Diane Gaudynski - A New Tradition In Quilting

"Hillary" ~ Detail from Roberta Williams' quilt

Hope your Fourth of July picnics and celebrations are wonderful with delicious food! We always have amazing fireworks and childhood memories are renewed as I watch the beautiful explosions of color in the night sky. Dig out some of your old family picnic recipes and have a celebration.

The pattern for the Hillary quilt is now available at Keepsake quilting! www.keepsakequilting.com Look in the "wall quilts" section on their web site. It is such a beautiful combination of our much loved cats and quilts that you might like to make one, think of gift ideas too, and remember that a portion of each sale goes to the Morris Foundation to help fight cat and dog diseases. We are making a difference. Thank you to all who have purchased the pattern; I'd love to get some photos of your finished quilts, whatever the fur coat color is on your very own version.

Lately I've noticed in classes those who use adhesive sprays a bit too heavily have a difficult time with thread tension, stitch quality, and detail work in their quilting. The needle seems to stick in the quilt, dragging it up and down with it. This causes many problems, and it is really difficult to quilt on something with too much adhesive basting spray in it. If you feel you must use it, do it with a very light hand. A little is better than too much. Watch for buildup on the needle as well - you can actually see globs sticking to the needle after a bit of quilting. The sound is unusual as well and it seems as if the needle gets dull very quickly. I don't have any scientific studies to back me up, but have seen so many problems that I am tending to think it definitely is playing a role in them. Quilters who spray baste tend to use gloves so they can move this thick stiff mass under the needle. Pins are the only way for me!

Even though Orvus soap is recommended for washing quilt textiles, be careful of getting globs of it, undiluted, directly on your quilt or fabrics as it can certainly remove color in spots where it lands. I keep an empty small jar of Orvus and my current jar of it together on the washer, then add some to the empty jar, a little warm water from the washer as it is filling, and shake it up well and then pour it into the stream of water as the washer fills. This has avoided lots of "oh, it will be ok and dissolve" problems that tend to arise when you are hurried.

Sometimes it's the little things that can make or break your machine quilting quality - like that tail of thread that keeps getting in the way and causes you to make a glitch avoiding sewing it in. Stop and cut it!! The safety pin that you just "might" clear, but then snags your presser foot and makes a mess of your stitching. Move it first - play it safe. A dull needle that leaves too big of a hole and messes up the tension. A burr on the throat plate that every now and then catches the bobbin thread and causes some bad stitches on the back. That blue marker that looks sort of light and faint, but you use it anyway only to find when you're quilting you can't see anything! And on and on - deal with them and your quilting will be so much better.

If you use various spray products in your sewing area, be aware that a fine mist will settle on your sewing machine and might harm it, or more commonly, make the flat surface sticky. It's impossible to quilt well when the quilt won't move very freely. If you think this might be the problem, wash with warm water and gentle soap, buff dry with a clean flour sack towel. The Bernina folks at a show told my student to put a drop of sewing machine oil on the machine surface and rub in well. It worked perfectly. Try to avoid chemicals on your machine, or sprays, as they settle in everything and are definitely not good to breathe in, or for your family and pets either. If you have a brand new plexiglas surround, wash it with warm soapy water to remove residue. Recently in a class we had two new ones and neither one allowed the quilt to move at all, nada, zip. Awful stuff on those, so get them clean, and don't add anything to them. With time your clean quilt backs will polish them to an icy slipperiness.

For sticky surrounds, try the new "Supreme Slider" that has a sticky back and no tape needed. Watch for it, along with a new center cutout for the needle that will be larger. I'm trying one out now.

It seems the new plastic cone thread holders are worse for nylon thread than none at all as they act like a magnet and the thread spirals around the spindle and causes all sorts of problems. I have a wonderful old heavy metal one that works perfectly for most all my thread and I know they are still available in sewing centers, etc.

Our yard isn't treated with chemicals of any kind and has many robins eating lots of earthworms that are making the soil better, the grass healthier and greener. The robins are not in the neighbors' yards . . .Keep the setting on the mower high so the grass isn't "scalped" and affected by drought or disease or bugs as readily. This is one of the easiest ways to prevent lawn problems - don't cut it too often or too short. Quilt instead.

