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Handy Tips When Finishing That Quilt!

Mid-August doldrums here …. it’s that time of the summer when you begin to notice signs of the coming fall. The gardens look a little less vibrant, the lawn not as green (especially here in north Iowa because we need rain!) and school is starting. I just sent my son back to his 2nd year of law school, so the house is quiet again…. a bit too quiet. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the empty nest. At least I have Addie to keep me company!

She’s usually good for daily entertainment in the studio.

I have been working on finishing a stack of small quilts this week when it occurred to me I had some tips I could share.  I’ve had a lingering cold this week, so the fact that my brain is working enough to come up with a blog post idea is exciting!

First tip – Hanging Sleeves:

For a wall hanging or larger quilts that needs a hanging sleeve, I will cut a 2 1/2″ strip of fabric, either the same as the binding fabric or the backing fabric. The strip should be about 1″ shorter than the width of the quilt you want to hang. For example, if the quilt is 24 1/2″ wide, I’ll cut the strip 2 1/2 x 23 1/2″.

Once the strip is cut,  make a hem on each end of 1/4″ and stitch that in place:

Then,  place the strip at the quilt’s top lining it up with the raw edges. Pin in place. Once that it done, stitch the binding on the front of the quilt. When you get to the top of the quilt, the top of the hanging sleeve strip on the back is stitched to the quilt top as you are attaching the binding to the front. Be careful that the strip is not folded up as you are stitching. This is what it looks like when you are done. As you can see, the top of the hanging sleeve is secured.

To finish, simply fold about 1/4″ under and hand stitch the bottom of the hanging sleeve.

Second Tip – Labels:

We all need to remember to label our quilts better. It’s good for family history or even for our own memory! If you take care of affixing the label while you are doing the binding, you won’t have to worry about it later. The steps are similar to the hanging sleeve tip. I usually press the two sides of the label that will not be sewn into the binding be for placing it on the back of the quilt. This will make it easier to stitch down those sides later.

Once you have the sides pressed, lay the label right side up on the back of the quilt aligning it with either the bottom left or right corner. Pin in place so you can move on to stitching the binding on to the front of the quilt. The two sides of the label that are aligned with the edges of the quilt will be stitched down when you stitch the binding. Like with the hanging sleeve, be careful not to catch the loose part of the label in your stitching.

As you can see in the above photo, the bottom and right side of the label are stitched down now. The next step is to hand stitch the top and left side of the label:

Now with a permanent fabric marker, I have plenty of space to write the name of the quilt, year made and any other information I would like. Instant documentation!

So there you have it. I hope these two little tips are useful to you for future projects!

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

2018 Block of the Month – Block 8!

Hi Everyone!

It’s time for block 8 of my 2018 BOM. I hope you are chugging along on the first 7 blocks. This has been a really fun BOM to work on. So here is your next block:

It’s almost fall, so I it’s time to stitch the fall block! Find the .pdf pattern here: 2018 BOM Block 8

If you are just joining in on my BOM, you can find links to the beginning instructions and the other 7 blocks on my Block of the Month page.

Happy stitching and enjoy!
Deanne

Making a Design Space – Things that Help Creativity!

I want my quilting time to be productive and relaxing. When it’s time to quilt, if I spend less time getting set up, that leaves more time to stitch and enjoy quilting! I know a lot of people may not have a dedicated sewing space, but there are things you can do as well to make your stitching time relaxing as well.

First Tip: Organization! This is especially helpful if you don’t have a dedicated sewing space. If you have several projects you are working on at the same time (be honest…. you do!) organization is very important. To keep the fabrics, patterns and completed pieces from getting mixed up with other projects, consider using these handy art bins.

I have some clear tape on the top where I wrote the name of the pattern in progress. Inside, there is a folder that contains the pattern with any templates needed along with completed pieces and blocks in progress:

These bins are easily stacked on a closet shelf or under a bed …. anywhere you need to store your projects when you are not working on them. These are even great if you have a dedicated sewing room because I do …. and I know I have more than one project in the works at all times!

