Lee's Chandelier Quilt Along with Emmy Grace Fabric
Lee Heinrich of Freshly Pieced Modern Quilts made this gorgeous quilt from my Emmy Grace fabric line for a really fun (and free!) quilt along on Bernina's blog, We All Sew, which starts today!
Thank you, Lee and Bernina!
Happy quilting, you all!
Round Robin Love with Valori
Valori and I had discussed this idea briefly in the past, and I'm so glad we are getting it together. We decided to trade a set of fat quarters each... I sent her my "Bijoux" and she sent me her "Wish". The idea is to start with a 12.5" center, mixing our fabrics and solids of our choice, send it back to the other person, and then she puts on a border. We each managed to get our centers done pretty quickly and here are results. Next we will each add a 6" border round. Can't wait to see!!!
Val's center.
My center.
Many moons ago, I got it in my head that the ogee shape would make an incredible quilt. I still contend that it might. However, back then, sure I knew what I was doing, I made a template, and cut right into some of my most precious fabrics (from my first three fabric lines) to make the horror shown below. I know it might look pretty (from a giant distance and through the screen), but in truth each one of those pieces is so puffed out it looks like a darned bra cup. I wouldn't joke about such a thing either. It's hideous. Every one of those seams is folded over... it's a disaster of epic proportions. And it's wrinkled because frankly I threw the thing in a box never to be looked at again... until now.
This was before I knew about glue basting. And certainly before I knew about Sharon Schamber and her lovely daughter, my good friend, Cristy Fincher and Piec-lique.
Naturally, since this quilt I have been afraid to do anything that remotely resembles a curve. Although, I did get really brave with my glue basting for quilt market and did some Jean Wells style piecing for a few backgrounds. I owe it to the glue that they lay flat. They actually lay beautifully flat.
But I was still not convinced I could do something as complicated as say, a double wedding ring. But Miss Cristy convinced me that I could with Piec-lique. I ordered the dvd from Cristy and Sharon's double wedding ring pattern and followed the directions. I can't tell you how happy with the results. Truth told, I've been seeing some double wedding rings in progress out there lately... and I gotta tell ya the double wedding ring is not easy. I'm seeing lots of pinched seams, puffing and any number of mis-matched points. I know it's not the results people are looking for. With this technique, you get none of that. I'm loving the results I'm getting on this WIP for my parent's 50th wedding anniversary (they'll get it by their 51st hopefully). Meanwhile, I'm hoping to use the piec-lique technique for an ogee quilt. It's gotta work. I'm convinced that with the right techniques, *almost* anything is possible. Live and learn.
If you like hand stitching your bindings, here is a fun way to add a little extra handmade love to your quilts.
On this Bijoux quilt, I used 3 strands and a stem stitch to finish the binding on the back. Just stitch as you normally would, but make it visible with the stem stitch instead of a blind stitch. I love how this turned out.
Part one. More tomorrow(ish).
This doesn't happen much, but this time it all turned out just like it was in my head... 6 runners to show different ways you can use Bijoux in quilts, and a centerpiece with drama.
The dress has a halter top with an asymetrical lined skirt. The hemline is all fabric collage.
Below, you will see that it is true... I have a bugger up my butt about the term "low volume" in reference to color value. I prefer the term "low color value" as it is artistically accurate. Not only that, "Low Volume" hurts my feelings (not really hurts my feelings... more comically hurts my feelings) ... why, I think, would anyone should call color "loud"? I get that ones eyes need a place to rest, but in my little world, color is a vibrant expression of "life" as opposed to "loudness". Yo. I ain't loud. Hrrrmmpppfff. This quilt is my small ode to anti-establishment and rebellion. I must admit, I like the irony of a "low color value" background (all curved pieced strips) with eyepopping, colorful Bijoux text.
Moving along... next to the Value Color quilt is an improved log cabin piece with my hand embroidered caravan in the center.
The quilting on "Value Color" was done by Maddie Kertay. The Log Cabin improv quilt was quilted by Michelle Schmersahl.
More closeups tomorrow(ish). And more quilts. And more about market itself.
Curved Edge Dresden Plate How To
I love this quintessantial 1920s quilt block so much, and it's much easier to make than you'd think.
I made one of these as a pillow for my quilt market booth for Splendor 1920 and have just made an updated version that I'm about to turn into a pillow as well. This time, I used two Art Gallery Elements fabrics for the backgrounds to give the vintage dresden an updated look. Here's how I made my dresden and the background.
