Strategic planning ...

 When I start on a new project, I always think about how I'll tackle it to maximize my cutting, as well as the execution. I thought I would share how I planned my latest wool project, Posey Party.

I traced and cut my pieces. Once that is done, I started with stitching the center of the flowers. 

When I work on a project that is wool on wool, I'm a pin kind of gal and do not use fusible. However, since the stems were small, it made sense to use a fusible. My favourite fusible is Heat N Bond Feather lite. It needles beautifully. I proceeded to build the stem circles.

I would stitch the stems before placing another row. 

Once all my stems are stitched on, my next stage is building the circle with flowers and leaves. I will work one stage at the time, starting with the center. Once the center is stitched, I'll build the next row ... stitch and onward to the next.

Because I use pins, working in rows makes it easier and less bulky for stitching. I use a combination of DMC or Cosmo floss (one to two strands depending on the size of the piece) and Valdani size 12 hand dyed pearl cotton. I like to match the colour to my wool piece. 

Some people like to have everything pinned or fused and then start stitching. I like to work in stages. It's less bulky and I don't get pricked by pins. Even with the fusible, I find that the pieces will sometimes come off from the manipulation of the block.

There you have it, a mini tutorial on how I plan the Posey Party project.

If you are interested in the pattern, leave a comment. I'll get in touch with you to get your snail mail address.

Thanks for stopping by. Catch you all later! Cheers!

Under the Christmas Tree ... a tutorial ...!

I just thought I would share a bit how I did the wool tree skirt.

When I have a lot of placement pieces on a project, I like to section off areas so that it is easier for me to balance the design.

In the case of this pattern, I used the houses as a dividing point and one wool tree to assist with positioning other pieces accordingly. I then proceeded to hand embroider the trees.

I used my favourite method for transferring ... Transfer eze ... I created a sheet of the designs that needed to be stitched and photocopied it.

Once the trees were hand embroidered, I rinsed the product off and let it dry, usually overnight.

I will then continue to add various elements of the pattern while maintaining a balance.

Once all the pattern pieces are stitched, it was time to create the center circle and cut for the tree trunk. 

I used the original tree skirt circle template (created out of freezer paper). I tend to work in quarters (you can see the drawn sections), so it was easy for me to draw a centered circle using a compass.

I placed the original template on the wool project making sure that the cutting line was positioned correctly.  Pinned it, making sure that all was stable and ... this is the scary part ... proceeded to cut ... carefully!

For wool work, I use Karen Kay Buckley's 7.5 inch scissors. They have a micro serrated blade, perfect for wool work. They also come with a plastic guard.

I used wool for the backing. I re-used the original template to cut the backing.

I layered the top and backing, pinned it making sure it would be stable and blanket stitched around.

Due to the weight of the project, in order to avoid stretching the cut area and center circle, I started stitching an inch away from the left cut (I'm right handed), worked my way up and around the center hole and back down the cut continuing on the right. I felt that, once stitched, it would stabilize as well as minimize stretching. 

There you have it, some tips on creating a small wool tree skirt.

Thank you so much for stopping by my little corner in cyberspace! Cheers!

Wool Tutorial - Tulip Gathering

I wanted to share some of the knowledge I gained from working with the Tulip Gathering penny rug pattern. The project involved lots of pieces that had to be evenly distributed.

The first thing I did was fold my background piece in half twice, creating center points. This also provided me with the four (4) sections that I would be working.

To center your wreath, use your center cut out, fold it in half twice and match the folds of your background. I neglected to take a photograph at the beginning of my placement, but you get the idea from this picture.

Then, I positioned the four (4) stems in their proper sections and their two (2) leaves. I stitched the stems and then the leaves in place prior to proceeding further.

The stems were positioned using the technique I mentioned in a prior tutorial, Wool Tutorial - Silent Night, pining from the back.

Once all four (4) stems were stitched, I was then able to work in sections, centering everything within that section.

Because I was going to cross stitch the stems, I first stabilized them by using the button hole stitch and one (1) strand of DMC floss.

The stems now stabled made it easier for me to concentrate on the cross stitch without having to worry about the stem going wonky!

Once all the sections were completed, the wreath was the next piece to stitch. I used the center cut out to make sure that everything was circular and pinned it in place.

I'm ready to stitch!

The tulips were positioned two (2) inches from the edge using a ruler.

I should mention that when I am working with wool on wool, I do not use a fusible web. I pin my pieces in place using my favourite pins - Applique Glass Head Pins size 12 - 3/4 inch from Clover (231CV).

I just love these little pins and use them for all my applique needs! You can find them at your local quilt shop.

I hope you find this information valuable. Catch you all later!

Wool tutorial - Silent night-Holy Night

I thought I would share some of the techniques I learned while attempting to finish the wool project Silent Night-Holy Night.

