Flashback Friday- Custom Waves

Many of the requests we get at OTS are for custom quilting. These are always a bit challenging, but we enjoy trying new things. The grey quilt with wavy line quilting was made by Heather Costello from Greenbaum's Quilted Forest. Heather had shown us a photo of another quilt with a wavy design that had been done freehand. We put our Pro-Stitcher to work and designed our own Wavy Lines. The quilt turned out so well and has graced the front window of Greenbaum's since it was finished.

Another one of Heather's quilts feature these great rectangles on grey as well. While the quilting design we used wasn't one we designed, we ended up reshaping and resizing the design to fit the quilt just the way she wanted it.



Monday- New Tool Review

With all the measuring and marking that goes on during quilting and sewing, it's important to have the "write" tools! I wanted to share a few of the tools that make it easier for us to do what we do.

A few inky helpers

The first are the water soluble/erasable markers. These have been around for a long time, but they still work well on finer fabrics as well as light colored fabrics. The only issue with these is that they tend to dry out quickly, so you need to be sure to keep the lid on when not using them.

Hi-Oh Silver Quilter's Pencil

This is the first official marking pencil I was given about 25 years ago. Jeanette used it on a wedding dress she was making last week, and it worked really well. I like to use it for embroidery as it gives a nice defined line that is easy to see on both light and dark fabric.

FriXion Pens don't cause us any friction

These FriXion pens are the newest marking tools in the arsenal. With a wide assortment of colors, they are great for any color of fabric. They come off with heat, so they're great for marking binding or other pieces that you'll be ironing when you're finished sewing.

Pressing with the Best (Press, that is)

Okay, so these are obviously not writing or marking tools, but I thought I'd give you a little bonus review. I know Jeanette's been using Mary Ellen's Best Press for a long time, but I hadn't tried them as I have been trying to finish my can of spray sizing that I have had for a long time. When my daughter, Carissima, went off to college, she left me her bottles of Best Press. I must admit as soon as I used it, my can of sizing was relegated to the back of the shelf. This is a wonderful item! It's great on everything from fine fabrics to quilts to embroidery. If you haven't tried it yet, be sure to get some today.

We're sew glad you stopped by OTS for our tool review today! Next week, I'll be sharing about the importance of thread and what we use here in the studio.

Flashback Friday- Vacation Edition

We got to spend Mother's Day
with some of the family in Grants Pass
before Jeanette headed out to California

                                  

Since Jeanette's down in California this week for Whitney's graduation from USC, I thought I'd do a little sharing of some projects I've been working on both at On The Stitch and in my own studio, Piccolo Di Luce. I promise next week we'll have more of what's been going on at OTS!

Some little embroidered animals

I like to do handwork as it gives me something to do while watching the latest BBC costume dramas. These adorable little animals are from Penguin & Fish. I'll be putting them onto baby bonnets for grand nieces soon as they are too cute not to use as part of a bigger project.

Log Cabin Linen Photo Pillow

And speaking of nieces, this is a linen photo pillow I designed as a gift for the most recent niece wedding. It's done in a variety of linen sewn in a log cabin pattern. I'm planning on doing some quilting on it before popping into the mail for the happy couple.

Embroidered Baby Quilt Label

I also made this baby quilt over the last few weeks to send back to Thomas More College in NH for a couple who are expecting their first baby. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson-Briggs are a very special couple who teach The Way of Beauty course to freshman including my daughter Mary, so I knew they needed a special baby quilt. I hand embroidered all the squares and then sashed them using vintage cotton strips that had been hand sewn. I finished with a mustard border, and more vintage strips for the binding. The label was the final touch, and I think it turned out really great.

So the last couple of things I wanted to share weren't made by me, but they are so fantastic I had to show you. If you haven't tried a craft or quilt swap, then you really must. These items were from my Narnia Craft Swap partner. She sent a plethora of Narnia-related items that are just wonderful. You can find all sorts of swaps online from aprons to crafts to quilts. Be sure to check them out!

Thanks for stopping by our Flashback Friday and for letting me share some things I've been working on. We'd love to see some of your creations too, so be sure to share with us in the comment section! 

Flashback Friday- Babies, Boxers and Motorcycle Pigs

We were busy with some fun quilts a few weeks back. 

Here they are for Flashback Friday-

Jungle Buddies- quilted with jungle leaves
 for a happy new Grandma

A close up of the Boxer quilt. It was quilted
with a dog bone design in brown.

The Boxer quilt- it's doggone awesome!

Motorcycle Pigs- The back was out of flame
fabric. It turned out great!

