Because I have quilted for many people over the 17 years I have had a machine quilting business, there are probably over 1000 stencils in my collection. I have three huge binders containing the details of each quilt I have stitched.
The job sheet for each quilt includes the exact designs and threads used (that comes in handy if a quilt is damaged and a customer needs to tell the restorer what thread was used). I keep really good records to make sure that my customers have a variety of designs on their quilts -- even if all of their quilts have the same block or border measurements.
As stencils began to accumulate in the sewing room, the biggest problem was storing them so that A) they were out of the way and B) it was easy for me to find the exact one I wanted. That was how hanging them on the wall originated. They are on rings and arranged by size. In other words, if a quilt has a 6" border, I grab a ring of 5" border stencils. In an ideal world, that ring would be located between the 4.5" and the 6" border stencils.
As detailed in my last post, I buy most of my stencils from The Stencil Company, but I am also on the prowl for them at quilt shows and shops when traveling. Sometimes I even cut my own out of template plastic with a fine tip stencil burner if I can't find exactly what I have in mind.
The possibilities are endless!
The job sheet for each quilt includes the exact designs and threads used (that comes in handy if a quilt is damaged and a customer needs to tell the restorer what thread was used). I keep really good records to make sure that my customers have a variety of designs on their quilts -- even if all of their quilts have the same block or border measurements.
As stencils began to accumulate in the sewing room, the biggest problem was storing them so that A) they were out of the way and B) it was easy for me to find the exact one I wanted. That was how hanging them on the wall originated. They are on rings and arranged by size. In other words, if a quilt has a 6" border, I grab a ring of 5" border stencils. In an ideal world, that ring would be located between the 4.5" and the 6" border stencils.
As detailed in my last post, I buy most of my stencils from The Stencil Company, but I am also on the prowl for them at quilt shows and shops when traveling. Sometimes I even cut my own out of template plastic with a fine tip stencil burner if I can't find exactly what I have in mind.
The possibilities are endless!
Wow, what a quilters dream! Look at those threads and all those stencils.. I want, I want, I want... ok, I'm done with my whining :-)
ReplyDeleteTrish, you'll really be jealous if I post a picture of both of those thread fixtures -- they are yummy!!
ReplyDeleteforget the stencils, how much thread do you have?
ReplyDeleteTeri