How to Choose a Longarm Quilter - Pricing
Hey Quilters!
Well, so much for getting you the last post in one week! :P Sorry guys! Regular life took me over, but I am back and determined to finish out this series, so... let's chat about Pricing! We'll talk about different pricing methods, how to figure out prices and what kinds of quilting to look for if you are shopping purely by price!
Check out the Vlog below!
I hope you guys have liked this Vlog series! I’m hoping to get back on track and do some more videos and blog posts! Hopefully we’ll see some Quilt Alongs here shortly too!
As always, if you have any questions about pricing, pricing by type of quilting, etc. just let me know, I am happy to answer!
Happily Quilting,
Enjoli :)
Thread, thread and more thread
Hey Quilters!
As you may know by now, I adore Angela Walters and one thing that she is known for saying is, "If Quilting is my Therapy, Threads are my Meds". I will be the first to admit that I do LOVE to buy thread! The wall of colorful thread next to my machine just makes me happy!
There are so many wonderful threads out there, but I'm sure like me, you have a favorite or two or ten! When I was a new quilter, one thing I learned was the a good quality thread makes a HUGE difference in the success of your quilting!
I fell in love with Aurifil as soon as I used it, and have never looked back. And now that I quilt primarily on a longarm machine (Why I love my Bernina Q24), I have heard so many things about how Longarms have a preference for thread, and you can only use certain types of thread, etc.
Well lucky for me, I believe that rules are meant to be broken (don't tell my kids that though) so I have tried all the threads through my longarm! Aurifil is one of the threads I put to the test as soon as I had my machine. I have put their 28 wt., 40 wt. and 50 wt. through my machine, quilting at full speed and achieved beautiful stitching, but was told that these threads were not designed for longarm machine quilting - to which I say "pssshhhh ahhhh", but nonetheless there is GOOD NEWS!
Aurifil has just released a new thread - just for us longarm quilters! I was able to snag a few cones at QuiltCon a few weeks ago in Pasadena and plan to put it to the test just as soon as I can sneak my own project onto the longarm! In the mean time, here is some more information for you all, from Aurifil directly on their new 40 wt., 3 ply cotton thread!
https://auribuzz.wordpress.com/2018/02/02/thread-matters-forty3-thread/
I hope you enjoy, and stay tuned for more - hopefully soon I'll have all the colors!
Happily Quilting,
Enjoli :)
My First QuiltCon!
Well Quilters, let me tell you - QuiltCon is a MUST DO in your quilting life! My sister and I have wanted to go the last two years, but it just didn't work out. So, last year after we missed the sign ups, we started planning for QuiltCon 2018!
QuiltCon is put on by the Modern Quilt Guild, it's every year and travels around to different places. This year we were in Pasadena, California! Coming from Alaska, we were super excited for the warm weather and no snow we would get to enjoy! It wasn't quite as warm as we were hoping, but still warmer than home!
There were so many wonderful classes to choose from, but of course I took primarily quilting classes, though I did sneak in a needle-turn appliqué class (it was on my "to learn this year" list) with Carolyn Friedlander.
So, let me get to the good stuff and not bore you with my blabbing!
First up, I took three AMAZING classes from this awesome lady, Pamela Wiley! She does amazing things with a longarm and is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet! We played with multiple layers of batting, some cording and varying stitch density!
Next up, I got to help my friend and mentor, Angela Walters in some of her classes! She is such a fun instructor, and has a way to change up any quilting design to make it new and fresh!
I joined the QuiltCon Mini Quilt Swap, so I got to create something unique for my partner and then I got to meet her in person to gift it! I even got an awesome mini in return!
And of course... the quilts! This is by no means all of the amazing quilts that were at QuiltCon, but these caught my eye, either the design or the quilting, or even the statement that it made!
We ended up making a little vacation out of our trip to California, so we hit up a few other fun places, Universal Studios, VooDoo Donuts - no lie we spent most of our day at Universal in the Wizarding World Of Harry Potter!
