Hawaiian Rainbow Basket Quilt, Red Variation; by Lisa Boyer 2007 
I think I overdid the quilting a little bit. I should've used a thinner red thread. I used a thick red thread and quilted heavily like I usually do, but I think less quilting would've been better with this thicker thread. Oh well, live and learn.
In one of the comments, someone asked if I used a regular sewing machine to machine quilt. Yes, I do. I use my Bernina and my free motion foot and just go for it. I rarely mark unless I have a design out of a book I want to center somewhere strategic. I've also found that I like to keep my feed dogs up instead of lowering them! I discovered this by many, many years of forgetting to put them down. With the feed dogs up, they make a little popping rhythym on the backside--almost like a metronome--to keep my speed constant. I go very fast when I machine quilt. I just want to get it over with. It's not my favorite part.
I love the sudden dots that pop in and out of existence all over the quilt. Quantum physics.
When I teach machine quilting, I advise my students not to copy someone else's machine quilting filler pattern because it's difficult to mimic someone's design. It's like trying to copy someone else's handwriting! I give each of my students a blank notebook and order them to fill it up with doodles. Just doodle and doodle until you find a few doodles that you like and are easy for you. Practice them over and over. Then quilt your doodles over and over.
The machine quilting doodles I do (I think I have only ten in my repertoire) I've been doing since I was a little girl doodling on my homework or the phone pad. They feel natural to my hand and they just flow out of me without thinking. I'm a terrible artist; but I can doodle. So I do. Doodle.
My favorite basket. I never usually think to fussy-cut, so when something comes out centered like this, it's a fun surprise.
A closer shot of the border fabric and binding. The border fabric is a little deeper red than this picture shows. I think the first picture is the most accurate.
A pink bouquet and a handmade doily for you. Have a wonderful Valentine's Day.
P.S. Don't forget to enter the giveaway mentioned in the post below! Leave a comment under that post if you want to be in the drawing. Drawing takes place Tuesday at midnight.
16 comments:
The quilt is awesome. Love the border. And the quilting...wow!
Woops. I made a spelling error!!!The quilt is so precious! You just got to love striped binding! I also like to use up my leftovers for the binding too!
My diet is going great. I have lost 4 lbs. so far!! I also am feeling great! Sometimes I do get a craving for some pasta. I just keep thinking about summer time and shorts and bathing suits! It's keeping me on track. So far so good. Congradulations to you too!!!
We can do it!
Oh my--I DO loe red. Beautiful quilt!
Beautiful quilt! I prefer heavy quilting on my quilts and like the stitches to show. I've never tried quilting on a domestic machine but it sounds difficult. Since I have a longarm it's a non-issue for me. I like the binding you used, it's just right.
I, obviously, cannot spell or type--the work is LOVE---I do love red!
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for the tips on machine quilting! As you know, this process always leaves me bewildered and as much as I'd love to show up on your doorstep with 'please help me with this!' your tips have given me that "ah-ha" moment! ( I never thought about the handwriting aspect to machine quilting and doing your own 'doodling'.) Wow. The confusion is gone and maybe now I can do this.
I wonder if my work will mind if I spend the day doodling? Probably not...have to wait till I get home. Your ideas are super! I never thought about doodling. I am no artist, but I, too, can doodle. I just love that binding! I never think to use stripes for binding. Thanks for sharing your tips. I'm getting some ideas as I speak!
This red quilt is gorgeous! I'm currently making a red, white and blue log cabin scrappy quilt and I'm constantly on the lookout for those wonderful deep reds.
OMG, Lisa, I'm so excited to have found your blog. I make an annual pilgrimage to Kapaia Quilt Store to stock up on all the lucious Hawaiian prints. And I love your patterns. If you pick me, I will collect my prize in person. I'll be on Kauai for 3 wonderful weeks in March to escape the snow. your blog is awesome.
Julie in Ca.
Keep up the great blogs. I enjoy reading them first thing in the morning. Happy Valentines Day. Eat some chocolate!
This is such a beautiful quilt. I love the colors, it's just perfect. I wanted to also say thank you for inspiring me, I finally started cutting into the fabric I picked up on my drive down here. I realized I'm not a master quilter, shoot I can't even call myself a quilter, but those fabrics are so many beautiful memories. I would rather have an imperfect quilt to snuggle with than a bunch of stacked up fabric. It will probably take ten years to finish but it was so freeing to at least start. So thank you.
I love the amount of quilting you did on that quilt! I think it's gorgeous.
i think the quilting is perfect and not too heavy and love the heavier red thread. you know me and black and red quilts with red quilting...is this a newer quilt you did, your basket pattern? just finished frosting those cupcakes for mark...my hand is cramped from squizzing the bag making those tiny rossetts all around the edges. still snowing...ha ha ha
Having an ah-ha moment here too! I never thought of it as doodling - what a fantastic approach! I've had years of practice doodling (my jr. and high school teachers would agree). I'm not much of a machine quilter - though I really, really, really want to be. You've inspired me to give it another try! And the fact that you did that on a sewing machine... that just inspires me more!
Best lesson ever Lisa. And with my highly evolved doodling skills - I may be able to do this!
Your quilt is so stunning and beautiful... and I love that you can see the quilting so well.
I love, love, love that quilt! What could be more perfect than red and white? Happy Valentines Day!
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