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I think I would like to try a whole cloth quilt. Does it alway have trupunto in it. Where is a good source for a small project? I would like to do it by hand not machine. Does anyone have any suggestions.
I have googled... there isn't a lot out there. Thanks in advance. Quilter1234 |
the nicest ones i've ever seen have been put out by Benartex
here's a link to their website http://db.benartex.com/storelocator/...r=ascend&-find |
thank you very much... this was a big help. I hope my local quilt shop will have one of the kits. That is probably the best place to start. Quilter1234
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if your LQS doesn't have them i'm sure you can find a store online that has them.
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i just noticed that they have 18x18 pillows.
that would be a great place to start - it would be inexpensive, easy to manage, and you'll be able to figure out if you enjoy it and want to work on a bigger project. |
The Stencil Company has a selection of wholecloth, white and unbleached both!
Ninnie |
I agree. I am headed to my quilt shop tomorrow to see what I can find. Quilter 1234
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a whole cloth quilt is definetely on my things to do list!!! I want to hand quilt it too!
Right now I am doing a whole cloth Trapunto quilt on the machine. Well I started it, but had to put it on hold for the last 2 months til we were renoed and settled into the house. I hope to play again by next week. Although I think my first priority will be to get new curtains made for the living and dining room!! LOL |
Hi,
Go to eBay and put in wholecloths. There is somebody in NY that sells these for a decent amount of money. I have purchased two and have made several prior to my recent purchases. I do not do tarpunto. I just quilt by hand. I continually amaze myself with my stitches... they get smaller the more I quilt. There is something very therapeutic in hand quilting. Good luck. Anita Northfield, MN |
I agree about hand sewing being theraputic, Anita.
I went to Bible school in Northfield Minnesota, 100 yrs ago. Beautiful St. Olaf campus. Thanks for the encouragement. Quilter1234 |
Quilter 1234,
Go for it girl! Bible school in Northfield... who would have thunk it? I am glad to know that there are a few here that does know where I am! Get that white on white, baste it closely by hand. It is easiest that way because you just quilt over the thread. Use white thread to bastem but not quilting thread. I baste about 2.5 to 3" apart in a grid all over the quilt top. And then I sit down with the quilt in my lap (I don't use a frame for this) and quilt. I use white thread keeping it pristine. They are truly lovely when done. Take care... Anita in Northfield |
My first quilt was a whole cloth quilt. I won honorable mention in the Marin Ca quilt show. They are nice. I did not have trapunto in it.
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KW,
Do you still have it? My son has my first quilt and his wife was given the first white on white (that I marked myself). I should take photos... they have so many of my quilts. Alll this talk... I am going to have to bring out the quilt that I need to work on and baste it and get started. Anita in Northfield |
Loretta,
And I have seen them where they were actually appliqued, not quilted!! Yeah, the talk is making me want to quilt like that again in the evening... Anita in Northfield |
does anyone have any tutorials or instruction sites for whole cloth quilting. I haven't found any when I google. Thanks. Quilter1234
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You don't need a tutorial!
1) Lay down the backing on a table. Tape it taut, no wrinkles. 2) Lay batting on top of backing. 3) Lay top on batting. 4) Baste closely-- no less than 3" apart 5) Hoop if you choose... I don't. 6. Thread your needles. (I do a minimum of 15) 7. Find the center. 8. Start your stitching. That is it!! Anita in Northfield |
anita, what is the best fabric to buy to start with.. Do you have a favorite thread and is there a good needle size to use. This is more helpful than you can imagine. Thank you. Quilter1234
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A wholecloth is usually an unprinted muslin. You can do either natural or white. I prefer the white. It looks stunning when finished.