Materials Needed:
8 fabrics for the dresden petals (12" x 12" is plenty), 1 fabric (4") for the center, 2 fabrics (1/3 yard each) for the background
2/3 yard of fusible fleece (this will give you extra)
fat quarter of muslin
Washable Elmer's Glue
Needle and matching thread for applique
Thread conditioner like Thread Heaven (optional)
Download pattern: Download Dresdenplate_templates
Cutting:
Cut 16 Dresden petals and 1 circle center from the attached pattern. I used Splendor 1920 in the "Elegance" colorway for all of the petals and Oval Elements Licorice for the center (note: one of the most important parts of getting the dresden to lay flat will be really accurate cutting. Too much or too little fabric will cause the plate to bow and lay all loopy-ish.)
Cut 2 - 9 1/2" Oval Elements Licorice and 2 - 9 1/2" Living Elements Ebony for the background
Cut one piece of fusible fleece 18 1/4" x 18 1/4"
Step by step:
1. Piece the four pieces of elements together in a square for the background. I alternated prints.
2. Lay out your dresden design. I went with a design in color order from darkest to lightest. When I'm satisfied with my layout, bring it over to the sewing machine on a small cutting mat to keep it in order. I've been known to move them around if I don't leave them just so. You can also take a quick phone photo of your layout to remember the order.
2. Place the first two petals right side together, and sew together along one edge using a 1/4" seam allowance. (Note: As I mentioned before, accurate cutting is super important. A super accurate seam allowance is also imperiative.)
3. Keep adding petals until all 16 are attached, then sew the first petal to the last petal.
4. Press all of the seams to one side.
5. Place the dresden right side down on the piece of muslin. Pin it in place.
6. Cut the muslin to the shape of the dresden.
7. With the dresden still pinned to the muslin, bring it to the sewing machine. Set your machine to a slightly shorter stitch. Mine is usually at 2.5, so I bring it to a 2.0. This helps to go around small curves. Starting at a seam, sew around one curve of a petal using a 1/4" seam allowance. When you get to the next seam, stop, pivot at sew to the next seam. Repeat until you've sewn the entire way around the dresden.
8. Press to set the stitches. Snip to but not through the seams all the way around the dresden. It will be especially important to snip at the seams between petals to avoice bulk at the points.
9. Turn the dresden right side out through the hole in the middle. Press well. I use a pin to pull each seam neatly out. It's important to really take your time doing this to avoid puckers and points.
10. Place fabric circle and the muslin circle right sides together, and sew together using a 1/4" seam allowance.
11. Snip to but not through the seams as you did for the dresden.
12. Pull the muslin away from the fabric and snip an x through the muslin. Turn throught this hole. Press well.
13. Place the dresden exactly centered on the background. Use elmers glue to hold in place. Press to set the glue. (This washes out.) Do the same for the circle on the top.
14. Fuse the fleece to the wrong side of the base.
15. Using a blind stitch, stitch the dresden to the background. This is how you applique by hand. If you are familiar with hand sewing binding, it's like that, except that I take even smaller stitches.
A blind stitch is just that, blind. You won't be able to see it when you are done. Here's how...
15a. Start at the top of the fabric and bring the needle through the background taking less than a 1/4" stitch.
15b. Exactly where the needle came up, place the needle into the dresden taking less than 1/4" stitch right in the fold (the edge of the fabric) of the applique (dresden).
15c. Exactly where the needle came out of the edge of the applique fabric, place it back down into the base fabric. Continue until the entire applique is sewn in place.
Note: My Rule of thumb here is, if you can see the needle between stitches, you'll be able to see thread.
You can see below where I've taken about five stitches along.
Once you have the entire dresden and the circle center stitched in place, you are ready to quilt as desired. I did a different design on each petal and then an all over flower for the background. Now I'm ready to make this into a pillow! The instructions for pillow making will be in a separate post.
Splendor 1920 Modern Crazy Quilt
About to send her out the door for quilting, but I thought I'd show her off a bit before she's gone for some time.
I started this quilt in early December. I decided to make a crazy quilt because the style was extremely popular in the Victorian era. And I also wanted to show how the prints can be used in small bits. To give it a modern twist, I separated the blocks with sashing (Pure Elements in Nocturnal by Art Gallery) and set the blocks on point. It is comprised of 25 - 12 1/2" blocks which are foundation pieced on muslin. I used the stitch and flip method as I did on these string block coasters. They are set on point with 2 1/2" sashing. I then added 14" borders on the left and right and 6 1/2" borders on the top and bottom to make a king size of 110" wide by 98". The fabrics are, of course, all from Splendor 1920.
Because I can never leave well enough alone (as you know, more is more in my world), I added little bits of collage here and there. I simply cut out motifs and free motion quilted them raw edged to the top of the quilt.
Additionally, I used my Aurifil 12wt set to stitch the top of several blocks. I did this using my machine and I had 28 weight in the bobbin. The muslin base stabilized the work nicely. I decided not to do the whole thing with stitching as I didn't want to ruin the modern affect I'd created by going too overboard with details.
