blog – Page 23 – Snuggles Quilts

Don’t Forget the Label!

Once the binding is done on the quilt…. you’re done, right? Wrong! You need to label that quilt. You don’t want one of your creations to turn up years later “maker unknown, do you? Also, labels are a great way to personalize the quilt, especially if you are giving it away as a gift. Think of it as your signature!

So, there are different ways to label. The first way is to write on the back of the quilt with fabric safe, permanent pens. This works best of course is you have a quilt back that is not dark.

I like to put the name of the piece, year it was completed and my contact information. If you won’t be showing your quilt in a show, you may not need the contact information, of course.

The next type of label will work best for any quilt. A scrap piece of fabric stitched onto the back of the quilt. You can either stitch it on after the binding or you can tuck two sides of the label under the binding for even more security like I did in the photo below.

Here’s another photo showing how I tucked the label into the binding while stitching it down:

Next, you can make a personalized label by printing it directly onto fabric meant to go through your ink jet printer. Many of those they make today and sell in the quilt shops do not need any special preparation either. They can go straight from your printer to the back of the quilt! Here’s a few I’ve used: EQ Printables and Avery Printable Fabric.

Many of my personalized labels are on quilts that I have given away to friends and family, so I don’t have many examples to share. But, here are a few labels from the back of my daughter’s graduation quilt to give you an idea of what I did. I created a document in Word and then printed it onto the fabric. Here, I have listed things like her graduation date among other things.

I also put a piece of fabric on the greeting table for her friends to sign. This is a really fun way to personalize it!

So now that I’ve shown you some examples, you have no excuse!

I like the idea of using labels to tell a story, whether it’s for a member of your family or just for yourself. You can talk about what inspired you to make the quilt, what fabrics you used, the date it was made, etc. The possibilities are endless! I have even written a poem for the back of the quilt when I made one for one of my nieces.

How do you label your quilts? I’d like to hear what you do and what you like to put on your labels. Tell me in the comments below and win a free pattern! My new one: Follow the Stars.

The drawing will be on Monday, May 13th. **We have a winner! Congrats, Linda!**

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Piecing Techniques: Half-Square Triangle Squares

Half-square triangle squares, also known as HST squares, are a versatile design in quilting. They are used to create blocks and borders. I use them for both in many of my quilt pattern designs. Here’s a pattern where I used HSTs to make the blocks:

Lots of HSTs in this quilt!

I’ve also created many, many borders for my quilts using HST squares. They are often used to make what quilters call a “sawtooth” border. You can find sawtooth borders as far back as the early 19th century when medallion quilts began to emerge as a quilting style of that time.

Here are a few of my designs where I incorporate HST borders:

Here’s a project where I used HSTs to make the blocks and the border!

The method I use normally that makes 2 HSTs at once. If I need them to measure 2″ finished when I’m done (2 1/2″ with seam allowance), I start with 2 different color squares each 2 7/8″ x 2 7/8″. If you don’t mind wasting a tiny bit of fabric, you can start with squares that measure 3″ x 3″ so you don’t have to deal with fractions when cutting. Most of you are familiar with this method.

Here are the steps in diagrams: First draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of one of the squares, then lay the two squares on top of each other rights sides together.

Once the squares are stacked one on top of the other, you stitch a scant 1/4″ on each side of the drawn line, cut the unit apart on the drawn line and press each piece open for 2 half-square triangle squares.

Well, you can imagine that if you only make two at a time and you have a lot of HSTs to make…. it could take you a long time to get done!

So, Here is a method to make 8 HSTs at once. You use 2 squares like above, however they need to be twice the size as your finished square + 1 3/4″. For example, if you want 2″ finished HSTs, your starting squares need to be 5 3/4″ ( 2 x 2 = 4″ plus 1 3/4″).

Draw a diagonal line both ways on the wrong side of one of the squares and then lay your squares right sides together one on top of each other just like in the method above. Then stitch a scant 1/4″ on each side of those drawn lines.

Once the stitching is done, cut the square apart as shown.

