Diane Gaudynski - A New Tradition In Quilting

"Batzbelow" Detail ~ Diane Gaudynski 2008

The most beautiful season is here--crisp fall days with glorious color everywhere against the backdrop of that pristine blue October sky! If this doesn't inspire you to try some new colors in your quilts, nothing will! Even the rainy days are beautiful. I quilted a small piece in May for the Wisconsin Quilters Retreat but stopped when I realized that in the hand dyed fabric, below the lovely blooms and feathers I had done, some incredible Halloween creatures appeared as if by magic. I stopped! They were looking at me, what to do. I left it unfinished and finally decided to go ahead and quilt around the bat fellows at the bottom as they emerged from the ditch line to taunt me as I worked. I quilted around them and now this little piece is called "Batzbelow." Another sample of them laughing and dancing, below. Please ignore the wisps of batting on the quilt top - only the camera lens could see it.

Try a light but firm touch in your quilting - you have to have control, but you also need to be relaxed and comfortable and "easy going" to do nice work. It's a balance between the "death grip" on the quilt and no grip at all and letting the quilt have its own way, causing pleats, distortion and jerky, uneven stitches. Sometimes I notice that the machine clamps the quilt too much as the free motion foot comes down, causing you to really have to wear gloves or grip tightly just to move it. If this might be you, you can get the foot adjusted so in its lowest position it doesn't prevent the quilt from moving. A Slider, a slippery sheet you tape to the bed of the machine, helps you to move quilts much more easily in the area under the needle. www.freemotionslider.com

If the presser foot is lowered, and you have the free motion foot attached, you should still be able to move the quilt easily under it. If you think this might be a problem with your machine, have your dealer check it. Also, lower those feed dogs! This will create much-needed room under the foot for your quilt, and allow you to easily stitch over seam allowances, heavier areas, trapunto.

Many machines now have an adjustment so you can reduce the pressure on the presser foot. Find out if you have this capability, and use it! I love to reduce the pressure for quilting loops, curves, feathers so the quilt moves so easily and smoothly, and put it near the "normal" position (for regular feed-dog enabled straight stitch sewing) when I need a bit more control, such as in lines and grids. It is one more option on a machine that lets you have control and do your very best work.

Remember after free motion quilting to set this pressure to "normal" or default for regular or walking foot sewing.

I have been using Hobbs' Heirloom Wool batt for most of my work in the past few years, but did a small piece with their new Tuscany Silk batt and really, really like it. It seems to give you less "poof" as you are quilting, is a bit lighter weight than wool, and blocks up beautifully after it is wet, leaving almost as much loft as the wool has. While quilting on it, it seems you have more "control," more of a feeling of substance like cotton batt has, yet it is very light and lovely to handle in the machine. Expensive, yes. Amazing, yes. Not for every project but you might like to get some, split it with a friend, and try it and see how you like it. Our ingredients in our "quilt recipes" can make or break the final product.

On my supply lists I mention it is fun to bring a small piece of silk dupioni for your class sample. While it is easy to quilt, looks fabulous with even beginner skills, sometimes the sheen of it makes it all but impossible in a classroom setting for you to see what you are doing. Instead of silk to "practice a design," a very good quality cotton works best, or a cotton sateen if you want elegant. Some of the hand-dyed sateens are fantastic for quilting - because of the weave of the fabric, our machine stitches seem to dissolve into the fabric and melt away minor errors and stitch inconsistencies. I do love to quilt on sateen. Check online sources for it, or look for hand dyed varieties at quilting events, vendors there many times have them.

If you like the automatic "needle down" feature when doing free motion quilting, but find that when you have to stop, when you start up again this is where glitches happen. The needle seems to jump up and sideways instead of the direction you are quilting and it zigs and zags a few times before you get it under control. I now tap my foot control once and have the needle come up (or turn the wheel on the machine) and then resume quilting. Much easier to control. It's a lot easier to learn to do this than stop and take out stitches that went off course. You can also simply begin quilting with a smooth crescendo of speed - slowly for the first stitch or two to get control and then gradually accelerated and obtain highway speed.

Experiment with threads. There are many wonderful options for machine quilting on the market now, and you won't know until you try them if they work or you like them. It's a small price to pay for opening a whole new window of machine quilting. I started using silk thread just this way - saw a spool in a shop, bought it and came home and experimented with it. It was several years later that I decided to try it in a big quilt, and I was thrilled with the result. Now I have moved on and have really been living dangerously and am using thread that doesn't match the fabric - wow, a whole new world of excitement. I know it is subtle, but I like it. You may use different weight of thread in the same quilt. For example, a heavier thread for the design, and much finer thread for any background quilting is a nice look.

