Diane Gaudynski - A New Tradition In Quilting

While visions of sugar plums danced through his head.....

Happy Holidays! Take some time over the next few weeks to enjoy your family and loved ones, and try not to get caught up in deadlines for gift projects. Years ago I decided not to make Christmas gifts as I had done my entire life, but save these for other events throughout the year. Otherwise the pressure of all those deadlines and projects, gift shopping, cleaning, cooking, events to attend, cards to send ----it was all starting to make the holidays a dreaded time of year. Now I scale way back and enjoy things without getting too mired down in details. Instead, plan a project for January--it will be wonderful to mull over all the possibilities while doing the million and one things we women have to do to make the holidays happen. When it is time to start the project as your reward when things suddenly get very, very slow and quiet after New Year's, you will have thought it through carefully and come up with some great ideas, and may need to shop for just the right fabric to tie it all together. A border, a background, a color to make it all have some zip. I keep a small notebook and write down my ideas when they happen so I can refer to them later. Oh, and remember to plan your quilting at the same time....at least some of it, the rest will come as you work on your quilt.

I think many still don't realize we can easily quilt in our home machines given the correct materials and approach. I have no trouble with large quilts as the batting I now use is soft and supple (Hobbs' Tuscany Wool) and easily fits into my machine all the way to the center.

If you "practice" or work on smaller projects to get the hang of free motion, do NOT turn your work! Keep it facing N, S, E and W with slight tilting as necessary to see your path. Free motion is the skill that allows us to quilt a big quilt in a small machine without any problem at all, so don't turn your work as if you were using feed dogs. Put the walking foot away and have fun! Use it for those stabilizing ditch lines and the binding.

Choose your backing fabric carefully. The popular "white-on-white" prints seem to create "grip" and can't be moved smoothly when used as a backing. On the top they often leave a black mark around the needle hole as well. Try a neutral color backing and then match the bobbin thread to each top thread color you use, rather than try to use one color for the bobbin that matches the top. You might like this new look on the back, sort of the "reversible quilt" idea. If you do use one shade of bobbin thread, make sure you properly adjust the tension so no bobbin thread shows on the top of the quilt, or top thread on the back.

A nice side effect of the new computer machines, at least my Bernina 730, is that you can place your work on the bed of the machine, take a short break, and the heat of the machine warms the quilt area you will work on and makes it ever so much easier to slide around. It is dry and light and the moisture that causes that stickiness is removed. Try it and see. I always struggle a bit when I first quilt because we live in a damp climate and the quilt and batt absorbs so much moisture it becomes difficult to move smoothly. This really helps.

Also with the great new light on my new machine, I don't have to turn off the machine light when stippling. This one gives such nice even illumination that I can actually do better with it on. Experiment with yours - sometimes it is easier to stipple with the machine light off and a task light in front of the machine angled just right so you can see where you have quilted. And don't forget the magnifier, fantastic aid. One of my students from years ago wrote and told me she duct-taped her ott light on the machine and had it hanging over the back to illuminate dark fabrics/threads while quilting. Use your ingenuity to "see" what you are doing.

Some of the new tiny intense lights that can be aimed at a spot are actually too bright for me to see my quilting. I do much better without them.

When you pre-wash your fabric, even if the water runs clear, pin a piece of white cotton or muslin to the fabric when it goes through the last wash/rinse/dry and see if any bleeds on to this test piece. If it it OK, it is safe to use in your quilt. Just remember to wash the quilt exactly the same way you pre-washed your fabric. Don't switch to a different soap or temperature. Someone asked me recently if it is OK to wash and dry and even press the YLI #100 silk thread I use for machine quilting, and yes, I have done all of those successfully, even steamed quilting with this thread and no problems.

After about 20 minutes of stippling or intensive quilting (bananas!) I make myself stop and take a break or it suddenly goes downhill fast. Get up and walk around, do something else for awhile that gets the blood circulating. Be sure and change your focus - look at things at different distances so your eyes can relax. Close them for a minute or two when you take that break too. The magnifier on my Bernina makes all the difference in the world for the health of my eyes. It's one of the best things I've ever purchased to help my quilting/eyes.

Sometimes no matter how hard you try, there are problems in your finished quilt--accept that although we are machine quilters and our tool is a sewing machine, we are doing it by hand. It is not supposed to be perfect; indeed, it cannot be perfect! The little imperfections and not-quite-perfect areas show that our work is handmade by a real person and as individual as you are. In this era of computers and technology, it is nice to see things that reflect our heritage and are obviously made by a real quilter, a real person. Try to be as good as you can, but accept the fact that there are indeed limitations.