In order to stitch the word exactly as written by the pattern designer Jan Speed (It was nicely written), I used a water soluble stabilizer called Transfer-Eze.

Photocopied the pattern on the sheet, stuck it on the wool piece and stitched. Once completed, I rinsed it off and let the wool piece dry. Voila! Perfect word transfer!

The skinny pole (less than an 1/8 of an inch) that the snowman is holding was held back by Clover applique pins (my favourites). I worked from the front, making sure the skinny pole was straight and pinned from the back.

This is what it looks like from the front.

I did an X stitch to hold it in place.

There you have it, a couple of techniques for working with challenging patterns.

Catch you all later!

Compassion with every stitch ...!

The sun is shining, I am still breathing .... life is good! I have decided to place myself on a media diet and lock myself up in my happy place, quilting/stitching away .... !

I managed to finish this cute little quilt called My Little Year by Kathy Schmitz, started in September 2016.

And ... I completely finished, quilted and bound,  My Little Home. If you recall, it was at a flimsy stage back in September 2016.

I so enjoy working on these small projects! Each hand embroider block takes approximately 2.5 to 3 hours to stitch.

As opposed to tracing each block, I use Transfer-eze. If you haven't read my recent post on this product, do so here.

In order to not only save fabric but also make the cutting of the stitched block easier, I trace a square on a large piece of cotton fabric using an Omnigrid  3 1/2 inch square and Sewline Stayer Permanent Market - brown.

I will then place the water soluble transfer on the fabric and stitch my block.

I only place the transfer when I'm ready to stitch a block and keep all the other photocopied transfer with the pattern. This way, there's less of a chance that I'll lose a block. Yea, it's happened before ...!

Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your day! Cheers!

We have a partial finish .....!

I had way to much fun stitching out My Little Home quilt.  So much so, that we have a finish! Check this out!

I'd like to share with you how easy the stitched blocks were to make using a new to me ruler.  It's a Creative Grid ruler and is called Quick Trim Ruler . It allows you to cut a 45 degree angle which includes the seam allowance. You would use the Quick Trim Ruler to make any block that requires stitching from one corner to another such as flying geese, binding etc....

You align the 45 degree white lines as such:

The black dashed line is your quarter inch seam allowance. Using the white 45 degree lines (aligned with the top of the block and the side of the square) as well as the dashed black line (making sure that it lines up with the corners of your square), you are now ready to cut the excess.

Take the block to your sewing machine.  You are now using your Patchwork foot (1/4" foot) as a seam guide.

All stitched up from corner to corner.

Iron and voila! How easy is that?

Repeat for the remaining three (3) corners and your have your block.

You are now ready to piece your quilt together. In case you are curious about the green fabric, Kim Diehl - Heritage Hollow.

I just love the Quick Trim Ruler for these types of block. The ruler works with any block requiring a 45 degree sewing line from corner to corner. It's much easier to use your patchwork foot as a guide. Of course there other methods for making these types of block, but this one is my favourite.

Guess what I'll be doing tonight? Machine quilting this little gem! Thanks for stopping by! Cheers!

Pillow fight .... in style!

Last night, I decided to make something that's been on my "to do" list for quite some time (we're talking quite a few years now).

Last year, during one of our gatherings, my friend Gina even did a tutorial (it's her go to item for a gift), which was tempting but ....

You see, I have this stash of cute kid fabrics that I've been hording accumulating and .... I just couldn't bare to part with ..... that is .... until last night!

Ta dah!

The top fabric is a favourite of mine - Marvel Avengers, which Fibre carries. Yea, it was an impulse buy!

The other two are from my personal kiddy stash!

I used the "hot dog" method. Below are my fabric measurements:

3/4 yard - main print pillow
1/3 yard - pillow edge
2" strip - accent piece (optional)

Let me tell you, they are addictive! I actually made five (5) pillow cases last night!!!!!

Visuals are always good, so I checked out Randa's (Prairie Quilts) YouTube tutorial video.

What a great stash buster these pillow cases are ... and they make a perfect gift!

The ones in the picture are for three special kids! I do hope they'll like them!

Thanks for stopping by! Catch you later!

Half Square Triangles..... a tutorial....!

Have you recently popped over to Donna's blog, Chookyblue? She's started to work on her Civil War Chronicle quilt. So, I thought this would be a good opportunity for me to start mine.

Given that this quilt is pretty much a half square triangle quilt, I thought I would share with you a method I like to use for when I need a gazillion HST. I like to use what I call the Strip Method!

Let me begin by saying that I will always extra starch my fabrics when I'm working with a bias.

Whatever starch you like to use is entirely up to you. However, as of late, given that I seem to be going through starch like there's no tomorrow, I find Best Press to be a tad expensive.

Yes, it smells wonderful but it certainly requires a lot of squirts to get my fabric stabilized. Needless to say, I've been using it by the gallon.