If you get build-up of starch on your iron, wipe it off (when iron is cool) with a rough terry towel soaked in white vinegar. It will come clean beautifully! I use a length of muslin to cover my ironing board and wash it frequently. Vinegar is my tried and true cleaner for just about everything in the house.

Store your Wash-Away thread (water soluble) and the bobbin you wound with it both in a zip-loc bag, especially in humid weather, or you will find it all sticking to itself and ruined. This also keeps the bobbin away from your other ones filled with regular thread so you don't goof and use it thinking it is thin white thread. I prefer YLI water soluble, called "Wash-A-Way," as it is fine and smooth and my machine loves it unconditionally. It also washes out easily.

If I am going to do a lot of traveling with my machine quilting in "ditches," then I quilt them first with water soluble thread, not regular thread and later this stitching washes out. If the stabilizing line of quilting will "stand alone" when the quilt is done, then I use regular quilting thread, for me, YLI #100 silk. Watch for new colors in the cones, coming soon from YLI.

Blue washout markers are notorious for going "dry" so fast. When I am marking an extensive area, I use 2 or 3 and switch between them. They get a chance to "re-charge" a bit before I pick them up again. And use a light touch when you mark with them; they'll last longer and your line will be smoother. Store them horizontally, not in a mug. I put mine in a zip-loc bag. The fine line ones seem to go dry much faster, so I only use them for very precise marking, like tiny grids.

If you have wrist or carpal tunnel problems or arthritis, the cushion scissors by Fiskars are great; I just got my first pair and I love them, especially for trimming edges of quilts when I do binding. The "squeeze" type small ones are great for clipping threads, and trimming batt for trapunto. Your thumb doesn't get so sore from the scissors handle. It's also a good idea when doing lots of trapunto trimming to have several different styles of scissors to switch back and forth from so you don't over-tire the same muscles in your hands.

Don't forget about Hobbs' Tuscany Wool batting if you want a light and puffy quilt with high loft, but also remember it can be quilted down flat and still stay flexible with close quilting. It washes beautifully (do not dry in dryer, although many tell me they do, on low) and is easy to machine quilt. It makes a very warm quilt, but yet it breathes and is even more comfortable than cotton. I would never make a baby quilt with polyester batt. If you don't like the old "crinkly" look of cotton for a baby quilt, try wool! It's so wonderful in the machine; you can grab it and gather it up to hold while quilting with no stress on hands. Check their web site or package directions for care and handling, and amount of quilting needed.

Borax works great to kill ants. My swarm in the middle of the garage was dead in an hour. Just sprinkle it on. It does kill plants though, so don't sprinkle it on your yard or garden--ask my husband about that one! Ants actually are good there; they help break down the soil, tree stumps, plant material, etc., and make it rich and loamy. This was a non-quilting tip just to see if you are alert. We spray weeds that come up in the driveway cracks with vinegar or sprinkle with Borax. Kills them dead, and is non-toxic to the rest of the world. When a little safari patrol of ants marches in the patio door to eat a spill of food on the kitchen floor, I let them go to it, because when they are done, it is mostly gone and they leave very politely. They never climb the cupboards, but stick to floor activity. I may have very well trained ants.

Time to make a flag quilt!! They look great year-round, but it's especially nice to have one for the Fourth of July. Brabara Brackman has a nice one in her Civil War Quilts book.

When you are ready to take a break during free-motion quilting, do some more difficult area to finish for the day, like the spines of feathers. You are all warmed up and "into it." Then when you resume, start with something less challenging, like some small echo feathers or a traced design, and work up to the harder areas. Give yourself every break you can think of to do good work--it doesn't just "happen!" If the quilt is stabilized (see "Guide to Machine Quilting" - my first book), you don't necessarily begin in the center, but can quilt wherever you want because of those lines already stitched. Do the center last when you are warmed up and have been getting in many hours of quilting.

Keep quilting! Your work gets better every day.