Baste with a white poly covered cotton. Don't use pins... they just get in the way when you are quilting, and you need the basting to remain in place until you are finished. Use a thin batting like warm and white. I prefer cotton... Use a good cotton thread for quilting, either one made for quilting or just a mercerized cotton. If you use just regular thread, make sure you wax it. You can get the wax and holder at JoAnns if you don't have one. Make sure you use a thimble! You would not believe the people I have talked to over the years that gave up on quilting because they didn't like the feeling of a thimble. Now I cannot do any hand sewing without one. As to needles--I use a size 8 or 9. I know that supposedly the smaller the needle the smaller the stitches, but I don't go along with that. All I do is get frustrated because I cannot see to thread the needles! And when I say thread 15, I mean put 15 needles on the thread and pull one off at a time. It is a good indicator of how much thread you are using. I pull out a 2 foot length of thread, wax it, and then put the knot as close to the end as possible. Then I quilt... when the time comes, I put that needle in either an emery sack or the waste basket... You will not believe how many needles get bent, and the 8s or 9s do not bend as easily. If you have 15 needles that means you have used 30 feet of thread. Not much, but when you consider you will probably do that at least 10 times over the course of the quilt top, depending on size, that is a whole lot of thread. Most of all, relax. This is fun, remember?? Anita in Northfield |
Great advice anita211! Just like to add, get yourself some needle pullers, they help a lot, also 505 can be used to help hold it together. Great for lap quilting. When using muslin, make sure it is a good quality. I love the feel of it and it will quilt up beautifully!
Have fun! Ninnie |
thank you very much. Quilter1234
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Ninnie,
I did forget a needle grabber... I use a hemostat or Fiskars thing that looks like a small pliers. One always piles on too many stitches to pull through... Wholecloths are so lovely. I have seen full-sized quilts that were done in the late 1700s or early 1800s and they are still stunning over 200 years later. As for a wallquilt, these are perfect. You can hang them, take them down and shake them, and hang them back up. When they get dirty you can wash them carefully in the bathroom sink. Quilter 1234, tell us about your progress. Your successes are also ours. We are all in this together. Anita in Northfield |
Originally Posted by anita211
KW,
Do you still have it? My son has my first quilt and his wife was given the first white on white (that I marked myself). I should take photos... they have so many of my quilts. Alll this talk... I am going to have to bring out the quilt that I need to work on and baste it and get started. Anita in Northfield |
Originally Posted by anita211
Ninnie,
I did forget a needle grabber... I use a hemostat or Fiskars thing that looks like a small pliers. One always piles on too many stitches to pull through... Wholecloths are so lovely. I have seen full-sized quilts that were done in the late 1700s or early 1800s and they are still stunning over 200 years later. As for a wallquilt, these are perfect. You can hang them, take them down and shake them, and hang them back up. When they get dirty you can wash them carefully in the bathroom sink. Quilter 1234, tell us about your progress. Your successes are also ours. We are all in this together. Anita in Northfield I just use the little one that looks like a miniature jar opener, thin rubber and cheap and they work great! I have a quilting stencil for a whole cloth, hope to start it this winter and do it in panels. :D The stencil is beautiful! quilter 1234, please keep us posted, want to see pictures when you get to it! Ninnie |
yes, quilter 1234, we want pics.
Anita in Northfield |
Our LQS has what we call a "cheater" quilt but not one of the Benartex ones. You can ask them at
www.thecalicohorse.com judee |
Hi Judee,
A wholecloth quilt is one that is generally white on white or natural on natural. It isn't a cheater quilt. There is not cheating in the literally thousands of stitches that goes into it. And there is no pattern. It is just a vast expanse of white fabric with a design sewn by hand to it. Anita in Northfield |
all judee and i meant is that the kits are already marked with the design and you follow along the pattern.
some quilt shops call these preprinted quilting markings "cheater" because you do not have to mark an entire cloth with your quilting pattern. this is why i suggested to the original poster that she might like to start with a preprinted panel as her first step into the "whole cloth" quilting arena. this was not meant to be an insult to other people who are very skilled in this area of quilting nor was it meant to be view as a super easy project - it was meant in the tone that it was given - merely a nice jumping off point into this style of work. |
Originally Posted by kluedesigns
all judee and i meant is that the kits are already marked with the design and you follow along the pattern.