Newsflash! YLI has plans for more colors of #100 silk available in the 1000 m cones, plus a variegated #100 silk.

When you are shopping for a new sewing machine, don't be led astray by all the bells and whistles. Try out the machine for what you intend. I do have all the bells and whistles, but only because they came on the model with the other features that were important to me. Sometimes it is one thing that will determine the brand or model you get, like the needle threader or magnifier for those with bad eyes or no patience, or the smooth foot control with no bursts of speed, or the feet that are available for the sewing/quilting jobs you want to do. And see how adjustable it is--in a piecing class we used the blind hem stitch, and I found at least two machines that could not adjust this stitch to get the best look for the job we were doing. If you are going to do any free motion quilting at all, take along a sample and thread and needle, and try it out. See how it moves, how is the visibility with their free motion foot, see what other feet they have, etc. The dealer should be helpful and ready to answer all your questions. If there are a lot of automatic features, see if you can override them. And there definitely should be a way for you to adjust bobbin tension.

A #70 Microtex Sharp needle works so well for piecing--it seems to keep the fabric from pushing down into the opening and the seams stay straighter too. Also, use the straight-stitch (single hole) throat plate when piecing and guide those pieces so the beginnings and endings of seams stay a consistent 1/4". I like the #13 foot for piecing on my Bernina 200. Be sure and set your machine so it knows this throat plate is on and if you inadvertently use a zig zag stitch, the machine won't sew. If your machine doesn't have this override, place a big red sticker on the front of the machine where you will be reminded that this throat plate is there.

If you sew or quilt with the #100 silk thread, it leaves a waxy residue on the take up lever and in the lower bobbin/hook mechanism, actually, along the entire thread pathway. Every time I re-thread or change the bobbin I brush out this soft bit of thread debris. Sometimes a Q-tip works better as this residue is a bit sticky and hard to get out. It doesn't harm the machine, but builds up and makes it hard for things to work properly. I add a bit of oil to the hook area every 3-4 hours, swab up excess with a Q-tip, and quilt a bit on a sample before continuing with my work. Check your owner's manual or ask your dealer about oiling. I had two students recently with Bernina 153's who hadn't oiled their machines and they sounded dreadful. We soon had them up and running smoothly and quietly. The Bernina 440 I used in August at MAQS in Paducah sounded dreadful until I gave it a bit of TLC and oil and it ran perfectly after that, and sounded like a smooth, powerful limo.

Plain old white vinegar is basic in my house--it cleans everything, it disinfects, it picks up dust, it shines and polishes, and you can actually eat it. Very safe, very effective. And it doesn't harm the environment, pets, or people. Your house may smell mildly like a pickle for an hour or so, but that's OK too. Bring on the burgers.

Look ahead of the needle when doing free-motion quilting--sometimes only a half inch or so, sometimes clear across the area you are doing. Aim at a point and stitch to it and your line will be straight, stitches even. This is also much easier on your eyes than trying to focus on the needle moving fast. It's the "how" of seeing around and behind the needle. You can't see every point on the path to the end, but if your eyes see the end and where you are and you visualize the road, you can quilt it without actually seeing everything on the way there. Hope that makes sense!

For sewing binding sections together, use a very fine thread and a small stitch length so you don't notice the stitches in the pressed-open seam. I usually use fine cotton, but did some with #100 silk as it matched the fabric and was already in the machine and it is totally invisible - looks great. The #50 Egyptian cotton by Aurifil is my thread of choice for piecing and for joining binding strips. Strong and very undiscernable in the seams. DMC #50 cotton, Superior's MasterPiece work very well too.

When doing trapunto and working with water soluble thread, it might help prevent breaking if you lower the top tension (smaller number) several stops. I use it in both top and bobbin and it works great. It all washes out! No bobbin pop-ups later when the water soluble disappears leaving bumps of cotton bobbin thread here and there.

Even though it comes on a small spool, I put it on my cone thread holder and it unwinds better and doesn't break as often. I use a #60 Microtex Sharp needle for this thread. If you use the "Vanish" brand water soluble, it is much thicker, will require a different needle and tension setting. Some machines prefer the YLI "Wash-A-Way" brand, and others only will allow the Vanish brand. At least we have options!

One of my students suggested storing water soluble thread in zip lock bags with one of those little packets of silica gel that is packed in everything, from electronics to your new wool blazer pockets. It will help keep the thread dry.