Next cut the smaller squares apart on the diagonal line:

Next, I like to measure and trim up each HST while they are still closed with the Quilt in a Day Triangle Square-up Ruler. Place the line that shows the size of your HST (with seam allowance) and then trim off the excess.

Now, press open the HSTs and there you go…. 8 HSTs at once!

So give it a try and make lots of HSTs at once!

Let me know if you found this technique tutorial helpful. If you have any ideas for future tutorials you would like me to tackle, let me know in the comments.

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Tips for Storing Quilting Supplies – You can use that?

Have you ever heard the phrase “you learn something new everyday”? I often learn new quilt supply and tool storage tips from my quilting friends and students, so I thought I’d share those here with you. Some of these may be familiar to you, but some may not. I guarantee there will be a few you think are just brilliant. I did! A lot of these ideas use items from around your house. You don’t have to buy lots of fancy gadgets!

First up is one of the things quilters seem to have the hardest time storing: bobbins. I do have one of those rubber “wheels” that stores bobbins:

But I have heard other storage solutions from quilters who have not been able to find one of these. And they’ve come up with some pretty ingenious ideas!

Idea #1: Grab some golf tees. Yes, you heard me right! Golf tees! When my son was on the golf team in high school, I was swimming in golf tees. I found them all over the house, in the washing machine, in his car, etc. You would think I would have thought of this myself. So here’s what you do. Match the bobbin with the thread and secure them together with a golf tee. It’s that simple!

Now you have the thread and the bobbin matched up together for storage. You can line them up in a drawer like this or still store them on a spool rack. This works great if you want to keep the thread and it’s matching bobbin together. You can also use pipe cleaners or long twist ties to secure threads and bobbins together.

Idea #2: Toe Separators. You know those funny foam things that you put between toes while you’re painting them?

Bobbins actually fit quite nicely into those toes slots! And these are stack-able so they will fit very well into a small drawer near your sewing machine.

Looks like Addie approves of these bobbin storage options!

Idea #3: You can store bobbins in an old prescription bottle. Good way to recycle!

Next up, rulers. These can be challenging to store even if you have a dedicated sewing space. My solution for my sewing room is a peg board I found in the garage. These are not expensive at the local hardware store. Pick up one of these with some peg hooks, hang it on the wall, and problem solved!

You can even use some of those handy rings you find at the office supply store to help hang them.

Now, if you do not have a dedicated sewing space, you can store your rulers in the closet clipped by pants hangers.

You can also store cutting mats this way too!

Finally, here’s some random things I do for storage to make things go more smoothly while I quilt and stitch.

I use an old paper towel tube to keep my fusible web under control. Paper clips on the ends of the roll can tear it and rubber bands wrapped around the middle can wrinkle it, but the paper towel tube keeps it nice and neat!

I store my perle cotton threads for a project in a small pencil box. The 8 x 4″ box works great. You can also pull thread through the space between the box and the cover if you are working in a confined space …. or have a cat that likes to play with your thread!

Finally, I use an old mug tree that I found at a garage sale to store my scissors and rotary cutter by my sewing table.

So there you go! There is no limit when it comes to thinking up ways for using everyday household items in the sewing room. I bet you have some. Share some of your quilting “hacks” in the comments below. You will be entered into a drawing to win a free pattern!

The drawing will be on Monday, April 29th. Good luck! **We have a winner! Congrats, Carla!**

Happy Quilting & Stitching!
Deanne

2019 BOM Block 4!

Hi! I hope you are enjoying the block of the month so far. This next installment is the bottom of the wall hanging and contains one of my favorite sentiments: “home sweet home”.

I chose a brilliant red wool for the lettering because I want it to stand out in the finished piece. Feel free to use your favorite colors for the lettering and the flowers. Here is the link to the pattern: 2019 BOM Block 4

There will be a limited amount of kits available for this block. Those kits will only contain the wool needed to make the block, you will provide your own backing fabric. I am on the road so the kits will be made available later this week in my shop and I will announce it via e-mail.