Second Tip: Design wall. This will work if you have a dedicated space or not. If you have your own room and have a large wall space, create a design wall by affixing foam insulation board (found at your local home improvement store) to the wall, then cover it with felt.

These sheets usually come in 4 x 8 ft sections and can easily be cut down to fit any space. Here’s how my wall looks:

These can also be used if you so not have a dedicated space. You can cover a few of these boards and slide them under a bed or couch when not in use. When you want to use them, pull them out and lean them against the wall in the room where you are working. The advantage of having ones not attached to a wall, is you can take one or two of them with you to a quilt retreat!

Third Tip: Having the space to iron is key to a relaxing time quilting. Of course you need a larger ironing board or a big board for big pieces of fabric and finished quilt tops, but when you are stitching blocks together, a little table placed next to your sewing machine set up with an iron gives you all the ironing space you need. And it’s easy to store once again if you do not have a dedicated sewing space.

Here’s my table:

Set up with ironing supplies:

And the best thing?  It folds down flat to easily store away!

If you like this table, you can find it here: Lifetime Products Table

So these are three tips that you an use to get started on making your quilting time more productive and relaxing!

Share with me some of your secrets to making your design space more efficient. I’d love to hear your ideas!

Happy Quilting
Deanne

What is Secondary Design?

Have you ever looked at a quilt and saw the not only the intended design, but a secondary design? This is actually a fun type of quilt to design and one I like to do. I love it when someone cannot tell what the individual blocks actually are in a quilt because of the secondary design….. unless they look really close!

The way to create a secondary design is to start with a block with interesting elements that, when joined with additional blocks into a quilt top, combine to make the secondary design. For example, these are blocks from my quilt, Crisscross Cabin Blooms:

Now, look what happens when you join 4 of the above blocks together:

Notice how there is a crisscross design that is formed by the black pieces. With several of these sections assembled into the quilt top, it creates a cool overall crisscross design. Here is another option with these blocks:

This lay out will have the black pieces create an overall diagonal secondary design.

Here’s the actual quilt when it was completed:

Another way to create a secondary design is with sashing joining blocks together. Here is an table runner I designed where I used this method. (table runner on the right)

Here’s a closeup of the sashing:

Notice how the sashing I added creates the secondary star design and also creates a cross-hatch design. Hey …. a tertiary design!

Here are some photos of some of my other patterns. See if you can pick out the block and also notice the secondary design or designs that appear in these quilts.

So, next time you go to a quilt show, once you are done with your “close up” viewing of a quilt, step back and take in the view. Look for the secondary design that creates a completely different “attitude” to the quilt and creates movement.

Leave a comment and win my pattern Crisscross Cabin Blooms! **Winner chosen: Congrats Marsha!**

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

How to Display Quilts Around the House – Be Creative!

Hi everyone!

I was thinking about what to talk about in my weekly blog post when I thought about how I display quilts around my house. I decided it would be fun to show you what I do with mine. Maybe it will give you some ideas. Some are folded over chairs, some displayed with antiques while others are folded across the end of a bed. However you choose to display quilts, they make a beautiful addition to your decor.

First, there’s the general across the bed display that we all do:

Pretty …. but everyone does this! So you can kick it up a notch by draping a quilt over a chair or banister like the two below.

If you are a regular reader of my blog posts, you know I love to combine my quilts and antiques. These old family quilts below are displayed on a ladder (wood sealed so they will not be damaged). I put brackets on the wall, hung the ladder from the brackets and then hung the quilts. Easy!

Next up are three other displays in my house.

I found and old box that legs were added to. I love to collect old boxes so this one jumped out at me when I went “junking”. I rolled the quilts and set them inside the box for a fun display.

To display a mini wall hanging, I took an old drawer, drilled holes in the sides to feed a dowel through and hung the small quilt on the dowel. It makes a really cute decoration.

Finally, I found an old drying rack and a wood towel bar when I was hunting through an antique shop. The drying rack leaning against a wall  makes a perfect place to drape a few quilts.

And the towel rack on the wall is another fun way to display a quilt!

