unlike an usual quilt, this one has two additional layers: the top layer is organza and under it there are white motifs made of batting ( you can learn here more about shadow trapunto technique).

If you want to win this little quilt:

1. Leave a comment at the end of this post until November 2nd 2009.

Get more chances to win this quilt
Additional entries -each entry needs its own comment!

2. Write about this giveaway on your blog . Leave the link to your blog in your comment so I can visit your blog, too.

3. Become a Geta’s Quilting Studio follower by adding yourself to the follower group on the sidebar. I would love to have you as a blog friend and reader !

4. Add this badge on the sidebar of your blog (it will remind you and your friends to come back for the next giveaways ).

Here is how you can do this in Blogspot:
Layout / Page Elements / Add a Gadget / Html Java Script / than add the above code
or - just add the picture to your sidebar and link to my blog.

Thank you all who will participate in this giveaway. Good luck.
___________________________________________

Enjoy these wonderful pictures. One week ago these flowers were covered by snow in the garden of my sister Nina. Now they are mine, because tomorrow is my birthday !
I wish you all a happy week !

21 October, 2009

The winners ...

of my latest giveaway are:

Bea (France - http://uneaiguilledansunebottedefoin.blogspot.com/ )

Sandy (USA - of http://sandyquilts.blogspot.com/ )

Thank you all who entered the giveaway !
You all will have another chance ! My next giveaway is just a few days away...

Have a great day,
Geta

18 October, 2009

Free Motion Quilting Tutorial

Here is the promised tutorial on free motion quilting.

This does not cover all the aspects of free motion, I just wanted to describe a few things that work wonderfully for me and make my quilting easier and faster. You can experiment with the things you consider are interesting and see if they work for you, too.

I wrote this tutorial with the beginner quilters in mind, too, so sorry if you already know and use these things. I will be glad if all of you find here something useful !

In my country quilting is unknown for most people that is why I had to learn all by myself. Can you believe that the hardest thing I had to understand was stitching in the ditch?
I had no one to tell me “Don’t do this, it is wrong” so I do some things in my own manner. They make my quilting easier and I use them all the time.

Here are some:

Position of hands
This is the most important thing: I don’t quilt with both hands on top of the quilt sandwich. If someone would force me to do this, I would give up quilting.

Look at the picture below.

For me this position of hands is much more comfortable. I move the quilt around without difficulty and with no pain in my shoulders. I don’t wear any type of gloves, I don’t need them.

I keep on top only my left hand (keeping the quilt laying flat)

and the right hand I keep under the quilt. I use this hand to move the quilt.

I also use my left hand to move it around, but the right hand is mainly doing the job.

Basting
I use pins (instead of safety pins) to baste the quilt sandwich.
I keep the points of the pins in the middle layer (batting). Sometimes I have scratches on my hands (especially if the quilt is large). But since we have Pepe (our kitten) I have them anyway on my hands.
I love using pins because I put them so quickly and I remove them equally.
Don’t use pins on baby quilts ! Or be careful to remove all of them.

If the quilt top is large I layer it with batting and backing on the floor. I use masking tape to secure the backing to the floor.

If it is not large I baste it on a table and I use clamps to stretch the backing fabric.

How I start a stitch
I bring the bottom thread to the top.
Holding both threads securely, I start taking 3-4 tiny backstitches. I end the stitch in the same way.

I always use the same color of thread on the front and back of the quilt (in the pictures, I use two colors for easier understanding). And I like using the same color for backing, too. In this way if I can't get perfect stitches, the mistakes will not be very noticeable.

To avoid mistakes like this

I turn the quilt sandwich over from time to time to make sure that I have good stitches on the back.

Some people like using a busy fabric on the back but I prefer to see the quilting. If I have a busy pattern on top, the quilting will look nicer on the back than on the top.

Clean your sewing machine often. Oil it according with manufacturer’s instructions.

About threads
My sewing machine (like all the machines, I assume) works wonderfully with quality threads. And because not all my threads are of the best quality, I save the best for using on top (because I usually have problems with the top thread).
I have to save money not for shoes or dresses, but for threads ! I think my husband should be happy ! Or maybe not ?

