The Quilt Skipper

quilting makes me skip for joy

Jenny K Lyon

Quilting makes me skip for joy

Turning a corner

I’ll be in Long Beach this week so this will be a shorter post. I want to share my fix for rounded corners when free motion quilting. Here’s what I mean:

It’s common to get these kinds of rounded corners or angles. Even though you absolutely stitched that corner, your machine rounds that corner off.

What happens is that that one single stitch was not strong enough to lock that sharp corner or curve in place. There’s a simple solution:

stitch two or three stitches in that corner before moving on. That will secure the direction change and will not leave a knot underneath.

QBI, The Quiet Beauty of Imperfection

When I was making Q.B.I.-The Quiet Beauty of Imperfection, there were lots and lots of corners and tight angles! The entire quilt was filled with them. I was using skinny, skinny 100 wt silk thread top and bobbin and I had to mindfully stitch twice in every single corner or they would have rounded. You do get in a rhythm and it becomes second nature, but if you don’t, you’re likely to have rounded corners.

I did turn another type of corner:

Yup, after pondering this for a mere 2 years, I added a “fun color” to my hair. NO, it had nothing to do with the Eagles’ football team colors! I got tired of being invisible and now, am I visible! I am surprised at the reactions I get, many say I am “brave”. I happen to know there is a fine line between “brave” and “stupid”, giggle! And personally I reserve “brave” for people that face huge challenges or face evil, life and death, etc.

It does take a bit of chutzpah to carry it off I have found. I’m not used to being noticed and that is a huge adjustment. When I first arrived home, Hubby was literally jaw-dropping-shocked. He ultimately decided he really liked it once he got over the initial shock. The second most common reaction was something along the lines of “I thought you were the least likely person to add a bizarre color to their hair”. Huh. Now what does that say about me?

NOTE: Newsletter readers, I may not put out a newsletter this week but I will be back the following week!

But I am realizing, it is expensive and it takes time. I hear it fades quickly. So the jury is out as to whether I’ll keep the color, but it’s been a fun ride so far!

 

Comments

  2. Long Beach! Enjoy!!
    But, like me, you’re out of town for the Folsom Quilt Show… but I’m sure you’ll be there in spirit. Does that mean you’re invisible?!! Not!! ?

  3. Thanks, I will try that on my next quilt.
    BTW: I tried that too did peacock colors. Too hard to upkeep.

  4. Jenny,
    Love the color and I would also like to say that you are far from ‘Invisible’.
    My first impression of you at a beginning FMQ class was that you are bright and
    colorful ( at that class you had a bright scarf tied around your neck as an accessory).
    Your energy and excitement for quilting vibrates from your being!!!!!!!!!
    And if you love the color and it brings you joy, keep it going.
    PS love your posts.

    • Wow Jolynne, thank you! In public I am many times invisible, comes with being a “certain age” I assume. Now I’m reeeeeally visible!

  5. I’m here via Nina-Marie’s Creations… blog. I’m enjoying your posts and work/play. My daughter keeps telling me to color my hair, we really like your new color AND I can totally relate to being invisible (I agree, comes with a certain age, but you showed them!).

  6. Um…well, it’s interesting…But I too think you’re far from invisible by virtue of your personality and presence. :-) And thanks for the tip about the corners. I used to think it was just my fussy machine making me crazy; now I know differently!

  9. What fun! I had a purple stripe in my hair once. I was disappointed by how quickly it faded, and when it was just barely lavender I felt like it looked timid — like I wanted to have purple but was afraid to commit. I hope yours lasts longer than mine did! I think it’s cute.