Setting Sail to the New World (Please pardon the shameless self promotion)

Thank you everyone for the good wishes and congratulations on our new endeavor - New World Quilt Company (NWQC).   Please pardon me hijacking my blog for shameless self-promotion.  But, I have received so many inquiries that I felt it was important to share with everyone what NWQC is all about and what we will be offering in the near future.  

We are hoping to have several original quilt patterns published and posted for sale by the end of the year.  All patterns include detailed instructions for BOTH hand and machine applique.

Currently, we have the first of the Aloha Collection patterns, Enchantment Under the Sea, posted for sale.  Future Hawaiian-style patterns will be published as part of this collection.

The next set of patterns will introduce the Tropical Botanical Collection.  The Tropical Botanicals patterns are realistic applique designs that depict the details of plant specimens similar to botanical illustrations.  These are a bit more challenging and are better suited to needle artist looking to stretch to the next level.  Here's a sneak peak at what's in the works.  Can you tell which were stitched by hand and which were stitched by machine?

Yes, the Gardenia above is machine appliqued!   The bougainvillea, Angel's Trumpet, and Hibiscus are all hand appliqued. 

 All blocks are marked and prepped waiting for me add the embroidery details.

And, many more on the drawing board!

Stay tuned for details of the third collection coming this Fall, Tropical Folk Art Collection!

There are a few hard-to-find notions that I find indispensable for my favorite machine quilting, machine applique, and template-free needle-turn applique techniques.  I encourage all of you to please support your local brick and mortar quilt shops and look for these notions there first.  However, if they do not carry these notions, you will be able to find then on the NWQC Online Store.

Here are a few of my favorites!

The sharpest, thinest blade embroidery scissors I ever used are made by KAI.  I lost my KAI scissors shortly after 911 to airline security.  They are impossible to find so I just moved on to a more expensive brand.  A few years ago I purchased a pair of inexpensive Omnigrid scissor for cutting paper and fell in love with the quality.  They had all the great characteristics of my old pair of KAI scissors and they soon replaced the expensive embroidery scissor in my applique basket.  Then one day I noticed that KAI was stamped on the blade!  That's why I loved them so much!!  My favorite scissors came back home to me!!!

My preferred hand applique preparation technique is the Template Free method.  This technique hinges on  basting the applique fabric to the background fabric with a thick needle and a thick thread to score the turn line. Size 8 Sharp needles do the trick!

My favorite applique needle is a Roxanne Size 12 Sharp.  It's one of the few needles that I cannot bend.  Plus the eye is always burr free so I don't have issues with my thread shredding.

Not everyone is a thimble person.  But if you are, I really like this hybrid metal/rubber thimble.  It's got the strength of a metal thimble, but the gripping, no slip ability of a rubber thimble.  Plus dimples to really hold the needle in place!

Awesome machine applique requires a quality, invisible nylon thread that really disappears!  SewArt thread is my favorite because it's very pliable and non-reflective.   The fact that it's inexpensive is a bonus!

For all machine work, a pair of quality thread snips is essential. Snip-Eze has incredibly sharp, thin blades with just the right amount of curve.  I can get in and trim as closely as I need to while my work is still in the machine, with needle down, and then just keep right on sewing. 

There are a few other notions available online.  Plus we will soon be carrying the large spools (1000m) of YLI #100 Silk thread for machine quilting.

I hope I have answered all your questions.  Again, I apologize for the infomercial and I promise to go back to my tutorial-style blogs with my next entry.

Until then, 

Best stitches,

Mercy in Miami

New World Quilt Company

No Number 2 Pencil Required!

Hi gang!

According to the blog-o-sphere, Spring seems to finally be making an appearance across the rest of the US. For us in Miami living in a Tropical Monsoon Climate - it’s true I looked it up and everything, Tropical Monsoon is a real climate- our seasons are a little different. We don’t have Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Instead, we have Hurricane, Tourist, and Mosquito. Fortunately, Tourist season does not overlap Mosquito and Hurricane. We are now between seasons in a time I like to call Seminole Spring (name inspired by Indian Summer familiar to our friends up north). Too early for the mosquitoes (at least the mean ones), most of the tourist are gone (at least the mean ones), Hurricane season still a few weeks away, the air temperature is higher than the humidity reading. Sheer bliss.

