Egypt4u

Grandad, google rotary cutters and then you will understand what LLL and I are talking about. LLL, how long the blades last is like asking 'how long is a piece of string?' It depends on how much cutting there is etc. The two bolts of fabric were black which I use a lot of and there were five metres on each bolt. The jelly roll is a good idea - not much cutting, and quick to do. I have another 3 photos you might like to see - if Horus will do the honours? Talking of which - Horus, have you found a resizing app for the iPad yet?

Ah gotcha RS So you use them on a cutting mat like cutting picture frame mounts. At first I wondered if it was some sort of cutter on an overlocker instead of the blade. On cutters, have you ever come across an Eastman cutter? Vicious things and what we used to use for pattern cutting. Not exactly what you need for quilts though unless you are producing on an industrial scale

RS, I have not tried this myself, but have a look at this app. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/resize- ... 47517?mt=8

I looked at a few apps this morning, Horus, and this one too. At first I was tempted but the later reviews aren't very good, so maybe I'll just download them to the laptop and do it that way. It's just me being my usual lazy, disorganised self!

Probably the easiest way

Sorry, but I have them in my personal gallery but my brain has refused to get them in a post!

Don't know if this will work - but it might!

Yippee! It's easy when you know how, isn't it?

Well done you on both counts, just stick with that method and those quilts are something else, really beautiful. Do you make all of those intricate pictures yourself or are they a sew in panel that you can buy?

If you mean the middle one, Horus, that was a kit with a centre panel, but the other two are pieced. DH wanted me to make the middle one into a full sized bed quilt but unfortunately I couldn't get any more of the fabric. Shame, because I think it would have been quite striking!

Your quilts are gorgeous RS!! The middle one is very striking and would have made a wonderful full be sized quilt. Gorgeous!

Once you get started, LLL, yours will proliferate like the leaves on a tree, and I can't wait to see them! Thank you all for liking my work. It makes all the difference when others don't absolutely hate it! I have a friend who is also a quilter, but whereas I am very much an 'in your face' person regarding design and colour, she goes for muddy purples and khakis etc. I can see merit with all her work, even though it isn't to my taste, but it have yet to hear her say she likes anything I have made, so the nice things you say make it easier to continue.

@RS - I wasn't finished what I was going to say re: your quilts but had a doorbell distraction

What I was going to elaborate on is that I LOVE dark vibrant colours and bold fabrics. Love the heron or crane and the dark golds/oranges/greens and koi happen to be a particular favourite too. Am not a wishy washy pastel person so most of the fabrics I brought back with me from Trinidad are pretty bold. I was disappointed there that the fabric stores were running about about 35% full. Most of the main importers are from Syria and - well 'nuff said. I wanted to get some of the bolder African prints to incorporate into quilts. Maybe next trip I'll find the stores full again.

There is a Guild in this area and I think I'll join. Right now it is not really going because of summer but come fall it is my plan to join to see what others in this area are sewing too.

Most of the fabrics I've been collecting are pretty vibrant but I think tempered with dark (as in black or chocolate brown) solids will give a pretty dramatic effect.

It is my plan to make a few practice quilts which will go to the twins and baby. These will definitely be utilized and used vs bedspread ones that will more for effect and show.

My one concern is the actual quilting. I can see me doing it on the machine for the practice quilts or the everyday quilts but I need to figure out where I can get the quilting done on the better quilts (once and IF I get good at it). Am hoping I'll find out those answers locally via a Quilter's Guild.

The quilting part is still the bane of my life! I usually make BIG quilts - at least 100" x 100" - and getting them under the relatively small throat of a domestic machine is nigh impossible. To have them professionally quilted costs between £125 - £350, depending on the complexity of the chosen pattern(s). I am looking into buying an 18" longarm, but at £9000 I need to make sure I can manage it!

All this talk about quilting and I am totally out of my depth However, I can appreciate quality and beauty and RS, your work is of the highest quality and quite beautiful....

And your comment " but I have yet to hear her say she likes anything I have made, so the nice things you say make it easier to continue" is beyond belief, a bit of green eye perhaps?

To true Grandad, if she cannot say something complimentary about such lovely works of art, I would tell her to bog off

PS: And the middle one I would hang on the wall....stunning

The quilts I'm talking about making are going to be big. Big in the sense of being big enough to cover a queen size bed or the 100" x 100" size and after putting all the work into making them I'm wanting to get them properly quilted. Again not too worried about the smaller ones I'll make for the kids beds as those will be well loved, possibly could be stained, trod on, dragged about etc so those will be my practice ones. I can get my mind around how I'll actually quilt those as I'll do it but the BIG quilts are something else with the quilting running itself running into the hundreds of dollars.

The cost of the long arm is one thing but you also need space to set them up too and I'm also sure there is quite a learning curve to figuring out how to operate them. Will see how it all goes. Am quite aware that quilting isn't a cheap hobby however the final product(s) can be heirloom so am willing to put the effort into it.

This is the latest website my quilter cousin sent to me http://www.modabakeshop.com/ Right now I'm collecting ideas for future projects

Many thanks to our two true gentlemen, for their kind words and forbearance! We do seem to have taken over with our talk and you have both been extremely gracious - even if you don't have a clue what we are on about!