Try my recipe for spray starch for all your pressing/piecing needs. Produces a super flat stable quilt: Dissolve half or one teaspoon of regular Argo cornstarch (in your cupboard probably) in a few tablespoons of cold water in a heat proof 2-cup measuring pitcher like Pyrex. Add boiling water to make one cup, stirring constantly. Then add cold water to the 2 cup line. Let cool and use in a pump spray bottle. Shake it every time you spray. You may have to dilute it a little if it is too thick or builds up white flakes. Lasts a week or so as there are no preservatives, no chemicals, no nothing that harms us or the environment, and it’s practically free, except for the spray bottle! Don't starch fabrics for storage as it will attract critters such as centipedes, and mice. Works especially well for quilt backing fabric so the quilt will move freely.

© Diane Gaudynski 2008

	Hope your Fourth of July picnics and celebrations are wonderful with delicious food! We always have amazing fireworks and childhood memories are renewed as I watch the beautiful explosions of color in the night sky. Dig out some of your old family picnic recipes and have a celebration.
	The pattern for the Hillary quilt is now available at Keepsake quilting! www.keepsakequilting.com Look in the "wall quilts" section on their web site. It is such a beautiful combination of our much loved cats and quilts that you might like to make one, think of gift ideas too, and remember that a portion of each sale goes to the Morris Foundation to help fight cat and dog diseases. We are making a difference. Thank you to all who have purchased the pattern; I'd love to get some photos of your finished quilts, whatever the fur coat color is on your very own version.
	Lately I've noticed in classes those who use adhesive sprays a bit too heavily have a difficult time with thread tension, stitch quality, and detail work in their quilting. The needle seems to stick in the quilt, dragging it up and down with it. This causes many problems, and it is really difficult to quilt on something with too much adhesive basting spray in it. If you feel you must use it, do it with a very light hand. A little is better than too much. Watch for buildup on the needle as well - you can actually see globs sticking to the needle after a bit of quilting. The sound is unusual as well and it seems as if the needle gets dull very quickly. I don't have any scientific studies to back me up, but have seen so many problems that I am tending to think it definitely is playing a role in them. Quilters who spray baste tend to use gloves so they can move this thick stiff mass under the needle. Pins are the only way for me!
	Even though Orvus soap is recommended for washing quilt textiles, be careful of getting globs of it, undiluted, directly on your quilt or fabrics as it can certainly remove color in spots where it lands. I keep an empty small jar of Orvus and my current jar of it together on the washer, then add some to the empty jar, a little warm water from the washer as it is filling, and shake it up well and then pour it into the stream of water as the washer fills. This has avoided lots of "oh, it will be ok and dissolve" problems that tend to arise when you are hurried.
	Sometimes it's the little things that can make or break your machine quilting quality - like that tail of thread that keeps getting in the way and causes you to make a glitch avoiding sewing it in. Stop and cut it!! The safety pin that you just "might" clear, but then snags your presser foot and makes a mess of your stitching. Move it first - play it safe. A dull needle that leaves too big of a hole and messes up the tension. A burr on the throat plate that every now and then catches the bobbin thread and causes some bad stitches on the back. That blue marker that looks sort of light and faint, but you use it anyway only to find when you're quilting you can't see anything! And on and on - deal with them and your quilting will be so much better.
	If you use various spray products in your sewing area, be aware that a fine mist will settle on your sewing machine and might harm it, or more commonly, make the flat surface sticky. It's impossible to quilt well when the quilt won't move very freely. If you think this might be the problem, wash with warm water and gentle soap, buff dry with a clean flour sack towel. The Bernina folks at a show told my student to put a drop of sewing machine oil on the machine surface and rub in well. It worked perfectly. Try to avoid chemicals on your machine, or sprays, as they settle in everything and are definitely not good to breathe in, or for your family and pets either. *If you have a brand new plexiglas surround, wash it with warm soapy water to remove residue.* Recently in a class we had two new ones and neither one allowed the quilt to move at all, nada, zip. Awful stuff on those, so get them clean, and don't add anything to them. With time your clean quilt backs will polish them to an icy slipperiness.
	For sticky surrounds, try the new "Supreme Slider" that has a sticky back and no tape needed. Watch for it, along with a new center cutout for the needle that will be larger. I'm trying one out now.