I also like hanging the quilts on the wall. I use quilt hangers made for wall hangings. But if I do not have a hanger that fits a quilt, I also like to use curtain rods. All you need is a sleeve stitched to the back of the quilt and you’re all set!

Some tips to keep these quilts in good shape.

  • 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 refold them another way. This will prevent creasing the quilts in one place.
  • 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.

I’d love to hear how you display your quilts. Also, if you have any tips for the care of your quilts on display feel free to share that too! Comment below and be entered to win a copy of the latest Primitive Quilts & Projects magazine that has one of my patterns in it!

I will choose a winner and announce it in next week’s blog post! **Winner chosen! Congrats, Dawna!**

Happy Quilting
Deanne

2018 Block of the Month – Block 7!

Hi everyone! I did not have a blog post last week because I was away on vacation (yay!). Now it’s back to work so I will begin posting blog posts again regularly.

Here’s block 7 for the 2018 BOM!

The instructions for making the block can be found here: 2018 BOM Block 7.

I hope you’ve been having fun making all the 2018 BOM blocks. If this is your first time finding out about my 2018 BOM, you can get all the information and previous blocks here: Block of the Month.

New pattern release coming up this week! Keep an eye out for Twilight Desert. This is a fun, scrappy lap quilt that will really take advantage of your fabric stash!

This quilt was inspired by an antique quilt, of course! Here is the quilt and block that was my inspiration:

One of the names of this block is Rolling Stone. I added a star to the middle of the Rolling Stone block to add more interest. 

I plan on a mid week release, so keep an eye out for the announcement on Facebook and Instagram.

So now on to the winner of my pattern, Summer Serendipity, from my July 1st blog post drawing. Congrats Sharon Aurora!!!

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Applique Tips – How to make stems!

Have you ever admired a quilt with a beautiful appliqué motif and said: “I want to do this!”. Well, I hope you have. Needle-turn hand appliqué has been a passion of mine for almost as long as I have been quilting. Now, I know many of you do not like hand work and are afraid of the “A” word. But you don’t have to be! You can do your appliqué by machine. I just love the added something that appliqué gives to a quilt top, whether it is pieced or just a plain background.

I have done appliqué posts in the past talking about many of the different steps for doing hand appliqué but have never done a full post on making stems. So, here you have it …. a blog post on stems! If you are interested in appliqué instruction from start to finish, consider purchasing my video class Sew on the Go with Needle-turn Hand Appliqué. Once purchased it’s yours to keep forever!

Stems

I like to create my stems from bias cut strips since those are easier to manipulate into curves than straight cut strips. I usually use either a fat quarter or fat eighth depending on how many stems I need. Here is how to cut bias stems.

Press your fabric and lay it on the cutting table as shown:

Align the 45° line of your long (24″) ruler with the bottom of the fabric (the arrow in the photo is pointing to the 45° line):

Now, using the rotary cutter, make your first cut:

Then measure and cut out the amount of strips you need. If you need stems longer than the strips produced, you may have to stitch a few strips together before preparing them into stems.

Cut your strips 1/2″ wider than the width of your finished stem. For example, if you want 1/2″ stems you need to cut your bias strips 1″ wide.

Now it’s time to prepare the strips into stems. To do this, I use a bias tool.  They come in sizes from 1/4″ to 1″. The size of the tool in the finished size of the stem. So, for a 1/2″ stem, we will use a 1/2″ bias tool.

Feed the strip, right side of fabric down, into the larger end of the tool until it comes out the smaller end. When it comes out of the end, the sides of the strip will be folded over as shown. Use the iron press this fold all the way down the strip to make the stem.

When you are done making stems and are ready to put them onto your quilt background, you will affix the stems with the raw edges down. Here’s a project I have in progress to show you how I am shaping the stems:

Stems are usually stitched onto the project first because they are usually covered with flowers and leaves or other parts of the appliqué motif.

Here are a few of my favorite appliqué patterns:

So, that’s making stems! Not very hard to do and they add so much to an appliqué design.

Leave a comment below in this blog post on your favorite type of  appliqué project and win a free pattern for my newest design Summer Serendipity.