So now’s the time to sign up for my newsletter alerts! (see sidebar for signup). Some kits for blocks 2 and 3 are still available while supplies last. When I get some more wool in, the previous months may become available again. Keep watch for my e-mails!

Happy Stitching!
Deanne

Binding – The Perfect Finish!

So you’re done with your quilt and it’s time to do the binding. To some quilters, the binding is an afterthought … they just want to get the quilt done. But I like to treat the binding another “frame” for the quilt, just like borders. So here’s some of my tips that I use when choosing a binding for a quilt.

Single-fold or Double-fold?

Single-fold binding is just as it is described. It’s single strips of fabric, usually joined by a bias seam, stitched to the front of the quilt top and then turned to the back and stitched down to “close” the quilt sandwich. I use 1 1/2″ strips. I like to use this type of binding on wall hangings, table runners and other small projects. It’s less bulky for small projects.

My double-fold binding is made from 2 1/4 or 2 1/2″ strips, seamed together on the bias and then pressed in half lengthwise for a double thickness. I like to use this type of bindings on lap size or larger quilts. Mostly because those quilts tend to get handled more and I think double-fold binding is more durable.

Tip: When I am working with a long strip of binding for a big quilt, I like to keep it under control by winding it around a left-over toilet paper roll and securing it with a large pin. Then as I am pinning and stitching the binding to the quilt top, I just unwind the amount I need as I go!

Another option is folding up the binding and securing it with a large binder clip.

Necessity is the mother of invention!

Binding Color

Since I think of my binding as another frame for my quilt, the color is important. Do I want to notice the binding or do I just want it to fade into the background? If I want it to be another frame for the finished quilt, I will choose a contrasting color for the binding like below:

See how the dark binding frames the edges?

Sometimes, I want the binding to blend in with the edges of the quilt. To do that, I choose a color that is not in contrast with the quilt top. Most of the time, I choose the fabric of the background or last border of the quilt.

Finally, if I really want to have fun, I’ll do a scrappy binding made from the leftover fabrics used in the quilt top.

Other Random Tips

So here are a few other random tips. To secure the binding while you are stitching it to the back, use hair clips! Once my daughter moved on from using these in her hair, we had an abundance of these clips. Literally all over the house. They are great for holding the turned over binding in place!

Recycle and re-use!

To have a nice full binding, I like to leave a little batting and backing (about 1/8″) when trimming away the excess batting and backing from the quilted top. I then attached the binding to the top of the quilt using the quilt top edge as my guide.

After the binding is attached to the top, I will them trim off the excess batting and backing. By doing this, it is guaranteed that all the three layers are sandwiched in the binding to make it full, as opposed to trimming the other two layers even with the top before stitching the binding to the top and risking over trimming.

So, that’s all I have to share on bindings at this time. Let me know if you have an interesting tip for binding. Leave a comment below and you will be entered into a drawing for a free Twilight Desert quilt pattern!

The drawing will be on Tuesday, April 16th. ***We have a winner! Congrats ChristieB!***

Until next time….

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

My Favorite Applique Tools & Tips

If you follow me regularly, you know I love to add applique to my quilts. Either needle-turn hand applique or wool applique. I love what it adds to my traditional designs! I thought I’d share some of my favorite tools I use for applique and some tips for today’s blog installment.

Needle-turn Hand Applique:

First up is the Sewline Fabric Pencil.

I use this pencil to trace around templates for needle-turn hand applique with fabric. It’s a mechanical pencil, except the “lead” is chalk. It comes in white, pink, yellow and green so the lines will show on any color fabric. I mainly use white on darker fabrics and green on lighter fabrics. It’s erasable and the lines are very fine so the shape you trace from the template is true to size.

Next, To anchor the applique shapes to the background, I use one of my favorite things to ever come into the quilting world…. Roxanne’s Glue Baste-it!

For years before this glue was available, I would always stick myself with the pins used to hold my applique shapes in place. Not anymore! All that’s needed are small dots of glue to hold the piece in place. And it’s water soluble!