When you are piecing and trimming up blocks to size with your rotary cutter such as adding logs in log cabins and then trimming off the overhang, cut towards the last seam. Sometimes this is towards you, and sometimes away from you, so be careful. It doesn't distort the block nearly as much.

I cut all my fabrics along the selvage side, and then strips along this long edge for stability. Save those 1/4" selvages for ribbons for packages! The new June Tailor tool, Shape Cuts, has slots for your rotary cutter at 1/2" intervals and is an excellent tool. It doesn't take nearly the pressure to hold it steady while cutting as does a ruler, so easier on the hands and carpal tunnel. Be sure to use sharp blades. It makes a big difference in ease of cutting and doesn't tire you out as much; takes less pressure to make a cut. I cut all the strips for "Through a Glass Darkly" this way and had no problem piecing the blocks, plus they all came out the same size. Starch helped a lot too, but remember to press with starch along the lengthwise grain before you cut the strips!

When piecing I use a #70 Sharp needle and Aurifil #50 Egyptian long staple cotton thread or Superior's MasterPiece cotton thread and a smaller stitch length than the default setting. Stitches should be small but allow you to rip out seams every now and then, but definitely smaller than the pre-set length on sewing machines. Use a neutral color thread. The thinner thread helps make the blocks piece up to the correct size, and the shorter stitch length is for strength. In "Shadows of Umbria" it turned out that dusty purple Aurifil and not a neutral tan was the perfect color for piecing most of the quilt.

Many of the new sewing machines have all kinds of options that are great for machine quilting, such as different available feet for free-motion quilting (often called free-motion embroidery feet) or an adjustment for pressure on the presser foot so it will clear thicker batt or go over seam allowances without getting stuck. Investigate! Search the manufacturer's web site for available feet for the model you have; dealers sometimes don't bother to tell you all that are available.

Look for a free-motion foot that gives you the best visibility, and whether plastic or metal, they should have the front open or cut out. If you can't find one for your machine with an open toe foot, cut it out yourself. Smooth or file the cut edges so it won't snag the quilt. Many of my students have done this and have had such better quilting as a result. Lots of models and brands now are offering free motion open toe feet.

Pumpkin pie is still great for breakfast. So are Christmas cookies. A great Wisconsin coffee break is two or three Spritz cookies with a chunk of aged cheddar. Ummmm. . . . .

I still quilt with my fingers bare with a bit of Neutrogena Norwegian formula concentrate hand cream (in the tube) for a bit of stickiness without staining.

Try my recipe for spray starch for all your pressing/piecing needs. Produces a super flat stable quilt: Dissolve a half teaspoon (or one teaspoon if you like it with a bit more oomph) of regular Argo cornstarch (in your cupboard probably) in a few tablespoons of cold water in a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup/pitcher. Boil 1 cup of water and stir into the cornstarch, stirring constantly. Add enough cool water to make 2 cups total of the mixture. It will thicken slightly and turn from chalk white to translucent. 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. 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!

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. One student suggested putting the starch in an old pump hairspray bottle for a fine mist. I find the pump spray bottles in the health and beauty sections of stores are the best and produce a nice fine mist. Don't soak the fabric, just a light mist is enough.

Do not just practice, practice, practice! I never recommend it, it is too boring and non-productive and you may just be practicing the wrong thing over and over. Make quilts! Surely you can piece up a "learner" quilt top, lap size, to learn to improve your machine quilting. If you use all the components like cotton batt and washing when done, your quilt will forgive your beginner mistakes and look wonderful. If it has setting squares where you can quilt the same design many times, by the end of the quilt you will be very good at not only that design, but all designs you choose for your next projects. I never practiced, I made quilts, and they will show you my progress from beginner to where I am today.

Look ahead of the needle much of the time when doing free-motion quilting. Find a point and aim at it. You will be surprised to find that many designs can be quilted like this without marking first, just by aiming.

For the holidays I get out as many quilts that I have made over the years that contain red and green that I can find, wash them, and put them everywhere in the house. They aren't necessarily "Christmas" quilts, but they blend in well with the Christmas accents of red and green that we decorate the house with and make the house look warm and homey. Even a blue/white quilt really adds to the holiday feeling when used with traditional red/green decorations. I use all quilts--even the first ones I made that aren't very good; they can be at the bottom of a stack or do double duty as a tree skirt.

Keep quilting! Your work gets better every day. And have a wonderful holiday season . . . save some time for quilting.

Happy Holidays 2008!

