Finishing your quilt ~ lots of links

Wow, I can never believe how far you guys come in 8 weeks. From not knowing how to thread a sewing machine or which colours go together, to having the skills you need to finish a quilt. In eight weeks, that’s pretty awesome. Very well done to all of you and I hope that this is just the beginning of your creative journey with fabric.

Patchwork and quilting is probably a lot more technical than many of you had hoped. There’s a new language to learn (reverting to inches!!), lots of tools to buy and tricky techniques to learn. You don’t need to remember every lesson in each of your quilts. You could decide to only make machine pieced quilts or that applique is now your passion. I hope that by showing you all the possibilities you can go forward confidently and at least know where to start next time you want to make something or tackle a pattern.

I am wary that there was a lot of information in last night’s class. Someone mentioned we actually need two lessons on finishing your quilt but then which other lesson would I cut out? I think that with last night’s tips, the notes I gave you and a few well documented online tutorials you should be ok but if you’re not, please feel free to contact me.

Hope to keep in touch via our mailing list and can’t wait to see all your finished quilts. I’d love to post photos of them here on my blog so send me the piccies.

Here’s one that was put together last night. Using the nine patchwork blocks, 3” sashings and corner stones this is now a 40” quilt top. By adding 5” borders that brings it up to 50”, or you could add more if you want a bigger quilt.

Only we quilters know how much effort and time goes into making these precious first quilts so give yourselves a big pat on the back ~ What a fantastic job!

Here are the links I mentioned that I believe will be helpful as you finish your quilts:

Great binding tutorial with step by step photos on how to achieve neat mitred corners and smooth joins. http://pir8.freeservers.com/quilting/ending-double-fold-binding/index.htm 

Want to give hand quilting a go? This tutorial has lots of photos as well as explaining the tools and materials to use :http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/3734/perfect-your-hand-quilting-stitch 

Quilt too big to fit under your domestic machine? Quilt as you go is an option: http://fiberfocus.blogspot.com.au/2008/11/how-to-machine-quilt-large-bed-quilt-on.html 

There are lots more links here from preparing your quilt top for quilting to how to label your quilt: http://www.victorianaquiltdesigns.net/FinishingYourQuilt.htm 

Good luck and stay in touch xx Lorena

Bigger layout options for your sampler quilt

So you want a bigger quilt? I usually don’t recommend that beginners work on very large quilts as they are difficult to quilt on a domestic sewing machine. It’s probably better to make a small project first, to understand what’s involved and to learn all the techniques. Having said that my first quilt was 88” (224cm) so I understand the compulsion to make your first quilt for your own bed!

Every quilt after that was smaller until I found I could get my large quilts machine quilted by a professional. This is always a possibility for special quilts, when you’re in a hurry or if you just don’t like quilting a large quilt. Machine quilting can be expensive however, a quilt 80” x 80” can cost upwards of $180 to have professionally quilted.The cost depends on not only how big the quilt is but also on the style and density of quilting. The most economical is edge to edge quilting where a pattern is repeated across the quilt.

You can contact the NSW Quilter’s Guild for a list of machine quilters or search the internet for machine quilters in your area. You could also check out this Directory of Machine Quilters.

So you still want to make a bigger quilt, here are your options:

1) Make lots more pieced blocks! For a quilt that finishes at 82” you will need 25 pieced 12” blocks. With sashings cut at 3.5” and a border cut 5.5” wide you will get a quilt that looks like this

Lou made one like this but didn’t have enough of the border fabric for a continuous piece. Her solution was to piece the border strips.This a great option if you only have a small piece left and your fabric has a big pattern that makes matching seams difficult.

2) Alternate your pieced blocks with some plain fabric blocks to stretch it out.

Leslie did this with the quilt for her nephew using a vintage toy themed fabric:

thanks to Amy for this photo! http://badskirt.blogspot.com.au/#!/2011/11/yesterday-i-popped-up-to-north-side-of.html 

3) Alternate your pieced blocks with simple pieced blocks that you can whip up quickly. You can find cutting and piecing diagrams to some simple 12” star patterns in the blog post by Piecemeal Quilts.

I used a Variable Star block alternated with pieced and applique blocks in this single bed quilt to give it some uniformity and make it a little bigger.

Next we’ll talk about wadding and backings and how to put the quilt sandwich together.

Quilt Layout and Cutting Diagrams

Here we are approaching Week 8 of our Patchwork and Quilting Course. By now you have determined the size of your finished quilt and need to know how much fabric you’ll need for the backing, sashing, corner stones and border.

You have various options for making some more quick blocks to make your quilt bigger. You can mix in some simple four patch or star blocks or even a plain block.

Sashings and borders can always be made wider too! Make sure to adjust your measurements before you cut your backing when you do this.

I’ve mocked up some sample quilts with the cutting instructions for these previously.

