What a cool book! Iris quilting by Maruscha Gaasenbeek features 16 designs, and I have already turned one of them into a wall hanging! Maruscha started using her iris folding technique to make greeting cards, and later used the same technique with fabric. The results are beautiful. She copies the design onto lightweight interfacing and sew pieces of fabric onto the interfacing. Are you thinking paper piecing? That is exactly what I did... I chose the first design, Heart to Heart, but traced it … [Read more...] about Iris Quilting
Finger pads
Connie, a friend of mine who loves handwork, introduced me to these awesome finger pads. I don't know about you, but when I am hand sewing, the middle finger of my right hand gets stabbed as it is pushing the needle towards the fabric. I used to work with Thimble-It, but these are much softer, last a long time, and are very convenient to use. Thimble-It is made of plastic, so often the needle would slip and hurt me. ThimblePad is a piece of soft leather with adhesive on the back. The adhesive … [Read more...] about Finger pads
Ribbon Embroidery
Have you seen this book - Ribbon Embroidery and Stumpwork by Di van Niekerk? I love the embroidery designs and stitches, particularly as they involve ribbons... The photographs are beautiful, the instructions are clear, and the project, illustrated on the cover of the book, is to die for! Stumpwork is another reason why I purchased this book. I would love to incorporate it in my embroidery projects. It is great how we can cover beads with ribbons to form flowers, stuff embroidered motifs … [Read more...] about Ribbon Embroidery
Miniature block
I made this block a few months ago during a class I took with Sally Collins. It measures 2.5"... and it took me about four hours to make it. As you can see, the seams at the bottom of the basket did not quite match, but I was pleased with the overall result as it was my first attempt at miniature blocks. By the way, this block was not paper pieced. Just think about the tiny pieces of fabric I had to hold and sew together... Miniature quilts intrigue me. The key to them is PRECISION. Period. … [Read more...] about Miniature block
Transferring patterns
Some tools can make all the difference as you work. The Aunt Martha's Hot Iron Transfer Pencils (I found them here) are a must-have item! I recently had to add a small design to an embroidery piece and remembered I had them. I traced the back side of design firmly with the hot iron transfer pencil, and ironed it on the fabric where I needed it. Voila'! Easy to see lines, and quick method. Have you a new tool you can brag about? Let us know!!! … [Read more...] about Transferring patterns
Applique Blocks
Applique makes up a sizable percentage of my work. I enjoy its process (choosing ready-made designs or creating my own, auditioning fabrics for each piece, preparing templates or not, cutting the pieces, fusing them or using the needle turn method...), and I gravitate to it often, particularly when stressed, as its steps take my mind off everything else around me. Last night I got this book, 101 Applique' Blocks by Nancy Brenan Daniel (I found it here). The variety of blocks appealed to me... … [Read more...] about Applique Blocks