Stencils are Back Up!
Yes, indeed, I’ve finally gotten my act together and rebuilt my quilting stencil page at LeahDay.com. Click Here to check it out now.
Why has this page been missing for so long? Mostly it was just lost in the shuffle as we scrambled to build a new website last September.
I know that was more than 8 months ago, but changing website systems is a bit like moving house – doesn’t everyone leave some boxes unopened for a few months?
In any case, I’m definitely going to be working on the site more and returning pages that I’ve been missing a lot, like my quilt gallery.
While these pages have never been super important for website traffic (not that many people searching for quilt goddesses unfortunately), the gallery has always made me happy and has been a convenient way for me to organize my quilts and remember when they were made.
This kind of reflection is fun and often reminds me of cool techniques and ideas that I might have forgotten. Just working on our stencil page today reminded me of the three cool stencil marked quilts I created last year. I’ve added pretty photos so you can see them all here.
It’s also inspired me to take a look at the stencils I’ve already designed and create new, fun projects for you to enjoy! While it might not seem like it, marking designs with stencils actually takes less time and focus than quilting free hand, and they are a terrific starting point for planning your quilt design.
But what do you think? Have you ever marked a quilt with stencil designs? Would you be interested in seeing new videos featuring quilting stencils? What are your favorite designs that work best when marked with stencils?
Share your opinions and ideas in the comments below!
Let’s go quilt,
Leah Day
I have been kicking around the idea of working with a stencil.
Yes, yes! I have several quilt tops pieced and really want to try my hand at something other than straight line pearl cotton big stitch.
Still trying to perfect free motion quilting, but would love to learn how to use stencils.
A video would be great.
Yes, would love more videos on stencil work.
I am struggling with fmq stipple so I am using a stencil. Do you have any tips or techniques for using stencils? I can mark them albeit with chalk and water soluble pen. I can't fathom how to make the stencils link properly. Anything you can show would be great. Thanks for all your help and inspiration?
What is the name of the stencil you are using in the photo? I couldn't find it but I will keep looking. Thanks!
Yes please, I would love a video on it. It's one of those things I always mean to try but find too daunting when push comes to shove!
I'm marking Wobbly Cosmos in the image above. It looks really interesting when you see it in person, which is why it may not have looked recognizable from the line image. Here's the page you can find it: http://www.quiltingcreations.com/store/item.asp?Category=&SubCategoryID=&GroupID=&SKU=DAY48
Thank you! I'm going to order the Wobbly Cosmos! I want to figure out how to do this on the mid-arm. One time you asked how many unquilted quilt tops we have. My wonderful, creative Mother, who lived with me, left me over a 100 to quilt. Lots are finished tops. Knowing she couldn't get them all finished she sewed the centers, laid everything out then carefully packed it with instructions and names, so you can pick up your project box, finish piecing and someone can quilt it. There are 5 of us, two are now FMQ to some degree and learning more, I'm still mid-arming , two are working but one quilts by hand and the other has done a couple baby quilts. Thank you for the inspirations!
I have stencils but I haven't figured out the best way to go about using them. Especially the borders and where they come together on the corners. A video would be awesome!
Wow! That is quite a legacy to leave behind. I'm so glad your family is working together to finish them all. Yes, I think wobbly cosmos will work great on a longarm, so long as you have enough space with the frame to wiggle through your block. If the frame isn't quite big enough you could complete half the lines, then advance the quilt, then quilt the other half. I hope that helps, and we will definitely have more videos on this soon!
Excellent! Borders can definitely be the trickiest spot to plan and mark, and it rarely works out perfectly. Thanks so much for the inspiration!