 

I will draw for the winner in 2 weeks! **Winner has been chosen** Congrats Sharon Aurora!**

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

New Pattern and Some Half-Square Triangle Square Tips!

Hi everyone! Just a short visit this week to introduce my new pattern called Summer Serendipity.

This is a 36 x 36″ wall hanging or table topper. It a fun, scrappy pieced background embellished with some beautiful floral appliqué. And this appliqué can be done by hand or machine! You can also substitute wool for the fabric and use this background for some colorful wool appliqué. You can go here for purchasing information.

The pieced background is easy piecing that uses a lot of half-square triangle squares. Do not be intimidated by these! Half-square triangle squares, or as I call them, HSTs, are really not that hard and come out accurately every time if you follow my tips.

Tip #1: For this project, I use the method of making HSTs that uses 2 squares, one color print and one tan print. I’m going to use the squares the size I need to make HSTs that measure 2 1/2″ when I’m done. So start with your squares either 2  7/8″ x 2  7/8″ OR, if you don’t mind wasting a tiny bit of fabric and want to make sure your finished squares are the correct size, you can start with squares that measure 3″ x 3″.

Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the tan print square:

Then place the tan print and the color print squares right sides together with the tan print square on top so the drawn line is visible.

Tip #2: Now comes the time to stitch. I like to stitch with a scant 1/4″ on each side of the drawn line, especially if I am using squares cut 2 7/8″:

Using the scant 1/4″ distance guarantees your squares will not be too small when you press them open because you can always trim them.

Tip #3: Now we come to the trimming. Cut the above unit apart on the drawn line. You will have two units. Do not press them open yet. We will actually trim them before pressing. The great thing about that is you are only having to make two trimming cuts instead of have to trim all four sides individually!

Here’s the unit cut apart:

Now I will introduce you to this awesome tool I like to use for the trimming. It’s called the Quilt in a Day® Triangle Square Up Ruler!

Here it is and how it works:

The numbers on the measurement lines are the size of the HST you want after it’s pressed open. Ours are going to be 2 1/2″ after trimming so we use the 2 1/2″ line on this ruler. First place the ruler on one of the units from above with the 2 1/2″ line on the stitch line:

Now you trim off the excess fabric on the two sides. Once you do this, you can press open the unit and here you are:

It’s that simple! Since each set of squares makes 2 HSTs, if you need 40 HSTs you need 20 squares of tan print and 20 squares of color print.

Now you can make HSTs with ease and make many of my patterns that use HSTs!

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Wool Applique is Fun! BOM Block 6 and Some Tips for You.

Hi everyone! Well, this week, summer officially arrives even though it’s been in the 90s here all weekend. I wanted to share a photo I took today. It is of one of my colorful gardens that inspires my quilting every day. Gardening is what I like to do when I’m not quilting. I think it recharges my batteries and it doesn’t hurt to enjoy a little fresh air! What inspires you?

When it’s this hot, I bet the last thing you want to think about is wool! But, wool applique is fun and also portable. So you can take it outside under that shady tree in your yard and stitch to your heart’s content!

First, my BOM block 6 was released last Friday. I posted the announcement to Facebook and Instagram but in case you are not on either of those platforms and don’t get my monthly newsletter, here’s the block:

Go to the BOM page to be directed to the pattern. If you’d like to receive the pattern early every month, sign up to receive my monthly newsletter. You’ll find the sign-up on the side bar to the right on this page.

Now on to something new. Here’s a sneak peak of two of my current wool applique projects. They are wall hangings for each season of the year! I can’t wait until they are all done and I can share the complete photo with you. For know, I just wanted to whet your appetite.

Are you excited?

So now on to some of my favorite wool applique tips.

Tip #1: As you can see, my wool applique is done on cotton. Either a plain or pieced background. When choosing your wool for a project, be sure that it has good contrast with the background. You want to be able to see the motif. See the yellow flowers on the banner on the right? Those were going to be white. But when I held the white wool up to the background, it disappeared! So, I chose the yellow wool for the flowers and used the white for the center.