About needles
I always use quality needles. Lately I have used Schmetz Topstitch needles (# 80 or #90) for most of my projects. They have a large eye and I noticed that the thread does not break so often. If the thread keeps breaking I change the needle.
And I always test its point: if it is dull and does not prick or it leaves a scratch on my fingernail it is time to change it.

Why is it harder to quilt large quilts ?
If the quilt hangs off the edges of the table we work on, this will cause difficulties in moving the quilt around. So this is the golden rule for easy free motion quilting : regardless of the size of the table we use (I use a small one), we must keep the whole sandwich on the table at all times.

I start quilting in the center and I never roll the quilt. I just place the half of the quilt under the arm of my machine and I quilt on small portion at a time.

If the sewing machine fits into a cabinet and we have a large flat area to work on, this helps a lot.

How to quilt fancy designs
I hate to trace a pattern onto fabrics or make stencils.
That is why I let the computer to make the hard work for me.

I print (using EQ software) the desired design on lightweight paper.
I pin the paper onto the quilt sandwich.
I stitch the design (with dense stitches) then I carefully remove the paper.

From my experience stitching a pattern through paper is the easiest method of stiching a design because the lines are very visible. You will focus only on stitching.

This little quilt was entirely quilted using this method.

An example of quick and easy quilting
I outline the patches I want to enhance and I use stippling on the background.

The front of a block

The back

For outlining the shapes I use stitches like these (done with free motion)

I can't finish this post without showing you the quilting on the back of my favorite shadow trapunto quilt. I made it using many of the tips shown here.

Click for a large picture

If you have other tips and want to share them, just leave them in a comment (along with your name and website) and I will make an update with your tips at the end of this post. Thank you !

I think the November tutorial will be interesting ! Hints: Stripes ! Easy ! Fun !
I am working now on the October giveaway quilt. Hint: Christmas !
Don’t forget to come back soon !

The badge for this series of tutorials and giveaways is below if you want to add it to your blog.
It will tell your friends and will remind you to come to my blog for something new and for your chance to win a quilt.
Or you can subscribe to my blog (see the right sidebar).
Thank you!

Here is how you can do this in Blogspot:
Layout / Page Elements / Add a Gadget / Html Java Script / than add the above code
or - just add the picture to your sidebar and link to my blog.

15 October, 2009

Meet my assistant

I am working hard for the October tutorial and Pepe is of much help.

He is the first tester of the fabrics I use...

When I sew he can't stay with me because he likes to eat threads...and batting... and I have to hide all the pins...
I think I could let him to eat water soluble thread... but it is too expensive ...

He brings us so much joy...

He is a lucky kitten, we saved him from the streets...

Yesterday fell the first snow. It is very cold here, but your friendship warms my heart..

Thank you all for taking the time to comment, blog or adding my badge to your blogs.

12 October, 2009

Monthly Quilting Freebies and Quilt Giveaway

This giveaway is closed now. Thanks to everyone who entered.

Lately I have been so busy with a lot of non-quilted related things and I neglected my blog.
The list with things I want to share with you is growing...
I need to do something to change this and be more organized.

One thing I have learned (from the books of Bryan Tracy) in the last years is this: when you want to achieve something, you have to write it down on paper, assign a deadline for it and do the best you can.
And what I have learned from my experience - make it public! You will have to keep your promises!

So I have news for you. Starting this month, each month I will share with you something I think is useful: tutorials, patterns, designs – for quilts, bags or other quilted things.

And because I love (and I miss) the excitement of giveaways, every month I will host a giveaway. I will be glad to offer a little piece of my work to some of my readers.

If you want to add the below button to the sidebar of your blog, it will tell your friends and will remind you to come to my blog for something new and for your chance to win a quilt.
Thank you!

Here is how you can do this in Blogspot:
Layout / Page Elements / Add a Gadget / Html Java Script / than add the above code
or - just add the picture to your sidebar and link to my blog.

How to mark this new beginning of my quilting adventure?
With a giveaway, of course !

These are 30 sets of four triangles for making kaleidoscope blocks and two pieces of fabric.

The blocks measure 3.5" x 3.5" (finished size).

I like to have perfect blocks, after I sew and press all the blocks, I square them.
I use a square ruler and I place its diagonal line on one of block's diagonal.

Repeat for the other diagonal.

And from these 6 sets of eight triangles you can make

6 or 12 blocks like these (the square block measures 6").

