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Elements to Create an Interesting Quilt – One Block Quilts

One block quilts are just what the title implies. They are made up of only one block design. Sounds boring? Well, they don’t have to be. By choosing fabric colors, background fabric, interesting layouts and blocks that create secondary design when joined into rows, these quilts can be beautiful and not boring. One of my favorite things to do is adapt traditional blocks into new designs. When I choose a one block design, then I like to use the things mentioned above to make it a unique design. Let’s get started!

The Original “One Block” Quilts

These quilts were pre-mid 19th century. They were referred to as medallion quilts because there was a central design or block, surrounded by a border of either pieced blocks or appliqué. My pattern Rail Fence Blooms was inspired by this time period.

Another quilt of mine inspired by this time period is my Star Gazing pattern from my book, Blooming Patchwork.

As you can see, both of these quilts are dressed up with the “scrappy” look I like in a lot of my quilts. 

In the mid 19th century, the block style quilts that we know today began to emerge. Prior to this time, making quilts was reserved for wealthy women who could afford expensive imported fabric. As fabric began to be produced domestically the prices lowered and more women were able to a buy it to make quilts for fun instead of for necessity only. The earliest block style quilts were friendship or album quilts usually made for someone leaving a community to move west. Friends and family being left behind would sign the blocks as a remembrance for the traveler. These were mostly simple pieced blocks. These were block style, but often in the sampler style: meaning many different blocks.

One Block Quilts

The one block quilts I will talk about today are created by several of the same blocks joined into rows to make a quilt. If you make them all from the same color with the same background fabric, the quilt will be pretty but a bit “quiet”. To make these quilts a bit more exciting, here are some of my tips based on quilts I have designed.

Tip #1 – Playing with Fabric Colors: The first way to make these quilts stand out is to make each block a unique color combination. I did this with my quilt, Scrappy North Stars.

All the blocks in this quilt are the same, but I used a large variety of fat quarters to make them. I also switched a fabric’s positioning in a block from where it was in another. By doing this, it gives the illusion that you are using more fabrics or that the quilt is made up of different block styles.

Here is another example, Star Wheels, that is a bit less chaotic looking, but still with the same concept of making the same block over and over but just in different color combinations.

Tip #2 – Adding in Sashing: Another way to create interest with a one block quilt is to utilize sashing. This can be done to spread out the blocks for a calmer looking one block scrap quilts like in Reunion, below.

The small black corner stone squares add a little pop to the quilt and match the color of the border. You can also use sashing to create a secondary design like I’ve done with my small wall hanging, Summer Bouquets.

It looks like a two block quilt, but it’s not! The star units are all created by the sashing pieces.

Tip #3 – Blocks that Create a Secondary Design: This is a fun way to make a one block quilt more interesting. If you choose a block that has interesting elements and join those blocks together in rows, they often create a secondary design without any sashing. Here’s a block with a unique element and the quilt created with it:

The side of the block with the stitch and flip corners help to make a cool flying geese pattern once the blocks are joined into rows. It almost looks like the flying geese are traveling across the quilt!

Below are two more quilts that utilize this idea. The one on the right actually uses both the quilt block pattern and sashing to facilitate the design.

Tip #4 – Play with Background Fabrics: Another way to make a one block quilt interesting is to play with background fabrics. One of the easiest ways to do this is to change the background of individual blocks and set them together in a quilt. I did this with Marbles & Jacks.

I made half the blocks with a light background fabric and made half the blocks with a dark background fabric and then alternated them in the rows of the quilt. There’s not a lot of different colors in this quilt, but the background changes make in more interesting than if all the background fabric was the same.

Tip #5 – Change the Layout: Instead of just straight rows, try putting the blocks on point. The blocks themselves take on a completely different look and, with the quilt on the right, the on point layout can actually create a secondary design different from one that is created if the blocks are pieced into straight rows.

So are you inspired yet? I hope this post helps you to look at one block quilts in a different way. Pull out a pattern for a block, start making a stack of them, and then play with the layout. I bet you will be surprised at what you come up with!

Leave a comment or ask a question below and be entered into a drawing for my quilt pattern for Reunion.

The drawing will be on Monday, December 11th. Good luck!

Happy Quilting,
Deanne

2024 Block of the Month Preview!

It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for … I hope! It’s time for me to reveal the 2024 block of the month blocks. Like last year, I am creating seasonal groups of blocks for each season. At the end of each 3 month time period, you will be able to make a wall hanging for hang for the season! The big reveal will take place below after I share my favorite tips & tools for wool appliqué. Let’s get started!

Tips & Tools

These are the tips and tools I like to use every time I am doing wool stitchery. Feel free to adopt them or not. Also, search the internet for other wool appliqué enthusiasts. You never know where you’ll find the tip or tool you can’t live without.

Tip #1: I’m different from many wool stitchers as I like to appliqué my wool motifs onto fabric. Because of this, I recommend treating the edges of the fabric background with Fray Check to prevent the background from fraying too much from handling. This helps save your seam allowance.

Tip #2: If you are stitching wool onto individual blocks, cut the background fabric and inch larger than needed. If your block is supposed to be 12 1/2″, including seam allowance, cut the fabric background 13 1/2″. Then, draw a line 3/4″ around all sides of the square (photo below). This defines a center 12″ space for your design. Then keep your stitching at least 1/8″ inside that line to make sure your motif does not go into the seam allowance.

Tip #3: Templates. For pattern templates that need to be used several times over for tracing, I reinforce them. I do this by either copying them directly onto card stock from the pattern or by gluing the template page to a piece of card stock and then cutting them out. 

Once you have them cut out, you can write the number of shapes needed for the pattern and the color of wool on the template. Save them in a plastic bag attached to the pattern for future use.