I am frequently asked how in the world I handle a big quilt in my sewing machine. And every time I start a new project I wonder myself, until I get going and then it is really self explanatory. You do what you have to do to get the area you are working on positioned under the needle with no weight or drag on it. The roll or folded up bulk of the quilt becomes a great handle for you to hang onto with your right hand, much easier than a hoop. With free-motion you position the quilt and then quilt in any direction with minimal moving and handling of the quilt if you have properly stabilized it in construction lines first with in-the-ditch stitching.

Take out pins as you move along and don't need them anymore, as the fewer there are the easier it is to handle the quilt. And just go ahead and begin! It's only a quilt and you might as well tackle it rather than agonizing over how you will manage it. Free motion quilting of course is the answer to this most often asked question. I think many people still envision quilting all those curves using a walking foot and turning that big quilt in the machine.

And don't forget to stabilize the construction lines first, stitch in those ditches, and then do free motion quilting. You have now "sub-divided" your quilt into workable areas. You can start at an area out towards the edge first, and save the central area for later when more of the bulk of the quilt is quilted down and less poufy plus, you are warmed up by then.

When you were learning to walk, did you do it everyday?? Ask your mom, but I bet you walked and walked and walked until you were really good at it. Same is true for machine quilting. You have to do it every day and work at it, even if it is just "practicing scales" and repeating some simple design or technique over and over for 30 minutes. See what a difference it makes! If you are piecing a quilt, take a break from that and quilt for awhile as a reward. In fact, to really master something, don't jump around from one thing to the next, but repeat it over and over. Trace a design 10 times and quilt it 10 times! Do a freehand motif many times over, with breaks in between and assessment of your work, what to do to improve it. Or, make a quilt . . .the repetition is built right in if you tackle the order of quilting properly.

Most freehand designs I teach work best if you start at the bottom and build up. Clamshells, stippling, Bouncing Bananas, leaves and feathers are all so much easier if you quilt them the way they grow. It's much easier to see too. However, in a real quilt, you do have to know how to quilt any design in any direction, as you cannot keep moving a large quilt to a "better position" in a home machine. A quilter using a home machine has to be a bit of a magician to get great results; it is not simple, but it is something that can be figured out and learned. It is a fabulous skill to acquire.

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 a teaspoon (or 1 teaspoon - you can always dilute it) 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

Detail, "Butternut Summer" 1997

Make a classic quilt~ it will survive the test of time....