Next up is the needle. I like to use John James Golden Glide applique needles in size 9. You can experiment and choose the size that fits you.

This needle glides nicely through fabric, including batiks! Make sure to change your needle after completing a project. Needles bend and get dull after a lot of use.

On to the thread. I like to use 50 wt silk-finish 100% cotton threads by Mettler.

These threads come in a great variety of colors. I like to match the color of thread to the color of the applique piece I am stitching. If you don’t want to buy a lot of different color threads, you can use an array of neutrals from light tan to dark brown or black. Use the shade that blends the best with the applique color.

Wool Applique:

First up is my favorite fusible web: Heat n’ Bond Lite.

I trace my shapes onto the paper side of the fusible and then fuse it to the wool I’ve chosen for each shape. Then I follow the manufacturer’s instructions to fuse the shapes to the background of the project. I will keep my bottle of Roxanne’s glue handy while I’m stitching in case an applique piece lifts off the background a bit.

Next up are the threads I use for the stitching. I like Valdani Perle Cotton size 8.

You can use colors that match your wool applique shapes so it blends in, or you can use a neutral thread for the whole project. If you are new to wool applique, I have two stitching tutorials here and here.

My favorite needles are John James Chenille needles size 22 or 24.

I use chenille needles because the eye is wider to easily thread the perle cotton. Size 24 needles are a little shorter than the size 22, so you can choose the needle that works best for you.

Things I use for Both Types of Applique:

I have a little trick I use to prevent my background from fraying while I stitch… I treat the edges of my project with Fray Check!

Since you will handle the project you are working on quite a bit while stitching, doing this will keep it from fraying which causes you to lose fabric from the seam allowance.

Finally, a very important tool…. a good light, preferably with a magnifier! Here’s my light:

So there you go…. some of my favorite stitching tools with a few tips thrown in.

Happy Stitching!
Deanne

My Tips for Storing Quilts

We all need to store quilts at one time or another if we own a lot of them. Unless you have several bedrooms with guest beds where you can layer them, you’ll need to fold them for storage. I’ll give you tips on folding the quilt and then some on the best way and place to store them. Leave a comment and be entered in a drawing for a free pattern!

Folding Quilts

Let’s begin by laying out the quilt you want to fold on a large flat surface.

Make the first fold on the bias:

Next fold:

Finally the last two folds:

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. Straight folds create heavier creases that could be permanent if the quilt is folded for too long.

The other way I fold quilts is in thirds. The following photos will show how that is done.

First fold:

Next fold:

Next two folds:

If you need the folded quilt to be smaller, you can now fold it over two more times.

Now, I did not have any for this demonstration, but I usually use acid free, colorless tissue paper stuffed in the folds to soften them.

Some dos and don’ts for Storing:

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.

Do not store quilts in plastic containers or bags. Plastic can trap moisture which could develop mold that will stain quilts.

Do use clean white sheets to cover a stack of quilts for protection.

Two other ways to store quilts is to roll them or to drape them over extra beds. Rolling large quilts may be difficult for storage since there would need to be a large space to store those rolls. But rolling them is a good way to avoid any creases from folding, so if you have the storage space, consider doing this.

If you drape them over guest beds, be sure they are not in direct sunlight that could fade a quilt. If there is direct sunlight into that room, you can cover the stack of quilts with a clean, white sheet to protect them.

Finally, when I have quilts that have been stored for longer than 6 months, I like to pull them out and refold them or switch them out with ones that are displayed.

So hopefully these tips will help you with storing quilts that you don’t have room to display!

Enter to Win! Comment below with your quilt storage tips and be entered into a drawing for a free quilt pattern! The winner will be drawn on Tuesday, April 2nd and will receive a copy of my new pattern, It’s a Tie! **Winner of the pattern is Diana Stewart. Congrats!**

Using Fabrics with Directional Prints – Part 2

If you missed my first blog post on directional prints, click here. In that post I dealt with directional prints used in border strips in a block and how to make half-square triangle squares so the directional prints are all in the same direction. In this post, I will talk about using these prints when making flying geese units, which are used a lot when making star blocks.