Tip #4: Use the thread color that will complement your project. I like to use Valdani Perle Cotton threads in size 8.  I often use an array of neutrals from light to dark, depending on the color of my appliqué  piece.

You can also use threads that match the color of your wool appliqué piece so your stitches blend in and don’t show. I like to store my threads in a small box I found at a local craft store. A school pencil box works also!

If you don’t want to use perle cotton, you can use embroidery floss like DMC. You’ll need to use 3 to 5 strands to mimic the thickness of perle cotton.

Tip #5: Even if you use fusible web to secure your appliqué pieces, it’s always a good idea to keep some fabric glue by your side in case a piece loosens while you are stitching. I use both the large size and a smaller size that I keep in my thread box.

2024 BOM

Here’s what you’ve come here for! Below is the preview of all 12 of the 2024 BOM blocks grouped into four seasonal panels.

I hope they look like fun to you! To get started, I have written starting instructions that you can find here: 2024 BOM Starting Instructions.

The fabric I used for the background is from the Cheddar & Coal collection from Marcus Fabrics. It is a line that’s a few years old, but you still may find some in your favorite quilt shop that carries these fabrics. If you want the look of my blocks, you should be able to find fabrics that are close to those I used if you are unable to find the exact fabrics. The background I have chosen is a dark grey with a small black print. The fabric that will be used in the pieced blocks to finish the wall hangings is a black print from the Cheddar & Coal II collection.

The first block will appear on January 15, 2024 and there will be a limited amount of wool only kits available in my shop on that day, as in previous years. If you want the block instructions early, sign up for my newsletter here on my web site. You often receive the block at least a week before the public release.

That’s all for now! If you have not downloaded any of the 2023 blocks but still want to do that BOM someday, download the blocks before 12/31/23. After that, the blocks will disappear and will no longer be free.

Happy Quilting and Stitching!
Deanne

UPDATE: I’ve had some questions on the fabric I used for the BOM. The photo below shows them. The fabric on the right is from the Cheddar & Coal collection and will probably be scarce since that line has been out awhile. That’s why I felt I should share a photo so you can match it with a similar fabric. The fabric on the right is the one that will be used for the pieced blocks that finish each wall hanging.

Keep Your Quilting “Tools” in Tip Top Shape

Last week, we talked about building a scrap fabric stash from either yardage or pre-cuts. I hope you got some inspiration from that post. Since this post will appear the week of Thanksgiving, I thought I would do a post on caring for and maintaining your quilting tools. Perhaps through the long holiday weekend, you’ll find time to do this so you can continue to create beautiful quilted items for years to come! Now these are just my tips on things I do, you may have other things you do. Feel free to share those in the comments below. Let’s get started.

Sewing Machine

Of course, the main “tool” is your sewing machine. Keeping this in top running order is something I have talked about a lot in past posts. Here’s my top tips here:

  • Annual checkup: This is something that will keep your machine running for years. The quilt shop that services your machine can get into places you can’t (and shouldn’t) for cleaning and they will check for any other areas of concern.
  • Periodic Oiling & Cleaning: This is something you can do. The areas you need to concentrate on are under the throat plate (left, below) and the bobbin compartment (right, below).

Sweeping out these areas each time you replace a bobbin will keep excess lint from accumulating and getting pushed deeper into the machine. Use the brush that came with your machine or a small make-up brush. This is also a good time to oil the areas of your machine recommended by the manufacturer.

  • Treat your Machine Right: During the sewing and quilting process, treat your machine right by keeping the needles fresh so they don’t break. Sometimes a broken needle can fall through the throat plate and imbed itself inside the machine… then it’s time for a visit to the repair shop.
  • You can also avoid broken needles by not sewing over pins, even if they are very lightweight pins. I did this once and the timing of my machine was thrown off. Then I needed, you guessed it, a visit to the repair shop.
  • To avoid tension problems, when unthreading your machine, do not snip and pull the thread out from the top. The thread runs through your machine going down towards the needle, so pulling it out from the top through the tension disc (below, left photo) can throw off the tension.

Instead, snip the thread up top and then pull the thread down and out from the needle area (above, right photo). This keeps the thread going in the direction it’s meant to and should not effect tension.

Iron

This important tool is one that often gets overlooked for maintenance. Yet, if your iron is not in tip top shape, you can ruin a block or quilt top you are working on when you’re pressing it. The main thing is to keep it clean. First, if you are a quilter who put water in your iron, use distilled water only. Regular tap water will cause mineral buildup and can permanently damage your iron. I personally do not put water in my iron. I use a spray bottle of water for a light spritz to work out fabric wrinkles.

The bottle on the left has water and the one on the right has Best Press starch, if I need it when pressing seams flat.

Now to cleaning. You can buy cleaning sheets or other items at the quilt shop to clean your iron, or you can easily DIY it like I do. Here’s the supplies needed: distilled water, white vinegar, small bowl, clean cloth and q-tips. 

Here is how my iron looks before cleaning. You can see the build up on the soleplate “leg” and on the soleplate:

It’s a little hard to see the lint-like buildup on the soleplate from the photo alone, but it’s there. To clean the iron, mix equal parts vinegar and water into a small bowl and use the soft cloth to clean the soleplate. The q-tips can be used to get to hard to reach areas. Just dip one in the water/vinegar solution.

Once done, get another soft cloth and dampen with distilled water only and wipe down the areas where you used the vinegar/water solution. This serves to dry the soleplate and wipe away any trace remains of vinegar. The whole iron cleaning process took me all of 5 minutes!!! And here’s my clean iron:

Cutting Table and Mat Tips

  • This is my tip for a back saver. Cut your projects out on a cutting table that is elevated. In my studio, I was able to use old kitchen cabinets for a cutting surface so I do not have to bend over when cutting.

