It’s Finished!! I said that was gong to be my mantra for the first half of 2015 because I have several items to be finished. While most everyone I know that quilts has unfinished projects some of mine are growing into their teen years. Today …
February Block of the Month You Are My Sunshine This block was inspired by the month of February—Valentine’s Day, anniversary of my parents marriage and of several of their siblings and probably many others out there. It is named for my parents song, “You Are …
How did you make those branches? On a wall hanging that I posted recently there was a question about how the branches were made dimensional. It is a very simple technique. I cut brown toned batik into bias strips. Length really doesn’t matter because you can join as you wish to make the branch your own. Holding each end twist the strip as tight as you want it to be for the diameter of the branch (kind of like twisting your hair with your finger). You can see in the close up here that a more loosely twisted wrap gives a larger diameter. I used a zig zag to secure the branch but have also used other decorative stitches as the situation dictated. For thinner branches a heavy weight decorative thread was used in a simple stem stitch.
The flower was a circle folded in quarters, basted along the curved edge to form one petal. Without cutting the thread additional circles are attached to add as many petals as desired. After 5-7 petals are on the thread pull up the thread to gather the petals into a circle or flower shape. For a different texture and color variation I used an ombre tulle. Because I used tulle I took several stitches on top of each other to secure the beginning leaving a tail for tying a knot when ready to gather the petals into a flower. After adding as many folded circles as desired pull the thread tight to form a circle, knot to secure, and add a button or yo-yo center. My initial circle was about 3 ½”—I used a glass for a pattern.
I really love the look of the tulle and will be making more of those for a garden scene.
The Curious Quilter When people view my more artistic quilt designs they sometimes ask how I got the idea or how I knew to use a particular technique. Usually I shrug my shoulders and say “it just came to me”. And that is the truth—but …
The use of linen and lace has become obsolete for most dinner tables and few make their own fresh flower bouquet to grace the table but somehow both continue to hold a place in my heart. (At least the romance of the …
I still like to thread baste to prepare my quilts for quilting, especially when I am in my small space at our winter home (I make mostly small quilts). I made a hard foam folding board (48” x 13 ½”-54)” that hides under the sofa and comes out when I have several things ready for basting. I can lay it out on the bed, turn it for accessibility to all sides, pin the backing to assure it is straight on grain and smooth before layering the batting and top. Yes, it is faster to pin or spray or fuse and sometimes I use those methods but I use basting time to study the quilt. How do the fabrics and colors interact to create the design? Would different values or styles of fabrics yield a similar or different result? What type of quilting will complement the pattern design? Free motion or walking foot? What color(s) of thread might I use? I was probably supposed to think about those things before starting the quilt. I do feel like I get a smoother backing and I haven’t tied up my pins if I don’t get to the quilting immediately. The only downside for me is the small callous on the end of my finger—a thimble might help that!
Project pictured is a bed runner, 28” x 84”.
Many years ago my father-in-law chided me for having three sewing projects all in various stages toward completion but none finished. It was his belief that one did not start a new project until the last one was finished. How could a person work on …
We have been in Texas for almost a month. The weeds are under control again. The mosquitos are fewer and the cutter ants have been subdued for a while anyway. And my temporary sewing room is set up in the camper— in fact …
Yesterday was the hardest day of work I have put in for a loooonng time! While Craig was under the park model (crawl space) wrestling with wires to get the electricity hooked up for the sewing room I was in and out of the 18” x 24” door numerous times bringing things like crescent wrench and flashlight and another crescent wrench, etc. And then I had to go in and get the drill so I could go back out and drill a hole from the outside for the wire to come out. Granted Craig wasn’t just laying under there doing nothing. He had to loosen the axle braces so he could get up and over them on his way to the front. Today I took it easy and nursed sore muscles and skinned shoulders after walking two miles to make sure the muscles still worked. He finished wiring the room and at end of day I have electricity in the sewing room!!!!!
Now for the insulation……after Christmas.
Circle of Prosperity, January, 2015 I have titled this small quilt “Circle of Prosperity”. It may be recognizable to readers as Burgoyne’s Quilt but was also identified by other names one of which was Wheel of Fortune. It seemed a likely candidate for sending a …