(Photo by Brent Kane for Martingale) I am in love with this quilt featured in My Enchanted Garden: Applique' Quilts in Cotton and Wool by Gretchen Gibbons, published by That Patchwork Place, an imprint of Martingale. I like how Gretchen mixed cotton and wool on each block, which I don't usually do. However, the different textures and patterns contribute to a striking design! Colorful birds appear on almost every block, with cameo appearances by a squirrel, a bear, a dog, a cat … [Read more...] about Wool and Cotton applique
Hand Appliqué
Hawaii on my mind
I just found these two pieces I appliqued a few years ago. There were two others, in green, but I turned them into a tote for my mother. These might become another tote, or wall hangings, or pillows. The pattern was enlarged by 200% and, compared to the one I am working on right now, they were easier to needle turn as there weren't many tricky spots. I am almost done with the first (out of nine) block on the new project. As you can see from the pictures below, since I did not enlarge the … [Read more...] about Hawaii on my mind
Hawaiian applique set-up – Tutorial
Wow! One week without internet is so strange... In the meantime, I am working on Hawaiian appliques and thought you might enjoy the tutorial. My first projects with Hawaiian themes were made back in 2005. It has been a while so I decided to revisit the book I bought in a quilt shop in Maryland, from which I got the patterns for the first projects. Usually, Hawaiian applique patterns are provided as 1/8 of the design, so you must fold the fabric properly before placing the pattern onto it. … [Read more...] about Hawaiian applique set-up – Tutorial
Simply Successful Applique
I bought this beauty on Monday and just about finished reading it. What a spectacular book on applique! Simply Successful Applique by Jeanne Sullivan (I found it here) presents a comprehensive description - with very detailed photographs - of her applique method. I have not yet had the pleasure of being taught by Jeanne, although I felt as if we were in the same room as she, patiently, introduced me to her techniques. This very well written book walks you through every imaginable detail of … [Read more...] about Simply Successful Applique
Our Garden Quilt
Guess what I was doing at 3:30 am this morning? Binding a quilt! Yep, lost sleep around 2:30 am and, after a while, decided it was a waste of time staying awake in bed. So, here is my finished beauty: I love it! The block I made is on the top left (strawberries). All the other blocks were made by friends from our quilt guild. Their work is amazing, and 27 of us ended up with a beautiful quilt... Blocks were done using different techniques: machine embroidery, hand applique, machine applique, … [Read more...] about Our Garden Quilt
Embroidery and Applique Inspiration
As I always quilt my projects, I own a few books with quilting designs. Looking at them, one can easily see how they could be used as patterns for embroidery and applique. Have you used any designs as such? Those with continuous line lend themselves more readily for stitchery and applique. One book in particular comes to mind, with designs so lovely I have thumbed through its pages very often for inspiration: Hari Walner's Continuous-Line Quilting Designs: 80 Patterns for Blocks, Borders, … [Read more...] about Embroidery and Applique Inspiration