	It seems the new plastic cone thread holders are worse for nylon thread than none at all as they act like a magnet and the thread spirals around the spindle and causes all sorts of problems. I have a wonderful old heavy metal one that works perfectly for most all my thread and I know they are still available in sewing centers, etc.
	Our yard isn't treated with chemicals of any kind and has many robins eating lots of earthworms that are making the soil better, the grass healthier and greener. The robins are not in the neighbors' yards . . .Keep the setting on the mower high so the grass isn't "scalped" and affected by drought or disease or bugs as readily. This is one of the easiest ways to prevent lawn problems - don't cut it too often or too short. Quilt instead.
	If you get build-up of starch on your iron, wipe it off (when iron is cool) with a rough terry towel soaked in white vinegar. It will come clean beautifully! I use a length of muslin to cover my ironing board and wash it frequently. Vinegar is my tried and true cleaner for just about everything in the house.
	Store your Wash-Away thread (water soluble) and the bobbin you wound with it both in a zip-loc bag, especially in humid weather, or you will find it all sticking to itself and ruined. This also keeps the bobbin away from your other ones filled with regular thread so you don't goof and use it thinking it is thin white thread. I prefer YLI water soluble, called "Wash-A-Way," as it is fine and smooth and my machine loves it unconditionally. It also washes out easily. If I am going to do a lot of traveling with my machine quilting in "ditches," then I quilt them first with water soluble thread, not regular thread and later this stitching washes out. If the stabilizing line of quilting will "stand alone" when the quilt is done, then I use regular quilting thread, for me, YLI #100 silk. Watch for new colors in the cones, coming soon from YLI.
	Blue washout markers are notorious for going "dry" so fast. When I am marking an extensive area, I use 2 or 3 and switch between them. They get a chance to "re-charge" a bit before I pick them up again. And use a *light touch* when you mark with them; they'll last longer and your line will be smoother. Store them horizontally, not in a mug. I put mine in a zip-loc bag. The fine line ones seem to go dry much faster, so I only use them for very precise marking, like tiny grids.
	If you have wrist or carpal tunnel problems or arthritis, the cushion scissors by Fiskars are great; I just got my first pair and I love them, especially for trimming edges of quilts when I do binding. The "squeeze" type small ones are great for clipping threads, and trimming batt for trapunto. Your thumb doesn't get so sore from the scissors handle. It's also a good idea when doing lots of trapunto trimming to have several different styles of scissors to switch back and forth from so you don't over-tire the same muscles in your hands.
	Don't forget about *Hobbs' Tuscany Wool batting* if you want a light and puffy quilt with high loft, but also remember it can be quilted down flat and still stay flexible with close quilting. It washes beautifully (do not dry in dryer, although many tell me they do, on low) and is easy to machine quilt. It makes a very warm quilt, but yet it breathes and is even more comfortable than cotton. I would never make a baby quilt with polyester batt. If you don't like the old "crinkly" look of cotton for a baby quilt, try wool! It's so wonderful in the machine; you can grab it and gather it up to hold while quilting with no stress on hands. Check their web site or package directions for care and handling, and amount of quilting needed.
	Borax works great to kill ants. My swarm in the middle of the garage was dead in an hour. Just sprinkle it on. It does kill plants though, so don't sprinkle it on your yard or garden--ask my husband about that one! Ants actually are good there; they help break down the soil, tree stumps, plant material, etc., and make it rich and loamy. This was a non-quilting tip just to see if you are alert. We spray weeds that come up in the driveway cracks with vinegar or sprinkle with Borax. Kills them dead, and is non-toxic to the rest of the world. When a little safari patrol of ants marches in the patio door to eat a spill of food on the kitchen floor, I let them go to it, because when they are done, it is mostly gone and they leave very politely. They never climb the cupboards, but stick to floor activity. I may have very well trained ants.
	Time to make a flag quilt!! They look great year-round, but it's especially nice to have one for the Fourth of July. Brabara Brackman has a nice one in her Civil War Quilts book.
	When you are ready to take a break during free-motion quilting, do some more difficult area to finish for the day, like the spines of feathers. You are all warmed up and "into it." Then when you resume, start with something less challenging, like some small echo feathers or a traced design, and work up to the harder areas. Give yourself every break you can think of to do good work--it doesn't just "happen!" If the quilt is stabilized (see "Guide to Machine Quilting" - my first book), you don't necessarily begin in the center, but can quilt wherever you want because of those lines already stitched. Do the center last when you are warmed up and have been getting in many hours of quilting.
	Keep quilting! Your work gets better every day.