Tips and Tricks for Better Machine Quilting

Rich and Girl enjoying Colorado sunshine and green grass.Fall has finally arrived and I must apologize for not writing for so long! I spent the entire month of September in Colorado and Idaho, hiking and climbing mountains. I got to watch the Aspens turn from vibrant green to yellow to blaze orange. I also saw abundant wildlife, including Rocky Mountain elk, Shiras moose, Mule deer, ptarmigan, and grouse, to name a few of the species. It was wonderful, but physically exhausting.

There’s a phrase that’s often uttered in the quilting world, and often heard among the many admirers of quilts at a quilt show. I’m sure you’ve either heard it, or said it yourself when admiring a lovely quilt. That phrase is, “I could NEVER quilt like that!” Whether it’s someone admiring hand quilting, machine quilting, piecing, or applique, we’ve all thought ourselves incapable of such wonderful work. But when I hear someone say that, I simply turn to them and say, “Of course you can do that! But are you willing to do the work to become that good?”

I’m fairly certain that nearly every single person reading this blog has attended a LARGE quilt show at one time or another. When I say “large”, I’m referring to the national and international shows like the AQS Show in Paducah, or The Houston Quilt Festival, or Road to California. And if you haven’t, well, I’m sure it’s on your bucket list. But why do those large shows draw such huge crowds? Well, in a nutshell, it’s the caliber of the quilts entered in those competitions (and don’t tell me it’s the vendors you go to see or I’ll have to give you a dirty look! ☺). Yes, the caliber of the quilts at those shows is nothing short of amazing. But have you ever dreamed of having one of your quilts at one of the big shows? Well, if you have, I’m going to explain some of the things you’ll need to take into consideration when you decide that you’re ready to move up to the big leagues!

Have you ever been to a quilt show and looked at some of the quilts with ribbons on them and wondered, “Why does this quilt have a ribbon and that one doesn’t?” Well, I think most of us have. What goes on in the “judging room” is a big mystery to many quilters. Since I’ve been in a lot of judging rooms, both as a judge and as an aide, I’m going to try to de-mystify this issue for you.

This week I have a very special "Guest Blogger"; Kristen Vierra. Kris is a national and international award winning quilter from Lincoln, Nebraska. Her quilts have been featured in numerous magazines and displayed at quilt shows throughout the country. Kris' awards include thePfaff Master Award for Machine Artistry, BOS at NW Quilting Expo, and a number of best long arm quilting awards; several at AQS shows. She has a full-time longarm quilting business and enjoys teaching quilting and sharing her love of all things quilts.

I know you're going to love reading this blog from Kris, as it pertains to each and every one of us.  So, without further ado, here is Kris' blog...