The Behemoth

         As some of you may recall my Celtic Quilt Project from earlier this year. I'm happy to report that it is drawing to a close. My dear new friends Chris and Susan at "Over the Top Quilting Studio" helped me tremendously. Susan has kindly helped me by quilting the center of the quilt, the knot portion. I was struggling and sweating to quilt it on my little machine. Seriously. I was sweating! So that I can still feel like I was a part of quilting this, Susan left the boarders to me.

You can see the stitching best on the back.
When I get sick of the other side,
I may just flip it over  just because it is so beautiful! 

        When I walked in, Susan had it hanging up to show off the stitching. I wish now that I had snagged a photo of it like that. Isn't her stitching beautiful???? I admit I cried a little bit. This has lifted such a burden from my shoulders. The monster of a quilt won't have to take me another year to finish! 

When we folded it up. I couldn't stop touching it.
The texture of it felt so good! 

        Susan doesn't rent time on the machine, but she let me practice on some scrap fabric. It really made me appreciate the skill and planning it takes to do this. If any of you have ever considered hiring a long arm quilter to help you finish a project, I highly recommend you consult with Susan and Chris. They are angels in disguise with good prices too! ;) 

I loved how we discussed and worked out together
a design that would suite the style of the quilt without
distracting from the piecing design.

By Cassie Grace

Ps. Here is a link to their website again: http://overthetopquilting.com/

Long Arm Quilting Ladies

This is Chris! 

At the recent Austin Quilt Fest, I met two gals by the name of Susan and Chris. They own Over the Top Quilting Studio here in Austin. I had the opportunity to go to their studio and interview them! WoW!! Just WOW! 

                                         

These dynamic sisters have been long arm quilting for about 11 years, so they really know their stuff. For those of you new to the idea of long arm quilting, it is a different kind of sewing machine that really facilitates free-motion quilting. You give your pieced top to these gals, and they finish it for ya. 

I have experienced first hand trying to quilt a queen size quilt on my little sewing machine and just sweating through it. What I like about Susan and Chris is the spirit of collaboration they have with me. They really want your vision to shine through. When I asked them what to look for in a long armist, they said that the client should feel safe and respected by the quilter. The client should ask to see a preview of the design and other examples of work. Susan and Chris also mentioned that the long armist should have a good variety of color in threads as well. 

I used to think that hiring a long arm quilter was kind of like cheating, but now I see how amazing it is! I could finish so many more quilt tops by working with them. I also learned that collaborating with long armist does not disqualify me from entering competitions! 

I can't say enough good things about these ladies. Seriously. I had such a good time interviewing them and watching them work. Susan and Chris have INCREDIBLE skill and creativity. I feel like we've been friends for ages after just two visits with them. I hope you'll look them up. 

                                            

This is Susan working on my celtic quilt!!!! She is totally my hero. 

http://overthetopquilting.com/

By Cassie Grace