Let’s learn how to sew a Mrs. Bryan’s Choice quilt block today. I seem to be on a “Choice” run lately! Maybe I’ll keep on it for awhile since there are several named that way – Mother’s Choice, Sister’s Choice, etc. I assume someone’s mother/sister must of really liked the block!
Farmer's Wife block no. 16 - patched. You can find all my Farmer's Wife 1930s quilt blocks over at the Patchsmith's blog.
A Colorwash quilt is one in which the placement of colored squares mimics the color wheel with the lightest area near the center and darkest areas in the corners. On a cloudy morning One thing is obvious - The gradual transition from almost white (in or near the center) to almost black (at the edges/corners) is the essence of making such a quilt. But everything else is subjective. Colorwash Layout (almost) The Colorwash 360 class taught by Wanda Hanson of Exuberant Color came with many organizing tips and lots of guidelines were provided but most of the actual design process is Trial and Error. This was the first time (I think) this class was offered. So there were no previous reviews to help me decide whether I should sign up for this class. At $297, it is the most expensive class I have ever taken. And that was just the beginning. I also needed at least 300 different fabrics. A kit was priced at $175. I decided against it. Organizing (not all my stash) When I finished organizing my fabric in preparation for the class, I realized I needed more fabric. I bought about 20 different charm packs (from MSQC, FQS, Craftsy, and Hancocks) for a wide range of colors and values. That was about $150. I begged Jennifer for browns and Mari helped me with dark greens. At the design wall Lots more cutting and organizing and preparing. Lots of time at the design wall. Lots of trial and error. Place a few squares, step away, notice the issue, come back to the wall and fix it, step away, notice another issue at another place. Repeat. Lots of do-overs. Lots of frustration. Progress One of the problems with such a quilt is that it is never really done because you can always improve it. Swap out that one square, or move that other one so that it flows better, so that there is not a sharp jump from one value to the next. Are we there yet? Eventually I decided to call it done. And the final layout met with universal approval. Breathtakingly beautiful, one of my non-quilty friends remarked. A co-worker, who has artistic leanings and used to paint (before the mind-numbing number crunching destroyed his soul) said - Don't change a thing. Almost Flimsy The sewing together of the squares was not without issues either. Wanda had suggested we make a 5 by 5 square block to practice the webbing. I made one and knew that I needed more practice keeping seams straight and uniform. So I made another and another and one more to get the hang of it. 5 by 5 layout for webbing practice Clipped and Numbered No slippage Begin practice sewing Continue practice sewing Webbed but wonky One thing became abundantly clear to me - This class was out of my league. Not one but four practice pieces Generally speaking, I sew two pieces together with a scant 1/4" seam, iron it open, square and move to the next piece. THAT is how my points match and seams stay straight. But in the webbing process, there is no room for correction. From start to finish you rely on sewing accurate and straight seams. Yeah, not for the (relative) newbie like me. And although I followed the webbing process the best I could, the seams do not match in many places. Begin actual sewing Halfway done Finished Top - So Crooked Once the top was completed, mismatched seams notwithstanding, I made the binding. Layered the batting and the backing and waited for the invisible thread to arrive in the mail, while I read up on how to quilt with invisible thread. After reading all the stories about tension and rapid unspooling, I decided against it. I worked on other projects. The inspiration for the quilting pattern came from Pat Graham, another student in the Colorwash360 class. Wanda had shared some of the completed quilts. Pat's quilt had a circle in the middle with rays radiating to the edges. Begin quilting I chose to quilt an octagon in the center and spiral it out. I marked the top on Friday evening and quilted on Saturday. I used Aurifil 40 weight thread, color 2600 for the quilting. Octagon in the middle The hand binding was completed on Sunday. I