Thursday, August 20, 2015

Bella on Graffiti

This is my entry in the Cats on Quilts category for the Pets On Quilts Show at Lily Pad Quilting.  It's so much fun.  Lara and I cemented our friendship over Olive, her daughter's pibble; as did Judy and I over the Nugs last year.  It's a great way to meet other quilters, and be amazed at how alike our fur kids are when it comes to all things quilty.  And there are prizes!  Bella won a triangle fabric mousie last year, still has it, still loves it, kicks it to death and bites it on a regular basis.

You've seen my Graffiti quilt once before, but it wasn't bound, and I wasn't sure exactly what I would do with it.  Well, I decided to take it for Show 'n Tell to this past Tuesday's guild meeting, so I had to bind it.  Of course, when I laid it down on the floor to take a picture, this happened:
Not as big as I normally require, Sandra...

Hmm...
If I can just grab this side, maybe I can roll myself up in it...

and then, "Well, since she's got that black thing in front of her face, I may as well strike a pose..."
Note the one foot angled out with pointed toes - this is a new one

Like most quilters with cats, they have to get involved in every step of the process, from pulling out fabric, to lolling about on the finished product.  Ahem, or in the finished product:


Or making sure your 1/4" seams are precise, (note the one squinty eye just to eagle kitty-eye that seam):
Great vantage point, and besides I look SO utterly adorable, she'll finally pay me some attention

But back to the Graffiti quilt.  I've had two spots where my Avanté hiccups or bobbles since we set it up for the 10' table (the person I bought it from had it at 6').  I was also suddenly having some tension issues as well.  In order to solve the problems, I threw in some muslin to try out Karlee Porter's Graffiti quilting, with various threads, and to find exactly where the bobbles occurred so my husband, "MacGyver", could do the adjusting.  I even got him to quilt a bit so he would feel how it grabbed, or sort of jumped into a kind of rut and then back out.  And thus the Graffiti quilt was born.  We finally were able to get everything nearly tickety-boo, just a teensy little spot where there was a wiggle.

Lots of people commented that I should bind it and hang it in my sewing room, and so I have done.  I used some leftover fabric from my Yoga Mat Bag.  You will never see the back, as some parts ain't so purty as I worked through some tension issues, ripped some, left some.  But I love it, and it serves to show me that I can do this, and I can persevere until I get the right tension and the smoothness I want...and the precision will come with continued practice.  I'll never be as precise as Angela Walters or Gina Perkes (wow) but I also know I'll never be as good a yogi as Kino McGregor or David Robson.  But if I am happy with my results, that's all that matters.
Sewed the binding to the back and machine top-stitched it down on the front with Sulky Holoshimmer in bright green - love the bling!

I've since hung it on my wall, er, plastic vapour barrier in my sewing corner of the basement.
I love it there.

Quilt Stats:
Pattern: Graffiti quilting practice
Size: 42.25" X 15.5"
Fabric: unbleached muslin front and back, binding is Winter Wonderland by In the Beginning Fabrics
Batting: Warm 'n Natural
Quilted: on my Avanté, Avril
Threads: Floriani Fufu's Rayons, Isacord and Sulky Holoshimmer

Hope you will hop, bound, or sashay (if you're like my diva, Bella), or canter on over to Lily Pad Quilting and check out all the entries.  You can read about my dog on quilt entry featuring Naala here.  You can vote here.  Bella is #34.  Naala is #57.

I will also link up this finish to Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday, TGIFF and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.  Oooh, in celebration of a million(!!) page views, Sarah is having a pretty sweet giveaway. Better hop over there and check 'er out.

34 comments:

  1. OMG, Bella really outdid herself for this photo shoot!! What a ham!! If I could get Nugs to be even half as cooperative doing a Pets on Quilts post would not be so daunting!

    SO glad you got it bound and hung by your machine - it looks fabulous!! And never say never, my friend! Your quilting looks pretty darned awesome to me!! :)

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  2. Bella is a Ham and a half in front of the camera! What a doll she is Sandra! I just had to pin the photo of her squinting at the sewing machine. And I had already pinned the one of her in her nesting bowl. In face, I even bought that pattern and made a kitty sized nesting bowl for Alina's cat Willow.

    If your graffiti quilt is you just getting the snafus out of your Avanti then I think, even more than I already did, that you are an amazingly gifted quilter. Well not just gifted, that makes it sound like you got it for free... because you also work hard at it and are tenacious and don't give up and it surely shows in the beauty of your finished pieces Sandra!
    One of the biggest reasons that I love Jacque's Pets of Quilts Show is that I made so many new friends there last year, especially you and Judy! (and Val and Dana and... well the list goes on - it was a fabulously fun time!) We definitely first bonded over our love of our poochy pals!

