Elana Rita's Page

Hi Elana, I'm glad you like my Texas Wildflowers quilt at the Boerne Quiltfest. About the hoop, yes, I quilted it (queen-size) on the hoop as I have done all my other hand-quilted projects. I've tried to use a floor frame, but since I learned on the hoop which swivels 360 degrees, I found it too difficult to move my body and quilting hand instead of the quilt.

When I baste, I clear the furniture from the middle of my living room which has a parquet floor. Tape the backing using blue painter's tape, spread the backing, then tape the top. It's hard on the back and knees, so I only work in about 1 hour stretches - too old to bounce back up off the floor any longer! So I don't scratch the floor and to make it easier on my hands, I slip a marble under the backing and move it around to where I am working. It holds the fabric up while I take a stitch with a LONG needle and I just keep chasing the marble to the edge, then reposition it in the center and start all over again. A lot of the gals on Around the Quilt Frame have used a technique that lets you baste on a table, but I have never tried it. Ask that group and I'm sure they will have lots of advice.

Hi Elana!  Glad to have you as a friend.  Thanks for the nice comments on my quilting.  Until this summer I did my sewing on a very basic Huskystar made by Huskavarna.  For my birthday, I got a Janome Horizon which has made things easier.  My free motion quilting is still a little rough in spots but I'm improving. 

Elana,

Thanks for the compliments on my Over the River Quilt. I used regular DMC embroidery thread on this one. 

I also did the hand quilting. I started at the bottom corner and worked across in rows.  I  made a template. There is a pic of the template on my blog that is listed on my page.

Elana, I just saw your question about basting your quilt taped to carpeting. There's a trick that can save you lots of headaches. Find a marble and stick it under your batting before you begin. Position it where you will be working and in the direction you will be basting. Let it slide along in front as you go. It causes a little tent that lets you take a stitch without stitching in carpet fibers.