Update - Quilt completed!

Hi!

Happy September! Hope you are all doing well. It is still very hot here, but we are starting to look forward to the cooler weather.

I recently finished my "Black and White and Read all over" quilt. I wrote about it in an earlier post this year - back in February! You can read my earlier blog to find out more about this AQS pattern. 

I finished quilting it on my Qnique 14+ mid arm and frame. I used my own free hand and ruler work quilt designs; it was fun to quilt. I used Superior Threads Rainbow Black and white variegated 40 wt. Trilobal Polyester on the top, and Wonderfil Invisafil IF718 100 wt. thread in the bobbin. I also added a border and some hand sewn yo-yos, with fabric inserts. I am very happy with it and excited to send it to its recipient. 

Here are some photos:

Full view - Disappearing Nine Patch - Titled: "Black and White and Read all over"

Detail of quilt

Detail of quilt border with fabric yo-yo with insert

Detail of quilt - typewriter block and free motion quilting

I also entered it in an online Sew Fest contest at SewingMachinesPlus. You can check it out and vote if you like! The contest has 2 categories, you can vote for a garment and a home decor project daily through September 11, 2022. 

To see the entries go to Virtual Sewing Festival | Contest Voting (sewingmachinesplus.com) 

My quilt is Black and White and Read all over, by Denise L. (There is another Denise L in the contest, but this is my only entry!) Vote for my quilt if you like and check out the other entries too!

Many Blessings to you!

Denise A. Buchwalter-Losczyk

AQS free gift with subscription - and Square Deal Plus quilt made

I recently renewed my AQS (American Quilter's Society Membership). Their membership is a great value if you are a new, intermediate or advanced quilter. They always have a free gift with their membership and renewals and their membership is very reasonably priced. The current price of a membership at this time is $25.00 for 6 issues of their publication.

The current gift with membership, at the time of this blog, is a Konfeti 50 wt. Cotton thread pack from Wonderfil thread. Here is a photo of the gift I received:

AQS American Quilter magazine and free gift received

Back of package with description of thread

Thread received in my box!

You get an excellent publication (digital and print), and member benefits, and they also have great quilt shows. I have had a quilt shown in at least one of their shows, I haven't attended in person yet, but perhaps I will one day! The shows look like lots of fun. 

I subscribe to their email newsletter, which you can do whether you are a member or not. There is always useful quilting information and projects and patterns you can explore.

Here is a bed quilt I finished earlier this year. It uses a "Square Deal" pattern found on the AQS site. I usually design my own quilts, but this just called out to be made! I named it "Square Deal Plus", since I added borders on the sides to make it fit our bed. It was my first very large quilt! I used Wonderfil Invisafil 100 weight thread in the top and bottom for quilting my quilt, and it worked very well.

"Square Deal Plus" made from the "Square Deal Quilt Pattern" from AQS (American Quilter's Society)

If you'd like to find out more about quilting, you can check out their website at www.americanquilter.com.

Happy Quilting and many Blessings!

Denise A. Buchwalter-Losczyk

Update on Tumbler Quilt in progress

Greetings!

One project I have been working on is my colorful Tumbler quilt. It is an improvised Tumbler Quilt (tumbler is the name of the one-patch quilt block). 

A little history of this quilt project: I cut out the tumbler shapes with Accuquilt Go Cutter and tumbler die. Then I played with an arrangement of cool and hot fabrics, which were cut from 5-inch square charm packs, including Tula Pink solids, Island Batiks, some batiks I've had for years (and don't know the manufacture name), Connecting threads batiks and dot patterns. I really enjoyed combining solids and some patterns with the batiks.

It is still in progress, I completed the inner quilting on my Qnique 14+ mid-arm machine. I'm very happy with the machine quilting. Before going to the machine, I practiced and created some small drawing/design ideas in a sketch book. 

Paisley Quilting Design

Quilt Design - Clouds
that run into each other

This was a great starting point, once I started quilting I was able to create variations of the initial designs, and even improvised some while quilting! I quilt with my right hand, and steady my left hand on my ruler base, and use it for holding my quilting ruler when needed. I find it is easier than quilting with two hands on the machine.

Quilting Detail 1

Quilting Detail 2

Quilting Detail 3

I plan to hand quilt on the border, using larger quilting stitches. I started some of this while it was on the frame, but I may re-do my initial hand quilting a bit. Decided to hand quilt the rest off the frame, so I can use the machine for another quilt. It is an improvised quilt, so I may add applique, or other embellishments after it is quilted too, we will see how it goes!

In process Tumbler quilt with center machine quilted.

I used Wonderfil Invisafil 100 weight, polyester thread on the top and in the bobbin. I may try Wonderfil DecoBob 80 weight polyester thread next time for the bobbin. I also used Hobbs 80/20 Wool/cotton batting. I was able to get good tension results, which can be challenging at times!

For the hand quilting I am using mostly my Sulky Blendables 100% cotton threads. Making good use of my thread collection!

Hope you enjoyed this update!

Blessings,

Denise A. Buchwalter-Losczyk