Baby (Cot) Quilt

Using six 12” blocks for a finished size of 37 1/2” x 52”

Square Lap Quilt

Using sixteen 12” blocks for a finished size of 67” x 67”

On Point Lap Quilt (9 pieced blocks)

Using nine 12” blocks for a finished size of 66” (just noticed there’s a mistake on that diagram. It says you need 12 pieced blocks. Please ignore this!)

Here is a new diagram for the Twin (Single) Size that some of you were interested in.This is a generous width but making it with only three 12” blocks across looks odd!

Twin Size Quilt

Finished Quilt measures

62” x 76”

20 x 12” blocks

Cutting chart

Sashing strips (red strips)

Cut 31 12.5” x 2 ½”

Cornerstones (yellow squares)

Cut 12 2 ½” x 2 ½” squares

Border Strips (blue strips)

Cut 2 4 ½” x” 68 ½”

Cut 2 4 ½” x 54 ½”

Border Corner Blocks (green squares)

Cut 4 4 ½” x 4 ½”

Backing fabric

3.4 m x 110 cm width fabric.

Choose a fabric with a busy pattern, nothing too light or it will get dirty and need lots of washing!

If you select a fabric with a directional print or large pattern you may need to purchase extra to allow you to match the pattern. Alternatively insert a pieced strip between your backing fabrics to break it up.

To piece your backing fabric: Cut length in half, cut away the selvedge and sew pieces together horizontally like this

 

(Allows some extra on width and length for slippage and shrinkage)

** Always measure your own finished quilt before cutting the backing!

Binding

1/2 m cut into 7 x 2 ½” strips, sewn together end to end to fit the perimeter of your quilt + 6” extra

Batting

You will need batting (also called wadding) 4” longer and wider than your finished quilt.

Batting is available in a range of materials: Wool, cotton, polyester, bamboo and in different combinations. Steer clear of battings that are very thick for your first quilts as they are difficult to machine quilt. I recommend 100% cotton or wool 80%/ poly 20%. The wool/ poly batting is lighter, softer and warmer. The cotton needs to be quilted closer together and can shrink a bit. That’s not always a negative, it can give your quilt a lovely crinkly look too.

Other quilting supplies needed:

Sewing machine with a walking foot or alternatively quilting thread, needle and a thimble.

Applique tools

Whilst I love applique I know many people don’t. It can be slow and fiddly but there are times in life that I need to slow down and sit with a needle and thread to think about things. The sewing machine is great for getting things done quickly and putting large pieces of fabric together but for small detailed work nothing beats a good needle and fine thread!

When sewing anything by hand it’s important to have the right tools, a poorly manufactured needle tugs and pulls through fabric.That’s no fun! If your needle is too big it makes large holes in the top layer and then the stitch becomes very visible.  Thick thread sits on top of your work and screams out look at me…  a thread that keeps snapping or tangling can really test your patience. So if you are not enjoying applique it may be time to try a new needle and thread.

When I first started to sew I had no idea what all the numbers and words meant on a needle packet or a spool of thread. Now I know what my favourites are and when to use them. I know that for applique I need fine thread and that usually means 50wt or higher. But not always, unfortunately thread manufacturers haven’t really agreed on a system for measuring thread weights so its important to feel the thread before you order it.

I like to match the colour of the thread to what I’m sewing on for example, for sewing a yellow circle onto a black background I choose yellow thread. I like using the finest thread possible so that whenever the stitches are visible they are barely there. For years I used Aurifil brand thread in a 50wt but recently I’ve started to use a polyester thread that looks like silk. I still use Aurifil for machine piecing and hand sewing but have switched to Superior Bottom Line Thread for hand applique.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This thread is usually used for the bottom thread of the sewing machine and comes pre wound on cardboard bobbins. I find I can get by with just a handful of neutral colours but one day I may splurge and buy a rainbow of them!

When I do need a particular colour I select from my super handy Prewound Masterpiece Threads Donut. It’s hard not to find the right colour here!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My favourite hand piecing and applique needle is a milliners/ straw size 11. I find it is long enough to help me with needle turn applique and holds many stitches for hand piecing. The small eye of the needle means it also doesn’t make big holes in your fabric and you only need a small knot to anchor the thread. Needles are fairly inexpensive so I encourage you to invest in a well manufactured needle! You are looking for a gentle taper from tip to eye, a needle free from burrs that may catch on fabric and a smooth polished eye that doesn’t shred your thread. A fine, straight and sharp needle is a joy to sew with. There’s lots of interesting information on the net if you want to know more about needles.

If you’ve tried to applique by hand and you really don’t think you will come to like it, don’t give up. There are some amazing things that can be done with a sewing machine these days. Michelle Hill is an Australian who has really perfected this technique and her classes are highly sought after. You can read through her basic instructions for machine applique in these instructions for a pattern published in Issue 38 of Quilter’s Companion.

