More Playing with Arched Swag Border Designs

I hope you’re not sick of these because I’m not!  Here’s another fill design for the last ruler work border design I posted on the blog.  This version is inspired by the fancy scroll work you sometimes see on wrought iron gates:

This design uses the exact same ruler work framework that I started with last time, yet the design looks completely different!  Just as a reminder, here is the empty ruler work framework, taken from my last experiment:

In this next shot, the center channel is filled:

…and in this next shot, the uppermost channel has been filled:

(I hope this is also making you appreciate the power and fun  of playing with thread colors in different sections!)  In this next shot, the bottom most triangle has been filled with a small rust-colored featherette:

And just to impress you with how different this looks as compared to the earlier filled in version of the same ruler work framework, here’s the original option:

Whoo-hoo!  Ruler work rules!!

Filed under Free Motion Quilting, ruler work on a HDSM. Comments Off on More Playing with Arched Swag Border Designs

New DVD-Ruler Work for the Sit-Down Quilter Volume 2 is here!!

The waiting is over!  The second volume of Ruler Work for the Sit-Down Quilter is now available!  How we were ale to complete this project amid all the health woes of our parents is a mystery, but it’s done and ready to find its way into your sewing room!  This instructional DVD shows how to create a variety of arched swag border designs with multiple fill-in options!  Along the way, you’ll also learn how to create curved cross-hatching designs as well as partial curved cross-hatching designs.  All of these techniques make fabulous border designs but can also be used as the building blocks for more complex ruler work designs like my “feathered footballs,” shown below:

This DVD is a must-have for any quilter looking to advance his or her ruler work skills and/or learn to create innovative fill designs for ruler work frameworks.  All the demos are performed from the standpoint of the sit-down quilter working on a home sewing machine, but this information is great for long arm quilters working on a frame system as well!  You can watch a preview video clip of what is taught on the DVD below:

This DVD retails for $29.95 and you can find it in our online store by clicking here.  If you’re looking for a great deal, you can buy both volumes 1 and 2 of Ruler Work for the Sit-Down Quilter in one purchase for a 15% discount.  (Normal price if purchased separately is $59.90 but purchased together, the retail price is $50.92-a savings of $8.98!.)  You can find the 2 bundled together for a discounted price by clicking here.

Another new product in the store are 2 new specialty Clarity ruler feet:

The Clarity mid/longarm foot fits any mid or long arm machine that uses the Handiquilter handifeet system.  This includes the Babylock Tiara I, II, and III, Coronet, Regalia, and Crown Jewel series;  Huskavarna-Viking Platinum 16; and the Handiquilter Sweet 16, simply 16, Amara, Avante, Fusion, and Infinity.  The new Clarity Slant Shank ruler foot fits the following Singer Slant Shank machines:  1000 (Futura), 1036, 1100, 1411, 1425, Athena 2000 (2000A), 2001, 2010 Touchtronic, 290, 301, 401, 401A, 403, 404, 4552, 4562, 4610, 4622, 500, 501, 502, 503, 503A, 5910, 5932, 600, 600E Touch & Sew, 603, 604, 611, 620E1, 6233, 6234, 6235, 625, 625E1, 625E6, 625E7, 626, 6267, 6268, 628, 629, 630, 631, 635, 636, 638, 639, 645, 646, 649, 6704, 6800 Series, 700, 7028, 7033, 714, 717 School, 719, 720, 724, 734, 737, 740, 750, 755, 756, 758, 760, 770, 774, 775, 776, 778, 8019, 9005, 9008, 9010, 9015, 9018, 9020, 9022, 9027, 9032, 9034, 9110, 9113, 9133, 9134, 9137, 9143, 920-3, 9210, 9217, 9224, 9240, 93220, 9323, 9334, 9408, 9410, 9416, 9420, 9423, 9430, 9432, 9444, 9417, 635E3, 635E6, 635E7, 900-3, 784, 786, 30920, 9440, 640 Touch & Sew, 6740, 9400, 9135, 9123, 9012, 1410, 1050 Futura, 6200, 6260, 266, 411, 610, 766, 729, 725, 721, 746, 708, 706, 431, 626E1, 626E6, 626E7.

These new Clarity specialty ruler feet can be found by clicking here.

Also in stock are 2 new machine quilting rulers by Angela Walters.  The first, called “Archie,” is used to make symmetric arches and here is a shot of it:

Archie retails for $21.99 and can be found by clicking here.

Another ruler by Angela Walters is called “Squiggy.”    Squiggy is used  to make serpentine lines and wavy designs.  Squiggy retails for $21.99 and can be found by clicking here.

There are all kinds of exciting new products for ruler work!

Filed under Free Motion Quilting, ruler work on a HDSM. 1 Comment

More Fun With Arched Swag Border Designs

Isn’t this one striking?  I just love playing around with new arched swag border designs; it never gets old for me.  Here is the preliminary ruler work framework for this one:

This was done using my PTD 12 arc ruler, and it begins with a 1/4 inch parallel channel, followed by a melon shape using the same ruler.  Next up, I added another 1/4 inch parallel channel, followed by a tapered channel (I know it looks like it’s parallel, but it has a subtle taper), and then a final 1/4 inch parallel channel:

So, the shot above is the final ruler work framework.  In this next shot, you can see I’ve started adding some fill-in designs:

…and then the final fill-in:

I’ve stitched out another fill-in option for this same ruler work framework, and I can’t believe how different the two look when compared.  I’ll save that for another post…

Filed under Free Motion Quilting. 1 Comment

Ruler Work Quilt

If you follow my blog, then you know that quilts like the one above are not my style.  I find it very difficult to work with pastel colors and avoid using them for that reason.  This was a very difficult quilt to work on because the colors are so far removed from anything that brings me joy.  I can’t even recall why I pieced it in these colors, but I’d put enough time into all the embroidery/applique that I felt like I should complete it. I’m glad I did because it ended up being a fun substrate for ruler work!  This is another machine embroidery applique quilt (meaning the applique and embroidery are done on an embroidery machine, then the quilt is pieced together.)  It is made from my pattern called “Kissed by a Butterfly,” which you can find by clicking here.

My favorite part is the curved cross hatching that falls outside the arched swag border design in the outermost border:

My next favorite part is the center circle of featherettes at the bases of the butterflies.  The only part of that design that bothers me is that there is no channel for the circle itself, but there literally was no space for even a 1/8 inch wide channel:

The border section on the turquoise background is a bit ho-hum but I do like the texture it created:

The part I regret was the ruler work on the outside of the yellow border.  In retrospect, the border is narrow enough that it just creates confusion about what the design is, but this was a good lesson for me to learn, so it served a purpose:

A few more pics:

It’s a good feeling to have finished something!

Filed under Free Motion Quilting, ruler work on a HDSM. 4 Comments

A Little Spring Color

A million apologies for the silence on this blog.  My 2+ months of craziness has morphed into 4+ months of craziness and my life is no longer my own.  I’ve somehow managed to complete a few small projects during this time and will try to post about them over the next week or two.  First up is another table runner made from the Swirly Floral Quartet Pattern that you can find by clicking here.  Here is a shot of the block being stitched as a 2-part split design, just after the first half has been appliqued/embroidered:

…and here it is as that second side is being appliqued/embroidered:

…and here is that block once removed from the hoop:

Four squares were pinned to each corner, then attached by stitching along the diagonal to create a half square triangle in each corner:

…and here is the table runner once all 3 blocks have been pieced together:

Filed under Machine Embroidered Applique. 1 Comment