I promised several blog readers that I would chat a little about monofilament thread. First, the disclaimer – everything stated here is purely my opinion and my observation. I do not have any relationship, financial or otherwise, with any of these manufacturers or distributors. Phew – glad that’s over!

I firmly believe that it is important to test techniques, tools, notions, etc. for you and not just take someone’s word for it. I have wasted quite a bit of money because I “took someone’s word for it” (I’m thinking of a relatively new marking pencil put out by a fabric manufacturer that I went and bought in every color only to discover they were worthless for my techniques). That is why I would like to share not only my results but also my testing methodology.

Step 1 layout the criteria for the test.

Step 2 is to put each product through the paces simulating REAL use.

Step 3 is to review your results, weight your options, and then spend your money.

For the monofilament thread test, I was looking for the best monofilament for my machine appliqué technique. My criteria included minimal shine; no wiry feel either on the spool or after it’s stitched, and must behave in the sewing machine (both top and bobbin). If you find that you have MANY criteria, (more than 3 is considered MANY) then prioritize them because chance are good not every product will meet all.

Here are my three subjects.

Can you tell which is the shiniest? Which is least shiny? I photographed the spools in very low light with no flash but look at how much spool 1 and 3 shine!

Next, I put each thread through the paces. My setting is an extremely tiny blind hemstitch. Width is 0.6 and Length 0.40. Not all thread behaves at this setting, at least in both the bobbin and the top.

Specifically for this test I created a machine appliqué sample that I could stitch. It’s important to use the same fabrics in your sample that you would in a real project. For example, I use a lot of batiks and hand-dyed fabrics. Even though they are expensive, I have to include them in my test or I will not get an accurate result because the weave and dye are different enough that the stitches will show more and the light may reflect differently.

The pattern is Block 1 from Mary Sorensen’s Simple Gifts (http://maryappliques.com/). Here I stitched the stem and the circle. Although you can see the stitches, I quite please that there is no shine with the brand used to stitch the top of the stem. There is a bit more shine on the thread used to stitch the bottom.

As for the Feel Test – the middle spool felt the least wiry. It was very soft and was not kinked at all, as it came off the spool. The other two did.

And the winner….. The middle spool Sew Art Invisible Nylon.

Originally, I had four spools to test, Sulky, Monopoly, Sew Art, and YLI. However, Thaddeus (13 month old “puppy”) took a special interest in the YLI and it disappeared before I could test with it. Someone or something, Thaddeus denies any involvement, chewed the top of the spool off causing the tightly wound thread to explode off the spool. I’m dusting for paw prints now.

Bonus Example: I just used this methodology to search out the perfect needle and thread combination for hand appliqué.

Step 1 – My criteria was simple – Invisible Stitch

Step 2 – Set up sample. I used all the problem children - hand-dyed fabrics, batiks, circles, very light colored fabric, dark fabrics, bias stems, etc. Each set identical to try out different thread/needle combinations.

Step 3 – my results were very interesting – all my samples were scalloped. It was not the thread/needle combo. It was operator error. My technique was flawed. I turned to an appliqué artist I admire and respect, Sandra Leichner (http://sandraleichner.com/) and asked for help with technique. Thanks to her generosity, I was able to set the test up again, this time varying only the technique and viola! Here are my before Sandra’s help (berry on the left) and after Sandra’s help (berry on the right) photos. To give you some perspective, the berries are smaller than a dime. The needle is a No. 11 sharp.

Until next time, I wish you all…

Best stitches!