We visited Hogsmeade, Honeydukes, Hagrids Hut, Hogwarts and of course Ollivanders!
Almost forgot to show you the amazing Donut I had at VooDoo! Okay, I may have had a couple! The first one was the most amazing strawberry, and the other one was a fluffy donut with chocolate frosting, crushed oreos and peanut butter drizzle! YUMMY!
Oh yes, and those two other people you keep seeing in our photos are our good friend Sara (you may remember her, she used to work at our family's shop, Seams Like Home) and another shop friend Andrew, who is just launching his creative business, Threads by Andrew!
There are so many more photos I would love to share with you, maybe another day! For now, if you want more info about QuiltCon or the Modern Quilt Guild, head over to their website: https://www.quiltcon.com or https://themodernquiltguild.com
I would highly recommend going at least once ... we had so much fun, we'll likely go again!
Happily Quilting (and dreaming of the next QuiltCon),
Enjoli :)
Tip Tuesday - Squaring Your Quilt Back
Image from Sometimes Crafter
Hey Quilters!
Long time, no see! :) Totally on me, but I'm here now - hopefully with a plan to get back on track chatting with you all! So, today I want to bring you a tip on one of the most common questions I get, "How do I square my quilt back for Longarm Quilting?".
Now, depending on who you ask you may get a different answer, but the underlying fact here is that when you are using a longarm to quilt your quilt, or having a longarmer quilt it for you - the back MUST BE SQUARE! If it is not, you get all sorts of crazy issues - the first being that, once the top is laid onto the backing, there might not actually be enough fabric, and second, if that back isn't square we get what I call "saggy sides", and nobody wants saggy sides, right?!
So, lucky for me (and you), an angel has come to the world to give us AMAZING instructions on how to square our quilt back - that angel is Christina Lane at Sometimes Crafter! If you watched the VLOG series, I linked to this in the last video, but here is is again.
Christina has drawn this WONDERFUL diagram for us to show the simplest way to get your quilt back square - if you click on the image you will be transported to the wonderful world called "Sometimes Crafter" for the step-by-step instructions that follow this image!
This is such a hard concept to explain sometimes, so now you have it - bookmark it in your browser so the next time you need it you know just where to find it! Hope this helps you all, as much as it has helped me!
Happliy Quilting,
Enjoli :)
How to Choose a Longarm Quilter: What to Bring
Hey Quilters!
Welcome back to Week 3! We are chatting about what you need to bring to the Longarmer this week! That means, what condition does your quilt top, batting and backing need to be in, PLUS any ideas for quilting you might have.
Okay, I said short and sweet - but I guess I can't do that! :P
I hope you're enjoying these and getting some useful information, please let me know if you have any questions! Also, if you need that link to Sometimes Crafter again - here you go: http://sometimescrafter.com/quilting/quilt-prep/
Happliy Quilting,
Enjoli :)
How to Choose a Longarm Quilter - Quilting Choices
Hey All -
We're back again for week two! Today we're chatting about Quilting options with a Longarm Quilter! We will talk about Edge-to-edge/pantograph quilting, Computerized quilting and Custom Quilting plus you choices for batting & thread!
Whew - who knew there were so many decisions to make when taking a quilt to a Longarm Quilter! Hopefully this will help you make those decision and narrow down the choices! As always, once you've found a quilter you trust you can leave some of those decisions to their expertise!
Please let me know if you have any questions or (longarmers out there) any more to add!
Oh, also - the wonderful computerized quilting photos are thanks to Jonni Myrick of iQuilt Alaska! Thanks Jonni! :)
Happily Quilting,
Enjoli :)
How to Choose a Longarm Quilter - Vlog Series
Hey All!!
Thanks for joining me here on the blog! I am excited to bring you this series on "How to Choose a Longarm Quilter". It is something we get asked A LOT at Seams Like Home - and something I've been trying to take measures to help folks figure out!
