I have a lot to show you today but first . . .
Some of you are you are confused about the back basting applique technique I talked about last week. Gay, from Sentimental Stitches, has a step by step tutorial. Gay is left handed so right handed people will be sewing the opposite direction. I noticed she marked on top of her fabric too.
Now onto the show & tell stuff!
Last Sunday afternoon I started quilting this snowman and I couldn't stop! I did all the quilting in an afternoon. Now I admit, there isn't a lot of quilting on this little quilt. I stitched in the ditch along the edge of the border fabric, then just outline quilted the embroidery.
Since this project was hand quilted, I hand sewed the binding on the back side.
On the backside you can see the straight line quilting in the border fabric.
Several commented on how perfect this stripped fabric was for the border. This was fabric left from the Zippy-Strippy quilt I made DIL 2 in June.
He finishes at 12" square and I'm displaying him in a picture frame. I had to take the picture from the side, there was a glare otherwise.
I'm not a seasonal decorator. If I think something looks nice, I display it, no matter what the season.
The pattern is Vintage Candy Cane Snowman by Crabapple Hill Designs. The pattern was purchased from the Pumpkinvine Quilt shop in Middlebury, Ind.
Since the embroidered snowman project is completed, I'm appliqueing again every evening. Block 22, Crossed Laurel Spray, of the Pastor's Attic Quilt has been started. Freezer paper in the back of the leaves is the technique I'm using for this block. Pictures next week.
I also got the king size pillow cases sewed. Yes, I am finished sewing pillowcases! At least I think I am, you never know for sure.
Last spring I finished two flimsies which were to be long arm quilted. They were both quilted by Tammy from the Three Sisters Fabric. Last week they came home. I've finished the binding and they are officially finished!
First is the Summer Lake Log Cabin quilt designed by Judy Martin. The pattern is found in her Log Cabin Quilt book. I purchased a kit from Lolly's Fabrics in Shipshewana years ago. I love how she has turned out.
This log cabin quilt finishes at 95" square which I think is a rather awkward size for a quilt, but it is what it is.
The colors that read as blue in the picture are actually purples.
A close-up of the center star.
The snail blocks in the center and the border are actually pieced the same as the log cabin blocks. It is just the placement of lights and darks that make a different design.
I used a purple whole cloth for the quilt back. The simple meandering stitch shows up nicely.
I also stitched both sides of the binding on my machine. The straight stitching on the back beside the binding doesn't bother me at all. I think it looks just fine.
The next quilt is Cherry Blossoms by Karen H. Her blog is Faeries and Fibres. (Click the heading Patterns by Karen H. She asks that people link to her blog, not directly to the patterns.)
This quilt is different colors than I normally use but I think she looks so peaceful and elegant. The 9-patches finished at 3" and the little HST are 1" finished.
Karen had a plain fabric border on her quilt but I added a pieced border. I thought the border was needed to add a definite stop to the center, it looked too plain. The binding is a flange binding.
Again this binding is machine sewn on both sides.
The backing fabric for both quilts came from Calico Point. They have the most reasonable priced quilts back of anywhere, including the online fabric stores. I like whole cloth backing, no piecing!
Here is a close up of some of the blocks.
This quilt was made entirely from my stash, even the background fabric!
She is quilted with meandering and measures 90" x 102". Karen's pattern finishes at 69" x 82" but I wanted it to be bed sized.
Both of these quilts will go on the pile to be given to the grandchildren as they become adults.
Linking to - Log Cabin Loonies, Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, Quilting is More Fun than Housework, Em's Scrapbag, Love Laugh Quilt, Super Mom - No Cape, Quilt Story, Esther's Wednesday WOW!, Sew Fresh Quilts, Silly Mama Quilts, My Quilt Infatuation, Crazy Mom Quilts, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, A Quilting Reader's Garden, Show Off Saturday
Several of you had questions about back basting for hand applique. I'm sure if you google that phrase, you'll find many sources to check out.
I've taken pictures of the block I'm working on for the Pastor's Attic Quilt. This is block 24, Crossed Pinecone Variation. The 4 corner fronds are completed and I'm ready for the center. I mark the design on the back side of the background fabric with a black Frixon pen. Straight pins go around the design so I can see on the front the position of the applique. (The outsides fronds have been appliqued, but the cream colored thread doesn't show.)
I lay my fabric on top, pin it outside the pins on the back. Next I turn it over to the back; remove the back pins and then with a larger needle and a high contrasting thread, I basted the design onto the red fabric.
After the fabric is basted to the front, I remove the pins. Using a pair of very sharp scissors, I trim the large piece of fabric from the design, making sure I leave a good 1/2" from the basting.
Then I very carefully trim around the outside of the design. Once that is completed, I very, very, very carefully cut between the curvy pieces.
Here is a blurry close-up photo.
There is a design in the center of the block but I won't trim that until I have the outside applique completed. I'm afraid the raw edges would fray too much.
I know this sounds complicated but it really isn't, it is just time consuming. I can't do freezer paper on the back of the design, too many problems removing it because of all the small protrusions.
Some people will cut slits in their background fabric under the applique to remove the freezer paper. I won't do that. We've all seen old antique quilts with the applique worn off. If there are slits in the back when the applique wears off, that quilt is ruined.