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  3. Bella really did strike some cute poses with your graffiti quilt. She is so cute, and I am especially squee over the photo of that eyeball looking at me through your sewing machine. I don't allow mine up on my sewing table... I'm too worried about a paw of assistance... *sigh*

    The quilt is amazing and I am so glad you bound it, showed it off, and have it hanging now! :)

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  4. Bella is quite the model and quilting supervisor! She is so pretty and I think she knows it, LOL!
    Wonderful job with finishing a quilt. I love that you are hanging it in your quilting area.
    Hugs, Heide

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  5. Now there's a model who knows how to strike a pose! Bella did a great job. And so did you! 8)

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  6. I have a Bella so this is just a close connection (mine runs when the camera comes out tho). What a great helper.

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  7. Bella looks like my father-in-laws cat. She is a very cute helper. Beautiful free motion stitching!

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  8. Cute cat, great quilt. And great pet photography. By the time I get the camera out Rosie is following me around instead of doing the cute thing she was doing that made me get the camera.

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  9. Love the shot of Bella looking through the sewing machine harp! She definitely knows she's gorgeous, as is your graffiti quilt.

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  10. Pets are a great way to meet like minded friends.....I even made friends walking my dogs every afternoon in our old neighbourhood, took us ages as we stopped to talk to regulars. I love your cat though, is she a Ragdoll? I am really hankering for a Ragdoll cat to share my quilting space!! I had similar problems with my Avante....the jumping I found was a piece of cotton caught under the rollers but the tension issues were making me tear my hair out and then I invested in a TOWA device through Superior Threads and I have never looked back. I think your quilting is terrific and you may think you are far from Angela Walters perfection but let me tell you my friend......you will develop your own perfection and it will be yours alone..unlike any other.

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  11. You have quite an adorable helper. It is great to have such delightful product testers!

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  12. Bella Is sweet and doesn't she love the camera!
    Your fmq is great , well done with Gtaffiti
    It's great the way American and canadian houses have basements , all that bonus space

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  13. That photo of Bella peeking out from behind the machine is soo funny! I can imagine her waiting back there, trying to catch your attention.

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  14. Wow! Bella is a star - she sure knows how to pose for the camera! She is a natural. Good to see she keeps such a close eye on your quilting!

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  15. Your kitty is just too cute! You have a great companion for when you are quilting.

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  16. Bella sure knows how to pose! I'm glad you bound and hung your graffiti piece, now a few more and your lovely vapour barrier will be looking pretty good..

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  17. Bella is a ham... Or a porcine feline? I love your graffiti quilting hanging there too. Beautiful reminder!

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  18. Your cat is full of personality! How could you ever tell that cute face no??? Great finish on your graffiti quilt. I haven't been brave enough to try one yet. I can't figure out how the heck or where to start on one.

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  19. Bella is a model for sure. Love your graffiti quilting, I'm in the process of trying to learn this technique as well. I've purchased Karli's book and am practicing my doodling.

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  20. Bella always makes me smile. So glad you finished this and hung it up. It looks amazing on your vapor barrier.

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  21. Bella is so gorgeous! My Rag doll, Annabella, is a certified quilt inspector, belly-tester, as well as a floppy cat flip-flopper, and roly-poly wiggle worm. Irresistible! Love the graffiti quilt, too ;-)

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  22. Oh Bella <3.
    Beautiful graffiti quilt!

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  23. Oh my goodness Bella is so beautiful and of course she knows it. I think I'd be cuddling her more than getting any sewing done.

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  24. Oh man, Bella has the most adorable face ever! I especially love the photo of her in the fabric bin. Great job on the graffiti, I should do that too to test out different threads thru my Bernina. And how awesome to have an HQ Avante!! I am anticipating owning a HQ in the future, we currently do not have space (or money...) for a long arm though. Besides the hiccups, is your Avante working pretty well then? We've tested at a quilt show and loved them. So glad to meet you!
    ~Brandy

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  25. Hi Bella and Sandra! Bella, you are the most beautiful quilter and a model! I love your photos and story.
    Sandra, you have mad gorgeus art quilt! I like the 3D that washed quilt has and I never iron my quilts. If you can put your quilt so that the light from the window comes from the side, you get lots of shadows to show that fantastic quilting! Great wall - hehe! x Teje
    www.nerospost.wordpress.com

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  26. Great cat photos especially the one looking trough from the other side of the machine!

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  27. What a lovely little diva Bella is! She is really a beauty and is especially cute in "her" basket!
    Your quilt art is gorgeous and quite an accomplishment!
    Susie

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  28. Great story. You guys are quite the thread doodlers! Glad you worked out your wobbles.

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  29. Amazing quilting! She's a purrrfect companion, too!
    Snoodles at Lilypadquilting

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  30. Bella is gorgeous. You have done an amazing job on that quilting.

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  31. Bella is gorgeous, such beautiful markings!

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  32. OMG!!! Bella is awesome, what a Beauty!!!

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  33. Outstanding quilt and absolutely beautiful Bella.

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