So here are the fabrics I am using to make the flying geese units for my star block:

As you can see, I will only be concerned with the grey fabric since my tan fabric has a print that is not directional. The secret to using directional fabrics for flying geese is that if you position the directional print horizontally, the print will be vertical after stitching. The photos below show this:

I decided I wanted my finished geese to have the print go vertical because I liked how it looked. So, as you can see in the second photo, when I lay the square face down on the tan rectangle, I need the print to be horizontal. After I stitch diagonally and press open the square, the print is now vertical.

So to finish the flying geese, I need to lay the next square face down on the other side of the rectangle with the print going horizontal so when done, the print will then be vertical like the first side.

But now here is the tricky part …. if you are using the directional print for the center square of the star and if you make all 4 flying geese with the print going vertical… this will happen:

So… you need to make 2 flying geese units with the print going vertical and 2 flying geese units with the print going horizontal if you want the all the print going in the same directional when the star block is done.

See how having geese with the directional print going in different directions now works when you place them with the center? See the photos of the block before and after piecing below:

All the stripes on the grey fabric are going in the same direction! It takes a little time and you have to slow down just a bit to get this right, but it’s worth it if this is the look you are going for.

So that’s the end of part 2! If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I am thinking of doing a short video tutorial in the future when I have a chance.

Happy quilting!
Deanne

Using Fabrics with Directional Prints

Have you ever looked at a fabric that you just loved, but hesitated buying it because of a directional print? Don’t! Directional prints are fun to play with and, with a bit of planning while cutting, you can get the print going in the direction you want when piecing a block. Part 1 is today and part 2 will be posted next week.

Example 1: I work with a square bordered with strips.

So here’s my directional print fabric:

That’s a pretty strong directional! In my example below, I want 1 1/2″ strips to border a square. If I cut all the pieces from the same 1 1/2″ width strip, then this is how my block will look:

Notice how on the side strips the print is vertical and on the top and bottom strips the print is horizontal. Now, this doesn’t look bad, it kind of makes your eye travel around the square. However, if you want the print to go all in the same direction, here’s what you do. Cut the longer side rectangles from the 1 1/2″ strip – in this case, the rectangles need to be 1 1/2 x 4 1/2″. As you can see, the print is vertical. Now, to get the top and bottom rectangles, which measure in this example 1 1/2 x 2 1/2″ to have the print vertical, cut a strip from your fabric for these pieces 2 1/2″ wide and then cut 1 1/2″ segments for 1 1/2 x 2 1/2″ rectangles. See the photos below.

Cool, huh?? Now all the border strips of the block have the print going in the same direction!

Example 2: I work with half-square triangle squares, or HSTs as many call them.

Below are the pieces to make 4 HSTs. Lay them out as shown and then lay the tan print face down on the color print. Stitch diagonally a scant 1/4″ on each side of the diagonal center from the same direction on both square sets (see where my finger is pointing). Once you cut the units apart and press open, you will get 4 HSTs where, no matter how they are arranged, the directional tan print will not go in the same direction.

Now, repeat the above step but stitch one set of squares diagonally in the opposite direction of the other:

As you can see above, no matter how I lay out the HSTs, the tan fabric directional print is pointing in the same direction.

Now, marry these two examples together and you can make a churn dash block where the directional prints are all going in the same direction!

Pretty cool, huh?

So, what ever you choose ….. making all your directional prints going the same way or having them scattered in different directions…. if you like making scrappy quilts like me, the “chaos” of directional prints can add a whole lot of fun and interesting dimension to your project.

I hope these examples where explained clearly! Feel free to ask me questions in the comments.

Watch for part 2 of using directional prints next week.

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Welcome Text it! Blog Hoppers!