If you don’t have a dedicated area where you can have a raised table, sit at a table where you can have your cutting mat at a height so you are not bending over to cut. This is also a good tip for those quilters who are unable to stand for long periods of time.

  • Keep your mat clean so your rotary cutter will run smoothly when cutting. Between cutting out projects, use a lint roller or even a piece of packing tape to pick up fabric threads on the mat.

Both of these items will pick up stray threads and lint from previous cutting. 

  • Avoid cutting in the same place on the mat each time you cut out a project. Even though these mats are self-healing, continuously cutting in the same area can cause deep grooves that won’t heal. If your mat is reversible, consider flipping it periodically to use the other side.

Scissors & Rotary Cutter

  • Your best fabric scissors also need to be maintained. Aside from chasing the family away from using them, or course! As a general rule, you should have your scissors sharpened every year. Sharp scissors help you to avoid hand and wrist strain because they will cut much easier than dull scissors. This also extends the lifespan of your scissors. Most quilt shops offer scissor sharpening services. You can also check with your local hardware store.
  • Rotary cutters need to have the blade replaced to avoid damaging your fabric and also to avoid injuries to you. Safety first! The rotary cutter has a very sharp blade, as we know. Make sure you have a fresh blade. The blade might look good to the naked eye, but if you feel like you have to press down hard to cut through all the layers of fabric, it’s time to change the blade. Also, if you notice “skips” in the cutting, that’s another sign that your blade is dulling. Once you change the blade, store the used one in an empty rotary blade container marked “used blades”. Once it’s full, you can safely toss it away.

Rulers

Finally, your rulers need to be maintained and stored properly to keep them in tip top shape. Here’s some tips for that:

  • Clean your rulers periodically by dusting with a soft cloth. Do not use anything abrasive, like paper towels, that can scratch the ruler surface and make the markings harder to read. Also don’t use any cleaning solution with bleach or ammonia. If you need to use a cleaning solution, use those that are meant for plexiglass.
  • Store your rulers, like your cutting mat, away from direct sunlight and not in areas of your home with extreme temperature changes.
  • Finally, make sure to store your rulers securely. If you drop them or they fall from a storage area, they will chip or break. I hang my rulers on a peg board that you can find at any hardware store. Mine was meant for a garage, but it works in my sewing room.

So that’s my advice for keeping these important tools in tip top shape so they are ready to use when you want to quilt. This will also extend the life of these tools. Last thing you want to do is have to buy new tools because you neglected the ones you already had. 

Leave your tips in the comments below and maybe we’ll all learn something! Happy Thanksgiving for those who celebrate!

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Pre-cuts, Scraps and Scrap Quilting

For those of you that have followed me for awhile, you know I am an avid scrap quilter. I have shared many times how I build a stash for scrap quilting from yardage. I’ll share that again below. But, what about if you do not have a large stash of fabric or not a lot of cash to spend? You can still have a scrap quilting stash with pre-cuts! Let’s have some fun with this starting now.

Building the Stash from Yardage

If you have yardage in your stash that you are not going to use in one big chunk, like some color prints, you can build a scrap quilting stash by cutting it up into smaller pieces. So here is how I start: I take a yard of fabric and cut it in half to make 2 half-yard pieces (photo on right, below).

I fold up one of those half yards and stash it away. Then the other 1/2 yard is cut along the fold (photo left, below) to make two fat quarters that measure approximately 18 x 22″ (photo on right, below).

I fold up one of those fat quarters and stash that away. The other fat quarter is then cut in half to make two fat eighths that measure approximately 9 x 22″ each (photo on right, below).

I roll up one of those fat eighths (or both if I like the fabric) and stash that. If I am not saving the other fat eighth, I will cut that into strips and store in my strip bin. I use 1 1/2″ and 2 1/2″ strips the most so that’s the size I cut.

Building a Scrap Stash from Pre-cuts and Leftovers

Leftovers: Not a yardage collector? Even if you are not, every time you are cutting out a new project there’s an opportunity to build a stash. Once you are done cutting the pieces from a designated piece of fabric, take what’s left over and cut it up right away to your stash of strips or pre-cut squares. Here’s my strip storage:

If I have a piece of fabric that is too small for good strips or is an odd shape, I have tubs of that fabric for future fabric appliqué projects. Here’s one of those:

Fat Quarters: Consider buying a stack of fat quarters from a quilt shop so you have a variety of color prints for your scrap stash. Keep some of them whole and store with other fat quarters, cut them into smaller fat eighths, or cut them into strips and put them in a strip stash!

Other Pre-cuts: Some of the other types of pre-cuts sold at quilt shops are charm packs, layer cakes and jelly rolls. Buying some jelly roll collections is an easy way to replenish your 2 1/2″ strip stash. You can also cut charm squares into 1 1/2″ or 2 1/2″ squares and layer cakes into 10″ long strips of either 2 1/2 or 1 1/2″ width.

Using these Pre-cut Stashes

These stashes can be used to create borders like those below.

First, borders with squares – the most common being a checkerboard style:

The squares for these borders can be made super scrappy by cutting squares from a stash of charm squares or you can make strips sets with strips and chop them up to make checkerboard borders.

Then there are borders from strips. Here are just a few ideas:

On the left is a straight piano key border made with 2 1/2″ strips. On the right is a random strippy border made with 1 1/2″ strips. There are endless options!

