Cross-wound Cones

This post is for Kim. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.Here's a photo of my JUKI TL 98 P on the 6 foot Art Quilter frame. There's a good view of the extend-able thread guide that allows the thread to unwind over the top of the cone. This set up allows an easy almost effortless unwinding of the thread especially compared to the manic spinning of a 500 yd spool as it races to keep up with the free motion quilting.

This Janome in the photo below has a flip up thread guide.

Here's a photo of our thread stand, sitting just to the right of the sewing machine. The thread stand allows any machine to take advantage of the larger cones.I hope this helps, Kim. .

We sell the thread stands for £5.00

Bulk Buys

Bulk purchases work out cheaper. 

Machine Quilter is the UK distributor for Superior Threads specializing in the larger cross wound cones. We discount for bulk purchases. Our discounts are available to anyone buying in bulk. So if you teach, run a long arm business or are a keen quilter you can take advantage of our bulk buy discounts.

Buy 10 or more cones and get a 8% discount.

Buy 20 or more cones and get a 12% discount. 

Our prices are VAT inclusive - this makes our discounted prices the best prices in the UK. Here are our standard prices - you can work out the discounts:

King Tut - 2,000 yd cone £18.95  (10% £17.06)  (20% £15.17) a good savings!

Masterpiece - 3,000 yd cone £18.95

Rainbows - 2,000 yd cone £15.95

Kimono Silk - 1,090yd mini cone £15.95

So Fine - 3,280 yd cone £13.95

Bottom Line - 3,000 yd cone £10.95

These are the standard ranges that we stock but we can order in whatever you fancy. 

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For bulk purchases ring  or email with the order rather than putting it through the website so we can add in the discounted prices.
Call Martha 01526 378057
or email martha@machinequilter.co.uk

Retreat Advances

a still shot of the filming session last week

The opportunity to focus on one thing.

This was such a busy week with planning sessions and filming sessions and all the homely things that keep body and soul together. But the machine quilting weekend gave us the opportunity to focus on just one thing.   

We worked on this same pattern during the retreat

I took the shot below in Trudi's garden studio when we met to plan for the Feathering Retreat weekend. By Thursday Trudi had finished machine quilting the over all feather pattern and on Friday we had it displayed in the Garden Room at the Petwood to inspire us during the the Retreat.

On Tuesday Trudi still had this quilt on the NEQ frame 

The theme for the weekend was feathering.  We started with what I like to think of as pre-feathering patterns and worked our way through them doodling designs on rolls of paper and then on the frames. We tried out lots of new threads and figured out how to clean and oil and tension our sewing machines so they would purr merrily along on the 6 foot Art Quilter frames that Trudi and I brought along.

Now it's the perfect backdrop for Kathy and Trudi

The best part of the weekend was watching people develop into confident doodlers and chuffed quilters. We were all so surprised at the difference a day makes. People came to the weekend unsure of their own abilities and uncertain about whether or not a retreat could really help. By the end of the weekend everyone was delighted!

Janice and Mags during Trudi's trunk show

Mags emailed me some feedback today

Martha, I would like to thank you and Trudie for a wonderful weekend at Petwood Hotel, Woodhall Spa.The retreat was just perfect and I will be recommending it to my friends. I was struggling with my quilts, they were all being done in the same pattern. Now with your training techniques I feel that I will now be able to produce a much wider range of designs. I learned so much and just can't wait to put it in to practice.

Thanks again.
Mags

Our retreats are a great way to advance! The March Feathering Retreat is filling up. The dates are March 9th -11th  email or ring to get on the list. We'll post future retreat dates soon.

Trudi's Feathers

Trudi's feathers just off the frame!

 Trudi machine quilts the most beautiful feathers!

 Come to our Feathering Retreat next week and she'll show you how to do it too!  

Feathers filling a square space

 Trudi is using a JUKI TL 98P sewing machine on an original New English Quilter frame.

All over feathers

 This is no-mark-hand-guided-free-motion-machine quilting on a table top frame.. 

Feather that fit into a pieced pattern

 Just BEAUTIFUL!

All over feathers

 Follow the link to sign up or call or email Martha by Friday: 

01526 378057

 martha@machinequilter.co.uk

Border feathers

Fresh Start

My first try - inspired by Trudi

Get the new year off to a good start with our January Retreat running from Friday January 13th through Sunday the 15th. Our retreats are designed to help machine quilters of all levels get the most out of their quilting frames. We're using the JUKI TL 98P sewing machine on the New English Quilter frame but anyone using any sewing machine on any frame is welcome.  We're going to focus on feathering. Whether you're just starting out or already fluent, you will leave with new skills and greater confidence. Our new venue, the Petwood Hotel in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire offers roaring fires, good food, comfortable rooms and plenty of space for us to spread out. There is plenty of room for friends and husbands too. Follow the link to the website for more information. Ring or email with any questions. Hope to see you there!

£250 includes accommodation, ALL meals, snacks, all materials and tuition
£165 includes, meals, materials and tuition for local girls not needing accommodation

9 Ladies Dancing

Reproduction vintage fabric

 I've always loved retro. When I was little, I would go to the attic and rummage through the clothes my mom had worn when she was young.  I used my favourite of those dresses for a country dance when I was 19. Years went by and I moved countries and lost track of those vintage clothes. A few years ago when I found that Spring had come out with a reproduction of the very same fabric for Quilters Only, I just had to buy some. It's been 'resting' in my stash for some time waiting for a special project.

a much younger version of me in a country dance

When I discovered that my son's girlfriend, Jade shared the same love of vintage, the project began to take shape. I'm too fond of the fabric to cut it up, so I've decided to add a beautiful pieced border, back it in red fleece and use it for a throw. I'm taking inspiration from this part of the fabric for the border. I've seen a few quilts around lately at the Houston Quilt festival and on various blogs using  a similar pattern.

a detail of the fabric

I'm going to call it Nine Ladies Dancing and give it to Jade.I'll chronicle my progress on future posts but I needed to blog about it today as today is the 9th Day of Christmas!