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           OFF MY RACK!
A Longarmers Journal
of musings, mistakes and missives!







When it's hip to be square...

5/2/2025

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I have always been interested in a lot of things that I eventually explored as hobbies. Cooking, baking, decorating, gardening and even woodworking are things I have dabbled in and I have developed a little skill in all these things - except for woodworking. 

I love to build things, but no matter how I try, I just can't seem to get the knack of squaring things up.  I also struggle with measuring twice and cutting once.  I have mastered the use of a drill - and I have no issues using a circular saw  - but the construction of a thing is best left to someone with more skill than I can muster.  Wood is not nearly as forgiving as fabric is!

As a young woman I did a lot of sewing.  Clothes for myself and my children, curtains, placemats and even cushions were things I loved to make.  Many times there were curves and easing and tugging things to make edges meet was pretty standard.  Much of the time, keeping things exact was not that important.

I soon learned however that when constructing a quilt - keeping things square is important if you want your block to fit together with all the other blocks.  At first - more often than not - none of my blocks ended up the right size - nor did they always fit together nicely.

As I became more experienced - and learned from others I adopted and adapted many techniques to ensure my lines were straight, my seams were even and everything measured out as it should.  Occasionally though, I may ease one piece into another or give a little tug to make ends meet when my measurements have been off slightly.  Yes fabric is more forgiving than wood!

Using a 1/4 inch seam guide and sewing a scant 1/4 inch made huge improvements in the size of my blocks.  Squaring off blocks - even after completing a smaller section - using squared rulers and a rotating mat also helped immensely.  Later I also found faster ways to square up half square triangles using triangle rulers. (what a time saver!)  Performing these simple steps ensures square blocks and eventually (hopefully) a square quilt.
Now, once I finish longarming (quilting) a quilt, I will remove it and trim off the excess batting and backing.  It only takes a few extra minutes and it makes it so much easier for the quilt owner who may not have the luxury of the space or equipment that I do.  The ultimate goal is to square the quilt up.

​Sometimes a quilt may not be exactly square - but I ensure that the corners are.  I do this by using my foldable right angle ruler or a large square ruler.  
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Here I am using a 12-1/2 inch square ruler to square up a corner.

Tips to get that perfect finish!

  • Sew a scant 1/4 inch seam when piecing.  Once your seams are pressed you lose a little fabric in the fold.
  • Trim each section of your block after you have completed it to ensure it is the correct size - and square
  • Keep several rulers in the size of blocks and partial blocks you are sewing.  I have a 4-1/2, 6-1/2 and 12-1/2 inch square ruler that I place over top a square to ensure it is trimmed to be square
  • If a finished block is not quite square or a little wonky - place a pin in the area that is scant to remind you to make allowances later when joining your blocks
  • For larger or odd sized blocks - like a 14x14 inch or even a 9 x17 inch block, use painters tape on your cutting mat to mark the outside edges and ensure you put the bottom of the block on a straight line - and trim from there. (see photo below)
  • When joining blocks - nest your seams (one folds one way and one folds the other) to help points and lines stay straight
  • Always measure the center of the quilt lengthways and widthwise to determine your border lengths. AND yes - always measure for your border lengths!
  • Do your best to square your quilt top before sending it out to be quilted.  To do this, lay the quilt on a large flat surface and measure it corner to corner diagonally in both directions and they should measure the same.  If not start examining where there are inconsistencies or crooked spots.
In this way I can lay the ruler at the corner and trim it to make it exactly 90 degrees.  This also helps with binding the quilt nicely. 

​It's tools like rulers and a good rotary cutter along with a large cutting board that help with squaring things up - especially if the quilt is to be hung on a wall or displayed somewhere.


Fabric is forgiving, but once you start putting lots of little pieces together, pressing them and then adding more squares, triangles and rectangles - having a small inconsistency in every other block can make a huge difference in how your quilt turns out.  And that is when you realize it really is "hip to be square"!
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Here I am using the flip and set ruler to make a 90 degree corner cut.
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This is a flip and set corner ruler that folds easily to be put away or hung up
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Graffiti - I never thought I would be a fan!

3/17/2025

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PictureGraffiti Alley in Toronto
For someone who likes social order, I never thought I would be a fan of graffiti.  Graffiti is often defined as unauthorized scribbling, doodling or marking of a public space.  It was commonly attributed to gangs using it to mark their territory or make statements against authority. 

​Graffiti over the years has evolved in may cities to become more Urban Art than territorial markings - and wall murals are a perfect example of that evolution.  City cores that were often drab and dirty used urban art in murals on buildings to bring more colour and interest to beautify and add visual interest to spaces that had little vegetation or beauty.  

One of the first places I noticed evolved graffiti - urban art - was in Hamilton on a wall mural on King street as you enter the downtown core.  I looked forward to seeing it every day when I rode the bus to work.  

As I travelled across Canada over the course of my life, I have seen graffiti on train cars on the prairies and in towns and often wondered how someone with a spray can of paint could create such masterpieces. (and sometimes messes!)
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PictureHeader image from "Quilt it to death anonymous" facebook group
Never did I think I would create any kind of graffiti art - I just cannot draw well.  Well, sixty-four years has taught me never to say never.  And then came quilting.