Finally, have a party mixing strips and squares:

But wait! It’s not just borders you can make from pre-cut squares and strips. Here’s a selection of blocks that can be created from these:

These are some of the easiest creations. On the left, the typical “patch” blocks: 4-patch, 9-patch and 16-patch. Those can be made from charm squares or from strips sets made from strips. The middle block is, of course, the rail fence made from strips and the block on the right is the courthouse steps version of a log cabin made from a square and strips.

So… dig through your stash and start creating blocks. You will end up with a fun, scrappy quilt. Make a variety of blocks for a sampler!

Finally, here’s some funky blocks I created just for fun with strips and squares:

So, are you inspired yet? The key is you don’t have to only buy yardage and spend a ton of money on just a few color prints… unless you want to. You can get a lot of variety in your stash by shopping the pre-cuts at the quilt shop or making your own from yardage. Have a piece of yardage you bought but don’t have a quilt project to use it all in? Cut that piece up like I showed you above and get that color print sprinkled through your stash.

Comment or ask any questions you would like below and be entered into a drawing for my pattern, Strips & Stars. There’s a lot of scraps that go into this one!

The drawing will be on Monday, November 20th. Good Luck! **We have a winner! Congrats, Barb DeVelder!**

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Wool Appliqué for the Beginner – Part 3

Welcome back for the final installment in this wool appliqué series. If you are just joining us, you can find the previous posts here: Part 1 and Part 2. This week it’s time to learn stitching! I will show how I stitch my wool projects and also show some fun stitches. Like the last two weeks, there will be a mini video tutorial at the end. So let’s get started!

Wool Appliqué Stitching

There are two basic stitches most commonly used by stitchers to secure their wool appliqué pieces to the background of their project. The first is the blanket stitch and looks like this diagram I have drawn below:

This is how the stitch actually looks on a project:

You can use threads that match the color of your wool piece or you can do a contrasting thread, like I did, so the stitches show. I like my stitches to show to give my projects a primitive look.

My favorite threads to use are perle cottons in neutral tones. I use Valdani size 8. You can use whatever brand of perle cottons you like or you can use embroidery floss. If you use floss, you will need to use enough strands to get the right amount of thickness you prefer.

The next stitch used is the whip stitch:

I like to use a whip stitch on tinier pieces that are not wide enough for the “teeth” of a blanket stitch, like thin stems. Or I will use the whip stitch when I do not want my stitches very visible, even if I am using matching threads. It’s easier to hide a whip stitch than a blanket stitch.

Here’s how the whip stitch looks on one of my stems:

The whip stitches appear as little “dots” along the edge of the wool. And if you use a thread that closely matches the color of the wool, those stitches will basically disappear.

Stitching Tips for Relaxing Stitching

Here are some of my favorite stitching tips that I share when I teach wool appliqué workshops. My aim is to make your stitching experience relaxing and fun… no stress as it should be!

Tip#1: Good lighting is essential when stitching. I like a task light that sits on the table, if I’m stitching there, or a floor lamp if I am stitching in a chair watching TV. Here’s my floor lamp:

The floor lamp has a magnifier which comes in handy for a close-up look of my stitches. I can inspect my stitches and make sure they are even and straight without straining my eyes. My desk top light also has a magnifier:

Tip #2: To get your thread prepared for stitching, pull off a piece of the thread no longer than 18″. If you have a longer piece, there is more of a chance that it gets tangled and frayed. To prevent as much fraying as possible, I use Thread Magic thread conditioner.

This is an acid free treatment for the thread that is not beeswax. It leaves no residue on your project. I like this brand because of the design of the container. The slots make it easier to run your thread through and enable you to use the entire amount of the product in the container. Here’s how it works:

Just run your thread over the top of the thread conditioner and it coats it for easy stitching.

Tip #3: If you worry about the evenness of your stitching, here is a technique you can use to make sure your stitches are evenly spaced. Mark two lines on your thumb and use that as a guide for stitch spacing.

Tip #4: As for needles, my favorite needle is called a chenille needle. I like the John James chenille needles, but you can use any brand you like. I’ve used sizes 22 and 24. I prefer the size 22 needles because they have a wider eye to accommodate the thicker perle cotton threads.

Tip #5: When you have finished stitching a piece or you have come to an end of your thread, here is a handy way to end so there is no knot on the back:

Simply guide the remainder of your thread through the last few stitches on the back of your project to secure your stitching.

Now Time for the Fun!

For fun, I like to add embellishments to my stitching. If you are really experienced with the large variety of embroidery stitches out there, consider “dressing up” your project with some of them. I confess, I only know how to make French knots and stitch a lazy daisy … but I am working on learning more!

Below, I stitched a criss-cross pattern on the stems on the left. On the right, I just stitched a running stitch down the center of the stem to secure it. These options would be instead of the blanket or whip stitch.

Also, to secure berries onto a project or the small square in the photo on the right, I use French knots or an “x” stitch. That square on the right is only 1/2 x 1/2″ so the “x” is probably the best way to stitch it down.

Finally, I had some fun on the center of the flower below. I used a French knot in the middle and then radiated stitches from it for an interesting design element.

So that’s all for my wool appliqué series for beginners! I really hope I gave you some great tips that you can apply to your stitching whether you are experienced or not.

Don’t forget to view the mini video tutorial at the end. I include a demonstration of how I handle points and inside corners while stitching. Leave comments or ask questions below and you will be entered into a drawing for my two newest Snugg-lets:  Snugg-let Winter Friends and Snugg-let Sew with Friends.

The drawing will be next Monday, November 13th. Good luck!**We have a winner! Congrats, Diana DeWitt!**

Happy Stitching,
Deanne

Wool Appliqué for the Beginner – Part 2

Welcome back to my wool appliqué series. We are now on to part 2 of the series where we will cover tips on creating your wool pieces using the fusible shapes you drew and cut out last week and laying out the motif on your background. If you missed the first week, you can find that post here: Wool Appliqué for the Beginner – Part 1. As with last week’s post, there will be a mini video tutorial at the end of this installment demonstrating what I talk about. Let’s get started!

