Currently Stitching: Longarm Practice

I have been putting myself through the paces with the longarm! It has been fun, a little scary, and truly such a joy! For anyone out there who has one of their own, I hope you remember your first days using one. It is so wild to embark on a journey with this huge machine that most people will never touch. I am so grateful there's always more to learn when it comes to quilting.

For anyone new to quilting who doesn't know what this machine is - in the most basic terms, it's a ginormous sewing machine. This one is over twelve feet long and is five feet deep. It comes with multiple long poles (or arms, hence the name) that stretch from one side to the other. These hold the fabrics, or layers, in place while a large sew head moves back and forth to stitch them into place.

I'm working with the longarm we have at the shop. There are so many brands, sizes, and models out there. I love hearing about all the different machines people work with and the way they work. There's a few methods for attaching your fabrics, I use pins, some people use magnets. We use the clamps and leaders that came with the machine, but lots of people make their own! I'd love to hear how other people get set up, work with varying materials, project sizes, and what they do to solve issues. Comment at the bottom of this episode or send me a message with your ideas!

My focus for this week has been table runners and baby quilts. The stitching is pretty quick. It's loading it on the machine and programming the computer takes some time. But I wanted to practice the motions of doing all the parts from start to finish. Sometimes with the bigger projects, it takes so long to stitch out I don't get quite as much repetitive motion, which is how I learn best! These runners gave me ample opportunity to practice.

Let's take a look at this ghost runner. I put it together in the Fall and I am finally getting it quilted! Now normally, you should have 4 inches of backing and batting all the way around your project. It's better for the materials and the machine. However, I have all these odds and end batting scraps that I've been hoping to use up in small projects like this.

That being said, I used this piece of batting that was just barely big enough, which is not necessarily something I would recommend. I was very careful about placement and how I edited the design on the screen. We use a computerized machine, so with the program, I am able to cut it down so it fits the space better. I used to quilt with traditional pantographs and I have to tell you I prefer the computerized machine. It still involves a lot of labor, but it gives me a ton more freedom with designs and projects.

Something else I love about a computerized machine is that it's way easier to change the placement of designs. I can take a a design and make it smaller or larger to fit the project a specific way. Then I can move it around so I know where it will fall before I stitch it. 

With these table runners, I made the design smaller so the images would fit within the blocks and be more easily visible. Sometimes when the stitch out is too large it means you can't see the actual design image. It also helped me keep from overpowering these smaller projects. There's a craft to understanding how to make the quilt and the longarm work together instead of one overpowering the other! 

I wanted to make sure the hearts, ghosts, flowers, stars and everything else I was working on showed up clearly. Doing multiple runners so I could really practice definitely helped my technique! I've still got a lot to learn, but overall I've got a way better grasp on things than I did when I started! I think they all turned out adorably and I can't wait to see them fully finished!

Next on the list was a batch of baby quilts. This one was another that's been in my stack for some time. I made it out of two charm packs and then added some neutral and complimenting borders. I did not use a pattern, but I had a half hexagon ruler that I used to cut out the pieces. I've made a similar quilt in a larger size. The Me, More Cowgirl used the same tool and I think it's a design I'll end up making again! I struggled a little to find just the right backing considering the color variety. I decided on a charcoal and and grey fabric with a mild weaving pattern.

When it came to thread, I wanted something neutral to pull all of the pieces together. I decided on a very light golden tan color. It blended the front and back nicely. I thought about using a modern pattern for the quilting but instead chose these swirling clouds. I didn't want anything too tight for a baby quilt. I prefer to keep them light and snuggly! 

I did go a bit smaller with the stitching on this crib size quilt. I've been waiting for the right project to use these sweet little baby elephants! This mashup up of baby animal fabric was just the right one! I did have a little trouble deciding the right way to size them for this project. I wanted them to be highly visible but not look goofy. They came out an inch or two bigger than the block sizes, which I think looks adorable!

I used a really nice light green thread called celery that tied all the fabrics together. It's backed in a yellow zoo scene fabric that has a lot of the other colors from the front. It was a pretty quick stitch out too which was ideal!

This leads me to my final project for this episode. One that took way, way longer than anticipated. I had some time left after these quick projects so I thought I'd get this lap/throw quilt knocked out that's been waiting to get on the long arm. However, the thing I'm realizing I still have no grasp on is understanding how long stitch-outs take. I've started to realize that most swirls and flowers take a good chunk of time. However, there's that childish part of my brain that sees something cute or pretty and does not care at all that it's going to take all day to stitch out.

And this would be one of those times. This pattern includes both leaves and swirls. #sigh Each pass took about 45 minutes to stitch out, which feels like a lot for this size project. Don't get me wrong, I love how it turned out! The fabric is adorable and I love the coordinating flannel I found for the back. And it's all just a little bit glittery, which makes it that much better! But dang did it take all day.

Now it's time to get them all trimmed and bound! Wish me luck!