I couldn't resist a close-up of the flame quilt design

Monday- New Tool Review

 "If you cannot measure it, you cannot control it." ~ Lord Kelvin
"Measure twice, cut once." ~ English Proverb
"Measure seven times, cut once." ~ Russian Proverb
"Better measure short of seven, than spoil all at once." ~ Gaelic Expression

As you can tell from the above quotes, measuring has been an important part of creating for a very long time. Here at OTS, we use a few different ways to measure, and always follow one of the above adages. Today, I'll share some of those measuring tools with you.

A standard 120 inch tape

The tape that gets used the most is this standard 12-inch measuring tape. The length is important as many of the quilt tops we get run from 90-110 inches in length. We always measure the quilt top and back as well as the batting when we receive a quilt and then re-measure before it goes up on the frame. Everything is written down on our intake paper, but it's always good to be sure.

  

The second tape we use is this 14' centering tape. It is really helpful when having to adjust the size of quilt backs before they go on the frame as well as making sure everything is centered once it's ready to be quilted.

The spring tape measure

Another tape measure that we don't use a lot in quilting but in other sewing is the little spring tape measure. These generally aren't very long, but they're similar to a construction tape measure in that they will stay at a chosen length once pulled out. You simply retract the tape when you're all finished.

The FabriCalc

Jeanette has had one of these Quilter's FabriCalc for a while in the studio. It's a huge help for figuring out how much fabric you need for backing, binding, etc. when you're putting a quilt together. 

The Robert Kaufman Quilter's Little Helper

Nanci's newest favorite measuring tool is this quilting calculator from Robert Kaufman Fabrics. It's a free app (available on the app store) that helps do the same sort of thing the FabriCalc does, but it is much more user friendly. 

We're sew happy we were able to share some of our favorite ways to measure with you today. Thanks for stopping by On The Stitch!

Flash Friday- Flowers Flowers Everywhere

As spring in the Willamette Valley continues to give us gorgeous flowers, we thought we'd share some beauties of our own. From a precious little bonnet to a quilted masterpiece, we hope you enjoy this Flashback Friday.

So it's not a quilt, but I couldn't resist showing you the teeny preemie
bonnet Nanci hand-embroidered and made for a dear Instagram friend.

Love this sew much! We called it our "Anne of Green Gables" little quilt

The amazing stained glass quilt that Jeanette custom quilted 

And here is the whole stained glass quilt in all of its' beauty.
So many hours were put into both the piecing and quilting.
It is definitely an heirloom quilt!

Monday- New Tool Review

So last week we went over some of the small but mighty tools we use at OTS. This week we're bringing in the big guns...or rather big tools, that we use in the studio. Of course, you've read about our new "baby", the HandiQuilter Infinity quilting machine that we use on a daily basis, but we also have three other sewing machines that get quite a workout. 

First, I'd like to introduce you to the Janome Horizon Memory Craft 15000. This is my favorite to work with, but Jeanette also is learning to enjoy it as well. It has a number of features that make it just right for OTS.  In the technology department, I really likes the four apps that come with it that you can use with your iPad or iPhone. Practically, I have big hands and appreciate the actual work space. You can read more about it here.

The Janome

Of course, Jeanette's studios have always have at least one Viking sewing machine in them. I can remember going out to the garage "studio" when I was growing up and getting to sew a bit on her Viking machine she has way back when. Well, just like most of us, it seems as Viking has grown up and now has the Designer Epic. I've enjoyed this although I still tend to prefer the Janome, but Jeanette totally favors the Epic. It also has a touchscreen and lots of very cool features. You can learn more about it here.

The Viking Designer Epic

The one machine we both agree on is the Viking Huskylock 936 Serger. There have been a few bad reviews on the internet, but both Jeanette and I really like it. As a matter of fact, we both own one. These are great for both regular sewing- they're perfect for knits- and they are a terrific help in piecing large quilt tops. I just finished a quilt top on my serger because my other machine was in the shop, and it turned out really well. Viking has come out with a newer Huskylock, and you can read about it here. We would suggest, if you are needing a new machine, to look for the 936 model as it's got everything you'd need in a serger.

The Viking Huskylock 936

Hope this was a little helpful. There are a lot of sewing machines on the market, and these happen to be the ones we both use and recommend. Feel free to comment with questions about any of these machines, and we'll be happy to help. Thanks for stopping by, and have a sew-tastic day!

Flashback Friday- Facebook Challenge Edition

Did you know that both Jeanette and On The Stitch are on Facebook?  One of Jeanette's crafty friends gave her a 7-Day FB challenge about sharing quilts that she's quilted. She posted some great pics. We thought we'd share a few of the beautiful quilts for you.

