Off my rack - and a little Un-Rulery!

A Hunter Star block quilted freehand without rulers - around the ditch instead of "in the ditch".

Most folks don't know - that I was unceremoniously removed from a career I loved due to circumstances that I did not create - nor could I control.  No, I wasn't unruly - but I have been known to to be determined.  I'll follow the rules (if I have to), but it always helps to know why those rules are in place.

I was disappointed to say the least to have to leave my career - but I am a woman of action - and so I switched gears, turned a corner and returned to a love of mine - quilting!  

Luckily - a door opened for me to start long-arm quilting.  I did first make a purchase of a longarm quilting machine - but a store owner noticed my enthusiam and asked me to work a longarm in one of her stores for customers.  I fell even more in love with quilting - very quickly. 

AND THEN COVID.  Stores closed.  Customers dried up.  Now what?  Well some folks know that I can be a bit of a risk taker.  Sometimes it gets me into trouble.  Other times it pays off - but I'm always willing to give something new a try!

So, I decided to dive deeper into longarming - without the lessons.  Sink or swim.  And swim I have!  I began watching videos and practicing - including doodling to get muscle memory for curves, feathers and other designs.  I began also using rulers with my machine - curved ones, straight ones, combining them to make designs of all kinds. 

And then I saw it.  A video where the operator of the longarm was using a curved ruler and then for the sake of speed - ditched the ruler and just began doing short curves - without any guides, lines or aids to keep the sewing even.

Well I may be a little off my rack - but I decided to go rogue - and get Un-rulery!  I ditched the slow curve ruler, and began focusing on where I wanted to sew (or go) instead of watching where I was going.  And it paid off!  Instead of traditional stitching in the ditch and following an exact line - I sew freehand and it has liberated me!  Sewing outside the box you might say!  Now most of my quilting is done without rulers - even a lot of straight lines!  It has cut my quilting time in half - and the quilts I do now really end up looking quite spectacular!  

And so you can say - I am definitely "Un-Rulery" and well so are the quilts that come off my rack! 

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