Obviously, as much as I would LOVE to quilt for everyone, there just isn't enough time in the day. Plus, there are so many talented quilters out there, and even more of you all that are making tops faster than we can quilt them!
In this first Vlog I'll give you a preview of topics we'll cover and then we'll chat a little about What exactly is a Longarm Quilter, why would you use one, how do you choose and what questions you should be asking.
I hope I can bring you some good information and help you in your decision making process!
Let me know if you have any further questions. Leave a comment below or email me @ doodlequiltingstudio@gmail.com and I will answer questions in next week's Vlog post before we dive into the new stuff!
:) Enjoli
When Life Brings Change
(WARNING: This post has little to do with quilting, a bit to do with life - and whole lot of honesty!)
It's Saturday night, I'm sitting in bed excitedly thinking about Monday morning! On Monday, my life changes - A LOT! It is a day I have been waiting for, for many years! One that I have been excited for, and a bit nervous anticipating...it is going to be a big change.
On Monday our Twins, our youngest children, start Kindergarten!!
For the last 7 1/2 years I have spent MOST of my time as a stay-at-home mom to our three daughters (our oldest is in second grade this year) - a job that I never really intended to have! When we had our first daughter, life worked out perfectly - I worked three days a week and was home with her the other two, and of course the weekend. I had the best of both worlds!
All of that changed when we found out that our "ideal number of children" would not be two, but three! When people tell me they wish they had twins, I always laugh and tell them they have no idea what they're wishing for! Don't get me wrong, I cannot imagine my life any other way - the girls complete our family and they bring such joy and diversity to it. But, OH MY GOODNESS are they a crazy pair. The craziness that ensues with twins could fill an entirely separate Blog Series, but know that no matter how well prepared you think you are - IT IS NOT ENOUGH!
Most of you know how much motherhood changes you - not just who you think you are and what you believe, but the very core of YOU is different. There are now three people out walking around in this world that I would stop at nothing to protect, pieces of my heart out there subject to the craziness of the world we live in. SOMEONE should have warned me!! How can you love someone so much and at the same time wish that you could turn invisible so they could not find you?!
At times I felt like I wasn't me anymore - the person I was, who I identified myself as. She was gone - lost to motherhood. The cleaning. The feeding. The worrying. The lack of sleep. The crying. The screaming. The constant noise. The insecurity. I wondered where the woman was that my husband married - the one who was confident in herself, knew what she wanted and went for it. At times I didn't know if I would EVER find her again - would I have a passion again?
I can't tell you the exact moment that it happened, but I found something I really enjoyed to do, something that I was willing to be SELFISH enough to MAKE time to do - to hide away and lock doors to do.
I discovered that I really enjoyed Quilting, not the cutting and piecing part, but the end - the last step - the machine quilting! I LOVED it - and I was pretty good at it. This was something I could have for me - just me, I didn't have to share it with the kids! I would hide away in my sewing room (a converted walk-in closet) to quilt after the girls were in bed. I would run up there and lock multiple doors behind me when their fighting and whining became too much. I could de-stress during nap time by making a cup of coffee and dragging my ever growing stack of machine quilting books down to the couch for a mini escape.
I had found my PASSION again! The funny thing was, I don't think I even realized that's what I had found until last year. Last summer, the summer before the twins started preschool we were on our annual Strait Family Kenai Trip. We go every summer! But last year I worked up the courage on the drive down to tell my husband that I wanted to start a Longarm Quilting Business - actually, what I told him was, "I want something for me, something that is my own, something that I care about again that has nothing to do with you or the kids"!
Sounds a bit harsh now that I reflect on it - lucky for me I am married to a wonderful, understanding man who knew what I was trying to say - one that saw what parts of motherhood had done to my sense of self. I think somewhere along the line, he saw the spark in my eyes when I would say "I'm going up to the sewing room!" and knew that I had found "me" again!