What other tools will you need? Well it depends on how much applique you do. I like small sharp scissors, a wooden manicure stick to help turn fiddly points and some Dritz Fray Check in case I snip a little close to the seam and I’m worried about fraying. Some people like to use small applique pins but I’m not that bothered. If the pins really get in the way I tack my applique down with thread and snip that off later.

So there you go, that’s my tools for applique. Everyone has their favourites so go ahead and use what gives you the best results.

Read my previous post about applique for some tips and techniques.

catch up post for my lovely students…

Hey, you’ve found my blog, well done!

Blogs can be pretty confusing to navigate so I’m going to link to the posts that relate to what we’ve already covered in class and to what you can expect to cover next week and further along the course.

It’s a big learning curve, I’ve structured the lessons so we cover as many of the techniques that quilt makers use without overwhelming you with too many details. If you want more information or help I post links here under each topic.

Week 1: We already discussed The Anatomy of a Quilt and the importance of colour and contrast in quilt design. We drafted our first quilt block and learnt about seam allowances whilst piecing a simple block.

Week 2: We learnt how to cut strips and piece them quickly to construct a Rail Fence block. Those that wanted an extra challenge are giving the Variation Rail Fence block a go. The 1/4” seam is crucial when piecing lots of strips. Sew accurately and press with care. Finally, make sure your measurements are correct before cutting.

Week 3: This week we are cutting and piecing a wedge shape that makes up the Dresden Plate. Next week we applique a circle for the centre and the whole flower to a 14” square of your base fabric.

Week 4: Applique: learn a few different techniques to tackle applique. More complex applique patterns are available if you enjoy the technique.

Week 5: Learn English Paper Piecing, we sew over card templates to construct a hexagon block, a Grandmother’s Flower Garden Unit or applique the hexagons onto your base fabric in a random design.

Week 6: Foundation Paper Piecing lesson, great for fiddly blocks and blocks with lots of matching seams and points.

Week 7: Bring in all your scraps to make either a Log Cabin block or a modern improvised block. Other patterns are available too. Time to decide if you have enough blocks, how to piece it all together and finish off your quilt.

Week 8: This week we cover sashing, cornerstones and piecing options for your blocks. Practice machine quilting or hand quilting. learn how to bind your quilt. It’s unlikely that your quilt will be finished by the end of this lesson as quilting can take a while. Don’t worry, plenty of notes are available to take home!

I’ll post more information as we go along!

Lorena x

Getting back on the “repetitive horse”

I just read Amy’s blogpost about “the one trick pony” versus the “repetitive horse” and thought it was timely given the mind numbing, painstaking piecing I’ve been doing this week. I’m really not a fan of repetition, I love the challenge of finishing a tricky block and admiring it before moving on to the next one.

That’s why I love a good sampler quilt, with lots of different techniques and proportions. That’s probably what attracts so many of us to the Dear Jane, Farmer’s Wife and Nearly Insane quilts.

But a good pattern repeated over and over has it’s own beauty. The background photo on this blog is a good example. Making 49 Orange Peel blocks in black and white is really an exercise in pinning and pressing and then adding another finished block to the design wall. Yet the finished quilt looked so gorgeous hung up in my sewing room I really didn’t want to give it away! This has been my story as a quilter… making beautiful things and sending them off into the world to be loved.

But as I mentioned earlier, I’m trying to get into the Zen of repetitive piecing this week. I have quite pile of fabrics in front of me to get through…

What on earth am I making with these 1936 rectangles?

Four hundred and eighty four 2 1/2” little cross blocks. Phew, I’m tired just thinking about it. I briefly entertained the thought of quick piecing them, sewing up long strips and then cross cutting them but you don’t get much variety that way. I think the real beauty in these little blocks is how each one is different, with it’s own character and flaws...

It should be relaxing really, like meditation. I’ll let you know how it goes

Friends through stitching

I’m just running out the door to meet a friend, it’s her birthday today. I’ll be meeting up with three women who have become great friends through stitching. Together we have one common interest but also share the ups and downs of every day life. Nothing is off limits -we chat about children, jobs, great recipes or a new cafe, sometimes we even talk about sewing, ha!

Actually that’s not true mostly we drool over fabric and pass on sewing tips and tricks. I’ve learnt a lot from these fabulous women over the last 7 years and I feel lucky to have them as friends.

We’ve been entering a group quilt in the Sydney Show together for the past 4 years. This year it’s finally my turn to select the quilt and drive the project. I can’t wait to share that with you as it’s been a long term goal to make a version of this quilt. But there’s lots of work to be done before July so I need to get a wriggle on! It’ll be worth it.

Anyway, if you want to make your own fabric scrap box there’s a great tutorial at the Sometime Crafter blog: Fabric Scrap Basket. They are perfect to fill with birthday treats!