Unfortunately, the Linit Starch, which allows me to dilute according to the level of crisp I want, is no longer available at my local grocery store! Sigh!

I will be looking into another starch that is less costly. I may even attempt to make my own as I want to stay away from aerosol sprays.

Let's talk math! ..... Please come back! lol

We all know the general rule for for HST - finished size + 7/8 = square cutting size. However, for the strip method the rule is - finished size + 1/2 = strip cutting size.

If my finished size for my HST is 2 inches, I will cut my strips 2 1/2 inches.

I will place my two fabric strips right side together and sew a quarter (1/4) inch away from the edge.

I sew on both sides of the strips. It creates sort of like a tube.

Press your sewn fabric strips flat.

There are a number of companies that make HST Square up ruler, however this is my favourite. I find it more versatile!

I use the Quilt in a Day - 6 1/2" Triangle Square ruler.

I like this ruler because it allows me to create HST in 1/8 increments as well as 1/16. Most other rulers I have seen only provide 1/4 or 1/2 inch increments.

Now, take your sewn fabric strip and lay it on your cutting board.

Line up the desired ruler marking size on your sewing line. In this case, I want 2 1/2 inches.

Your sewing line becomes the guide for the ruler position.

Take your rotary cutter and cut your HST.

It doesn't matter which side you like to start cutting first. I like to start with the right side and cut the left side last!

When you cut your second HST, you bring your fabric strip to the left and cut. Continue flip flopping your fabric strip until you either have the strip fully cut or the desired number of HST.

If you are accurate in your cutting, you can line up the ruler to the last cutting edge. Myself, I like to re-cut therefore, I leave a bit of fabric and cut both sides fresh.

This method uses the least amount of fabric!

Voila!

You have a perfect half square triangle.

The strip method makes it so simple for those sawtooth borders! Of course it would not be an ideal method if you only need a couple of HST.

Can you guess where the bias is?

Hum.... provide me with the correct answer and I'll put your name in a draw for a prize! Deadline March 31, 2011.

I don't know about you, but I always need to square my HST. No matter how accurate I try to be, they always seem to come out wonky. The Strip method allows me to cut and square at the same time!

A word about the rule:  As your HST get bigger, you require smaller strips of fabric otherwise you are wasting fabric.  From 3 inch (unfinished) and above check the size you would need.  For instance, a 2.5" strip is sufficient to cut 3" HST.

Thanks for stopping by! Have fun making a gazillion half square triangles!

Machine appliqué - a tutorial

Wendy from Snippets of a Quilter graciously posted a tutorial on her favourite hand appliqué method a while back. I was intrigued, as I did use a similar method for machine appliqué but I would glue my edges down around the freezer paper template. Once I had sewn the block to the background, I would have to wet the block in order to remove the templates.

If I used starch, I felt that the freezer paper was not sturdy enough for me when I ironed the edges over the template. The paper would often curl from the dampness of the starch. What I decided to do for this project, wanting to master the "no block wetting" method, is test 2 (two) pieces of Reynolds freezer paper ironed together. Because paper shrinks with heat, I iron each sheet separately prior to combining. Make sure your ironing board is clean of debris, otherwise be prepared to use fuzzy paper. lol

For this method, I prefer using my rotary cutter and ruler to cut the freezer paper. I just seem to cut the paper straighter this way! ;o) I'm also certain that they will be similar in size when I iron them together.

When I need the same shape repeatedly for a quilt, I'll make a sturdy master template.

I'll trace the shape on a single sheet of freezer paper, roughly cut out the shape and iron onto a cardboard. I tend to use Strathmore Bristol Vellum for this. It's thick enough to provide me with good pencil support while allowing for easy cutting.

Once your shape is cut, you can either remove the freezer paper or wait for it to fall off on it's own, which is what I tend to do! lol

I will label my master template with a B for back as well as the dimensions I need for cutting the freezer paper. I always seem to forget what size I should be cutting that freezer paper! lol

I iron the cut 2 layered freezer paper template on the wrong side of the desired fabric. Cut out the excess fabric, leaving approximately 1/8 to a 1/4 inch all around. I prefer to over estimate and trim later.

When I'm ready to prepare the shape for machine appliqué, I'll trim the excess and do the necessary clipping of valleys etc, if required.

Using an artist paint brush, I will apply a light amount of starch between the edge of the ironed template and the seam allowance. I have a paint brush that I use strictly for this method. I find that a good quality paint brush is worth every penny. It makes it easier to control the amount of starch you apply, avoiding soaking your piece.

Whenever I use starch, I cover my ironing board with a piece of muslin. This way I don't have to worry about an excess build up of starch. It's a lot easier for me to throw the protective cover in the wash then to take my ironing board cover off.

