One of my favorite quilt shows is A Quilters Gathering, held in early November every year in Nashua, NH. I entered one quilt in the show, and my friend Karen entered a small quilt that Karen and I collaborated on – she made the top and I quilted it. The show was this past week and weekend, November 4-7, and we were thrilled and honored to receive an award for Machine Quilting Excellence for our little quilt May Tulips!
Here is a photo of my two quilts hanging together at the show. My quilt ‘Blues Sampler’ is the larger one on top, and May Tulips is obvious –
I always get so excited when I finish a project. (That’s why small projects are so fun!) I finished the small bag for my niece – I am really pleased with the way it turned out.
The bag is made of solid cotton sateen, layered with wool batting, and quilted with silk thread. I used a fun printed fabric for the back (which you see when you open the bag) and also in the braided strap and fabric button / tassle.
I spent the longest time trying to decide how to complete the bag with some type of closure. I wanted the top flap to stay down, and I needed something easy – no buttons or toggles or things to fuss with – Julia is just 7 years old, after all! And I just couldn’t bring myself to sew a magnet (or anything else … velcro? ) under the flap.
So I made a fabric button (of sorts) and tassle, and the weight of it keeps the top flap from flying open. Perfect for a little girl I think.
Although my daughter watched me making the bag, it wasn’t until it was finished and she realized what I was making that she became interested in it. After I explained that it was for her cousin, I asked her if she would like one. (What kind of question was that?) Of course she would like one! What color? hmm … the usual color, of course … pink.
Do any of you listen to Annie Smith’s quilting podcast, “Quilting Stash – the first podcast for quilters“? I am a great fan and have been enjoying her podcast for years, so I was intrigued with her new online classes. Especially when I found she is offering a class on her “Quilters Palette” quilt – I have always loved this quilt, and she has never published a pattern for it. So, I signed up for the class, and it is really fun! The class includes high quality video instruction in addition to written handouts, and a weekly online chat with Annie. Check it out – you can follow the link to the Quilting Stash Classroom at the right, or find out more about the Quilters Palette class here.
Dresden Plate block for Quilters Palette quilt
We started the class by selecting fabric for our quilt. Annie asked us to pick a focus fabric, and then choose 16 fabrics that blend well with the focus fabric, and provide sufficient value contrast for the quilt. I decided to use all solid fabrics for this quilt. I have been using solids almost exclusively for the past year, and this gives the the opportunity to experiment mixing solid cottons and cotton sateen, silks, and cotton/silk blend fabrics in a single quilt. It was a challenge to pick out the fabrics – the range of solid fabrics (and ones I have in my stash) is much smaller than the range of prints today!
The first block we made was the Dresden Plate block. It uses all of our fabric choices and becomes the fabric ‘palette’ for the rest of the quilt. The block is sewn together, but not yet appliqued to the background fabric.
Stay tuned – I’ll be posting my blocks here as they are completed. I hope I can keep up with the weekly lessons!
My brother and his daughter visited from Singapore last month. I hadn’t seen my 7 year old niece in over 5 years, and we had a great time during their stay with us. My niece’s birthday is at the end of August, so I thought I would make her a small bag. I adapted a feather I designed for one of my classes, and used a stencil for the flower. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to finish it before she left, but its getting close. I am experimenting with the bias strips to make the handle/strap for the bag.
I had great fun making a carrying case for Baltimore Album (or other) blocks this weekend. I’ve wanted to make this project for years, as I have watched friends carry their applique blocks in these beautiful and sturdy cases.
Large case holds up to 18" blocks
I was pleased to have the opportunity to take a class (taught by my friend Karen Pessia at the Quilted Crow in Boxborough, MA) which made putting the case together a snap! The case is made out of fabric-covered foam core boards cut to size, and some of the construction is a bit tricky. We received great directions and tips that helped us all speed through the sewing. Half of the class had their cases finished by the time they went home.
Smaller case on back holds up to 12" blocks
The basic pattern for this block carrying case is available in Baltimore Elegance, by Elly Seinkiewicz. The sample in the book has an embroidered monogram and suggested applique embellishments to the case as well. I decided it was a perfect opportunity for some machine quilting instead. I made a small quilted (and trapunto’d) monogram in a solid fabric which I added to the front of the case.
I made the smaller case (sewn to the back of the large case) out of a solid sateen fabric — to show off the machine quilting of course! I adapted a stencil for the quilting pattern here:
If I make another case, I would add more machine quilting to this smaller case, for additional stability.
The next time you are working on a project that calls for embellishment, consider machine quilting as an alternative to embroidery or applique. Small machine quilting projects like these are excellent practice, easy to quilt and fast to finish, and a great way to show off your love of machine quilting!
Now I need to start working on some blocks so I can use this case!