Creating the Wool Shapes

This step is where we use those fusible web template shapes created in part 1 to make the appliqué motif pieces from the wool.

Place the fusible shapes in a corner on the piece of wool you have chosen so there is as little waste of wool as possible when they are cut out (left photo, above). Once you have the shapes in place, follow the manufacturer’s directions for the fusible web and use your iron to fuse it to the wool. 

Tip! Wool can be used on either side, however one side of your piece of wool may be prettier than the other, especially if you have a piece of hand dyed wool. Once you decide on the side you like, iron the fusible web shape to the reverse side.

Once I am sure the fusible web is fused securely to the wool, I cut away the leftover wool and put it back in my stash. I like to use the scissors below (left photo). They have a sharp serrated edge and cut the wool cleanly.

The next step is to use the drawn lines to cut out the shapes. Remember that we cut out the fusible shapes outside the lines last week. Following the drawn line now insures our final wool appliqué pieces look like an actual flower. It’s easier to cut along lines now than trying to follow the outside edge of the fusible web.

Once the shape is completely cut out, you can peel off and discard the fusible paper (right photo, above). Notice how the back of the shape is now shiny (photo below). That is the adhesive transferred from the fusible web during the ironing process and it’s the side that will be placed face down on the background when fusing down the motif.

Design Layout

Now that you have all the appliqué shapes cut out from the wool, it’s time to layout the design. This is when those drawn lines or creases you made in your background become useful to guide placement.

Stems: If your appliqué motif has stems, those are usually laid out first and glued in place. Stems for these projects are commonly as thin as 1/4″ so I do not use templates and fusible web to create them. I simply cut strips for the stems from a piece of wool and lay them out using a small amount of Roxanne’s glue to secure in place.

Tip! Use the other appliqué motif pieces as a guide for getting your stems in the correct position before gluing.

As you can see from the above photos, I am using the folds in the background, the flower pot and one of the flowers as guides to laying out my stems. Once I have them in the right place, I glue the stems so they do not move as I lay out and fuse the rest of the design in place.

Lay out & Fusing Design 

Now it’s time to layout the rest of the design and fuse it in place. Here’s the design all laid out:

Now that I have the design completely laid out and the stems glued where I want, it’s time to fuse the entire motif. I use a steam method to do this. Since I do not put water in my iron, I use a spray bottle of water to dampen a towel laying over the wool motif. Be careful not to move any of the pieces as you are covering the project with the towel. Be sure to use a white towel so there is no chance of a dye transfer to your project.

Once the project is covered with the towel, spray it with enough water to dampen it very well. Next, carefully press the project through the towel, holding it down for about 5 to 10 seconds. “Press” being the important word here. Do not to move the iron back and forth during this step. Once you press one section, lift the iron up to move to the next section. 

Don’t forget the mini video tutorial at the bottom of this post!

So that’s all for week 2! See you next week for the last installment in this series. Leave me a comment or ask me questions below and be entered into a drawing for two of my newest mini wool appliqué patterns, Snugg-let Winter Friends and Snugg-let Sew with Friends.

The drawing will be on Monday, November 13th. Good Luck!**We have a winner! Congrats, Diana DeWitt!**

Happy Quilting & Stitching!
Deanne

Wool Appliqué for the Beginner – Part 1

Welcome to wool appliqué class! As you can see by a lot of the patterns I sell in my shop, I love to design and make wool appliqué quilts. Some stitchers do their wool appliqué on wool backgrounds, but I do my wool appliqué on plain and pieced fabric backgrounds. That’s why I want to do this 3 part series so I can share my tips for my style of wool appliqué. So let’s get started.

The Beginning Steps

This week, we cover the basics from preparing templates and the background fabric to actually using the templates. I will also share some of my favorite tools and tips along with my mini video tutorials to demonstrate some of the things I talk about.

After collecting the fabric and wool required for your projects, the place to start with any wool appliqué pattern is the template page or pages that will be used to create the appliqué motif. If you plan to use the pattern multiple times, it’s best not to cut the templates out. To create reusable templates, I like to make a copy of the template page onto card stock and then cut them out using a scissors (designated for paper only of course!).

If you do not have a printer that also copies or do not have access to a copier, trace the templates onto plain paper and glue that paper to a piece of card stock. I like reinforcing the templates like this so I can use them multiple times without them losing their shape. You can also use other kinds of materials to reinforce your templates. Here are some of my templates:

Cut the templates from the card stock using a scissors meant to cut paper. My templates are marked with how many of each the shapes are needed and from what color wool. If  your pattern does not have them pre-marked like mine, it’s a good idea to write this information on your reinforced templates. Easy storage for your templates after use is in a bag attached to the pattern or, if they are small enough, slipped into the bag with the pattern. 

Once your templates are prepared and ready to use, it’s time to trace the templates onto fusible web. I use Heat n’ Bond Feather Lite for my fusible. Test out different brands of fusible if you like to see which one you like the best.

I like this Feather Lite version of Heat n’ Bond because it’s very light and I have not noticed it adding any bulk to my appliqué pieces or making them more difficult to stitch.

Trace the templates onto the fusible using a regular or mechanical pencil. Make sure to trace onto the paper side of the fusible web. If you have a template that are not symmetrical, you need to reverse that template before tracing since the fusible side of the shape is the side that will be face down on your background. For this example, I want the handle of the flower pot below to face to the left on the project so, the template is flipped with the handle facing to the right for tracing onto the fusible. 