Looking back over the last year and the changes that life has brought, I realize that there will be phases where we are lost, and phases where we're found. Life has a funny way of changing just when you think it won't. There will times where we don't get to pursue our passion like we want to but then things change.
When the stars align, the school doors open and you wave goodbye to your children while driving toward the coffee shop and many blissful hours of quilting - you know you've come out the other end of the tunnel, and there's no looking back!
Here's to embracing change and pursing your passion! If you need me, I'll be blissfully quilting!
:) Enjoli
The Joy of Quilting (for my five year old twins!)
The other day I was at the shop working on a quilt while waiting to meet a client - I had laid out a quilt I've been working on for one of my five year old daughters. Some gals wandered over to the longarm area where I was and noticed the quilt, which I had thrown onto a chair. I let them know they could open it up and look at it - after a minute I heard some nice compliments on the quilt and my quilting (which always feels good!), so I told them it was a gift for one of my five year olds. This was their response:
"Wow, thats a really nice quilt for a five year old - I don't think I would give this to a child!"
For a minute I was a little taken aback, wondering why they thought that. And then it hit me - maybe they haven't experience the "joy of quilting". I know many of you will know exactly what I mean - the feeling of excitement when you give a quilt that you know the person will love!
Here is the thing - while they may look at the quilt and think it was too nice to give to a child, I knew that my daughters have spent the last few years waiting for me to gift them a quilt (bigger than their baby blankets - which were the last Quilty item I made them). And I knew that they would see their quilts, notice the color of minkee on the back and know that I thought about them when I put the quilts together. I chose thread colors for the quilting I knew they would like and bright fun fabrics they would think were awesome.
Maybe those ladies have been in situations (we all have) where we have gifted a quilt and the reaction was less than enthusiastic. I get how you would feel after a few of those - I've experienced situations like that and remember the disappointment well.
When we make a quilt with a specific person in mind, it is the whole process that makes giving it special. We thought about the person when we picked out the fabrics. We thought about the person when we chose the pattern. We thought about the person during the hours we spent cutting, sewing and pressing the quilt together. When we watch the person open that quilt, we are hoping they see it and realize the love we've poured into it! And if they don't, it can be heart breaking.
There are still people out there (not sure how it's possible) that don't quite understand the value of a quilt, or any handmade item for that matter, but lucky for me my 5 year olds are not those people! One of their favorite gifts at the party was their own loaf of banana bread. Special made for each of them by Grandpa Genius (yes, there is a story behind it - for a later day, but this is what they call my dad) in five year old size tins!
The quilts I made them were their last gifts, but they did not disappoint! Their shrieks of glee and "ohhh it's so soft" made my mommy heart swell! I had some fun asking them about their quilts at bedtime:
They sure are silly girls!
I hope that the quilts you make go to those who will appreciate your time and effort and "never want to get out" of their quilt!
Happy Quilting (and Happy Birthday!),
Enjoli (and Avalyn and Ascher) :)
The Wonders of the Needle
It's funny how when you've been doing something "for awhile" you start to think you've got things figured out! The moment you have that thought, the universe looks at you and says "I'll show you!". Over the last month I've been having an "issue with my machine", which turns out to be user error (which is what I have been hoping to be honest), where I get skipped stitches when going from batik fabric to cotton fabrics and vice-versa. I could not for the life of me figure out what was going on. At first I thought I had a random issue, and then I started paying attention - it was only an issue either on batik or going back and forth.
So, first I tried extra cleaning and oiling, which didn't seem to make a huge difference but certainly helped. Next I tried a different size needle because I figured well maybe my thread needs a bigger needle - Nope that didn't really help either. At this point I started thinking there was something wrong with my machine, I talked to my amazing tech, Gene, he had a few ideas, all of which helped but didn't really solve my problem. I talked to my Bernina contact while at quilt market, he gave me a few pointers. Got home, tried those, ehhhh didn't really make much difference. Finally, I figured I might as well put it out to a Facebook user group, lets see if anyone else is having skipped stitching issues.