Day 1- Stained Glass Quilted for Customer

Day 2- One of her first ProStitcher quilts

Day #- Quilt of Valor by Jamie
in honor of Jeanette's Dad

Day 4- Quilt made by Carol Kurth,
Applique by Pam More. One of the
first free motion quilts by Jeanette. 

Day 5- Quilt by Terry K &
quilted by Jeanette

Day 6- Quilt made and quilted by
Jeanette for grandson Ashton

Jeanette quilted this for Kaye L for her kids

Be sure to visit and like us on Facebook.

Monday- New Tool Review

One of the cartoons I grew up with was Mighty Mouse. I was always amazed when he saved the day even though he was so small. Here at On The Stitch, we have a number of small things that can be a mighty big help. Today's New Tool Review will focus on three of those small things that are super helpful.

First will be this small bottle of Fray Check by Dritz. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but once opened, it can be a huge help for any quilter. We tend to use it mostly when there is thread that needs to stay where it is or when something needs to not come unravelled. The best part is you only need to use one of two drops. Here's a little hint: after using it on your project, iron it immediately to keep the fabric soft and pliable. It's also terrific for other sewing and crafting, and at only around $5 per bottle, it's well worth having a bottle on hand.

The next little item is batting seam tape by Bosal. This may seem a bit excessive (pardon the pun), but I can assure you it is a valuable part of the OTS arsenal.  There has been many a time where a customer has given us the wrong size batting, and we need to adjust in order for it to work with the quilt they gave us. That's where this comes in handy. Simply butt two pieces of batting together and cover the seam with this tape cut to size. Iron the tape on the batting and voila, you have a perfect size batt               ready to be on put on the frame!

Our final tool to share are these Wonder clips by Clover. While we don't always use clips with our binding, sometimes it's good to have a little help. These are especially on curved binding. I also like to use them when designing quilt tops as they make changing blocks around a lot easier than pins. I think they're super!

Thanks for checking out our new tool review. Next week we'll look at a few of the bigger items that help us here at OTS. Happy quilting and see you soon!

Our New Machine Has a Name

Well, we have a winner in the 

"Name the New Machine" 

that has joined the OTS family! 

Congratulations to Charlene from Arkansas 

 name was drawn in the contest. 

We're sending a package of OTS goodies 

 to help her with her quilting.

And now for the name of our new "baby"...   

                                Ivy Perpetua

She has been a joy to work with so far. 

We are realizing there is a learning curve, 

but a few of the new features are amazing. 

We'll definitely be sharing more on what we think 

about our new Handiquilter Infinity, 

"Ivy Perpetua" in future blogs!

Flashback Friday- Springtime Edition

A sweet bird for a raffle quilt

 

Here's a look at some very Springy quilts

that we've made in the past~

Lots of flowers and pinwheels

A close up of a floral quilting design



Springtime stripes

 



A vintage embroidered quilt on the machine

Monday- New Tool Review

So I skipped a couple of weeks on the new tool review, but I'm back with a few basics that have been hanging around the OTS studio for a while. I figured even if they're not new to us, they might be new to some of you.

A Plethora of Small Scissors

One of the most important tools we use here are scissors. Of course, you need to remember that there is a huge variety of cutting implements to enhance your scissoring abilities.
The scissors we tend to use most are the little ones. From trimming thread to clipping corners, there is something for every job. The most important thing about choosing a pair of scissors is not how much or what material they are made of. It is actually how they feel in your hand. Favorites include the little black and green pairs shown on the left side of the photo. Made in Japan by Elan, they are lightweight and great for right and left-handed folks.



Omnigrid Rulers

Omnigrid Rulers

Another common tool of most quilters are the Omnigrid Rulers. These also come in a wide variety of sizes. Besides being used to measure and cut strips and squares, they are terrific for squaring up finished blocks as well as completed quilts. If you are starting up and trying to figure out just what you might need in the Omnigrid department, Jeanette recommends the 6"x 24" and 12 1/2"x 12 1/2". As your collection grows, you can add the various sizes such as the 6 1/2" square and 6"x 12" ruler. You'll need to be sure to have an

Omnigrid Mat to use with the rulers.



Olfa Rotary Cutters

The last item I wanted to mention, especially since I just talked about the Omnigrids rulers and mat, would be rotary cutters. Olfa Rotary Cutters are the brand of choice for OTS. Once again, there is an almost unlimited variety of these to choose from. We tend to use the 45 mm size the most although we have found a number of uses for the different sizes available. Another thing about the 45 mm size is that they now come in purple as well as aqua. Even though they do the same work as the original yellow, these new colors are fun to use!

Next week, I plan on digging through the tool drawers to discover what other things we can share with you. Until then, keep your rulers straight and your cutters sharp!