then pinned it to my design wall to admire it. The Blue/Purple corner Yellow Green Orange Brown Red to Red Orange to Orange The Red Corner The Blue, Blue-Green, Green Corner Paul: This may be the best quilt you've ever made. Preeti: It does have great visual appeal. Paul: Does it have a name? Preeti: Mixed Feelings. Paul: Mixed, how? Preeti: Because it was a frustrating process with a spectacular outcome. Also, this was an excellent class at an exorbitant price. Dragonfly caught in the Spiderweb Paul: Was it worth it? Preeti: I don't know. Paul: Oh come on. Preeti: OK, if I made a dozen colorwash quilts and I could sell at least 3 or 4 of them, then it would be worth the investment. Paul: Are you going to make more of these colorburst quilts? Preeti: Not sure. If someone offered me a boatload of money for a commissioned piece, I may be inclined to make another one. Octagonal Spiral Quilting Paul: So no? Preeti (agitated) : Geez, thanks for the vote of confidence, Paul. Occasionally, I HAVE received money for my quilts. Paul (calmly): Was it a boatload? Preeti (subdued): Not really. Paul: So the answer is that it was NOT worth it. Preeti: The answer is may be it was worth it. May be in 10 years. I can't say. Bound and Labelled Paul: Forget the expenses part. Did you learn a lot? Preeti: Yes, a LOT. May be too much too soon. Paul: What does that mean? Preeti: Like a middle school kid taking a college course. I struggled with it. Paul: Then why did you sign up for it? Preeti: I wanted to take the class because Wanda Hanson is an accomplished quilter. Her body of work is very impressive. I just did not know what it would entail. I saw no reviews. Paul: But why not wait a few years? Preeti: Wanda is 78 years old. She may stop teaching by the time I am actually ready to take the class. The Tiger lurks in the shadows Paul: So you had to do it and now. Preeti: It had to be now and I was ill-equipped. Paul: You? Ill-equipped? Not possible. Preeti: If you have been quilting for longer, you have a bigger stash to work from. I did not. More importantly, there are things about color and value that you learn over the course of time. These come naturally to more experienced quilters, but I had to learn in a compressed time frame. Hence the struggle and the frustration. It was hard work. Paul (mockingly): And you are not used to hard work, my American princess!!! Preeti (mockingly as well): Not any more. I am a spoiled American now. When I spend $500, all the work should be done for me, automatically. Paul: Well, I love Mixed Feelings. Preeti: Of course you do. You are enjoying the outcome without having to endure the painful process. The quilt looks back at you Paul: What process? Preeti: The process of making this quilt was like a long, painful, and difficult labor with a huge hospital bill. The baby is absolutely beautiful, angelic and everyone instantly falls in love with her. Only the mother knows the pain. Paul: Actual physical pain? Preeti: Yes. My back hurt from standing too long at the design wall - arranging and re-arranging the squares in the upper half. My butt hurt from sitting too long on a foot stool (placed a cushion on day two) while working on the lower section of the design wall. And then I was afraid like a new mom, (it took forever to come up with an appropriate quilting design) to not mess up the beautiful baby. And just like a pregnancy, I am sure the next one will be easier. It may be a while (or a very long time) before I contemplate a second Colorwash baby. Paul (walked menacingly towards the quilt): Well, if the quilt reminds you so much of the painful process... Preeti: Get out. Nobody touches my baby! Mixed Feelings I have shared my process, my frustration, my true feelings and the final outcome so that you can make an informed decision. And I ask for the same in return - your honest opinion. Don't try to be nice, just be true. I will be sharing with all my favorite linky parties, see full list on the sidebar.
A rag quilt cutting guide to help you get started on a basic rag quilt. This is a great sewing and quilting project for a beginner. Once you are confident in your skills you can vary the pattern. A rag quilt is a great use of fabric scraps and old clothes.
I’m back with another jelly roll quilt pattern! This quilt is super easy to piece and comes together in a flash! It’s perfect for beginning quilters or any quilter who needs a quick finish.