So, here is the thing you should know, Bernina is all about T-N-T for problem solving, "Thread, Needle, Tension". Well I knew my thread was good, it was brand new Superior So Fine #50, just opened! I use great quality needles and had changed the needle to a bigger size to make sure there was enough room in the eye for my thread, and my tension was great! So, what was I doing wrong?!
Here is the advice I got in the user group, "Try a 'Quilting' needle.", my first thought... "OMG these people have no idea what they're talking about, I'm using a topstitch needle for quilting, that't the 'right way to do it' don't they know that?" Remember what I said about "having it all figured out", hah yah.. not so much apparently!
For most other projects/threads a Superior Topstitch needle works AMAZING in my machine and that is what I use and will likely continue to use. However, for some reason the Topstitch needle and the batik fabric do not get along. The tight weave of the batik seems to give that Topstitch needle a hard time.
In the end I decided to suck it up and try out this other needle, since you know, I have deadlines to meet. So, I drag myself over to the needle wall at the shop, pick up the "Quilting" needles and wander back to my machine. As I'm taking a needle out I read the back of the package, "taper to shaft and sharp point to prevent skipped stitches" . . . . . . .
Oh my jeepers!. . . . . . . . Yep, of course . . . . . . That figures . . . . . Guess I'll give it a try . . . . .
You all know what happened next right?! I quilted for TWO straight hours without a single issue or skipped stitch! And here is the kicker you guys, I have been quilting and teaching quilting for almost EIGHT years!
Okay world, I accept the face palm with (a tiny bit) of dignity and vow to never "think I know it all" again!
(Now) Happily Quilting - Enjoli :)
P.S: Don't be like me - check out http://www.schmetzneedles.com/all-about-needles/ to find more detailed information on needles!
Get more info on amazing needles here!
Longarm Machine Comparison
Hey Quilters! Sometimes I wonder if I will ever have my schedule under control! Anyone else there too? We got back from Quilt Market and then had Angela Walters teaching at the shop for a week, which was a blast but kept me busy! And of course life always seems to have a different plan than my brain does! Last week I finally had chance to get back to my machine!
So, as promised, I have some notes on the machines I played with at Quilt Market!! The Brands I was able to get my hands on were:
- Gammill
- Innova
- Grace Q'nique
- HandiQuilter (Sweet Sixteen & Avante)
- Baby Lock (Coronet)
Hopefully you will find this information helpful - of course these are all my opinions on the machines, and my experience completing quilts is of course all on my wonderful Bernina Q24. (And no, I will not be switching machines! I know someone was thinking about asking!)
The Gammill
the gammill
The Gammill booth just so happened to be run by some friends of ours, who also sell the Bernina Q24. I was able to have a good conversation with them about how the machines compare.
Pros: The overall feel of the machine was good, it was consistent and smooth. The one thing I thought was very cool about it was a mode called "Coast Regulate". Here is the direct definition from Gammill: "Coast Regulate: Control stitch length during faster movement. However, during fine detailed work, the machine automatically switches to constant speed to let you complete micro work with smaller stitches without stopping to change settings."
Cons: The threading is more complicated than the Bernina, you start the threading all the way at the back of the machine working up to the front, which means walking around the machine halfway through threading. The Bernina is threaded from the very front of the machine making it quick and accessible.
Overall the dealer I chatted with agreed that on a basic level (hand guided operation only) the Bernina was a strong competitor to the Gammill machine!
The Innova
The Innova has a very industrial feel, from the frame to the machine. The set up had an amazing light bar, which is an accessory you can add onto the frame.
Pros: The frame felt very sturdy, there was little vibration in the handles. You can run the machine up to 3000 spm - that is some fast quilting! From the few others I talked to at Market, those who had the Innova said it was a workhorse.