some quilt shops call these preprinted quilting markings "cheater" because you do not have to mark an entire cloth with your quilting pattern. this is why i suggested to the original poster that she might like to start with a preprinted panel as her first step into the "whole cloth" quilting arena. this was not meant to be an insult to other people who are very skilled in this area of quilting nor was it meant to be view as a super easy project - it was meant in the tone that it was given - merely a nice jumping off point into this style of work. I also have heard them called "cheater" for that reason, that they are already pre printed and it does make it a lot easier to hand quilt them. It's just a term it doesn't mean they are easy! :wink: They are beautiful and The Stencil Company sells them quilt tops, table cloths, and even Christmas tree skirts. They are anything but easy. And it is not an insult to call them cheaters, just a term! :D Ninnie |
Thanks, Klue and Ninnie. I am not the "quilt police". You stated it well.
judee |
Please forgive me, ladies. I had never heard of preprinted quilts like the ones Benartex makes as cheaters. To me a cheater quilt is one that is preprinted with color and all you do is quilt on lines to make it look like you sewed all those little pieces together and then quilted it.
I certainly am not the quilt police. I am, though, truly passionate about the subject. I have been quilting for close to 30 years and will continue until I can't see any longer to sew. There is, IMHO, too much bastardazation already. Quilts started as utilitarian. They were made using fabrics from old shirts, jackets, and dresses. The backings were large sheets and the batting was usually some cotton wadding or a blanket. They were held together with either hundreds of hand stitches or tied with yarn. Today, everybody and their aunt want to use a long arm to get the quilting done in a hurry. There is not a lot of thought into what the quilting should be. Should we echo, should we stitch in the ditch, or should we tie it because it is going on the bed and will be washed probably a hundred times before it starts to fall apart. (I have a quilt like that. It is 27 years old and was washed almost monthly for each of those years. A few dogs and numerous cats slept on it. Cats tore the weakening fabric with their back claws. I will never part with it!) That used to be the dilemma of every quillter... what type of quilting pattern should be used on the finished top? I truly believe, and I know that I am not alone in this, is that a quilt is something that is sewn and then quilted by hand. It takes months to complete it, but you have something that is truly worthy to be passed on to progeny. Art quilts are another story and use whatever methods one can think of to hold the layers together. They are art, and are usually treated as such. And comforters are tied quilt tops. They are layered and then tied. They can be bound or not. And there usually is one or two rows of machine stitching on the borders, mostly for stability. Okay, I am climbing down off my soapbox. I am in the process of doing a down and dirty comforter for my bed. It is called the Lover's Knot and is by Eleanor Burns. I sewed 56 blocks yesterday and am on the last round on the final 42. Tomorrow I will put it together. I pray the quilt shop is open... I need her tables!!! It is also the quilt pattern of the quilt that I spoke of earlier. Eleanor would be proud... I have a book that was copyrighted in 1985. I will make more from it. I love the pattern, and I love how it goes together. Have a lovely evening, ladies. I am. Anita in Northfield |
I can't wait to see your whole cloth quilt!!!
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Carol,
I guess I don't understand... I am working on a beautiful purple, lilac, and green Lover's Knot. I am not working on a wholecloth. I don't even have any that I have completed as my son and daughter-in-law has one, my stepson has one, my step-daughter has one, and I believe my ex-mother-in-law has one. I can get pics from my son... my stepson and stepdaughter are no longer on speaking terms with their father and myself. Anita in Northfield |
The preprinted quilts in question was my first choice simply because of the ease of assembly. Even so I put in approximately 500,000 stitches. Even though it was pre printed it was a challenge. I feel that I made a good choice doing it first and think it will be a good choice for you as well. There may be people who may try to make you think it is less then another quilt cause it was preprinted but don't let them lessen your achievement. I let them do that to me but came to realize my quilt is wonderful and I am very proud of it. Anyone that knows quilts will know how much work went into it. Quilt for YOU!!!
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I am for the pre-stenciled ones! I have marked them and know that they are hard to do. I prefer to use those from Benartex. If you all would look back, you would see that I was the first to mention pre-stenciled ones that I got on eBay.