Mercy in Miami

aka (The Savage Quilter)

Out With the Old, In With the New - My Top 10 Tips for Leaving the Past Behind

 
I can honestly say I love my Bernina 830. I can now also admit that this was not always the case. It took about six weeks of “OH MY GOOD, what did I get myself into?”, extreme anxiety, and many patient hours of my Bernina tech’s time (Eddie at The Quilt Scene in Miami) to get to this point. After lurking in several online chat groups of new 820/830 users and attending workshops I have learned that this is a shared experience among non-830 Bernina owners that move up to the 830. It seems that if you have never experienced a Bernina then the learning curve is much less steep and the lover affair instantaneous. Well this is my third Bernina so I’m guessing it was 3 times more painful for me. The advice from the Bernina mother ship (Switzerland – Chicago is only an outpost) is to forget everything you know. A little easier said than done. My suggestion to Bernina is a dictionary for Bernina brand loyal customers that translate OLD way to NEW way. I hope they are listening because I know my purchases alone over the years have built them at least a new wing on their factory!






Just to get them started here are my Top 10 for Machine Quilters…






OLD - Clean & Oil machine with every bobbin change

NEW - Set alarm on machine for 2-3 hours - clean and oil machine with every bobbin change or 2-3 hours of sewing whichever comes first - this is a very thirsty machine! Oil the brush so that it will pick up more lint & debris and at the same time oil the machine - check the entire thread path for lint or debris






OLD - Re-thread machine by pulling thread out either from spool end or from needle end




NEW - Rethread machine by cutting thread at the spool and pulling thread out from the needle end - NEVER pull thread out from the spool end because it will damage the levers and cause an expensive repair - if thread breaks open cover above needle area to reveal thread and pull from there




OLD - Lower presser foot with lever on back of machine or knee lift




NEW - Learn to use the tip of the foot petal or button to lower presser foot (not just for needle up and down anymore) - much smoother motion than knee lift and less stress on your hip joints






OLD - Free motion work drop feed dogs & set stitch length to zero




NEW - Free motion work update presser foot selection on screen and feed dogs drop automatically - Do not touch stitch length






OLD - Thread by hand or use automatic needle threader




NEW - DO NOT USE a needle threader for any needle smaller than a size 70. Thread size 60 Microtex sharp or size 65 Organ Embroidery by hand - bypass the needle threader for extra small size needles






OLD - Wind a bobbin only 50% - 75% when filling with specialty threads




NEW - Wind a bobbin only 25% - 50% with specialty threads






OLD - Place specialty threads on a thread stand and thread as usual - maybe pass through special guide


NEW - Hold the thread tightly with your right hand as it leaves the spool and then thread the machine with your left hand - the little extra pressure is all specialty or very thin threads need to register on the sensors - once registered, the thread is fine until it is time rethread the machine






OLD - Specialty thread in top and bobbin - lower top tension to a 1-2 setting (generally - all threads are different - even same thread can vary from spool to spool)


NEW - Specialty thread in top and bobbin - follow all tips listed here and lower top tension to .75 and work your way up until the tension is perfect - sew a sew rows of your design to ensure the tension is perfect - sometimes the tension sensor will not activate until you have sewn 30 - 50 stitches






OLD - Specially thread on top and cotton embroidery in bobbin - thread bobbin through finger and set top tension to 2 (generally - all threads are different - even same thread can vary from spool to spool)



NEW - Specialty thread in top and bobbin - follow all tips listed here and lower top tension to 1.75 and work your way up until the tension is perfect - sew a sew rows of your design to ensure the tension is perfect - sometimes the tension sensor will not activate until you have sewn 30 - 50 stitches






OLD - Use Walking Foot to attach binding, matching plaids, working with layers that needed to stay perfectly in place, etc.


NEW - Use #57D Foot (quarter inch piecing with guide Dual Feed) to attach binding - engage Dual Feed - lower presser foot pressure to 10 - whenever possible, select a Dual Feed foot and engage function - lower presser foot pressure to 10-20 - if sewing through extra thicknesses lower to 0 - haven't found need for walking foot yet!