© Diane Gaudynski

	*Happy Holidays!* Take some time over the next few weeks to enjoy your family and loved ones, and try not to get caught up in deadlines for gift projects. Years ago I decided not to make Christmas gifts as I had done my entire life, but save these for other events throughout the year. Otherwise the pressure of all those deadlines and projects, gift shopping, cleaning, cooking, events to attend, cards to send ----it was all starting to make the holidays a dreaded time of year. Now I scale way back and enjoy things without getting too mired down in details. Instead, plan a project for January--it will be wonderful to mull over all the possibilities while doing the million and one things we women have to do to make the holidays happen. When it is time to start the project as your reward when things suddenly get very, very slow and quiet after New Year's, you will have thought it through carefully and come up with some great ideas, and may need to shop for just the right fabric to tie it all together. A border, a background, a color to make it all have some zip. I keep a small notebook and write down my ideas when they happen so I can refer to them later. Oh, and remember to plan your quilting at the same time....at least some of it, the rest will come as you work on your quilt.
	I think many still don't realize we can easily quilt in our home machines given the correct materials and approach. I have no trouble with large quilts as the batting I now use is soft and supple (Hobbs' Tuscany Wool) and easily fits into my machine all the way to the center. If you "practice" or work on smaller projects to get the hang of free motion, *do NOT turn your work!* Keep it facing N, S, E and W with slight tilting as necessary to see your path. Free motion is the skill that allows us to quilt a big quilt in a small machine without any problem at all, so don't turn your work as if you were using feed dogs. Put the walking foot away and have fun! Use it for those stabilizing ditch lines and the binding.
	Choose your backing fabric carefully. The popular "white-on-white" prints seem to create "grip" and can't be moved smoothly when used as a backing. On the top they often leave a black mark around the needle hole as well. Try a neutral color backing and then match the bobbin thread to each top thread color you use, rather than try to use one color for the bobbin that matches the top. You might like this new look on the back, sort of the "reversible quilt" idea. If you do use one shade of bobbin thread, make sure you properly adjust the tension so no bobbin thread shows on the top of the quilt, or top thread on the back.
	A nice side effect of the new computer machines, at least my Bernina 730, is that you can place your work on the bed of the machine, take a short break, and the heat of the machine warms the quilt area you will work on and makes it ever so much easier to slide around. It is dry and light and the moisture that causes that stickiness is removed. Try it and see. I always struggle a bit when I first quilt because we live in a damp climate and the quilt and batt absorbs so much moisture it becomes difficult to move smoothly. This really helps.
	Also with the great new light on my new machine, I don't have to turn off the machine light when stippling. This one gives such nice even illumination that I can actually do better with it on. Experiment with yours - sometimes it is easier to stipple with the machine light off and a task light in front of the machine angled just right so you can see where you have quilted. And don't forget the magnifier, fantastic aid. One of my students from years ago wrote and told me she duct-taped her ott light on the machine and had it hanging over the back to illuminate dark fabrics/threads while quilting. Use your ingenuity to "see" what you are doing. Some of the new tiny intense lights that can be aimed at a spot are actually too bright for me to see my quilting. I do much better without them.
	When you pre-wash your fabric, even if the water runs clear, pin a piece of white cotton or muslin to the fabric when it goes through the last wash/rinse/dry and see if any bleeds on to this test piece. If it it OK, it is safe to use in your quilt. Just remember to wash the quilt exactly the same way you pre-washed your fabric. Don't switch to a different soap or temperature. Someone asked me recently if it is OK to wash and dry and even press the YLI #100 silk thread I use for machine quilting, and yes, I have done all of those successfully, even steamed quilting with this thread and no problems.
	After about 20 minutes of stippling or intensive quilting (bananas!) I make myself stop and *take a break* or it suddenly goes downhill fast. Get up and walk around, do something else for awhile that gets the blood circulating. Be sure and change your focus - look at things at different distances so your eyes can relax. Close them for a minute or two when you take that break too. The magnifier on my Bernina makes all the difference in the world for the health of my eyes. It's one of the best things I've ever purchased to help my quilting/eyes.
	Sometimes no matter how hard you try, there are problems in your finished quilt--accept that although we are *machine quilters* and our tool is a sewing machine, we are doing it *by hand*. It is not supposed to be perfect; indeed, it cannot be perfect! The little imperfections and not-quite-perfect areas show that our work is handmade by a real person and as individual as you are. In this era of computers and technology, it is nice to see things that reflect our heritage and are obviously made by a real quilter, a real person. Try to be as good as you can, but accept the fact that there are indeed limitations.