Anita in Northfield |
Originally Posted by anita211
I truly believe, and I know that I am not alone in this, is that a quilt is something that is sewn and then quilted by hand. It takes months to complete it, but you have something that is truly worthy to be passed on to progeny.
Anita in Northfield Oh yes, it takes many months for me to complete my what-ever-they-ares because, I have a real job too. tim, confused, in san jose |
My comment was to Quilter 1234.
I can't wait to see the wholecloth quilt. :) |
Tim,
My quilting friends and I here in MN, think a real quilt is one that is hand quilted. I am not speaking of art quilts. I have seen some of your work, Tim, and you make a whole lot of art stuff, even though you use some traditioanal patterns. I don't care how long it takes to machine quilt something. When it is done, it is not soft usually. It can't be with metallic thread or that yucky plastic fishing line-type stuff that is used. I have a quilt on my bed that I bought on eBay because my old one was tearing and was close to totally worn out. It is lovely, and I am happy with it, except it isn't soft. The denseness of the stippling makes it hard. It doesn't drape nicely, to take a word from my former tailoring life. I believe that quilts should be soft. I have an antique hand quilted Amish quilt that is soft. Even after all these years, it is soft. And it drapes lovely over a railing. Hawaiian echo quilts are lovely and they are densely quilted, and they are still soft. I am working on a machine sewn, tied comforter. I will put in some edge stitching on the borders. It is utilitarian and will be used on my bed that also houses a dog, cat and 200 lb. man. It isn't meant to be anything other that it is. It is a bed cover. I have seen it quilted in the ditch which is almost as utilitarian as you can get, but on a large quilt, it takes time. I am doing something 'down and dirty' to get it done. Google Lovers Knot by Eleanor Burns to see the pattern. Or go to Amazon and do the same thing... you will find the pattern I am using. I have two rows around 42 half log cabin blocks to complete. Then a good ironing, and it will be put together and ironed again. I made the first one in a day or two, and that included cutting. This one will take a week. No biggie. I have the one that is there if I need warmth. I am not going to discuss what my thoughts are any longer on what is or isn't a quilt. I was trying to help with wholecloths which are hand quilted. I don't care what others think. I have been doing this for a long time, and feel that a real quilt is one that is machine sewn and is quilted by hand. Or, in the case of the Grandmother's Garden, the English paper piecing by hand is implemented. I will continue with the craft as I see fit. I bet there are people here that knit, crochet, or cross stitch also. And I bet there are as many ways to do that as there is quilting. Get off my case. I call it an art regardless of the finished product. Anita in Northfield |
I have a whole cloth wall hanging in the works and I have been working on hand quilting it off and on for a year. Its alot of work.
here is the link to the one I am working on. its the Welsh wall hanging. http://www.ericas.com/quilting/wholecloth.htm Lisa |
I too am a hand quilter , NOT because I think that is the only right way to do it, just because that is the way I like to do it! It is only a matter of preference. To say that all other quits are not real , is just not so! I have seen beautiful machine quilts on this board, and I have been filled with envy for them I have tried to quilt on my machine, and haven't been able to learn how yet, so I know it is hard to learn! I also have watched longarm quilters do their craft, and I do mean craft! It is a hard thing to learn to do , and the freearm quilting is just beautiful. It takes these quilters a long time to learn the art of longarm quilting. Any quilt that is made with love, is special! no mater how it is quilted. And machine quilts can and are soft also! I am not a "QUILTING SNOB" and definitely not the Quilt Police, they scare me. :wink: There is room in this quilting world of ours for all quilters and for that I am truly grateful Now, about art quilts! Those are in a whole class of their own! People who make them are so talented and creative, that sometimes it blows my mind. The hours they spend designing and sewing these. I can only imagine how frustrating it must be when something doesn't work for them and they have to start all over. Again I have been envious of some of them. So now I will get down off of my soap box! I am just an old fashioned quilter that loves all kinds of quilts! Ninnie in NC |
Sorry 1234, It seems we have sorta of hijacked your post! Not a nice tihng to do, You just hang in there and do it your way and I truly can't wait to see pictures~! Ninnie |
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