Is the thread tension too tight? Too loose? How do I fix it? One of the secrets to beautiful machine quilting is getting the best stitch you can with your sewing machine. But what does a good stitch look like? It is when the thread from the needle and the thread from the bobbin meet and cross over exactly in the middle of what you are sewing. When you are machine quilting, this crossing of the threads should be completely buried in the middle of your quilt sandwich. The bobbin thread will not poke up to the top of your quilt, and the top thread will not be pulled through to the back. (It’s especially easy to see this if you are using different color thread in the needle and the bobbin.)
Broken strings and harp assistant
The weather has been very changeable this summer, and it is important to check the thread tension every day for machine quilting, especially with weather changes. The summer weather – from hot and humid to cold and damp, and everywhere in between – wreaks havoc with threads of all type – including the natural gut strings on my harp. This is especially true in an un-airconditioned house!
Just like the gut strings on my harp, cotton and silk thread is a natural fiber that responds to the temperature and humidity in the environment. Last week as the weather changed day by day, from cool and damp to hot and humid, I dutifully adjusted the tension and checked the back of my piece every day. Everything seemed to be going well … but then I looked at the back again.
Hmmmm…. the threads on the back seem to be riding on top of the fabric, rather than being firmly anchored inside the quilt sandwich. I rechecked the top tension. I rechecked – and changed – the bobbin tension. I rethreaded the machine. Nothing helped – the stitch still didn’t look quite right.
So I picked up an old practice sample, determined to get it right. I stitched a few lines, and then looked at the stitching samples on this piece, remembering the first time I used it. I was demoing at my guild quilt show, and the tension became SO bad that I thought there was something wrong with my machine!
That time, I was surprised and a little embarrassed to find out it was just a bent needle. A bent needle? So maybe I should try a new needle!
And voila! like magic, the thread behaved just as it should and the machine was sewing that ‘perfect stitch’.
So this time, the solution to getting the right thread tension was not rethreading the machine or adjusting the tension in the needle or the bobbin, but replacing the needle. Sometimes it can be cleaning the lint out of your machine. I am sure there are even more solutions … what have you discovered?
Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, a brain scientist, remained conscious during a life-threatening stroke, and recovered to tell her story – from the inside out. She shares her insights into the workings of our brain, learning, creativity, and compassion – and much more – from her unique perspective. Once I watched this video, I had to learn more. Now I am reading her book (actually, Dr. Taylor is reading her book to me since I borrowed the audiobook from my local library).
If you know anyone who has experienced brain trauma, watch this video – and read her book. I wish I knew of Dr. Taylor before my dad died – he was disabled by multiple strokes at the end of his life – her ‘Stroke of Insight’ would have helped me understand what he was going through in those last days.
Thanks to Morna and her blog Bittersweet for introducing me to Dr. Taylor’s compelling story.
The first class I took with Diane Gaudynski in 2004 was the beginning of my passion for machine quilting, and Diane’s work and teaching continues to inspire me. Every time I think of classes I’ve taken with her, re-read her books, or search out new tidbits from her website, I am inspired all over again.
And now Diane has started a blog! chock full of beautiful photos and some of the best discussions about machine quilting you’ll find anywhere. So go visit her blog, and get quilting advice from the best!
I’ve subscribed to her blog, so every morning I peek into my Google Reader to see if there is a new post from Diane to enjoy. I haven’t been disappointed – last week she added a new post every day!
I have been assembling units for a pieced border this week and forgot how much I like using homemade starch.
I usually reach for the can of starch or sizing from the store, because it is just there. When I use it, I never know whether it will spray or dribble in globs out of the can. If it sprays, the starch also goes all over the ironing board, the floor, or other nearby furniture. This week I took 10 minutes and got a box of starch out of the kitchen cabinet and cooked up my own starch, using Diane Gaudynski’s recipe (which you can find on her website at the bottom of the monthly ‘Tips’ page).
I put it in a plastic spray bottle (no more metal aerosol can). Now I can control the spray and exactly where it goes! No more sticky globs… and the starch adds body and stiffness to my fabric without leaving white flakes all over everything. It really helps to tame those bias seams – almost eliminating distortion when piecing triangles or other bias-cut shapes. Of course, it’s also perfect for starching the back of your quilt just before you layer it for machine quilting. The additional stiffness of the backing makes it easier to avoid tucks or puckers while you are basting and quilting your quilt. And it helps your quilt slide more easily on the bed of your sewing machine when you are machine quilting.
I highly recommend using your own homemade starch!
P.S. Can you guess how many border units are in the picture above?
The New England Quilt Museum exhibited a selection of my small quilts in the Museum Shop during March and early April of this year If you were unable to visit Lowell to see the exhibit, here are some photos of the display.
I used a fun printed fabric for the back (which you see when you open the bag) and also in the braided strap and fabric button / tassle.