This week’s Friday FREEbie, Kinabalu, was selected by associate editor Gigi Khalsa for our I Love This Quilt! page in the new Nov/Dec 2016 issue of McCall’s Quilting. Designed by Jinny Beyer, this design lends itself well to experimentation. And
Summer was wonderful! We had lots of hot summer days spent in the pool and at the waterpark. We did some camping and got a zillion mosquito bites. But it went by quickly! Now the kids are back in school, the temperature is definitely cooler, and life is crazy... but more on that later. Right now I want to show you part of what kept me busy all summer long. One of my customers, Rinda, brought me five very different quilts. (Sadly, I only remembered to take pictures of four of the quilts). This was a great creative outlet for me since the quilts were all so different! The first quilt was done with the Pro-Stitcher. I love the preciseness of computerized quilting, but it's not always as easy as some might think. Just learning how to use the program takes time. And once you start the machine, you do have to babysit it. The bobbin thread eventually runs out and if you don't notice it right away, you have to reset the computer and requilt it. Some of the fancy machines will stop when the thread breaks or the bobbin thread runs out, which is a great feature to have! I used an Oak Leaf pattern on this quilt. I thought it fit with the fall colors of the quilt. The second quilt was my first experience with a Stack-and-Whack quilt. The fabric pattern and colors felt a bit Oriental to me. I thought it was absolutely beautiful! This is another quilt I probably would not have ever made before seeing it. That is why I am so grateful for the variety of my customer's quilts. The exposure is so good for me. It helps me step out of my comfort zone and see the beauty of variety! The third quilt is a fun snowman quilt. It was cute and easy to quilt. The last quilt I fell in love with. Why? Because I love quilts that create unique designs with the use of light and dark fabrics. I am a huge fan of Judi Madsen of Green Fairy Quilts, and have been wanting to try some ruler work like she does. I don't know if I came very close, but I was still pleased with this attempt. I designed the border using Art and Stitch and quilted it out using the Pro Stitcher. Rinda has actually moved away to Arizona, but I have a feeling we'll be in touch again. She's a great quilter and a great lady. I know I've said it before, but I feel like I'm so lucky to do what I do! I mean, seriously, when you hug your customers goodbye, you know you have a great job! :)
I love the look of these scrappy bear paw blocks and think these would be fun to make.
Quilt-As-You-Go is so much more than just log cabins! Try this new Blooming Quilt Pattern technique for a fun effect.
This has to be one of the most fun quilts I've done in a long time. Charlene, who loves her hexies, says that this quilt is the result of making a quilt from a tiny picture, without any idea of what the final size would be. It just kept getting bigger and bigger. It endedup over 100 inches square. It was a bit of a challenge coming up with a quilting design for this. She wanted an overall design, but one that would fit with the feel of a vintage type hexagon quilt. Of course, the first thing that came to my mind was feathers. I do love to do feathers. The quilt has three distinct areas on it, that I decided to emphasise with different feather fills. The center of the quilt has a feather meander that goes in a circular motion around each of the large hexagon collections. There's lots and lots of movement there. For the inner border motifs, I used the band of green hexagons as the guide for the placement of the spines for the feathers, which then extended to fill the white background areas. The hexagon flowers in the middle of that border got their own feathers, to form the shape of a flower. The corner sections of the quilt got a simple back and forth feather meander. The outer white and green borders got their own feathers. It was so much fun being able to indulge in so many feathers in one quilt. This one was a joy to do.
Over 25 ideas for heart-inspired Valentines Day sewing projects including free tutorials for quilts, quilt blocks, pillows and handmade bags.
Earlier this week I shared my latest quilt finish, a Shadow Block Mini Quilt. Today, you can make one, too. One very important thing to...
Explore namolio's 944 photos on Flickr!
A rich history is always in fashion, especially for quilts! Betsy Chutchian's first book with It's Sew Emma combines 1800's inspiration with current sensibilities for eight opulent quilts. I was invited to participate in a book sew along for Classic Heirloom Quilts and It's Sew Emma and the Fat Quarter Shop. Of course, I didn't stick with traditional civil war colors. I promptly rummaged through my newly organized 1.5" strips and went to town. Each quilt offers three size options of mini, lap and queen, and some can be made from modern-day precuts. The book has 8 great classic quilts and I chose the Stepping Out Mini. { obligatory cute cat photo on a pile of fabric} As you know I have been sorting my scraps and strips. This little quilt was a perfect way to use some of them. I built it brick by brick. This is not a beginner quilt. The pattern clearly states the number of pieces for each option. I found I needed to count the number in each strip and piece it diagonally. Once the center is trimmed it will be all bias edges. I recommend attaching the borders and THEN trimming the 'ears' away from the sides, top and bottom to control the bias. The result is a beauty of a mini. I can't wait to quilt it....
When we fuse a small work it helps to start with an idea of the finished size. Then the pieces we use will be to scale. 1. Cut your battin...