	When you are piecing and trimming up blocks to size with your rotary cutter such as adding logs in log cabins and then trimming off the overhang, cut towards the last seam. Sometimes this is towards you, and sometimes away from you, so be careful. It doesn't distort the block nearly as much.
	I cut all my fabrics along the selvage side, and then strips along this long edge for stability. Save those 1/4" selvages for ribbons for packages! The new June Tailor tool, Shape Cuts, has slots for your rotary cutter at 1/2" intervals and is an excellent tool. It doesn't take nearly the pressure to hold it steady while cutting as does a ruler, so easier on the hands and carpal tunnel. Be sure to use sharp blades. It makes a big difference in ease of cutting and doesn't tire you out as much; takes less pressure to make a cut. I cut all the strips for "Through a Glass Darkly" this way and had no problem piecing the blocks, plus they all came out the same size. Starch helped a lot too, but remember to press with starch along the lengthwise grain before you cut the strips!
	When piecing I use a #70 Sharp needle and Aurifil #50 Egyptian long staple cotton thread or Superior's MasterPiece cotton thread and a smaller stitch length than the default setting. Stitches should be small but allow you to rip out seams every now and then, but definitely smaller than the pre-set length on sewing machines. Use a neutral color thread. The thinner thread helps make the blocks piece up to the correct size, and the shorter stitch length is for strength. In "Shadows of Umbria" it turned out that dusty purple Aurifil and not a neutral tan was the perfect color for piecing most of the quilt.
	Many of the new sewing machines have all kinds of options that are great for machine quilting, such as different available feet for free-motion quilting (often called free-motion embroidery feet) or an adjustment for pressure on the presser foot so it will clear thicker batt or go over seam allowances without getting stuck. Investigate! Search the manufacturer's web site for available feet for the model you have; dealers sometimes don't bother to tell you all that are available. Look for a free-motion foot that gives you the best visibility, and whether plastic or metal, they should have the front open or cut out. If you can't find one for your machine with an open toe foot, cut it out yourself. Smooth or file the cut edges so it won't snag the quilt. Many of my students have done this and have had such better quilting as a result. Lots of models and brands now are offering free motion open toe feet.
	*Pumpkin pie is still great for breakfast.* So are Christmas cookies. A great Wisconsin coffee break is two or three Spritz cookies with a chunk of aged cheddar. Ummmm. . . . .
	I still quilt with my fingers bare with a bit of Neutrogena Norwegian formula concentrate hand cream (in the tube) for a bit of stickiness without staining.
	Try my recipe for spray starch for all your pressing/piecing needs. Produces a super flat stable quilt: Dissolve a half teaspoon (or one teaspoon if you like it with a bit more oomph) of regular Argo cornstarch (in your cupboard probably) in a few tablespoons of cold water in a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup/pitcher. Boil 1 cup of water and stir into the cornstarch, stirring constantly. Add enough cool water to make 2 cups total of the mixture. It will thicken slightly and turn from chalk white to translucent. 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. 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!
	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. One student suggested putting the starch in an old pump hairspray bottle for a fine mist. I find the pump spray bottles in the health and beauty sections of stores are the best and produce a nice fine mist. Don't soak the fabric, just a light mist is enough.
	Do *not* just practice, practice, practice! I never recommend it, it is too boring and non-productive and you may just be practicing the wrong thing over and over. Make quilts! Surely you can piece up a "learner" quilt top, lap size, to learn to improve your machine quilting. If you use all the components like cotton batt and washing when done, your quilt will forgive your beginner mistakes and look wonderful. If it has setting squares where you can quilt the same design many times, by the end of the quilt you will be very good at not only that design, but all designs you choose for your next projects. I never practiced, I made quilts, and they will show you my progress from beginner to where I am today.
	Look ahead of the needle much of the time when doing free-motion quilting. Find a point and aim at it. You will be surprised to find that many designs can be quilted like this without marking first, just by aiming.
	For the holidays I get out as many quilts that I have made over the years that contain red and green that I can find, wash them, and put them everywhere in the house. They aren't necessarily "Christmas" quilts, but they blend in well with the Christmas accents of red and green that we decorate the house with and make the house look warm and homey. Even a blue/white quilt really adds to the holiday feeling when used with traditional red/green decorations. I use all quilts--even the first ones I made that aren't very good; they can be at the bottom of a stack or do double duty as a tree skirt.
	Keep quilting! Your work gets better every day. And have a wonderful holiday season . . . save some time for quilting.