I've tried freezer paper on the top of my design, but it never stays attached.
Some people mark the top of the fabric with the design, baste to the background fabric, then needle turn. That is fine too, whatever works.
Two sides completed.
The four sides completed.
Inside star is appliqued. This was the hardest part to applique on this block. Not the best of applique, but I got her done!
Back side of the block. Since I used red thread, you can see how it lines up with the black pen. I don't always stay on the line, but I'm normally pretty close.
All pressed and looking pretty for the camera.
What's next? I'm going to take a vacation from applique and quilt my little snowman wallhanging.
Linking to - Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, Quilting is More Fun than Housework, Em's Scrapbag, Love Laugh Quilt, Quilt Story, Esther's Wednesday WOW!, Sew Fresh Quilts, My Quilt Infatuation, A Quilting Reader's Garden, Crazy Mom Quilts, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Show Off Saturday
Last week I told you about starting a Sisters Choice quilt since I already had the 9-patch blocks completed, and how I decided to cut the mutant flying geese differently than Bonnie Hunter said. I thought I would be saving some time by not messing with flippy corners and the extra HST's.
And remember, I didn't cut the rectangles the right length so I was needing to trim the 9-patches. I planned to trim the 9-patches after the mutants were sewn; which I am still waiting to do.
As I was sewing the star point rectangles or mutant flying geese (I don't really care what they're called) I realized that some of the rectangle length were cut slightly shorter than the other rectangles. UGH!
I finished sewing the HST's to the rectangles, pressed them, then started trimming them all to the same size. The width needed to be downsized to 2" (1-1/2" finished) and the length 5-1/2" (5" finished). I trimmed maybe 20 then decided I didn't want to spend time doing this right now. I want to sew! I did trim 1 9-patch block to the correct size and sewed the mutants onto her.
Then I wrote up notes, so I could know what I had been doing; then gently, neatly and carefully placed all the blocks and pieces into a ziplock bag and put the bag into a tub. Sister's Choice - Gretchen's Headache is now an official UFQ (unfinished quilt). I'll work on this project next winter when I have more time and patience.
I pulled out my embroidered snowman, trimmed him up and added a border.
Yes, this is actually what I needed, a finish! He may be only 13 1/2" by 15" but it is a flimsy and I have a sense of accomplishment.
These strips are 3" wide but that is more width than I will need. I'll trim after he is quilted. Mitering a printed stripe fabric is more challenging than a woven stripe. That is why the bottom left corner looks goofy.
I'll get him marked, then he'll be all ready for quilting.
Linking to - Esther's Wednesday WOW!, Sew Fresh Quilts, Jo's Junction, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, My Quilt Infatuation, Crazy Mom Quilts, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, A Quilting Reader's Garden, Show Off Saturday
The new grandchild arrived Monday morning at 3am, a healthy baby boy. My DIL's mother has been here for the week so I didn't have baby care but I had the 4-year-old part of the time.
I had an inquiry about the Pastor's Attic Quilt. The title of the book says A Baltimore Album - 25 Applique Patterns by Marsha D. Radtke. On page 9 of the introduction, Marsha talks about find the quilt in the attic of her parsonage/home. She calls the quilt The Pastor's Attic. This is the name I have chosen to call the quilt. If I called it The Baltimore Album quilt, how would you know which one I'm referring to since there are hundreds of Baltimore Album patterns?
This book is copyrighted 2009. I purchased it in '09 or'10. I had been appliqueing long enough that I wanted a project more challenging than what I had been working on, but I wanted the blocks to be more simple. So many applique blocks are too cluttered for my taste.
This picture is from when I purchased the fabrics for the quilt. You notice the book has a spiral binding. When I want a book to lay flat so I can easily trace the picture, I take it to Office Max or Staples and have them put a spiral binding on. It doesn't cost much at all and the book will open flat.
The Baltimore Album, The Pastor's Attic Quilt, was published by AQS. I checked their web-site and they still have it in stock as an e-book. Check this link if you are interested. If you are a member of AQS, you can purchase it for $16, non-members $20.
Anyway, I didn't get any prepping done this week for the Pastor's Attic quilt. So . . . I did this!
Last spring I had pulled several small embroidery projects I had hoped to work on this summer and prepped a few of them. Vintage Candy Cane Snowman was ready to go, so he has been my evening stitching project.
This pattern is for a pillow but I am going to turn it into a simple, small wallhanging.
I had to pull out my embroidery book to see how fly stitches and feather stitches are embroidered. I've never embroidered those stitches before.
This was so much fun, I started embroidering and couldn't put it down! I completed the needlework in one week.
I'm planning on putting this snowman into a picture frame, but I now need to get a frame so I can see what size to make the wallhanging.
Early last week, I had planned to print out the patterns for the Pastor's Attic Quilt so I could trace them onto the background fabric, but I was low on paper. I picked up printer paper Friday and printed off the rest of the blocks. Now I need to get them taped together and start tracing them. This will be a slow prep job.
I'm linking to - Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework, Em's Scrapbag, Love Laugh Quilt, Super Mom - No Cape, Quilt Story, Esther's Wednesday WOW!, Sew Fresh Quilts, Silly Mama Quilts, My Quilt Infatuation, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Show Off Saturday.