Read your pattern carefully before tracing. Most patterns today include templates that are at 100% and already reversed for use. However, you may run across a pattern where you have to enlarge the template on a copier or reverse it before use. 

When tracing the shapes, make sure to leave enough space to cut them out outside the drawn lines by a bit. (left photo, below) I don’t like to cut the fusible shapes out right on the line because I use that line later when cutting the wool shapes out after fusing. If you have several shapes that are traced from the same piece of wool, you can trace them closer together and cut them out in a group. (right photo, below) Then follow the lines to cut out the individual pieces, like the leaves below. It’s a good idea to do this because wool is expensive and you don’t want to waste it!

Here are all the template shapes for my project traced onto the fusible, cut out and ready to fuse to the  pieces of wool designated in the pattern:

Preparing the Background

Now that you have all the templates traced and cut from the fusible, it’s time to get your background fabric prepared. Here are the steps:

Step 1:  I like to reinforce the edges of the block with Fray Check. This is an optional step that you can skip if you like. I do it to prevent the edges of the background from fraying into the seam allowance from all the handling while stitching.

Step 2: Next, define your stitching space. I like to measure in 1/2″ from all sides and draw a line. The space inside those lines is where the design will be laid out and stitched.

By defining the space ahead of time, you won’t accidently stitch some of your design into the seam allowance where it will be cut off when you sew the blocks together. I do 1/2″ on all sides so it keeps the design 1/4″ away from the seam allowance.

Step 3: Finally, I like to draw lines or make fold lines in the background to act as a guide for laying out my appliqué motif.

If you don’t want to fold and do creases, use a ruler and a fabric marking pencil and lightly draw those quadrant lines. I also placed a “dot” in the center of the block as a point of reference.

My mini video series on wool appliqué that covers some of the things I talked about in this post appears at the end of this post for those of you who are more visual learners like me.

That is all for this week and part 1 of wool appliqué tips for beginners. Leave me a comment or ask me questions below and be entered into a drawing for two of my newest mini wool appliqué patterns, Snugg-let Winter Friends and Snugg-let Sew with Friends.

The drawing will be at the end of this series on Monday, November 13th. So, you have 3 weeks to enter! **We have a winner! Congrats, Diana DeWitt!**

Happy Quilting & Stitching!
Deanne

 

How to Display and Store Quilts

Now that you have the quilt finished, what do you do with it if you’re not giving it away as a gift? Will you be using it or displaying it? Or do you need to store it carefully if you’re not ready to display it yet? Here’s some of my tips on displaying quilts different ways and also how to store them when not displayed or in use. Share some of your ideas with me in the comments!

Displaying Small and Medium Quilts

For most of my small and medium size wall hangings, I put a hanging sleeve on the back when I add the binding. Combining those steps gets two things done at once. And I like that! Here’s what a hanging sleeve looks like:

Cut a strip of fabric for your hanging sleeve (I cut mine about 2 1/2″ wide), fold in the raw edges on the ends of the strip and stitch. Then line up the top of the strip with the top edge of your quilt and pin in place before the binding is stitched to the front. 

Once that is done, you can fold about a 1/4″ under on the bottom of the strip and stitch it down to the backing.

Now that the sleeve is on, I can use several things to hang the quilt, including curtain rods and yardsticks.

No hanging sleeve? Improvise! I found this old wooden clipboard at a garage sale and used it to display this small winter quilt:

You can also frame these small quilts. I like to search for old frames at garage sales too. Here’s one I did for my small Christmas quilt:

These are just a few of the many ways you can display the small to medium size quilts.

Displaying Large Quilts

For larger quilts, I usually don’t hang them with a sleeve, mostly because I don’t have that much wall space! For those quilts, I often drape them from ladders, over banisters, over a chair or, of course, on a bed.

For quilts that the family uses to snuggle with when it’s cold, I fold them up in a basket or store them in a cabinet by the TV.

Caring for and Storing Quilts

Caring for the Quilts: Here’s my tips on caring for and cleaning quilts that are on display.

  • Display them out of direct sunlight to prevent fading
  • If the quilt is folded or rolled for the display, unfold or unroll them periodically and re-fold them another way. This will help prevent creases from forming in those folds.
  • Use a soft brush attachment on your vacuum to carefully brush off dust, etc. from the surface of a quilt hung on a wall. Be sure to use the lowest suction setting to keep from damaging fibers and seams.
  • Rotate quilts you have displayed so quilts that are precious to you are not exposed to the everyday household elements all the time.

Since I can’t have all my quilts out at time, some of them have to be stored. If you are storing quilts folded, be sure to also unfold and re-fold those periodically so crease lines do not form those quilts.

Removing Creases: Here’s a trick I have used to remove some deep creases. I lay the quilt out completely unfolded on a bed, I lightly spray some Best Press on the portions of the quilt that are creased and carefully smooth out the creases with my hands. Do not soak the area. I then leave the quilt on the bed and the creases appear to work themselves out.

Storing Quilts: For storing small quilts, I actually hang them from skirt or pants hangers and place them in a closet.

For larger quilts, I fold them and store them on shelves with a clean sheet covering them.

I have found that the sheets keep dust from settling on the quilts and keeps the sunlight from the window off of them too. Like I said above, I periodically re-fold these quilts that are not being displayed.

You can fold your quilts in a traditional way or you can try folding them as I show below. Folding them on the bias seems to reduce creases. Folding on the bias puts less stress on the fabric fibers so any creases that happen while it’s folded this way will smooth out easier. Start by laying out the quilt you want to fold on a large flat surface and make the first fold on the bias:

And then the folding continues this way until you get a folded square small enough to store on a shelf.

