About Val & Bluegum Quilting Services
Bluegum Quilting Services began in 2003, when I decided to purchase a Gammill Shortarm Quilting Machine so I could work on my own quilts as I had been a patchworker for a few years & had a small collection of quilt tops that needed to be finished off. I had also done some research before purchasing the machine & discovered there was a market in the local area for a machine quilter, so I continued on this track for the next couple of years while still working at a 'normal' job. This job happened to be in the fabric department at a local discount store, but it was (& still is) one of the best for quilting supplies in country South Australia.
From an early age I have always loved playing around with fabric, I guess you could say it was 'ingrained' in my DNA!! My mother, grandmother & older sisters all did sewing, but only one sister was a quilter that I knew of (& still is). I remember making a few doll's clothes when very young, though I was more of a tomboy at the time, then I made a lot of my own clothes in my teens. When I married & had three boys I made their clothes too, but alas, no daughters to sew pretty dresses for. When the boys grew up & didn't want my home made creations any longer, I turned to patchwork to use up all those fabric scraps & to continue my sewing addiction.
It didn't take long to become 'hooked' on the piecing side of things. I will admit the 'quilting' took a little longer to grab hold, but when I started to see what could be achieved in those beautiful quilts at the big exhibitions I started to dream about 'maybe one day' buying myself one of these big machines. During 2003, starting out with my shortarm machine gave me my 'training wheels' as I learned such a lot from those early years. So it was no surprise that I would upgrade to a longarm machine after only 3 years working with the Gammill. In 2006 I purchased an A1 Elite Longarm Quilting machine which had a much bigger throat with a stitch regulator, which allowed me to get through the bigger quilts a lot quicker. Soon after this I gave up my 'day job' & started working my business full time, something I had been wanting to do for a very long time.
With the advancements in technology a computer add-on became available which could help me with stitching out & designing of more detailed & accurate designs for the quilting. As I had a few health issues with back, shoulder & knee problems (as does happen with age!) it only seemed logical for me to add this onto my longarm machine, improve my work & speed up the turn-around for my clients & their quilts. So in 2010 I purchased the Intelliquilter which has taken my work in a whole new direction. There are hundreds (if not thousands!) of different patterns available for this system which stitches them out from a digital format, it's just fantastic & I am so pleased that I made the decision to purchase this 'new toy' - it's been a great investment for my business.
I attend workshops & conferences whenever I can, to improve my skills & knowledge of what's happening in the quiltng world & keep up to date with new developments. Some of my clients' have won awards for their quilts which I have had the pleasure of quilting for them, these can be seen on my Gallery Page. I also hold sewing days once a month & teach classes for beginners (& other levels on request) at my Studio. Owning & operating your own business certainly has its' many challenges, but I enjoy it together with the contact with my clients, seeing the wide variety of quilts which they bring to me for quilting & the satisfaction I see when they come to collect their quilts.
If you would like more information about my quilting services please do not hesitate to contact me. I hope you enjoy looking through this website.
Regards, Val Towill