Cons: The handles on the machine were not adjustable, though it seems you can buy additional handles that are. The screen was a bit small and I had a hard time with their spinning "mode" icon. And of course, their machine threads starting at the back, up to the front, which we know I'm not a fan of!
Overall the machine had a good feel, but for me I was a bit turned off by the "in your face" industrial look. Of course you want something that will perform, but maybe not look like it should be in a warehouse!
The Grace Q'nique
Q'nique
The Grace machine were interesting, I mainly focused on their Q'nique 14 on their smaller frame (they had a demo 5' set up). This machine surprised me - at face value it doesn't look like much, and honestly looks a bit cheap. However, there were some things that impressed me.
Pros: Of all the other longarms I looked at, the Q'nique was the only one where I felt no handle vibration. The 14" machine was small enough that you could reach back to thread it, and the spool rack is off to one side instead of the back. Also, this little frame was a traditional loading system, no "hooping" your quilt!
Cons: The screen size is definitely not great, and the buttons on the handles have no indication of what they do, either on them or the screen. I felt like 14" was pretty small, so you would be limited to smaller projects with this set up.
Apparently in all my fun I had playing at the Grace booth I forgot to take actual photos! This one shows a quick comparison between the Q'nique 14+ and the Q'nique 21!
The HandiQuilter
I spent some time looking at two models of the HandiQuilter, since people seem to be looking for either a small footprint machine or a full size longarm. The first was the Simply Sixteen. This set up is the Simply Sixteen on their Little Foot frame.
Pros: This set up has a very small footprint, so if you are tight on space, you could probably make this set up work. HQ recommends a 6-8ft by 8-10ft space for this machine, however, the actual footprint is only 4ft by 5ft.
The Little Foot frame is actually pretty solid little frame, plus it is height adjustable from 33"-44".
Cons: Unlike a traditional longarm, where you load your pieces on poles - this set up requires you to pre-baste your quilt sandwich together and then "hoop" it onto the frame.
Side note: While I like the ability to skip the "hooping" step with my machine, it does allow you to have a smaller machine, but still complete larger quilts - definitely something to consider for those with smaller spaces.
The second model I played with was the Avante, which seems to be one of their most popular machines, plus it is the machine Angela Walters uses and we all know how much I adore her!
Pros: The Avante comes standard with two sets of handles/screens plus laser so if you want run a pantograph with it there are no additional purchases needed, well except for the pantograph itself! I did like the buttons on the handles, they're mostly flush, but you can feel them with your fingertip - so less chance of accidentally pushing the wrong button - if it's me, it will still probably happen but for most people maybe not!
Cons: Threading.. of course, you know I'm not a huge fan of having to walk around the machine to thread it - if I had to do that on the quilt I'm working on now, I would get some extra exercising in I suppose!
The BabyLock Coronet
So, here's the thing.. I walked up to this machine the first time, no one was around and the machine was not threaded - no joke I stood there for a minute trying to figure out how to thread it myself, and then walked away. I came back the next day and it was threaded so I did get to play on it.
(I only tell you this because, as a consumer it's nice to be able to go up and try something out without having to "find" a salesperson to help you - because then you have to talk to them! And some of us can't walk away in the middle of "the spiel" - I think you know what I mean!)
Their set up is the Coronet is on a smaller frame, similar to the Little Foot from HandiQuilter.
Pros: The small footprint is definitely a plus for those with limited space. Comes with build in stitch regulation, which is not the case with some of the other more entry level mid-arm machines.
Cons: The frame had a lot of vibration, which could be felt in the handles while running the machine. This system is set up to "hoop" the quilt, so again you would have to baste your quilt together and then load it onto the frame as one pieces.
Honestly, I would say if you are looking for a smaller foot print like this - the HandiQuilter seems to have a more solid set up. (In my opinion! ;P)
Now how do you choose?
