I've been making simple Log Cabin quilt blocks and I'm having a great time imaging where the design could go. I'm using a free pattern from Quilter's World in a mystery sampler called Awash with Color, Block 1. I'm starting with lights so that my last addition is darks. I'm sewing from my stash and [...]
By Diane Harris, HQ Stitch Brand Ambassador I just finished quilting a throw of my own design on the HQ Capri stationary longarm and boy, did I learn a lot! This is Hugs and Kisses, designed, pieced and quilted by me! All it needs now is binding and a label. Let's talk about some of [...]
By Diane Harris, HQ Stitch Brand Ambassador There are some traditional applique blocks that grab my attention and don't let go. The block I'm sharing today is one of those. I found it on Connecting Threads and it's called Bits of Blue and Gray. It was created by Debbie Beaves. Bits of Blue and Gray [...]
By Diane Harris, HQ Stitch Brand Ambassador I've been quilting on the HQ Capri every day recently and I continue to learn—sometimes the hard way. But I know that is part of it, and my experience over a lifetime has been that lessons stick best when they come at a cost. I really like this [...]
By Diane Harris, HQ Stitch Brand Ambassador This is my best machine quilting trick. It's easy to do and it looks great. I've done it most often on smallish quilts but I've used it on a throw-size quilt, too. I tried it for the first time on this little red quilt, which is a free [...]
By Diane Harris, HQ Stitch Brand Ambassador There are many times when you need to know exactly where the needle of your sewing machine is going to enter the fabric. It's true with a domestic machine like HQ Stitch and it's true with a longarm quilting machine. These times call for target practice! I love [...]
We are pleased to offer special pricing during our Shop@Home events. Enjoy deep discounts this week on the stationary longarm HQ Capri and the HQ Simply Sixteen and on accompanying accessories. HQ Capri is a stationary longarm quilting machine, which means that instead of being on a carriage, it sits in a table. Extended throat [...]
By Diane Harris and Mary Beth Krapil This is a followup to a recent post where I wondered how to quilt a top I made called Vintage Zigzag. It's one of those love-hate projects because it wasn't easy to sew (bias edges for miles), but the finished product gives me goosebumps. Vintage Zigzag from [...]
By Diane Harris, HQ Stitch Brand Ambassador There are many great resources for quilters offered online at no charge, and who doesn't like a deal like that?! On most Fridays, I will share a freebie with you that I like. Could be a pattern or a tutorial, a quilting motif or something entirely unexpected. Sound [...]
By Diane Harris, HQ Stitch Brand Ambassador I started the quilting on a decades-old UFO yesterday, and as I was stitching along in the ditch, it occurred to me that every quilt I make has a purpose. Even if I fail to think about the purpose, it's always there. As I mulled it over, I [...]