When I started to quilt I learned about a facebook group named "QITDA" - Quilt to death anonymous. I marvelled at the quilting many of the experienced quilters did that was absolutely random and gorgeous! They used it to fill in backgrounds on every kind of quilt.  Some of it was whimsical and others of it was pure magical beauty with swirls and flowers and birds and feathers and even scenery of sorts.  I wanted to do that!

I started by simply drawing swirls and circles and feathers over and over.  I filled several notebooks with doodling before I tried it on a sample piece on my longarm.  Creating random connected flowers and feathers and bubbles and spirals was addictive!  I was in love! I could go on and on but the verdict would still be the same - graffiti on a quilt can be transformational.

The best part is how relaxing creating quilting graffiti can be!  It is a great way to make an appliques quilt pop as you can see below.  It is also a fabulous way to add whimsy to an already fun quilt.  I am not yet an expert - and I do not expect to take my graffiti to an urban space anytime soon (if ever) - but what a journey this will be!  

​Thank you to all my quilting customers who trusted me with their creations to doodle on!

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Make it Modern and wow your audience!

11/4/2024

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PictureTraditional Log Cabin pattern in "Barn Raising" layout.
When I first got back into quilting, I began with making traditional blocks.  I loved the look of some of the vintage quilts that I saw - Dresden Plate, Sawtooth and of course, Log Cabin.  I started making quilts using old fashioned blocks and tried to make them more modern by using newer fabrics in more modern colours.

I liked the look - but was not in love with any of the quilts that I made.  I showed many of them to my mother - who has a great eye when it comes to style.  She remarked that they were beautiful but wondered if maybe I should try making quilts that were more modern and that would fit better into peoples contemporary decor.  I had to really think about this because the one thing I did not want to do was to create quilts that were available in similar looks as some quilts sold at retail stores.  And I really did not want an avant-garde look either.  I like corners that match and do not like bizarre looking blocks!



​It took some time to realize what the differences were between a more traditional quilt and a modern looking quilt.  Interestingly enough, modern quilts were actually easier to make than the more traditional style quilts and after a little experimentation, I finally determined how to make a more modern quilts that look great in any current decor.  And you don't have to buy special patterns to create them.  So here are some things you can do to take a traditional pattern and make it more modern.

  • Enlarge your blocks:  Instead of many blocks pieces together with sashing and borders - why not take a traditional block and enlarge it?  It's easier than you think - and with large blocks it goes together quickly.  If you use bold colours it can make for a striking statement!
 
  • Offset a large block - off center: One look I have come to like is taking a design - whatever it is - and off-setting it instead of placing it in the center.  Part of the block may disappear - and there may be more white space on one side - but this makes for a very modern look and allows for some fun quilting in the open space!
 
  • Monochrome:  Instead of choosing 3 or four complimentary colours - try sticking to one colour.  With black and white - this is easy.  Why not try blue hues - several layers of blues with the same tint to make a more current statement.  You could also try using different grays with white for a very neutral look.  And neutral is always in!
 
  • Bold geometric patterns:  How about placing blocks in an order that makes no sense?  A circle next to a parallelogram... or a triangle overlapping another triangle?  Using bold coloured blocks like red and yellow using a black background can make bold proclamation!
 
  • Emphasize negative space: To do this use several highlight blocks (or just one) and heavily quilt the negative (or white) space.
 
  • Use bold fabrics:  I am not drawn to quilts that look overly busy - but using fabrics like "Tula Pink" or "Kaffe Fassett" fabrics in an offset nine patch can look amazing and keeps us looking for the pattern within the fabric pattern.

These are only a few ideas to make your quilting look more modern and appeal to a newer generation.  But what I like most about modern quilting is that we can use traditional blocks in a bigger way. 

​Often traditional quilts can be repetitive - one block the same as the next and kind of "matchy matchy".  Using a traditional block in a bigger way can not only show off the block but can highlight some of the more beautiful fabrics that are out now - you know the ones!  They are so lovely that we just hate to cut them up into little pieces!  Why not highlight the fabric in a bigger way!

Because fewer and bigger blocks take less time to put together - it allows us to make a quilt - likety-spilt for a last minute gift.  This year I had a customer send me 6 modern looking quilts to quilt all on the same pick up date.  She plans to give them and 4 others away as Christmas gifts this year.  I can only imagine the looks on their faces as each of 10 people open up their gifts to find a quilt for each of them.  Their wide eyed look will only show half of their amazement and wonder...."how does she do it all?" 

Bigger blocks, fewer seams and a faster finish - that's how!  Now that's a modern look I can live with!

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Offset star block
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Enlarged Hunter star block
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Offset snowflake highlighting the whitespace
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Susan sent this and 4 other quilts in the same pattern to be quilted - all in dfferent fabrics and colours. They made quick and beautiful gifts - leaving everyone wondering "How does she do it?"
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Same quilt, different fabrics and colours! 70 x 70 they make a bold statement!
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A sixth quilt from Susan - this time with a similar theme - but with the added twist of smaller blocks.
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Must we keep swimming upstream?