Here are some storage don’ts:

  • Do not store them in the basement or attic of your home where the temperature and humidity is not at ideal levels.
  • Do not stack too many folded quilts on top of one another. That will make the ones on the bottom crease more.
  • Do not store quilts in plastic containers or bags. Plastic can trap moisture which could develop mold that will stain quilts.

If you have an extra bed in a guest room, consider spreading out quilts there, a few on top of each other. Just make sure there’s no direct sunlight hitting them. 

So that’s all I have on displaying and storing quilts. I hope my tips are helpful to you for your quilts. Remember to enjoy the quilts you have. Although you can’t have them all out, be sure to display some and rotate your displays periodically or even with the seasons. Such beauty should not be hidden!

Happy Quilting,
Deanne

Binding Tips for the Perfect Finish

So I’m done with the quilt top and have had it quilted. Now it’s time to finish it up with the binding. At this point, I can’t wait to be done with the quilt so binding it seems like a bore and a chore. But, it’s another chance to enhance your quilt. I want to share some of my binding tips here so you don’t think of binding as a chore anymore. Let’s get started!

Tips for Planning Ahead

Tip #1: Binding Color. If you plan for your binding when you are planning and cutting out the quilt project, you will be ahead of the game. At this time you can decide if you want your binding to fade into the background, by matching it with your outer border fabric like my quilt below:

You don’t notice the binding there because it’s made from black fabric like the outer border. This means it doesn’t take any attention from the quilt design. Here’s another of my quilts where I used binding that contrasted with the outer border, creating a frame for the appliqué:

This is the binding color contrast I like to use when I want to draw attention to an appliquéd border area.

Or you can use scraps from your quilt project and make a scrappy binding. It serves the dual purpose of making a pretty finish to the quilt and using up the extra fabric.

Tip #2: What Type of Binding. Once you decided on the color you want to use, you need to decide on whether you want single-fold or double-fold binding. Single-fold binding consists of only a one layer of fabric pieced from strips, whether scrappy or not. The binding is laid face down on the front of the quilt top, lined up with the raw edges, machine stitched and then turned to the back to hand stitch in place. 

Double-fold binding is a wider strip, usually 2 1/4 to 2 1/2″ wide, that is folded over in half and pressed before attaching it to the front of the quilt. When it is turned to the back to be stitched, there are two layers of fabric on the edge of the quilt. Obviously, double-fold binding is more durable. Here are the different bindings: 

The photo on the left shows single-fold binding. you lay in on the quilt top wrong side up lined up with the quilt top edge. The other two photos show double-fold binding, the center photo shows it before it’s folded over and attached to the quilt top. For this binding, you line up the raw edges with the edge of the quilt top and stitch.

Typically, I will use single-fold binding on quilts that won’t get much use, like a wall hanging. A lap or bed quilt will get double-fold binding to account for wear and tear from usage.

Tip #3: How Much Fabric is Needed? So you’ve decided which binding type you want. How do you know how much fabric to buy? There’s an easy formula I use to figure how many strips I need to cut for my quilt top. This allows me to then figure out how much fabric I need. Here are the formula steps:

  1. First I figure the perimeter of the quilt by adding up the length of all the sides. For example for a quilt that is 60 x 72″ here is the calculation:   60 + 60 + 72 + 72 = 264
  2. I add 2″ to that measurement to account for the length of the binding used when turning the corners (I figure in 1/2″ per corner): 264 + 2 = 266
  3. Then I divide that measurement by the width of fabric to determine how many strips are needed. I use 40″ for my usable width: 266/40 = 6.65.  Round up to the next whole number, so I need 7 strips for this quilt’s binding.
  4. Now I multiply the strip amount by the size of the strips needed. If I am making double-fold binding and use 2 1/4″ strips, here’s my formula: 7 x 2 1/4″ = 15 3/4″. I round up to the nearest common cut of fabric, so I will need 1/2 yard to make the binding for this quilt. If I was only doing single-fold binding, I use 1 1/2″ strips so: 7 x 1 1/2″ = 10 1/2, rounding up, I would use 1/3 yard of fabric here.

Tip #4: Storage. So, you have your binding made. How do you store it so it doesn’t become a jumbled mess before you are done with the quilt? I like to wrap mine around an empty toilet paper tube or I fold it and secure it with a large binder clip.

You can then store this in the art bin or box that you have the pieces for the quilt stored. Now you won’t have to search for binding when it’s time to attach it.

Tips for Binding the Quilt Top

Tip #1: Prepare the Quilted Item. I recommend cutting away the excess batting and backing from the quilted quilt. Leave a scant 1/8″ (photos below) of the batting and backing. Since the binding is pinned to the top of the quilt using the quilt top edge as a guide, there will be batting and backing that extends out. I do this so when the binding is turned to the back, that scant 1/8″ serves to “stuff” the binding. 

Also, to achieve a full binding, I like to cut my binding strips for double-fold binding 2 1/4″ instead of 2 1/2″. If your binding is too wide when you fold it over to the back it will be empty at the top of the fold and that can make binding look flat.

Tip #2: Tip for Attaching the Binding. I like to start pinning on a straight edge at least 6″ from a corner. (left photo, below) I pin one side at a time for stitching. When I reach the corner while pinning, I measure 1/4″ up from the edge of the quilt top and pin the binding there. So when stitching this side, I know when I’m 1/4″ from the edge when I get to the pin. (right photo, below) This makes it easier to fold and turn the binding to start attaching it to the other side. It also helps to achieve a nice mitered corner when the binding is turned.