I use a Clover Iron Mini Iron II "The Adapter" to iron the seam allowance unto the template.

Word of caution, it gets hot!

Once, I mistakenly left it on and it burned a hole on my ironing board cover. I find that if I keep the control setting midway between the center and "high", it's plenty hot to iron a crisp edge. I found this out yesterday when it left a burned mark, yet again, and this time I hadn't forgotten about it!

Any iron can be used for this method, just make sure you turn the steam setting off so that you don't steam your fingers! Ouch!

When you remove your freezer paper template, this is what the edges of your shape will look like. By the way, the template can be re-used for another block. I just keep using it until it decides not to stick anymore!

At this stage, I will use a regular iron to continue pressing down the edges. It makes it easier for me when I have to deal with the right side of the piece.

Once well ironed, I turn my piece over and iron it flat. This way I make sure that my edges are crisp. It also allows me to ensure that the piece lays flat. Funny, every time I look at that photograph, I panic thinking I've got to get the iron off my fabric! lol

I will then transfer my shape unto the desired background.

You can either pin or baste glue the piece unto your background. I find that glue baste works better for me, there is less shifting. I tend to use Roxane Basting glue or Elmer School glue. What ever glue product you use, please make sure it's the washable and acid free kind.

In this example, the appliqué piece is pinned and you can see that it doesn't lay completely flat.

On the back of my block, I use a water soluble stabilizer called Aqua Magic Dissolvable Stabilizer. This helps me avoid any puckering that might occur while sewing. The product is designed for machine embroidery but I like to use it specifically for machine appliqué. It is fully dissolvable and leaves no residue. Do not iron your piece with this stabilizer on the back, the stabilizer will shrink from the heat/moisture.

note July/2008: I no longer use a stabilizer behind my applique work. As long as you do not tug or pull, there will be no puckering.

I'm using the Bernina appliqué foot number 23 that I bought out of curiosity. It's a multi purpose foot, in that it can also be used to sew small pipping.

I like the way the foot applies an even pressure across the edge of my appliqué piece. I did use my stiletto to make sure that the fabric was properly aligned for the stitch as this piece was pinned. Hum.... hence why I like the glue baste better. There seems to be less shifting for me.

For machine appliqué, I like to use the blind hem stitch on my Bernina 1090 Stitch #4 and on my Bernina 180 it's stitch #3 - Vari-overlock stitch and mirror image. The zigzag and stitch length were both set at 1 (one).

An open toe embroidery foot (#20 for Berninas) will work just as well for machine appliqué. The open toe makes it easy to see where you are stitching. I haven't decided yet if I'll keep using the #23 or switch back to #20 foot. Time will tell!

As for thread, I like to use Mettler Fine Embroidery thread. It's a 60 weight cotton thread and available in an array of colours. I match my top thread to the appliqué piece. In the bobbin, as much as possible, I use a thread that matches my background. The colour light grey is a good forgiving colour for most light backgrounds.

I hope you enjoyed my first tutorial. I had fun writing it. If you are on the market for an excelent reference on machine appliqué, check out Harriet Hargraves book called Mastering machine Applique: The complete Guide. I'm sure there are other great references out there, I am just pleased with this one and haven't looked for others.

Thank you for stopping by. Have a great day every one!

A small break from my travels!

Hubby, who religiously read my blog and offers unsolicited but sometimes constructive opinions ;o), mentioned that I have a tendency to leave my readers hanging.

Anywho, it appears that I do not, at times, follow through with my posts. So there's a New Years Resolution for you, to follow through with my posts. ;o)

Here I go buttoning things up! lol

The December 20th, 2008 post needs a closure.

If you recall, I blogged about the Yankee Swap gift I was making.

This is what I ended up sewing for the swap. I wanted something that would go with every one's decorating style and this was a perfect table topper.

DH made a beautiful wooden bowl, which I would have gladly posted a picture but he forgot to take one! Too bad because it was gorgeous! Very artsy fartsy! lol

We were the only ones that had a hand made gift! It was fun to watch people trade for them!

The next post that needs buttoning up is that of December 9th, 2007.

On that blog entry I made mention of a machine quilting design I had come up with for the Winter Sentry Quilt.

It can take me a bit of time to come up with a design for a quilt. Especially for this one since the blocks were only 4 inches finished.

So far I like the way it turned out (if you click on the picture, you'll get a much closer view). It is a little bulky at the center but acceptable! I still have a tad more machine quilting to do on it before I consider this wall hanging complete.

The final post that will be buttoned up in the near future is the Crayola affair! I am still working on that one! The objective of the experiment was not only to test the "washability" of the markers but also how long it could safely remain on the fabric.

So stay tune for the final post of the Crayola affair coming soon on your computer screen!

If there are other post that I have not "button up" please do let me know!

Have a great day every one and thank you so much for stopping by!