Using them you can make two beautiful little quilts. This design may be an option.

If you want to win these pieces leave a comment at the end of this post until October 20th.
Additional entries/ separate comments (get more chances to win the prizes):
- place the above button on your sidebar
- blog about this giveaway.

I will randomly peak two winners on 21 of October.

Hint for the October tutorial
You know how much I love free motion quilting ! I rarely use my walking foot for quilting.
In the first tutorial I will share with you my secrets for quick and easy free motion quilting.

Thank you all for taking part in my adventure.
Have a great week ! And Good luck !

Geta

07 October, 2009

I am back at work

I didn’t sew anything in the last weeks. We made some renovations in our home, painted the walls and other hard things like these. My husband had a few days off, but we both worked at home.

Now I am back to my quilts. I cannot sew because my sewing machine needed a few small repairs and only at the end of the week I will have it back home.
But I have a lot of work to do on my computer.

Anyway, I have a long list of projects to do and this list includes a few surprises for you.

In the last weeks I have received a few pictures from quilters who made shadow trapunto quilts using my technique, so that I set up a Flickr group pool where you all can see them.
If you make a shadow trapunto quilt using my technique, would you like to upload your photos there ? I am sure a lot of friends will be glad to see them.

I can't finish this post without some photos !
These are a few baby quilts (and small wall hangings) I made a few years ago.

I learnt how to cut and sew this easy pattern from Eleanor Burns. It was made only from strips and squares, I didn't cut any triangle.

The same pattern- just two colors

For this one with stars I used a very thick batting - it was so hard to quilt it !

And this was made from kaleidoscope blocks.

See you soon !

28 September, 2009

Tutorial - Designing with Electric Quilt

After the tutorial I wrote a few months ago about how to design wreaths using Electric Quilt software, here are a few other ideas to help you draw more complex designs.

Even if you don't have EQ, you can still use some of the principles shown here for drawing your own design on paper.

Let's start drawing this design ( this is one of my shadow trapunto quilts - you can see other designs here).

Start a New Block > PatchDraw, draw some shapes like the ones below and combine them.

Select them all, click the right button of the mouse and apply "WreathMaker".

I wanted to make a wreath with 10 clusters.
Depending on how you set the size of the cluster and the space between clusters, you can get different results.
Make adjustments until you are happy with the design.
This is mine:

Save the block

Select from the above design just two clusters and remove all the others.

Select them, click on the right button of the mouse and select Symmetry / then Clone/ then Flip H

You will end up with something like this:

Select the entire design and apply WreathMaker again ( select Number of clusters=4 ).

I have now this design. I wanted a design with closed clusters so I made a few trials until I get it (I adjusted the size and the space between clusters).

Go to the Color tab and color the backgound.

Now we need other shapes to fill the center. Draw something like this:

Select them, apply again "WreathMaker/Number of cluster=4". The center will look in this way:

You can also rotate or resize the selection.

Then I wanted one more design to fill the center. I drawn a circle and applied "WreathMaker/Number of cluster=8"

NOTE
If you want to keep the symmetry of the design, for the next wreaths use a number of clusters divisibles by 4 ( like 4, 8 ,12 ...). Don't use 3 or 5 or 7 clusters.

I reduced the size of the circles wreath.

And this is the design ! It is very easy !

The possibilities are endless.

You can download for free these three designs:

And here are other quilts made using my shadow trapunto technique and the same WreathMaker "wizard" from EQ.

And this is my latest quilt, a combination that kills me: shadow trapunto+ the design made using WreathMaker + a message for someone special !
It was so fun to make the lettering - much easier than making appliques.

I hope you will find this tutorial useful.
If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask me.
If you will design some wreaths, I will be happy to see them. Please send me a picture !

26 September, 2009

Memories from Paris

I usually order my fabrics online, so Paris was heaven for me. In Montmartre there are a lot of fabrics stores. I saw and touched hundreds of bolts of fabrics, I was exhausted after 4-5 hours...

I stayed away from quilting fabrics ( imported from USA- 14 euro/yard), but I bought a few wonderful fabrics for my future bags.

Heavyweight cotton

Synthetic suede and velveteen (a kind of velvet made from cotton);
How much I love green- only at home I noticed
that the two green fabrics are so similar !