Now to make a back and send her off to be quilted!
November/December Adventures in Quilting and Sewing: Part Three
My two months of non-stop sewing continues...
I also started a crazy quilt with Splendor 1920 this month. I'll need 25 of these blocks to finish, but I'm well on my way with 15. I'm really excited.
This are constructed using muslin as a base. And sewing using the "stitch and flip
method. I simply place a piece of scrap fabric, right side up on top of the muslin. Then a second piece is placed on top right side facing the first piece. I then sew a 1/4" seam allowance, and flip the second piece right side up, and press. I continue until I've filled the entire square. Then I trim to the original block size. Which, in this case is 12 1/2" unfinished.
Obviously each of the blocks end up looking completely different, depending on what scrap I happened to grab...
There are some in which I left the selvedges on... My mom asked me why I "left the tags on"...
And I've decided to decoratively top stitch random blocks with my Aurifil 12 wt Splendor 1920 box of threads. I did these all on the machine! Not by hand.
And there will also be random blocks that I've free motion quilted raw edged motifs to... for little added surprises everywhere.
I plan to make this a king size quilt as I have never actually made a quilt for my own bed, believe it or not. So in the end it will be five rows of five squares set on point with 2 1/2" sashing.
I'm using "Nocturnal" from Art Gallery Pure Elements collection for the sashing.
Still and yet... I had gifts to make this month too. All the crazy quilting and free motion quilting did lead up to that... I'm getting there... see part four for more.
November/December Adventures in Quilting and Sewing: Part Two
After I finished my sister's quilt, I moved on to that table cloth ... you know, the one that I made the mitered border video for? After we got home from our trip to Colorado for Thanksgiving I got to work quilting it. Here are some of the work in progress photos... I'll show more from the back than the front as you can see better. I ended up not using batting but just flannel on the back, because I wanted it to drape well on the table. But now that I've worked so hard quilting it, I'm not sure about that decision. Batting would make the quilting stand out more.
I did swirls all over the center and then for the peacock feather borders, I decided I wanted to do feathers. Of course, I didn't know HOW to do feathers, so I looked it up and found instructions somewhere on the internet... I'm sorry I can't find the original link, but there are a lot of tutorials out there. Here's my practice piece. Oy. Vey.
And here, I got brave and put it on the quilt... I echoed around the feathers and then put swirls next door... to the left.
And on the floral inner borders... flowers.
As of right now, I've got one more inner border left, then I have 4 outer borders. Quilting takes a long time, but it's SO worth it.
I thought I'd add, since I know some will ask... I quilt on a Juki tl2010Q ... It's a straight stitch/quilting machine and I LOVE it!
And the fabric, of course, is Splendor 1920.
14 Days of LillyBelle... Day 6. String Block quilted coasters.
I have a party to go to later this week. So, I thought I'd make a hostess gift today. At this point, I have a ton of scraps, so I thought a string block would be perfect. Together, four coasters make one string block and I think they look fantastic on a coffee table layed out like this... Make a whole bunch and you can mix and match.
Here's how you make them...
You will need:
a fat quarter of muslin
a fat quarter of batting or fusible fleece (I used the fleece)
Scraps
A fat quarter for the back of the coasters
Coordinating Thread (I used four Aurifil colors from the Pat Bravo Quilter's Heart box set: 2132, 2420, 5006 and 2311)
Cut:
4 each backing, batting/fusible fleece and muslin at 4 1/2" x 4 1/2"
Cut strips of varying sizes at least 7" long
Assemble:
1. Lay a strip, right side up on top of a muslin square on the diagonal.
2. Lay a second strip on top of the first piece raw edges matching and right sides together.
3. Sew a 1/4" seam along the raw edge.
4. Flip the top piece over and press in place.
5. Continue piecing in this manner until the entire square is covered.
6. Turn your finished square over on top of your cutting mat so you can see the muslin, and use your rotary cutter and ruler to trim to the size of the square.
7. Fuse the fleece to the wrong side of each of your finished squares.
8. Place the backing and front of the square right sides together and sew around three sides.
9. For the fourth side, baste the seam.
10. Trim the corners.
11. Press all seams open.
12. With a seam ripper, open a small portion of the basted edge. (note: I had you close it and open it so that you would have a nice line to turn the edge under.)
13. Turn the coaster through the opening.
14. Press the open edge in 1/4" toward the wrong side.
15. Edge stitch around the four sides of the coaster closing the open side.
16. Quilt as desired. I simply quilted straight lines 1/4" apart until I got to the center... That way, I didn't have to lift the needle or cut thread. i.e.: It was fast.
Happy sewing!
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