MOUSE-FETTI BY MARILYN ISLAS

 

Marilyn always brings me cute and colorful quilts, usually kid or baby size, and I always enjoy working on them. This time, however, she brought me a real challenge!

Marilyn bought this fabric for the purpose of having it quilted as a wholecloth, then cutting out pattern pieces to make a Travel Bag, shown below. The challenging part was that she did not want quilt batting in between the top and back, but a foam rubber-type product, covered in polyester, that is about 1/8" thick that is made for purse and bag construction! I had no idea if my machine would be able to sew through it! 

 

After using a piece with some scrap fabric to practice, it turns out that my Tin Lizzie could do it, but only if I ran the machine at the lowest speed, which is about four times slower than what I usually use! Plus, the hopper foot had to be lowered greatly, which pushed the fabric around quite a bit. You will notice in the video below that I was using my hand to keep the fabric as flat as possible. Also, I sped up the video to two times the real playback speed, because it was stitching so slowly.

 

I used YLI "Vineyard" cotton thread. The digital quilting design is called "Target", and it is available from Anne Bright Designs. Because the fabric was going to be used for a bag, I shrunk the design to itty-bitty size.

 

Here are a few photos of the quilting process, and a photo of the bag pattern. When Marilyn finishes the bag, she's going to send me a photo of it to update this post. I can't wait to see it! Because the fabric is Mickey Mouse themed, she even bought purse hardware with Mickey on it to complete the bag in true Disney style!

 

The quilting is done (phew!) and it's ready to be cut up by Marilyn into pattern pieces, and assembled into the travel bag.

Here is a short video of the fabric being digitally quilted with my Tin Lizzie Ansley 26 quilting machine and Butler Perfect Stitch computerized system. Maximize the screen to maximize your viewing pleasure!

 

 

The size of this wholecloth is approximately 36" x 60", and the cost for my services was $48.68, which included a set up fee, digital edge-to-edge quilting, and thread. And the quilt was finished and ready to be picked up three days after Marilyn dropped it off!

 

If you are a quilter looking for affordable rates for your latest project, give me a call! Don't quilt, but looking for a great gift for a special person in your life? Or maybe you want something special for yourself. I would love to design and create a quilt especially for you! Contact me for details at (815) 735-0997.

WINNIE THE POOH BY MARILYN ISLAS

 

This kid size quilt, made by Marilyn, is the third of four that she brought in a few days ago! Marilyn made this for a friend's baby. The backing fabric is called "Luxe Fleece", from JoAnn Fabric and Craft Store, and it is a step above standard fleece. It is so soft and comfy!

I used YLI "White" cotton thread. The digital quilting design is called "Classic Stipple 1", and it is available from Intelligent Quilting. This is a simple design that has been used by quilters for many years, and it has stood the test of time! 

Here are a few photos of the quilting process.

 

 

 

The quilting is done and it's ready for Marilyn to bind.

Here is a short video of the quilt being digitally quilted with my Tin Lizzie Ansley 26 quilting machine and Butler Perfect Stitch computerized system. Maximize the screen to maximize your viewing pleasure!

 

 

The size of this quilt is approximately 45" x 50", and the cost for my services was $58.97, which included a set up fee, digital edge-to-edge quilting, Pellon cotton batting, and thread. And the quilt was finished and ready to be picked up two days after Marilyn dropped it off! 

 

If you are a quilter looking for affordable rates for your latest project, give me a call! Don't quilt, but looking for a great gift for a special person in your life? Or maybe you want something special for yourself. I would love to design and create a quilt especially for you! Contact me for details at (815) 735-0997.

MACEY BY MARILYN ISLAS

 

This kid size quilt, made by Marilyn, is the second of four that she brought in day before yesterday! Marilyn made this for a friend's "miracle baby". The backing fabric is called "Luxe Fleece", from JoAnn Fabric and Craft Store, and it is a step above standard fleece. It is so soft and comfy!

I used YLI "Pyramids of Giza" cotton thread. The digital quilting design is called "Hearts and Flowers", and it is available from Stitch Happy. I have had this design in my library for years, and this is the first time a customer has chosen to use it. It is so cute and perky, and a dream to stitch out!

 

 Here are a few photos of the quilting process.

 

 

Here is the finished quilt, ready for Marilyn to bind.

 

UPDATE: Marilyn just sent me this adorable photo of Baby Macey on her new quilt! Beautiful baby, beautiful quilt, and beautiful photo! Thanks for sending this, Marilyn! I don't often get to see the finished quilt with the lucky recipient! 

 

 

Here is a short video of the quilt being digitally quilted with my Tin Lizzie Ansley 26 quilting machine and Butler Perfect Stitch computerized system. Maximize the screen to maximize your viewing pleasure!

 

The size of this quilt is approximately 37" x 45", and the cost for my services was $55.25, which included a set up fee, digital edge-to-edge quilting, Pellon cotton batting, and thread. And the quilt was finished and ready to be picked up two days after Marilyn dropped it off!

If you are a quilter looking for affordable rates for your latest project, give me a call! Don't quilt, but looking for a great gift for a special person in your life? Or maybe you want something special for yourself. I would love to design and create a quilt especially for you! Contact me for details at (815) 735-0997.

BABY YODA BY MARILYN ISLAS

 

This kid size quilt, made by Marilyn, came in with three other projects! Marilyn made this for a friend's grandchild. The baby's parents are decorating the nursery in a Star Wars theme, and Marilyn found the perfect fabric for the top at JoAnn Fabric and Crafts Store. The backing fabric is called "Luxe Fleece", and it is a step above standard fleece. It is so soft and comfy!