Hi! Welcome to Snuggles Quilts for my stop on the Text it! blog hop. If you’ve never been to my web site, feel free to poke around. I am a scrap quilter that loves to use fabric and wool applique in many of my designs. You can view them here in my shop. I blog weekly about quilting sharing tips and tricks I use while making my creations. You can sign up for my blog feed and also my monthly newsletter on my home page. And, most importantly, you will become very familiar with my studio companion, Addie the cat, if you follow me on Facebook and Instagram.

Sherri Noel’s book, Text it! has so many fun projects, I had a hard time choosing the one I wanted to make. Then I saw the 1 Sheep quilt and I knew immediately that I wanted to make it. I love applique and I also like doing wool applique on fabric so I thought this would be a great project for me.

Here’s my finished quilt:

In Sherri’s book, the sheep is created using fabric applique, which I love to do as well, but I thought I would make my quilt with wool pieces, for the sheep’s body, appliqued to fabric to make him extra fuzzy!

I hunted through my drawers of wool and pulled out a variety to use as the sheep’s body, head and legs. I think I found some that works well with the background.

On to the creation….. I use fusible web in my wool applique so the next step was to trace my templates on the fusible web and then fuse them to the selected pieces of wool. If you want to learn more about my wool applique process, I have a blog post here that gives you some tips. Also, I have two stitching tutorials here and here.

Next up was to use my design wall to layout the sheep body. This was the fun part. Shifting around the wool circles to get the color distribution I wanted. I used small pins to anchor things in place so it was easy to move them around. Once I had the layout I liked, I followed the manufacturers instructions for the fusible web and fused my design to the fabric.

Now it was time to stitch! For wool applique, I use chenille needles, size 22 or 24, Valdani Perle Cotton, size 8 (usually neutral colors) and I always have some Roxanne’s Glue Baste-it on hand in case the pieces I have fused to the background fabric by ironing lift a bit during stitching.

Ahhhh… this is where the fun starts ….. dealing with my studio friend while trying to stitch….

Once I managed to get the design stitched to the background, I pieced and attached the checkerboard border and machine quilted the quilt. I used an overall loops and stars meandering design in the center portion of the quilt and then a leaf design in the border. Here’s a blog post I did on machine quilting tips.

Here’s close up of the quilting:

So now it’s time to tell you about the prizes in the giveaway! One lucky blog reader will win a copy of Sherri’s book, Text it! to make these fun projects! Unfortunately, this prize is only available to participants in the US (laws beyond our control). However, there is also a chance to win 2 large spools of Aurifil thread that can be shipped anywhere in the world! I am also drawing a winner to receive a pack of my most recent pattern releases. To be entered in the drawing, leave me a comment on whether you have a special sewing companion or, if you don’t have a pet, your favorite quilting technique. Be sure to mention in the comment if you are a US resident so it will be easier to determine who is eligible for the book drawing.

I wish to thank Sherri for letting me take part in this blog hop. It’s been so much fun and I enjoyed making this project so much, I’m going to make others from the book too! You can order the book from Amazon, Martingale or get a signed copy of Text it! directly from Sherri.

Below is the blog hop schedule for the whole hop. Feel free to go back and visit the blogs you’ve missed because the drawings will not take place until after the hop is over! *** We Have our winners! Congrats Joyce, Jen and Jennifer! You’ll be getting an email from me with details.****

Happy Quilting & Hopping!
Deanne

MONDAY MARCH 4 –

BEE HAPPY PAMELA JANE MORGAN – WWW.MYSWEETLITTLESTITCHES.COM

SHARON LILABELLE LANE – WWW.LILABELLELANECREATIONS.COM

TUESDAY MARCH 5 – INFINITY Quilt

LAURA PILAND – WWW.SLICEOFPIQUILTS.COM

LEANNE PARSONS – WWW.DEVOTEDQUILTER.COM

KATIE MUTER STARCHER – WWW.KATIEMAEQUILTS.COM

WEDNESDAY MARCH 6 – PILLOW TALK

KATE COLLERAN – WWW.SEAMSLIKEADREAM.COM

CHERYL DAINES BROWN – WWW.QUILTERCHIC.COM

DORIE HRUSKA – WWW.FOREVER-QUILTING.COM