	*The most beautiful season is here*--crisp fall days with glorious color everywhere against the backdrop of that pristine blue October sky! If this doesn't inspire you to try some new colors in your quilts, nothing will! Even the rainy days are beautiful. I quilted a small piece in May for the Wisconsin Quilters Retreat but stopped when I realized that in the hand dyed fabric, below the lovely blooms and feathers I had done, some incredible Halloween creatures appeared as if by magic. I stopped! They were looking at me, what to do. I left it unfinished and finally decided to go ahead and quilt around the bat fellows at the bottom as they emerged from the ditch line to taunt me as I worked. I quilted around them and now this little piece is called "Batzbelow." Another sample of them laughing and dancing, below. Please ignore the wisps of batting on the quilt top - only the camera lens could see it.
	Try a light but firm touch in your quilting - you have to have control, but you also need to be relaxed and comfortable and "easy going" to do nice work. It's a balance between the "death grip" on the quilt and no grip at all and letting the quilt have its own way, causing pleats, distortion and jerky, uneven stitches. Sometimes I notice that the machine clamps the quilt too much as the free motion foot comes down, causing you to really have to wear gloves or grip tightly just to move it. If this might be you, you can get the foot adjusted so in its lowest position it doesn't prevent the quilt from moving. A Slider, a slippery sheet you tape to the bed of the machine, helps you to move quilts much more easily in the area under the needle. www.freemotionslider.com If the presser foot is lowered, and you have the free motion foot attached, you should still be able to move the quilt easily under it. If you think this might be a problem with your machine, have your dealer check it. Also, lower those feed dogs! This will create much-needed room under the foot for your quilt, and allow you to easily stitch over seam allowances, heavier areas, trapunto. Many machines now have an adjustment so you can *reduce the pressure on the presser foot*. Find out if you have this capability, and use it! I love to reduce the pressure for quilting loops, curves, feathers so the quilt moves so easily and smoothly, and put it near the "normal" position (for regular feed-dog enabled straight stitch sewing) when I need a bit more control, such as in lines and grids. It is one more option on a machine that lets you have control and do your very best work. Remember after free motion quilting to set this pressure to "normal" or default for regular or walking foot sewing.
	I have been using Hobbs' Heirloom Wool batt for most of my work in the past few years, but did a small piece with their new Tuscany Silk batt and really, really like it. It seems to give you less "poof" as you are quilting, is a bit lighter weight than wool, and blocks up beautifully after it is wet, leaving almost as much loft as the wool has. While quilting on it, it seems you have more "control," more of a feeling of substance like cotton batt has, yet it is very light and lovely to handle in the machine. Expensive, yes. Amazing, yes. Not for every project but you might like to get some, split it with a friend, and try it and see how you like it. Our ingredients in our "quilt recipes" can make or break the final product.
	On my supply lists I mention it is fun to bring a small piece of silk dupioni for your class sample. While it is easy to quilt, looks fabulous with even beginner skills, sometimes the sheen of it makes it all but impossible in a classroom setting for you to see what you are doing. Instead of silk to "practice a design," a very good quality cotton works best, or a cotton sateen if you want elegant. Some of the hand-dyed sateens are fantastic for quilting - because of the weave of the fabric, our machine stitches seem to dissolve into the fabric and melt away minor errors and stitch inconsistencies. I do love to quilt on sateen. Check online sources for it, or look for hand dyed varieties at quilting events, vendors there many times have them.
	If you like the automatic "needle down" feature when doing free motion quilting, but find that when you have to stop, when you start up again this is where glitches happen. The needle seems to jump up and sideways instead of the direction you are quilting and it zigs and zags a few times before you get it under control. I now tap my foot control once and have the needle come up (or turn the wheel on the machine) and *then resume quilting.* Much easier to control. It's a lot easier to learn to do this than stop and take out stitches that went off course. You can also simply begin quilting with a smooth crescendo of speed - slowly for the first stitch or two to get control and then gradually accelerated and obtain highway speed.
	*Experiment with threads.* There are many wonderful options for machine quilting on the market now, and you won't know until you try them if they work or you like them. It's a small price to pay for opening a whole new window of machine quilting. I started using silk thread just this way - saw a spool in a shop, bought it and came home and experimented with it. It was several years later that I decided to try it in a big quilt, and I was thrilled with the result. Now I have moved on and have really been living dangerously and am using thread that doesn't match the fabric - wow, a whole new world of excitement. I know it is subtle, but I like it. You may use different weight of thread in the same quilt. For example, a heavier thread for the design, and much finer thread for any background quilting is a nice look. Newsflash! YLI has plans for more colors of #100 silk available in the 1000 m cones, plus a variegated #100 silk.
	When you are shopping for a new sewing machine, don't be led astray by all the bells and whistles. Try out the machine for what you intend. I do have all the bells and whistles, but only because they came on the model with the other features that were important to me. Sometimes it is one thing that will determine the brand or model you get, like the needle threader or magnifier for those with bad eyes or no patience, or the smooth foot control with no bursts of speed, or the feet that are available for the sewing/quilting jobs you want to do. And see how adjustable it is--in a piecing class we used the blind hem stitch, and I found at least two machines that could not adjust this stitch to get the best look for the job we were doing. If you are going to do any free motion quilting at all, take along a sample and thread and needle, and try it out. See how it moves, how is the visibility with their free motion foot, see what other feet they have, etc. The dealer should be helpful and ready to answer all your questions. If there are a lot of automatic features, see if you can override them. And there definitely should be a way for you to adjust bobbin tension.
