Make a Quilt in a Day: Log Cabin Pattern, by Eleanor Burns, was the first quilt book I purchased, and the Log Cabin pattern as demonstrated in that book was used in the first 12 quilts I made. I followed her instructions precisely, and appreciated her invaluable tips and great pictures. The next book by Eleanor I bought was Underground Railroad Sampler, followed by Still Stripping After 25 Years, then Quick Trip Quilts, It's "El"ementary: Quilting Tips and Techniques and, finally, The … [Read more...] about Quilt in a Day
Machine quilting with Walking Foot
There is so much quilting one can do with the walking foot. Look at the table runner to the right. I could have opted for an edge-to-edge quilting motif and used the Stitch Regulator from Bernina (I work with it all the time!) to quilt it with. However, the pattern landed itself to SITD with the walking foot quite nicely, and the results were great - as you can tell from the back of the runner. Just remember to always have monofilament as top thread when stitching in the ditch, so if you go off … [Read more...] about Machine quilting with Walking Foot
Fun idea for a gift
I found this giraffe in a Brazilian craft magazine. Again, the instructions were sketchy: 'make the shirt, then the skirt' (how?). But, once I start a project, I will see it to completion one way or another. I had to get porcelain for the horns. Stuffed animals take a while to put together but they make such cool gifts. I imagine once I have grandchildren I will probably make most of their stuffed toys. And blankets, and quilts... … [Read more...] about Fun idea for a gift
16-hour purses…
A quilter does not a seamstress make! Or maybe, I can understand quilting directions but not those for purses. I spent a long time making these for my nieces, and the problem was assembling the liner with pockets. Now, I can crochet from instructions, same for knitting. I ended up making one with pockets and the other without. It was meant to be a quick project... I wonder what went wrong. Does anybody have a pattern for similar purses, but easier to understand??? … [Read more...] about 16-hour purses…
Giveaway
Can you think of someone who has inspired you to become a quilter or improve your craft? Share it with us, and let's celebrate those who put us on the straight stitch path... One of the tributes (chosen by March 24) will receive a stack of fat quarters from the Romance collection by Willowberry Lane for Henry Glass & Co, just in time for Easter. You must be a member of this blog in order to participate. So, grab your pen... no... Start typing! Check back often, or submit your email … [Read more...] about Giveaway
Showcasing inspiration fabrics
If you have a fabric you really love but do not want to use it in a complicated pattern where its beauty may be overshadowed by other fabrics, or its motif cut into small pieces, try the pattern I used on the quilt pictured here. Simple rectangles surrounded by alternating borders, with the inspiration fabric used as border also. I wasted a bit of fabric when I was fussy cutting the borders as I wanted to show the beautiful teal leaves. I did not heavily quilt it, resulting in a much softer lap … [Read more...] about Showcasing inspiration fabrics