Quilting an Crafting.com

The Christmas Gift - 2

Quilting can be a way to maintain a bit of stability when your world is turned sideways. The focus of having to spend a certain amount of time doing something you have control over allows you to momentarily forget the world. In - out- in -out pull, repeat, repeat. The turmoil in your mind subsides. Then you stop and voila ! see how much has been accomplished.

I bought 3 blended/variagated colored threads for the OZ quilt; a yellow, green and a pink.The center panel of movie stills is all done. I used the pink and green alternately in the 4 small stills in the center, outlining elements of the pictures as I felt necessary. For the BIG Glinda pic- pink, Wicked Witch - green. For one of the large Dorothy?Toto pictures I used a light bright blue and in the other a dark purple.I outlined elements of these pictures also.Think reverse coloring book.

Three of the four narrow yellow brick road borders around the center panel are done with the yellow thread in horizontal rows. Two the wider long side borders of the Munchkinland montage are done in pink thread, vertical rows. It will be back to the green thread for the two W.W.W. corner squares. Not sure what color thread I will use for the ruby slippers on yellow corner squares, then back to horizontal rows of yellow for the outside yellow brick border.

Laid the quilt on our bed the other day to see how it is all coming together. I was very happy. I also needed sunglasses- the colors in the fabric are very bright.

Visit to the Past
Quilting from present to past

Last weekend my wife and I went to the Shelburne Museum, in Shelburne Vt. it was museum day - sponsored by the Smithsonian. We figured if they are going to give us free admission - why not!
The Shelburn is a variety of life style snapshots back thru this countries history. One of the exhibits was on Quilting past and as present Art. The older quilts on display - one made with 1″ squares - over 12,000 different squares, were really something to see. Although they were made for the most part as practical everyday quilts the way in which they were crafted by hand - they are works of art.
Then there were the present day Art Quilts - a couple of them were very nice, the rest were quilting craft gone wrong. One in particular had started out very nice then the “artist” just went nuts with freehand stitching, there was no rime nor reason, in fact it detracted from the original work.
I can’t say that the Quilting Art exhibit was the highlight of the days visit, but getting the chance to see some of the 100 year old handcrafted quilts was very interesting - the older quilts where very much “works of art”.

Where it begins I can begin to tell you
sorry neal

This is the start of my adventure with my first quilt. It will be a wall hanging. I don’t want to take on to much to start with and if it does not come out to well it can hang in the back of the closet.
My wife who is the quilter has had me help some on a new baby quilt. Yes another one, remember the Wedding Quilt saga - well we got the news that the newly weds are to have a blessed event.
I have helped to cut squares - sounds easy but it does take some careful laying out with the template to make sure that they are all square and the same size.
The squares then had a small triangle sewn onto each corner. The fabric of the original square was then cut off and the resulting new corner was then ironed flat - which i got to do - so that each square now has a corner triangle of different material.
I was then handed all of the squares and told to lay out the quilt top - making sure that the squares conners did not match and that i had a good random pattern. The original squares where cut from color prints and pattern print fabric.
With just a little bit of rearranging we soon had a quilt top laid out we both like. Each square was then pinned to the old sheet they were laid out on and we now have the top ready to begin sewing together.
I still have not quite settled on what I am going to do for my wall hanging but should have it planned out for the next blog entry - wish me luck

New Grandchild Quilt
July 2008

Pattern: Designer Log Cabins, June Ryker
Quilters Newsletter Magazine Dec 1992
Machine Pieced, Hand Tied

This is the fifth quilt for a new grandchild made using this pattern. I use FAT batting for the filling so it can be used under the child. I rarely use blanket binding on a quilt, but the Finding Nemo binding just called out to be used with the border fabric. The design on the binding complimented the backing fabric with a rubber duckie design. The quilt is hand tied using 3 strands of embroidery floss.

The star of the show!

Four Seasons
1980’s
Wall Hanging: machine pieced, hand quilted
Pattern: Star’s over the Smokies
Adopted from: More Lap Quilting with Georgia Bonesteel

Using the Flexi-curve technique, explained in the book, I made blocks for each season, with topical quilting motifs; (examples) pumpkin-fall, mittens-winter, ice cream cone-summer, tulip-spring, in the four corners of each block. The four squares have the same block pattern motif so when they were joined they create the diamonds and triangles. This makes it look like four suns that flow from one season into the next. The quilting on the light blue border is a continuous weave which ties the four blocks into one whole world as it were. The two oldest boys enjoyed this in their room for years, and it is now part of the kitchen wall rotation.