	A #70 Microtex Sharp needle works so well for piecing--it seems to keep the fabric from pushing down into the opening and the seams stay straighter too. Also, use the *straight-stitch (single hole) throat plate* when piecing and guide those pieces so the beginnings and endings of seams stay a consistent 1/4". I like the #13 foot for piecing on my Bernina 200. Be sure and set your machine so it knows this throat plate is on and if you inadvertently use a zig zag stitch, the machine won't sew. If your machine doesn't have this override, place a big red sticker on the front of the machine where you will be reminded that this throat plate is there.
	If you sew or quilt with the #100 silk thread, it leaves a waxy residue on the take up lever and in the lower bobbin/hook mechanism, actually, along the entire thread pathway. Every time I re-thread or change the bobbin I brush out this soft bit of thread debris. Sometimes a Q-tip works better as this residue is a bit sticky and hard to get out. It doesn't harm the machine, but builds up and makes it hard for things to work properly. I add a bit of oil to the hook area every 3-4 hours, swab up excess with a Q-tip, and quilt a bit on a sample before continuing with my work. Check your owner's manual or ask your dealer about oiling. I had two students recently with Bernina 153's who hadn't oiled their machines and they sounded dreadful. We soon had them up and running smoothly and quietly. The Bernina 440 I used in August at MAQS in Paducah sounded dreadful until I gave it a bit of TLC and oil and it ran perfectly after that, and sounded like a smooth, powerful limo.
	Plain old *white vinegar* is basic in my house--it cleans everything, it disinfects, it picks up dust, it shines and polishes, and you can actually eat it. Very safe, very effective. And it doesn't harm the environment, pets, or people. Your house may smell mildly like a pickle for an hour or so, but that's OK too. Bring on the burgers.
	*Look ahead of the needle* when doing free-motion quilting--sometimes only a half inch or so, sometimes clear across the area you are doing. Aim at a point and stitch to it and your line will be straight, stitches even. This is also much easier on your eyes than trying to focus on the needle moving fast. It's the "how" of seeing around and behind the needle. You can't see every point on the path to the end, but if your eyes see the end and where you are and you visualize the road, you can quilt it without actually seeing everything on the way there. Hope that makes sense!
	For sewing binding sections together, use a very fine thread and a small stitch length so you don't notice the stitches in the pressed-open seam. I usually use fine cotton, but did some with #100 silk as it matched the fabric and was already in the machine and it is totally invisible - looks great. The *#50 Egyptian cotton by Aurifil* is my thread of choice for piecing and for joining binding strips. Strong and very undiscernable in the seams. DMC #50 cotton, Superior's MasterPiece work very well too.
	When doing trapunto and working with water soluble thread, it might help prevent breaking if you lower the top tension (smaller number) several stops. I use it in both top and bobbin and it works great. It all washes out! No bobbin pop-ups later when the water soluble disappears leaving bumps of cotton bobbin thread here and there. Even though it comes on a small spool, I put it on my cone thread holder and it unwinds better and doesn't break as often. I use a #60 Microtex Sharp needle for this thread. If you use the "Vanish" brand water soluble, it is much thicker, will require a different needle and tension setting. Some machines prefer the YLI "Wash-A-Way" brand, and others only will allow the Vanish brand. At least we have options! One of my students suggested storing water soluble thread in zip lock bags with one of those little packets of silica gel that is packed in everything, from electronics to your new wool blazer pockets. It will help keep the thread dry.
	I am frequently asked how in the world I handle a big quilt in my sewing machine. And every time I start a new project I wonder myself, until I get going and then it is really self explanatory. You do what you have to do to get the area you are working on positioned under the needle with no weight or drag on it. The roll or folded up bulk of the quilt becomes a great handle for you to hang onto with your right hand, much easier than a hoop. With free-motion you position the quilt and then quilt in any direction with minimal moving and handling of the quilt if you have properly stabilized it in construction lines first with in-the-ditch stitching. Take out pins as you move along and don't need them anymore, as the fewer there are the easier it is to handle the quilt. And just go ahead and begin! It's only a quilt and you might as well tackle it rather than agonizing over how you will manage it. Free motion quilting of course is the answer to this most often asked question. I think many people still envision quilting all those curves using a walking foot and turning that big quilt in the machine. And don't forget to stabilize the construction lines first, stitch in those ditches, and then do free motion quilting. You have now "sub-divided" your quilt into workable areas. You can start at an area out towards the edge first, and save the central area for later when more of the bulk of the quilt is quilted down and less poufy plus, you are warmed up by then.
	When you were learning to walk, did you do it everyday?? Ask your mom, but I bet you walked and walked and walked until you were really good at it. Same is true for machine quilting. You have to do it every day and work at it, even if it is just "practicing scales" and repeating some simple design or technique over and over for 30 minutes. See what a difference it makes! If you are piecing a quilt, take a break from that and quilt for awhile as a reward. In fact, to really master something, don't jump around from one thing to the next, but repeat it over and over. Trace a design 10 times and quilt it 10 times! Do a freehand motif many times over, with breaks in between and assessment of your work, what to do to improve it. Or, make a quilt . . .the repetition is built right in if you tackle the order of quilting properly.
	Most freehand designs I teach work best if you start at the bottom and build up. Clamshells, stippling, Bouncing Bananas, leaves and feathers are all so much easier if you quilt them the way they grow. It's much easier to see too. However, in a real quilt, you do have to know how to quilt any design in any direction, as you cannot keep moving a large quilt to a "better position" in a home machine. A quilter using a home machine has to be a bit of a magician to get great results; it is not simple, but it is something that can be figured out and learned. It is a fabulous skill to acquire.
	Keep quilting! Your work gets better every day.