Vertical Quilting Curve

I found this great little tutorial on making circles for your quilting projects. Over at Stitch. Rip. Repeat (great name don’t you think?) Beth gives you some great step-by-step photos for easy to do circles using freezer paper. Make sure you click on the photos to enlarge for close details.

quilting, applique, quilts, tutorials

After seeing an impressive quilt at a recent quilt show made by a 10 year old I was curious about teaching kids to quilt. I have a 6 year old who is very artistic but hasn’t shown much interest in my needlework pursuits yet. She doesn’t quite have the patience to sit still and learn a method that takes a lot of concentration even though she says she wants to learn. She is more interested in drawing and painting.

I did some searching to see what I could find to teach kids to quilt. Most sites said 8 years old is the age that you would start to teach to kids. Some of the projects included incorporating kids artwork into quilts either by them drawing/painting directly on the fabric or using a transfer method. I think my daughter would love to have her artwork made into a quilt and this would be a great way to preserve her early art experiences.

Here are some of the sites I found regarding kids and quilting:

HGTV.com had 2 articles - Leaf Quilting for Kids and Kids’ Quilting

The most extensive site I found was Quilting With Children by Heidi Craft. Here the site is broken down by age group including Kindergartners.

Also, Maria Peagler, on her blog, talks about teaching a couple of girls to make doll quilts and tips on teaching youngsters to use the sewing machine.

quilting, kids quilting, quilt education

Stitch with the Embroiderers’ Guild magazine is a magazine about embroidery and other stitching like no other I’ve found. It is a British publication started by the English Embroiderers’ Guild. It reminds me some of Quilting Arts but the emphasis is on embroidery instead of quilting.

The great thing is that if you like to embellish quilts or make embellished items you will love this magazine. The June/July issue that I have has instructions on how to embroider (not do smocking stitches) on smocked fabric, make designer fabric postcards, fusing fabrics, painting fabric and how to do faux chenille to make textured fabric. And of course, there is embroidery techniques and projects for framed pieces or pillows. One of the reasons I picked up this one yesterday was a pillow made out of burlap that has been embroidered with a darning stitch which makes it look woven. I could see using this in an art quilt.

quilting, embroidery, art quilting, crafts, quilt embellishing

Recently, I wrote an article about wire-edge ribbon for Craft Critique including a tutorial for making a ribbon rose. It proved to be very popular so I thought I would share it with you. You can also check out the article in its entirety by clicking here.

Second, roll the pointed end to the inside as seen in the next photo.
Next, fold the long length of ribbon down as shown. Then begin turning the small end toward you.

Continue to fold the ribbon down as you continue to turn the flower. When you reach the end pinch the bottom to temporarily secure the rose. Most instructions I’ve found say to use floral wire to secure but I find it stays better if you take a few stitches with needle and matching thread through the bottom.

quilting, ribbon, ribbon rose, ribbon flowers, tutorial

I have finished 4 more blocks to go with the very first one I made. I am really enjoying doing the English paper piecing technique and the fabrics I’ve chosen are making the blocks quite exciting and full or movement. I am working with mostly batiks but also throwing in some other abstract prints as well as a few solids. I think my next challenge is to add some more colors like some greens and yellows and probably some purples.

Question of the Day: What do you think?

quilting, English paper piecing, grandmother’s flower garden, quilt, batiks

I have been trying to organize my “studio” area but seem to get little accomplished especially when I keep finding things to do. Here is a little project from a class I took from Charlotte Warr Anderson at least 10 years ago. The workshop was called Pieced Pictures. In the class you got to choose from 2 pictures. You broke the picture down in pieces creating templates with joining points on each template. You would match these up and hand piece the pieces together. You could machine piece but it is easier to manipulate the fabrics with handwork.

I love horses which is why I chose that picture to learn on. I completed a majority of the piecing in class but then I got home and soon became busy and was on to a new technique. I did some more work on it before it finally went into a box of fabrics when I moved. When I found it again I was missing just one piece of the ground and just recently found it in another box. Who knows why it was separated from the project? But anyway, last night I finally put the last piece in and plan on making it into a wall hanging for my horse-loving daughter.

Here is a photo of the back.

Now, I just have to sit down and use this abstract piecing technique on one of my own drawings or photos. It is a unique way to piece and I really like doing the handwork. This piece could have been a little neater.

Question of the day: What is your oldest UFO and would you like to finish it?

quilting, quilt class, Charlotte Warr Anderson, quilts, quilt workshop

On my list of quilts to do is a t-shirt quilt. This is the method of taking all those t-shirts you have accumulated in your life as a result of vacations or events you took part in and cutting them up and sewing them into useful quilts. You don’t have to give away or throw away those shirts that give you so many memories (or maybe they just don’t fit anymore but you still love that darn shirt).

I have seen several quilts made with t-shirts where the basic construction is to cut out a square with the logo/design in the center but I have found one where the t-shirts have been cut up in various sizes and reconstructed in a very active visual style. On her flickr page, tiboutoo, has created a unique wedding gift using this style. She even has pictures of her process that gives you a good idea of how to put one together for yourself. What a great twist on a practical method!

Question of the day: Could you cut up t-shirts in this manner or would you rather have the big squares with the design in whole?

t-shirt quilt, quilting, quilted gifts, t-shirt crafts

I enjoyed trying out the English paper piecing technique so much that I had to do some more. So, last night I sat down and finished the block I started. I then got out my other Paper Pieces Dresden plate templates to attempt it. I purchased them at the same time I did my hexagon pieces at the Paducah quilt show. They have all been in my to do stack for ummm….about 10 years. Yikes, time flies fast and my stash of stuff grows ever larger. I guess it is about time to use some of my stuff up. I need an excuse to buy more…well, not really.

Anyway, I got 3 sections of the Dresden motif together before deciding to call it a night. The biggest difference doing this block compared to the hexagon is that you actually have to baste the fabric to the paper piece except for the curved edge. The curved area is basted along its edge and then gathered around the template. Unlike the method for the hexagon as shown in Sunshine’s Creations tutorial, the long edge of the Dresden piece is too long to not secure it to the paper which means this will probably take just a bit longer since I will have to take out the basting once the block is completed. But look at my sample, the 3 pieces lay so nice and flat with crisp edges. I wish I had more time to finish it. Maybe this weekend.

quilting, DIY, templates, quilt, dresden

One of my favorite crafting blogs has a wonderful tutorial on how to English paper piece. I have always wanted to try this method. I even purchased the pre-cut paper pieces when I went to the Paducah Quilt show several years ago. Sunshine’s Creations great close up pictures inspired me to try my hand at it. She also has great hints while showing you step-by-step.

I have to admit I really like this. A quilter I knew in Arkansas used to do these up whenever she had a spare moment. They are very portable to do which is another reason I decided to finally try it. My husband and I like to take road trips as well as visit family and I always feel a little guilty if I’m not actually creating something especially if we stop by quilt and yarn stores. I am really great at buying things but seem to not get much farther with my treasures when I get them home.

My sample here that I made used 1 1/4″ hexagon pieces. I am halfway to finishing one flower and it didn’t take very long at all. I would hate to have to actually cut out my paper pieces as well as my fabric pieces. Maybe if I had my own die-cutter then I would think about it. My paper is by Paper Pieces and the first place I located them on the Internet was The Calico Cat but they didn’t have my size. I guess if I run out (the package I have has 75) I will have to do further research or make my own. The good thing is you can reuse them a few times. Hopefully, I will make several blocks and wear them out.

Question of the day: Do you have portable work you do and where do you do it? It doesn’t have to be quilting.

quilting, DIY, templates, quilt, English paper piecing