Stars and Scopes
2008
Bed Quilt: Machine pieced, hand quilted
Pattern: 6 triangle hexagon on a paper pieced hexagon back
Milky Way from Quilters Newsletter Magazine jan/feb 1998

This is the second quilt I have made using this block combo. I fussy cut the 6 kaleidoscope triangles and then sewed them into hexagon blocks. The Milky-way blocks were paper pieced. (When I first read about paper piecing I got the impression this was a good way to use up scrap material - not so!) The blocks were then machine joined together into a rough center piece rectangle. The rectangle was then hand appliqued to the border frame. The gold lame bias tape was then hand sewn around each block. Spider web hexagons were hand quilted onto the border frame. Each of the star blocks is outline quilted and the kaleidoscope blocks are quilted following the design on each block. It makes for a very spectacular bed display. My husband uses the first one of these as his bed quilt when he goes to run the kitchen at summer camp for the Girl Scouts on Cape Cod each year.

    Wedding Gift/Quilt update


     Just a tad over two months until “W” Day.Thankfully the injured
thumb has returned as close to normal as I think it ever will so
quilting is much easier. Also the weather has remained cool (and rainy)
which also helps. Ten of the blocks are quilted, five more backs are
cut, ready for the sandwich process. I am using a white chalky pencil
for marking the quilt pattern and the darn thing is happiest breaking
off in little chunks.
       The crafting project is nearing completion, I think. Three of the
four boxes are done…maybe…and I have a good start on the fourth.
But I feel something is missing, so they may not be finished until I
have to wrap them.
      Took a day to make “Happy Summer” cards for the grandkids. Folded
a piece of lightweight cardstock, left over from another card project,
in half pattern side in. Collaged beach scene/summer/fun stuff on the
front. Inside another biggish picture and the words happy summer (
alphabet stickers and whole words). The back has another small summer
picture.
         For this kind of card making and box decorating you need a
stash of  paper/picture/words. Find a box or three and start tearing
and clipping from magazines, newspapers, sale fliers, old books, etc.
Throw into another box ticket stubs, travel/tourist broucheres, old
buttons and sundry bits and pieces of stuff that just has to have some
use someday. Be careful, these boxes can mutliply like rabbits.

The Wedding Quit Phase 4

Major glitch! Major Owee!
My right thumb became the filling in a firewood sandwich**. I am right handed. NO quilting, or sewing, not much of anything for a few days. Two weeks later and the joint is still stiff and sore, but i am back to the projects at hand.
The baby quilt is done. Hurrah! The final bit of binding all sewn, although a four year old could have done it faster.
On the craft front I have the base backgrounds glued inside the four Santa boxes. Lovely gluey fingers even though I use a brush. What am I doing wrong?
Back to the quilt. Four of the Wedding quilt squares are done. I can hold the needle and put 4 or 5 stitches with no problem. Gripping the needle to pull through - - - ouch! So now I’m really glad I’m Lap Quilting. Left hand to the rescue. Right hand stitch left hand pull.
The thumb has now improved so quilting goes - right hand stitch, pull, stitch, left hand pull. I can still only do one length of thread at a go. Slow and steady wins the race.
Ice cold water soothes the thumb, while producing the ooohhh thats cold whimpers.

**Happened while stacking the spring firewood supply - which is now done and drying for the first cold this fall.

Wedding Gift
Phase 3
The saga continues

Time to start cutting fabric! Eight identical or, nearly identical, wedges for each flower. Some of the 20 flowers are kaleidoscope and some kaleidoscopish. Following the pattern (insert info again) I sew, press, sew and press the eight wedges into one unit. Eighteen of them have nearly perfect centers - then there’s the other two! Fortunately the pattern calls for a circle applique over the center of the flower.
Back to the fabric stash for the centers. Rather than one piece of fabric for all 20 flowers, I used several colors of the same type of fabric. (Remember those scraps we said to save) A semi-sheer, semi-glimmery fabric. Purchased that several years ago in a scrap bundle. Matched colors to flowers, then appliqued them on.
Cut 12 1/2″ squares from two complimentary fabrics for the back ground squares. Match the flowers with the back ground they look best with, then applique the flowers to there back ground squares. You don’t have to turn edges as the making of the flowers does all the work. I did find that a needle helped pull out the points as I went along.
Decided on a quilting pattern, using gold cotton thread I quilted around the center applique - about 1/4″ away. Then 1/4″ inside each petal.Next using multicolored cotton (blue/green/yellow/red) thread I quilted again about 1/4″ away around the outside of the entire flower.
In each conner I quilted a fleur-de-lis, using a quliting stencil for the pattern.
The Baby quilt nears complition! Its all batted/backed and tied, and the binding is sewn half way around.

KudoSurf Me!