10/30/2024

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I was in a business course many moons ago and there was a coach there who was listening to a dilemma that I had.  He paused and listened intently, and then waited until I stopped and calmly asked me "Why do you keep swimming upstream?"

My first thought was - "well there is a right way to do things".  And that may be true if you are a surgeon or  dentist.  Or a Judge.  But in most things in life there are many ways to accomplish any one thing - and as long as no one gets hurt or there is no damage to property - it may even be easier!

Well I experienced this again! Really?  In quilting?  Oh yes I did. (chuckle)

Several years ago I bought a program with a pattern called a 'mystery quilt'.  It was a program that sent you part of the pattern each month and you did not know what the quilt looked like until the last installment.  I never did get the quilt started until several years later.  On this past Sunday evening, with all the installments in hand, I headed off to a quilting retreat in the hopes of starting and completing the entire quilt in 4 days.  To maintain the integrity of the program - I decided to do each installment before looking at the next and actually followed the directions.  And began swimming upstream.

I will not go into all the gory details - but each step, after I had painstakingly followed all the directions and pieced each section, I realized that the instructions swam upstream so to speak.  Each step that I went through took the long way to cut and piece each block  All 1800 pieces.  I was tempted to try to rewrite all the short cuts - but in most cases when I realized there was another way - I was already half way through the hard way.

What many people do not realize is that you do not win any awards or badges of honour to do things the hard way.  In the end we actually lose.  Time.  Patience. And even the desire to finish something. You may feel a sense of accomplishment for swimming upstream - but the only thing I know that swims upstream to success - is salmon.  And we all know what happens to them when they reach their destination.

When I find a faster, easier way to do something now - I make it a habit to use that way - and still keep looking for other great time saving methods.  This is why I have been writing patterns with fast and easy techniques to make the project more enjoyable that can be completed in a shorter time period. You can have results you can be proud of  and still have time for that cup of tea. (or glass of wine).

So, if you are wanting to save a little time making your quilt tops - sign up for my newsletter  - or read the archives here where I announce new patterns - or take a look at "No Waste, Quick Finish Quilts".  I will be adding more patterns over the next little while!

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BACKWARDS. A little bit of fun - and a big savings on fabric cost!

9/21/2024

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PictureRose Whispers Wideback as a bedspread.

When I was in grade school, we had fewer professional days and more “unprofessional” days - where we simply had a little bit of fun!  Every year we would have a pajama day where we all got to wear our pajamas to school. 

We also had “Backwards” days where we wore our clothes backwards and tried to do everything backwards. Walking backwards became dangerous and as I recall we did not do much in gym class backwards - but it really opened our eyes to doing things in a different way.

In quilting, I find I do a lot of things backwards.  Unsewing for example.  Yes we all do that once in a while!

But I also visually deconstruct quilts to determine the pattern or to redraft a pattern to make the best used of the width of the fabric - making it a no-waste quilt.

I was inspired recently though, by the wideback fabric I ordered and received that I keep in stock for quilters.  The quality and colour of the wideback was beautiful and I began to wonder why I should only use this fabric for backing.  Why couldn’t a backing be used in or as a quilt front?

I showed one such fabric to my daughter who loved the neutral look and rose pattern of a wideback called “Rose Whispers” designed by Eleanor Burns.  She asked me if I would make a quilted bedspread out of the wideback - which of course was very easy.  Widebacks are 108 inches wide - so I cut a front and back 108 inches long and quilted it with a wool batting and voila - a beautiful king size bedspread! The big surprise was the cost.  Fabric for the front of a king size bedspread was $86.50. (the back would cost the same)

​For a king sized quilt - this was unheard of!

PictureModa Shoreline by Camille Roskelley - in stock wideback
Then I had a friend who wanted a more contemporary quilt - navy and white and I decided to use a wideback I had in stock called Moda Shoreline by Camille Roskelley and I added a simple white background.  The finished quilt was gorgeous. It measured 60” x 72” - a large throw quilt.  AND it was very affordable.  It took 2.15 meters of white muslin and .5 meters of background fabric. The full cost of the front was $32.00

Wideback fabric is 108 - 110 inches wide. It is approximately 2 ½ times the width of standard quilters cotton.  So for each regular 2 ½ inch strip of wideback fabric - you would need 2 ½ strips of regular fabric.  But it gets better!

Let’s consider the cost.  One meter of widebacks at a cost of $32.00 a meter is the equivalent of 2.5 meters of quilting cotton.  Quilters cottons range from $20 - $25 a meter - so 2 ½ meters would cost between $50 - $62.50.  You do the math!  The cost can be $50.00 - $62.50 or $32.00 for the same amount of fabric if it is a wideback!

This is why I order in good quality wideback fabrics.  First, I believe that the back should be as good quality as the front of the quilt.  Secondly, I can use the backing as borders or even as part of the background on the front of the quilt.  But finally, a beautiful wideback can be a feature fabric on the front of the quilt - or could even be the entire front as a quilt/bedspread.
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​So, my elementary school backwards day served its purpose to make me think differently.  The back can be front facing - and trying it out can be just as much fun!

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