I used YLI White cotton thread. The digital quilting design is called "Wishing Star", and it is available from Anne Bright Designs. I think this design is a great choice for the Star Wars theme.

 

 Here are a few photos of the quilting process.

 

 

Here is the finished quilt, ready for Marilyn to bind.

 

Here is a short video of the quilt being digitally quilted with my Tin Lizzie Ansley 26 quilting machine and Butler Perfect Stitch computerized system. Maximize the screen to maximize your viewing pleasure!

 

The size of this quilt is approximately 42" x 50", and the cost for my services was $58.63, which included a set up fee, digital edge-to-edge quilting, Pellon cotton batting, and thread. And the quilt was finished and ready to be picked up the day after Marilyn dropped it off!

If you are a quilter looking for affordable rates for your latest project, give me a call! Don't quilt, but looking for a great gift for a special person in your life? Or maybe you want something special for yourself. I would love to design and create a quilt especially for you! Contact me for details at (815) 735-0997.

A GIFT FROM MY CUSTOMER GLORIA KOUBA

When Gloria came to pick up the memory quilts that I made from her late father's shirts (which you can see by clicking here), she brought me this wonderful gift! I have it on a shelf outside my quilting room.

 

I love it! Thanks, Gloria!

KITTY CAT BED BY REBECCA LATHAM

 Okay, it's not technically a quilt, because it is not quilted!

I've been meaning to make a little cat bed for one of Prim's favorite sleeping spots. She jumps up on this coffee table to look out the window and relax, and her claws have started scratching the wood a little bit. Plus, although she doesn't seem to mind the hard surface, I wanted to make her a soft, cushion-y place on which to rest. 

 

I found a jungle cat fleece remnant (50% off!) at a JoAnn Fabric and Craft Store, and the piece was big enough to make the perfect size kitty cat bed for the table. The bed is four thicknesses of the fleece, plus two layers of leftover very poof-y wool batting.

 

I simply sewed around three sides, turned it right side out, then folded over the fourth edge and sewed it closed. Prim took to it right away!  

QUILTY CATS WALL HANGING BY REBECCA LATHAM

 

I've made two wall hangings for my foyer, one for Fall and one for Winter, so I decided to make another one that works for Spring and/or Summer. I found a cute panel in a quilt shop several months and just now got around to working on it.

Here's the thing about panels: They are always skewed, and if there is a border in the design, you can be sure that it is going to be crooked. There are videos on Youtube that show how to straighten them out, and I've tried them all! I even tried hanging it up so that the grain could fall back into its natural form, and that didn't work either after hanging for several months. So, I just went ahead and made the wall hanging anyway, even though the printed borders are crooked.

 

This is the panel after I tried to straighten it out, and you can see how wonky all the printed borders are. It started out even worse than this. I decided that if I ever buy another panel, it will have no straight lines of any kind that will end up looking crooked!

 

I found these two border fabrics at JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts. The purple batik was the perfect shade, and the swirly fabric looks like it was made to match the colors in the panel! 

Normally, I am not the kind of quilter that buys extra fabric. I figure out how much I need, then buy that amount, with maybe an extra inch just for good measure. At JoAnn, you buy fabric by the inch, and do not have to buy 1/8 or 1/4 yards, like you do at most quilt shops. If I am shopping at a quilt shop, I need to go up to the nearest 1/8 yard. 

 

This time, I decided to get a few extra inches, for no particular reason. As it turns out, I measured the panel wrong, and it was larger than I thought. If I had only bought what I needed, I would have had to go back to the store! I ended up with enough fabric for the borders and binding. So here is the quilt top, ready for the long arm.

 

I looked through my catalog of digital quilting designs, which you can find here, but none of them was quite right. I jumped over to my Wish List at Urban Elementz and found the perfect design! It's called "Espresso", and it has swirls that compliment the swirls in the panel. I bought the design, added it to my catalog, and started quilting. It wasn't until after I was halfway finished that I realized that the design also had the petal shapes that are in the panel! I love this new design, and I'm glad that I can now offer it to my customers. As one of the reviews said, "Plays well on fun, casual quilts as well as elegant pieces." So true!

 

 

  

For the binding, I used the same swirly fabric as the outer border. I love the way it came out, and I can't wait to hang it up when my Winter wall hanging comes down on April 1st!

Here is a short video of the quilt being digitally quilted with my Tin Lizzie Ansley 26 quilting machine and Butler Perfect Stitch computerized system. Maximize the screen to maximize your viewing pleasure!

 

 

If you are a quilter looking for affordable rates for your latest project, give me a call! Don't quilt, but looking for a great gift for a special person in your life? Or maybe you want something special for yourself. I would love to design and create a quilt especially for you! Contact me for details at 815.735.0997.

HERE IS MY NEW WEBSITE

On June 30, 2012, I created a website to go along with my new Professional Long Arm Machine Quilting business. I loved being able to have a place to direct customers where they could see photos and videos of my work, and to check my prices and services. That went well, and I created a Facebook page to post my website posts to. 

 

At least, it went well until February 2019, when I got a new email address and was locked out of my website. So, I have been without a website for almost three years now.

  

I finally decided to go ahead a start another one, and this is it. If you would like to go back and look at the older posts, you can visit Rebecca’s Quilting by clicking here. Keep in mind that I have no way to access it, so I have no way to update information or pricing. Sorry about that!

I have been working on restoring posts from the old website to the new website, and adding posts that should have been created during the time that I was locked out of the old website. 

This post is doing double duty – letting you know that I have a website again, and disclosing that I am not responsible for the outdated pricing on the old website! 

 

For the record, the old website address is: 

RebeccasQuilting.blogspot.com.

The new website address is:

RebeccaQuilts.blogspot.com.