How To Make A Puff Quilt The Easy Way ~Bubble Quilt ~ Puffer Quilt. Free sewing Tutorial
Quilt pattern to make a “Building Blocks” quilt. Pattern designed by Sarah from Sarah’s Softies Quilt finishes at 34” x 45” with the option to make larger. Perfect for a crib or toddler bed! Pattern is a digital download that will be added to your account (or a link emailed to you if a guest). Machine pieced pattern. -Sarah’s Softies- Quilted with Love and Bound by Hand
July block for HST quilt-along. Made from DS Quilts Sugar Creek and Kona Snow. Blogged here.
In January, our guild had an “Out with the old” challenge, where we were to use up some of the oldest fabric in our stash. Back when I first started quilting (I think around 2006), I bought four packages of 100 floral 4″ charm squares on eBay. The person selling them was putting them up […]
Scrappy Dappy Quilt My Scrappy Dappy quilt is finished. Yay! It's nice to have a finished quilt to share, especially one as bright and rainbowy as this one. I played along with So Scrappy last year and made the scrappy quarter log cabin blocks through the year. My goal was to have it finished by the end of 2021... and I kinda did... but I ran out of time to do the quilting and binding. Now, about the binding. I posted a reel over on instagram with how I was doing my binding. It seems that my method was new to a lot of people, so I created a second reel to answer questions and share some measurements. I cut the fabric strips 1.75" and sew them end to end as normal. I use my regular sewing machine foot (rather than the 1/4" quilting foot) and move the needle across a space or two to the left. I like a wider binding. Once it's all sewn around the edge of the quilt with the mitred corners, I sew the binding tails together and finish attaching it. I like to hand sew the binding on the back. It's one of my most favourite parts of the quilting process. I turn the quilt to the back, fold the raw edge of the binding over and then over again so that it covers the machine stitching, then slip stitch it all in place. Easy peasy and it uses less fabric than the usual double fold binding. Scrappy Dappy Quilt I've used this method for the last half dozen years or so and have never had a problem with the binding coming loose or apart. How do you like to sew your binding to your quilts? Machine sewn or the slower hand stitching method?
How To Make A Puff Quilt The Easy Way ~Bubble Quilt ~ Puffer Quilt. Free sewing Tutorial
I had such fun using these 1930’s vintage reproduction fabrics for this quilt. They remind me of when I was young and my great grandmother died and I was given a large tin of her fabrics tha…
i think it's time for another quilt block tutorial, don't you? this one is called ‘broken dishes’. it's a really simple block to make and...
Reuse, repurpose and refashion your old worn out blue jeans with this bumper list of over 25 amazing diy ideas for old jeans.
Part 1 was on prep and layout, part 2 was on the sewing and cutting. One note and correction point on part 2 : I said it would take 3 hou...
Ok. Summer's officially over now. We went to Europe, we went to the shore, I gardened...but now its time to look at quilt, to sew quilts, ...
On request, here is the PDF pattern is for my original "Eclipsed" sun and starry sky quilt. The pattern includes step-by-step instructions with diagrams to help you. It combines traditional piecing with some foundation piecing and a bit of applique. The quilt measures approximately 35" x 45". Upon receipt of payment you will receive an email from Etsy advising that your file is ready to download. The email contains a link which will take you to where the PDF files are stored on Etsy which you can download immediately at your convenience. My patterns are copyright. Please do not share them or make copies. Feel free to make as many quilts from this pattern as you like for personal use, gifts and charity fundraising. However, please do NOT use this pattern to make quilts to sell.
From Our Little Handmade Home comes this easy-to-make table runner. Made from strips, it has a great scrappy look to it. The tutorial comes complete with cutting and sewing instructions. …
House quilts really appeal to us, maybe because "home is where the heart is." With dozens of FREE quilt patterns... which house will you cho...
Tutorial on Designing a Strip Pieced Watercolor: Rather than re writing this info, here are the links for a 3 part tutorial to create a ...
Yesterday, Bobbie and I, and Flora (Bobbie’s friend from Perth) went to Bunbury to participate in a quilt workshop. Michelle from Raggedy Stitches was our teacher for the day, and the worksho…
