Tag Archives: long arm

Wonky Crosses and a shop!

13.Mar.16

I’m so excited that I have finally opened an online shop. Won’t you please take a look? It’s right here. Don’t see what you’re looking for? Let me know! I’m happy to do custom work. I’ll also be adding new things so check back often.

One thing in there is this wonky cross quilt I made a little while ago!

It would make the sweetest little baby gift.

Made from blues, greens, and neutrals from my stash, it’s backed in a vintage sheet, longarm quilted in a swirling pattern with a pale gray thread, and bound in binding scraps.

It’s available now for $300, so you should probably just go ahead and get it :)

A modern cabin.

09.Feb.16

This was my first finish of 2016, and it’s all for me.

Carolyn Friedlander is probably my favorite fabric designer and when I made Emily’s Geese quilt a couple years ago, I didn’t want any beloved fabric to go to waste. Using those scraps and various solids from my stash (including some thrifted sheets, my new favorite white fabric) I made large (24″ and up), improvised log cabin blocks.

It’s backed in a super soft dark gray cotton sheet I thrifted (don’t mind the wrinkles!) and the only Botanics yardage I had in my stash, Foliage in Curry.

I longarm quilted it in a figure 8 pattern of varying heights, with white thread.

It’s bound in a black crosshatch very similar to one from her Architectextures collection, and other scraps.

It made it onto my bed as soon as it could and quickly became covered in cat hair :)

A Look Back.

11.Jan.16

2015 was hard. Emotionally, physically, monetarily, and creatively. It wasn’t without it’s small successes though, and making these mosaics reminded me that I actually made a lot of things! (Although, to be honest, I photographed and blogged a lot of things that had been made prior to 2015, but pictures make them real and I can hardly remember dates otherwise :)

I made some of my most favorite quilts ever (and painted some cool murals), some I haven’t even told you about yet! I’m proud to say that every quilt I made this year, aside from 2 yards of neutrals, was made using only my stash. And somehow, my stash feels no smaller! ;)

I made a lot of clothes, some more successful than others.

I had my first, small solo show, I was part of a group show with my studio mates, and I sewed a lot of pillows!

Perhaps most excitingly, I renovated the basement of my studio and brought this beauty home! (It’s hard to take a good photo of her, I apologize.)

Feathers and stars.

08.Dec.15

I realize I say this a lot, but this quilt is one of my most favorites. For real.

My friend Nathan commissioned this for his girlfriend before they moved to Colorado and as soon as he asked, I knew what I wanted to do. I sat at Hoots Roller Bar and drew it on some receipt tape.

It’s both the most planned and unplanned quilt I’ve ever made. It looks largely improvised but was almost completely measured out.

My stash is lacking in purples but I grabbed what I had and pieced some stars, some with log cabin centers.

I made some feathers based on Anna Maria Horner’s pattern, some striped and some solid, and then using contractor’s paper, I drew out arcs and foundation pieced them to the paper. It was nowhere near perfect but it worked!

I backed it in some feather scraps and other purples and a striped vintage sheet.

I quilted it in a looping pattern with white thread and gave it a scrappy binding.

While I was photographing this quilt behind the funeral home next to my studio, a momma fox and her 6 little ones were watching me! I tried to snap a picture but I couldn’t get close enough.

I miss my friends now that they’ve moved away but I’m glad they have a little piece of Winston with them!

Many Trips around the Sun.

24.Nov.15

I had a lot of fun making this quilt full of sunshine!

This quilt was a commission for a gal I know, from a few of her coworkers. I was told the nursery was teal and had an “Around the World” theme so I’d say this works perfectly!

This is the third Scrappy Trips Around the World quilt I’ve made. I love how quickly the pattern goes and how striking the layout can be.

I was able to use fabrics from my stash alone. I laid each row of each block out according to what was going next to it, trying to keep it balanced and ironing all the seams so they fit.

It’s backed in a patch of scraps from the front, all the yellow yardage I had (they requested a lot of yellow) and a Cotton + Steel print. I longarm quilted it in a swirl pattern with white thread and bound it in trimmings from the back.

It washed up so crinkly and lovely! The commissioner loved it and I hope it is be loved by the family, too!