Tip #3: Binding Stitching. For double-fold binding, when stitching the first side, I start stitching about 1/2″ to 1″ from the beginning. (see photo below) This leaves a little “pocket” so I can tuck in the end of the binding when I get all the way around the quilt. Like I said above, I stop at the pin that marks 1/4″ from the edge to help make a nice mitered corner as I turn the binding to continue onto the next side. For single-fold binding, you can start stitching right at the beginning of the binding since you will not need to tuck the end.

Tip #4: Hand Stitching to the Back. I secure the binding in place with hair clips! I found that these worked great and we had a ton of them that my daughter abandoned at home when she went off to college. Great re-cycling tip here!

Here’s how I make the mitered corners when turning my binding. (photos below) When I get to the corner, I match up and pin where the two sides of the binding meet as shown in the first photo. Then I stitch up to that corner catching both folded edges. I then stitch up the diagonal “fold” created. As you can see in the last photo, it makes a perfect mitered corner on the front.

So, those are my tips for successful binding. If you follow them, I think you will find it easier to bind your quilt and you will be done in no time! Here’s my mini video tutorial on binding for some guidance if you are new to quilting.

That’s it for this week. Leave a comment or share some of your tips and you will be entered into a drawing for my newest pattern, Cabin Garden!

The drawing will be on Monday, October 16th. Good Luck! **We have a winner! Congrats, Dede!**

Happy Quilting
Deanne

A Quilter’s Most Important Ingredient: Fabric!

Fabric is the most important ingredient when it comes to quilting. You can make a quilt without a pattern, but you can’t make a quilt without fabric. Since it’s the key ingredient to making quilt, I want to cover some of my favorite fabric tips this week.

Picking out Fabrics

Tip #1: When you go to the quilt shop for fabric, bring the pattern with you make sure to buy enough fabric. I typically tell quilters to buy around 1/8 yard more than stated on the pattern, especially if you are a pre-washer. This also gives you extra fabric to square up and account for cutting errors. Nothing is worse than running out of fabric and going back to the shop to find it’s sold out!

Tip #2: This kind of ties into the first tip. Before you go to the shop, pick out fabric you think you want to use in your quilt and take that with you to match with the additional fabrics you need. This helps you to avoid coming home to find out that the fabric you bought doesn’t mesh with the ones you already want to use.

Tip #3: Don’t expect to find the exact fabric that was used to make the quilt sample pictured on the pattern. Especially if it’s an older pattern. Here’s an example what you can do if you need to find similar fabric.

If this orange fabric in the above quilt is what I am trying to match, what I want to do is find an orange fabric that has a similar shade and scale of print. Here are 3 fabrics I have chosen:

Can you tell which one works the best? Yes, it’s the one on the far left. The print scale is similar to the orange used in the original quilt and it’s the closest in shade. Of course, the other orange fabrics would still make pretty blocks, but with those the quilt block would look more unlike the original.

Tip #4: Just as I have advised you to audition fabrics at home for a project, you can do the same at the quilt shop. At home I do this to make sure fabrics “play” well together:

You can do the same at the quilt shop by either stacking up bolts or looking for fat quarters cut from the bolts of fabric you like and stacking those together for your “audition”. Once you decide on which ones you like, you can grab the bolts and have the fabric cut for you. Since you auditioned these at the shop, you know they are the perfect for your quilt project when you return home.

After you Pick the Fabric

Tip #1: Whether you are a pre-washer or not, the first thing you want to do is to press your fabric prior to cutting. Pressing out creases and wrinkles with help give you more accurate cut pieces. Cutting unpressed fabric can result in strips and pieces that don’t measure correctly and will cause fabric waste.

Tip #2: Square your fabric. Always! Do not skip this step, especially if you are cutting long strips for strip sets or borders. Otherwise you will end up with a strip that looks like the one on the left.

Notice how that strip bows away from the line on the cutting mat. That shows that the fabric was not squared properly before cutting. If you are cutting a large amount of strips from a piece of fabric, you may have to re-square it after cutting several of them. Fabric can shift from the ruler movement or when you move it around on the cutting mat.

Tip #3: Read through your pattern completely and find all the cutting instructions for each piece of fabric if it’s not all up front on the first page. I recommend cutting out the entire quilt’s pieces before starting to sew so you know you have enough fabric. Once you have it all cut, organized and labeled, you can store the pieces in the order you will need them. 

I store my projects with the pattern instructions in one of these art bins:

While you are Stitching Blocks

Tip #1: Be careful when sewing bias seams like when making half-square triangle (HST) squares and stitch & flip corners. If you have to remove stitches from a bias seam, you are more likely to stretch fabric out of shape and make that piece unusable.

For this reason, I like to use a scant 1/4″ seam when stitching HSTs so I can trim the resulting squares down to the correct size. And when I’m stitching stitch & flip corners, I make sure the resulting unit measures correctly before trimming any excess fabric from the seam allowance. See my mini video below:

Tip #2: Have block pieces laid out for easy chain stitching and make sure you are matching right sides together before feeding them through the machine. I have had many experiences ripping out stitches when I have not been paying attention!

Tip #3: Speaking of ripping out stitches, my way of doing it will minimize damage and distortion to your fabric. Whether you use a seam ripper or a small scissors (like I often do), snip a few threads on the seam line as shown on the left. Then you can gently pull apart the seam. This easily exposed the threads to cut so your sharp point of the seam ripper or scissors stays away from the fabric.

So that’s all I have for this week. Leave a comment below or ask any questions you may have. You will be entered into a drawing for my quilt pattern, Scrappy North Stars.

This will provide the opportunity to have a lot of fun with fabric! The drawing will be on Monday, October 9th. Good Luck! **We have a winner! Congrats, Judy!**

Happy Quilting,
Deanne