Best Stitches!
Mercy in Miami
aka The Savage Quilter
 

Tropical Album Blocks

Hello blog readers!  

I hope everyone reading this is well and that you and everyone you love had a happy, healthy Christmas and New Year!

I apologize for not writing for a couple of months.  Somehow, life seems to get in the way of quilting!  Since we last caught up, I have changed jobs, moved homes, taken two separate week long business trips, taken one out of town quilting class, and one in town quilting class  - all between mid November and Christmas.  I'm tired but life if GRAND!

The awesome pics at the top of the blog are blocks stitched by Ocean Waves quilters for our 2010 Opportunity Quilt - Tropical Album.  Here are the list of talented Stitchers:

Angel's Trumpet: Kitty Gonzalez

Monstera: Joyce Cotner

Jacaranda: Janet Swan

Pineapple: Lois Erikson

Bougainvillea: Toni (Kelso) Mucci

Gardenia: Barbara McDowell

Hibiscus & Frangipani Border: Arlene Goldberg

Frangipani: Angie Malzman

Hibiscus with Blue Bow: Lee Costello

Tropical Bouquet in Vase: LaVerne Johnshon.

Single Hibiscus Cornerstone: Lee Costello

For the applique lovers our there that are following my Baltimore BOM experience, I wanted to share what have kept me in knots for the last few classes...my Thread Adventures...

As some of you may or may not know, besides The Savage Quilter, I am also known as The Thread Fluzzie.  Yes, I would do just about anything for the right spool of thread!  Anyway, for the last several months I have been giving my #100 YLI silk threads ONE MORE TRY for hand applique.  So many applique artist that I respect just swear by the stuff.  Plus it's really expensive so it must be good right???!!!!  My conclusion - for hand applique it sucks!  And in a really bad way too!  It's totally deceptive.  First the colors just lure you in....ahhhh....pretty....then when you try to use it, the thread is so thin you can actually thread it through the tiniest needle without wearing your granny glasses!  Now it appeals to your eyes and to your vanity....oohhhh.  Then you stitch with it...and tug...and feel the stretch.  Hmmmm, this can't be right.  Oh but it is.  The silk has a natural stretch that can go on forever.  After you have your fabric stitched down nice and tight with blue ribbon winning invisible stitches, the thread relaxes, and loosens up.  I have gone back to blocks I stitched last October and I can see the piece lifting, not a lot, but enough to aggravate someone that went to Catholic School for 16 years straight (yes I'm including college for those of you doing the math).  Arrgghhh!  Then the whining begins...it was soooooo  pretty....I could thread it......ohhhh.....

Ah but this thread tale has a happy ending...thread tale - get it!  There is still a wonderful application for the silk thread.   I have been experimenting more and more with machine quilting and silk is definitely the answer for machine quilting heirloom style quilting motifs!  The stretch works perfectly to lay down a gorgeous stitch.   And you don't get that "thready" look!  

I have gone back to my old standby, cotton. Yes, this blog becomes a Cotton Tale.  I have tried pretty much all the cotton out there...DMC, Mettler, Aurfil, Superior, etc.  Honestly, I can't tell much of a difference except that I have noticed DMC rots a little faster than the others and is a little fuzzier.  Maybe you always come back to what you know and that's why I probably like Mettler the best.  But it also has the best price and the best color selection.  Plus it's carried by our local shop and I personally feel it's important for us to support out local quilting community.  The Superior is also VERY nice and if they had more colors choice it would probably win over Mettler.  A huge plus is that Superior now sells their Masterpiece line (the one I like for applique) pre-wound on bobbins for about $1 each.  There is enough on each bobbin that you will need a lifetime of applique before you use it up.  I recommend it for your take along applique sewing kits.  A nod to Aurfil - it's wonderful, it's expensive, if you have access to it and can afford it, go ahead and treat yourself.  After all, deep down we are all thread fluzzies!

Until next time,  Happy Stitching!

Mercy in Miami, 

AKA The Savage Quilter