WHEW!! So many choices - and of course this is not an exhaustive list of machines or even the pros/cons, this is just what I could get my hands on!
Like shopping for any larger purchase my advice would ALWAYS be go try it out, use it, abuse it (not in a mean way - but make it work to be sure it will perform how you want), and ask as many questions as you can think of!
Definitely think about what you will be quilting. Are you doing mostly baby quilts/art quilts (smaller items) or do you have a stack of unfinished Queen or King size quilts? And are you planning to quilt for others - this is such a loaded question isn't it?! All of these questions will impact the type of machine that will be able to meet your needs.
I know for me, there is no way I could make the Little Foot frame work because I am doing mostly large quilts and as a business. I need a machine that makes loading quick, painless and doesn't have me crawling around on the floor to baste a king size quilt!
(Check out my "Why Bernina" article here for why I LOVE my machine so much!)
Hopefully this information has helped a little bit, even maybe to narrow down choices. If you have ANY questions about machines please feel free to email me, or stop by Seams Like Home (in Anchorage, AK) to chat. By now you know I am partial to the Bernina set up, but ultimately you are the one that is going to be using the machine and you need to be happy with it.
Happy Quilting,
Enjoli :)
P.S: If you have one of these set ups, leave a comment and tell us what you LOVE about it!
International Quilt Market
The last time I was at Quilt Market, I had just discovered an amazing book from a machine quilter I admired, Angela Walters! (You see where this is going don't you!) I'm pretty sure I talked my Mom and sister's ears off the whole plane ride about how I hoped to meet her, and pick up her new book, "Free-Motion Quilting Workbook". I definitely fan-girled, pretty hard!
This photo marks the beginning of a wonderful friendship, and my first push toward starting Doodle!
This year, my BIG goal for Quilt Market was to check out all the other longarm machines, in order to write a Part 2, to this article: Why Bernina Q24?. I am working on compiling my thoughts (and photos and videos) on the machines I played with. I was able to get my hands on the Gammil, Innova, Handi Quilter & Q'nique by Grace! I'm excited to share my findings with you all!
So, in between my mom and sister leaving me at the longarm booths, I did find some other pretty cool things to share with you all!
I got to meet Lori Kennedy from Inbox Jaunt. She is also a Bernina Ambassador so it was fun to chat machines with her! If you haven't seen her work, you need to! Check her out here: www.theinboxjaunt.com. She also has a new book out "Free Motion Machine Quilting 1-2-3", swing by Seams Like Home to grab a copy, it is an awesome book!
Lori Kennedy is so nice! And she told me she loved my business name!
I also ran into another quilter whose work I super duper admire. When I grow up I hope my quilting is as amazing as hers! Her name is Kathleen, you can find her work at www.kathleenquilts.com. She was super sweet, and is full of great information! If you're looking for more info on starting a Longarm Business, she has a great series on that too: "The Business of Longarm Quilting".
Me with Kathleen of Kathleen Quilts - I super duper admire her!
I spent some time playing at Superior, and wandering around in awe of all the beautiful things! There is so much to see, we stayed busy for three days straight!
Epic Banner
My version of heaven - superior threads table
"270 Colors" quilt from Whole circle studio
We played at the Jaybird Quilts and Tula Pink booths!
We love Jaybird Quilts - these letters are from her newest book "alphabet soup"
we want to make this Quilt for sure
Tula is the best! We get the honor of being her "second favorite set of twins"!
It was a fun, busy time in St. Louis for the International Quilt Market! It is always fun to go, and always fun to come home to share all the new goodness with you all!
Sis, Mom & Me enjoying market time
We got back on Monday and I was able to squeeze some quilting time in. Our shop, Seams Like Home is welcoming back Angela Walters to teach next week! My machine gets a break from me to allow some lucky students to learn Ruler work techniques with Angela!
Keep an eye out for my "Longarm Machine Comparison" article next week! And in the meantime...
Happily Quilting,
Enjoli :)