Spring Blooms - mini quilt swap

I'm working on the back of the mini quilt. It looks like some butterflies are appearing. The white fabric is sparkly so I'm picking out some of the colors from that :)

Spring Blooms - mini quilt swap

Part of the front.

Juliet is most disappointed that this one is leaving our home. I may have to make another variation of it :)

Textile Corner - Landscape quilting

I've mentioned in previous postings that I am taking some landscape quilting classes taught by Shirley Paterson at LearningFA. I absolutely love this generous and very talented lady's work. Having said that I want to find my own "style" so to speak.

I've been trawling around the internet for months now looking at what is out there and today had an AHA moment.

Heather Lair does some fabulous landscapes. She combines fairly simple layouts with some gorgeous abstract quilting borders. I am definitely feeling inspired by what I saw.

www.mts.net/~rhlair/pages_galleries/land_quilt_01.html

It always goes back to some form of hand applique.

You would think that with all the sewing I've done over the years that machine quilting would not be a problem. Not so :) 

To help me overcome my machine quilting neurosis I ordered "60 Machine Quilting Patterns" by Pat Holly and Sue Nickels. It arrived in the mail a couple of days ago and I am in hog heaven. For a dunderhead like myself the layouts show you where to place the needle, what direction to go, where to start and end, and what it looks like when it's done. I'll be cutting up a lot of muslin fairly soon to start practicing. I also had John retrieve my other sewing machine from the back of the closet because I want to try using it for this project. I think this will also work well with the blocks I plan on putting together from "Grandma's Best Full Size Quilt Blocks."

Textile Corner - My favorite time of year

My favorite time of year is Easter. I get to celebrate the birth, life, atonement, death AND ressurection of our beloved Saviour, Jesus Christ.

I've signed up for a number of Easter/spring swaps and here are two in process. The postcards just have to have the back finished and the 6" quiltie is getting a hanger and an edge finish.

I enjoyed taking the same background fabric and doing different designs on top. What is the background - a batik with resist shapes that reminded me of eggs and colors that reminded my of gorgeous sunrises/sunsets.

There are a number of religious imageries within the pieces but you would have to know my life in detail to know what they are and what they represent :)

Lunchtime tutorial - applique heart - supply list

Fabric for block
Fabric for heart
Lightweight fusible interfacing
Rotary mat and cutter
61/2" quilt block template
5" heart template
scissors (yes they are Fiskars kids AND they are VERY sharp), embroidery scissors would also work well.
pencil and/or pen for marking lines
needle and thread (to match the heart fabric)
sewing machine and point turner.

Why am I doing this mini tutorial. Because Barbara at the Lady of Steeles Hand Embroidery Group asked me how to do it and I'm also making an Easter quiltie so I'm "killing two birds with one stone" so to speak :) AND all the spring cleaning I'm doing is starting to bring on my allergies (now you know why I have dust bunnies.) AND I needed a break from revising beginner Spanish. Excuses, excuses I just wanted to sew something !!!!!

Lunchtime tutorial - applique heart - machine sewing

Mmmm, well that up-load did not work the way I wanted it too.

Place the two hearts together with the dotted side of the interfacing facing the right side of the fabric.

Take them to your trusty sewing machine and sew 1/4" seam ALL the way round.

Lunchtime tutorial - applique heart - the tricky part

Now comes the "tricky" bit.

Trim back the fusible interfacing close to the stitch line then clip all the way round the fabric heart. I cut a notch at the top and bottom of the heart to make it sit better once it is turned. Make a long slit down the middle of the interfacing so that you can turn everything right sides out. Be very careful NOT to cut into the fabric heart. I usually cut a tiny notch into the interfacing then cut the slit on either side of it. I always go from top to bottom since for me it makes it easier to turn the heart.

Lunchtime tutorial - applique heart - turning and ironing

Now that you have turned your heart smooth the seam out, very carefully since the interfacing rips easily, by using your point turner - and yes I forgot to put that in the supplies picture.

Next turn your heart over and put it on the block in whatever position you want, take it to the ironing board and PRESS in place. Your fusible interfacing, if you have sewn everything correctly, should have the "glue" side facing the fabric block.

Book Corner - Beginning Applique - because enquiring minds have been asking :)

I absolutely love these two books and one of these days I will buy my own copies instead of borrowing them from our local library on a fairly regular basis :)

Hand Applique by Mimi Dietrich and Machine Applique by Sue Nickels.

Textile Corner - "Pink Butterfly" wall-hanging - a work in progress

I have a number of quilt blocks sitting in a drawer that I am turning into small wall-hangings - approx. 12"x12". This is the one I am currently working on. I have some more hand embroidery to do to the center block and I am contemplating doing some beading along the bottom edge. Mmmmmmm seems to me I now have a number of small projects waiting for me to get the beading done :)