For Scout.

22.Oct.15

My dear friend Emma commissioned this for a friend who was having her first baby. She told me mellow, with pops of color, but something sophisticated. When I saw this painting on Pinterest, I knew it had to become this quilt, which quickly became a favorite.

I backed it in a polka dot sheet I thrifted, a couple extra blocks, and some coordinating fabrics from my stash.

It’s longarm quilted with a loopy bubble pattern in off-white thread,

and it’s bound in the leftover binding from another quilt.

It washed up so wonderfully soft and both Emma and her friend loved it. I hope Scout loves it, too!

(This photo, by the way, includes a mural I helped my friend Laura paint this summer at a local park that spread over 4 large walls.)

For Thea.

13.Oct.15

My friend Dan commissioned me this summer to make a quilt for his newborn niece. She was not born when I started and I didn’t know she would be a girl, but I knew the nursery would be light yellow with a traditional black and white houndstooth overstuffed chair.

I was more nervous making this quilt than ever before, possibly because it’s the first quilt I’ve made for a stranger. I pulled all the yellow and black 2 ½” squares from my scrap bin and following Blue Elephant Stitches tutorial, made this quilt. My worrying was unfounded and they loved the quilt!

I backed it in some yellow yardage with a strip of black and white

longarm quilted it in a loopy pattern,

labeled it, and bound it in a diagonal black plaid. I hope they love and use it for many years to come!

I made this quilt through both seasons of Orphan Black, a show about which I am now obsessed. It is so good.

Shifting gears.

16.Mar.15

Sometimes things don’t go as planned.

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As some of you know, I did not end up being able to buy the fabric shop, so I’m having to reevaluate things. I’m also trying to find the balance between overindulged self pity and being honest and vulnerable with people. I’m really struggling with this change of plans. Shame, embarrassment, anxiety…

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But, I must move ahead. I can’t sleep forever.

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So, I will be investing in kaitcetera full time!

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I’m grateful and excited to still be getting the longarm machine. I’ve been hard at work renovating the embalming room at the studio to put it in, which has been quite the undertaking (pun intended :). I picked up the machine this week and I hope to start offereing longarm services by the end of the month!

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I will also be putting products in some local shops and opening an online store. Keep an eye out for more information on that!

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There are a couple ways that I would love for your help. I’ve launched a Kickstarter with some great quilt rewards, and if you could go like my Facebook page, I’d be forever grateful!

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Thank you so much to everyone for their love and support. I am a part of a great community, both in Winston Salem and online, and I could be more grateful.

Baby Swoon.

28.Dec.14

When I set out to make my mom a quilt a couple years ago, I cut out enough blocks from Jay McCarrol’s Habitat collection to make two queen sized quilts. But the blocks ended up being needlessly complicated and having two sets of blocks made it more so.

Just like the Spring Maples quilt, I found the orphaned blocks and put 4 of them together, changing each slightly and trimming every block down to 20″ finished (instead of 24″) and adding 2″ sashing and borders, bringing this quilt to 50″ square.

It’s backed with the much-loved Ikea numbers fabric and other Habitat prints. It’s longarm quilted with pale grey thread in a swirly pantograph called Fern, and bound in scraps from trimming the back.

I’m bummed Swoon is such a tedious pattern, because I really like the block. The cutting directions are specific to fat quarters, but the block could be made much easier by making two sets of 8 half square triangles and two sets of flying geese, along with the squares. Maybe one day…

Anyway, this quilt is for sale! It’s $300; email me if you’re interested!

kait [at] kaitcetera [dot] com

Thanks again to Laura for helping me take pictures!

Spring Maples.

04.Dec.14

After moving into the studio and being more than ready to start churning out some quilts, I went to my orphan block bin and found some maple leaves I had left behind from this quilt.

I stuck them up on the design wall, added a random smattering of squares, and filled in the blanks with white. I knew right away I would back it with a vintage sheet and some extra stripes and squares.

It’s longarm quilted in a maple leaf pattern with pale peachy thread, labeled, and bound in a light pink stripe from my stash. It measures 50″ square and is for sale! Email me if you are interested.

Thanks to Laura for helping me take photos!