My Quilting General Primer
Part One - In the beginning

Webster defines “Quilt” as - Any thick, warm coverlet - To stitch together with a soft filling.
Some people mean any cotton-looking blanket - Some an artistically rendered hand/machine made blanket or show-off covering for a bed. Combine this with webster and you have an “Artistic bed covering made up of a top & back with an inner filling”. This is all held together with stitching called “quilting”
No matter how you describe it has become an all consuming hobby/passon/business for many people.
Those of you who have just begun this hobby/passon/business i will attempt to present a few basics.
The Top - There are two basic techniques for making a top design.
1. Sewing together small pieces off fabric of pleasing colors. This has developed into complicated geometric patterns that often interact to create additional patterns when the top is completed. This is commonly called “Patchwork”
2. The second or “Applique” is the layering of separate pieces fabric stitched to a background fabric to form a design, often a pictorial scene.
Whichever method you use to create your quilt - you should strive for overall effect. Remember you are working with many elements - layers of fabric -appliques/patchworks - needles/thread - sewing techniques hand/machine - and the ever present human element! You will always see the imperfections, but most of your viewers will not!
Step One PLANNING
When planning your quilt keep in mind the 3 basics - Design/Color/Texture
1. Color - Color is what will make your quilt come alive, as you intend - a Sparkling Showpiece or a Lovingly Handmade Gift or Home Piece.
Primary colors - Red/Blue/Yellow make good blends - they work well together in pairs
Secondary colors - Orange/Green/Purple blend well with each other or with the primary colors.
To highlight a color use a complementary color (one direct opposite on the color wheel. (Figure one)
Select colors that are alike in feeling - use several pastels to balance a darker color. Tints of primary colors will change the effect. Red/Yellow tints will warm - Green/Blue will tend to cool. Avoid grey tint, they will dull, unless thats your intent.

Figure #1

Step Two DESIGN PROPORTION
Designing a quilt can be the most satisfying experience - it can be as costly or thrifty as one’s time and ingenuity dictate.
The first thing is to decide what size quilt. Bed/Crib/Wall Hanging etc. Select a design that is a good focal point, then decide the scale of your design to fit your space. If its to be a patchwork will it be 4 - 9″ blocks or 3 - 12″ blocks, that depends on your pattern design.
Where do you get your original design from? Books in the library children’s section, Pre-school coloring books (great for applique ideas), Magazines (Weaving/Needlepoint included), Books, Web sites, or your own imagination. Collect all the time and keep a file so if you need an idea you’ll have plenty of resources at hand.

Step Three A WORKING PATTERN
Use 1/4 in grid graph paper if you have an full size design. If you need to reduce or enlarge on a copier or by hand if it is a simple design. The 1/4″ grid works nicely because it gives you a built in seam allowance. Making an accurate pattern template is a key to a good finished product.
You should cut out pieces for a patchwork on the straight grain, That way when sewn threads will lay naturally. This helps to keep the top from buckling. When sewing a patchwork together, place pins through the seam lines only and sew on the seam lines checking back and front to make sure you are accurate. When you trace your pattern do it on the wrong side of the material.
How much fabric will I need? If you do not have a commercial pattern, but you know how many times the design repeats, if is fairly easy. Most woven fabrics come in a 45″ width (check the bolt to be sure). The chart should help.

YARDAGE CHART
Number of squares in 1 yard of 45″ wide material, including 1/4″ seam allowance.

Sq Size # of Sq
3″ - 180
4″ - 99
5″ - 63
6″ - 42
7″ - 30
8″ - 20
9″ - 20
10-11″ - 12
12″ - 9
13-14″ - 6
15-18″ - 4

Step Four CHOOSING A FABRIC
Choose fabrics that are light weight, opaque, but not sheer. There are many choices, here are some “tests” you can use to help decide.
Crush test - Hold some fabric from the end of the bolt of a minute - if you have a handful of wrinkles when you release it is not for you.
Fray test - Pull a few threads from the end if they slip out easily the fabric may be to loosely woven and be hard to work with.
Thread test - If the threads are thick and rough, again it may be hard to work with.
Grain test - Check to see that threads are at right angles.
Width test - Make sure your getting what you planned on.
General Rule - Fabric should be a tightly twisted yarn that creates an opaque, firm, and lightweight material.
Save your scraps from other projects, sorted, this way you may have some or all of your material for the next great quilt!
Fabric - is your pallet with which you paint. Some of the fabrics out there today are:
Cotton Broadcloth - A plain closely woven fabric. There is all cotton and some as blends. A good general purpose material.
Calico - A plain closely woven relatively soft fabric. Often with small prints - geometric or floral
Gingham - True gingham is plain weave and medium weight - usually in checks or plaids showing on both sides.
Muslin - A plain weave and medium weight - can be loose or very tight weave, often a light beige color. Is good for applique background or for a backing.
Poplin - similar to broadcloth but has a fine crosswise rib. comes in many weights and finishes.
Satin/Sateen/Wool/Silk/Velvet - Good material for Crazy or Applique quilts - helps give texture.
Making that special quilt is about 70% prior planning and 30% execution, so get planning!

Click to order

KudoSurf Me!