Tip #2: Use fusible web such as Heat ‘n Bond Feather Lite.

Using this and fusing it to the wool helps the appliqué piece its shape and stabilizes the wool more for stitching. Trace your applique motif on the paper side of the fusible, cut the shape out slightly outside of your drawn line and fuse onto your wool. Then use the drawn line to cut out your applique motif. Be sure to reverse non-symmetrical applique templates when tracing onto the fusible so they are facing in the correct direction once the motif is fused and cut out of the wool.

Tip #3: You can either affix the pieces to the background using fabric glue, like Roxanne’s Glue Baste-it, small appliqué pins or fuse the pieces to the background by ironing.

If you choose the latter, lay a towel on the ironing board, then lay your background down and then place the wool pieces in place on the background. Then carefully, so you don’t move any of the appliqués, place a white towel over the project and spray water over the towel using a spray bottle. With a medium/high iron, press the towel to fuse the pieces on the project underneath. Periodically lift the upper towel and check pieces to see if they are fusing. The towel below the project will keep your wool from “flattening” out.

Tip #4: I like to use a chenille needle size 22 or 24 for stitching. This is the brand of needle I like the best, John James Chenille Needles:

Size 22 is a little longer than the size 24 needles. Try the ones that work best for you. I use Valdani Perle Cotton size 8 threads for stitching. These needles work great with perle cotton threads. Depending on the project, I will use a contrasting thread if I want a primitive look and want my stitching to show. If I want my stitches less visible, I will match the color of the perle cotton to the wool applique.

Tip #5: Good lighting! It’s best to have good lighting when you are stitching. You need to see to make your stitches the best you can! I have a great table top light I like to use: Naturalight by the Daylight Company. It’s bright and also has a flip up top to reveal a magnifier.

So now you’re ready to do some wool applique! You can start with my free BOM and work your way up to larger projects as you get more comfortable with stitching.

Happy Stitching & Quilting!
Deanne

On Point Settings … Easier Than You Think and Only a Little Math!

I have always loved the look of a quilt with blocks set on point. Early in my quilting days, I was a bit afraid to tackle one of my own. Now, I do them often. Here’s a few of mine that I have designed:

Aren’t they unique? Setting a block on point can make a quilt look completely different! I have a few tips to help your on point quilt go together smoothly.

Calculating Setting Triangles

Unlike quilts made from blocks that are set normally, on point block quilts need what are called setting triangles. Setting triangles are cut from squares. There are side triangles and end triangles.

If you purchase a pattern for an on point quilt, the designer has already done the calculations and has provided you with the size pieces you need to cut. If you are creating your own on point quilt, you will need to figure out what size squares you need to have to make your setting triangles. You calculate the size of the square needed using the finished size of your block. The following are the formulas:

Side Triangles – Finished size of your block x 1.414, then add 1 1/4″ to that number. For example, if your finished block is 6″, here is how the formula works:

                                6″ x 1.414 = 8.48″ (round this up to the nearest 1/8″ to 8.5″)
8.5″ + 1 1/4″ = 9 3/4″ square needed.

 This square is then cut diagonally twice for 4 triangles. For the above quilt, there are 12 side triangles, so you will need three 9 3/4″ squares.

End Triangles –  Finished size of your block/(divided by) 1.414, then add 7/8″ to that number. Example:

                                6/1.414 = 4.243 (round this up to the nearest 1/8″ to 4.25
4.25 + 7/8 = 5 1/8″ square needed.

 This square is then cut diagonally once for 2 triangles. You need 4 end triangles, so you will need two 5 1/8″ squares.Laying Out and Stitching Blocks

Unlike a quilt with straight set blocks, an on point quilt is assembled in diagonal rows. First, assemble the ends, then assemble the diagonal rows and then join the rows. The following diagrams and photos will demonstrate these steps.

Here is a diagram and a photo of how rows are laid out:

I always start from top left and work my way down until all the rows are assembled. The top left and bottom right will have a unique piecing method that I will show in the following photos. I call these the “end caps” since the block is on the end and is surrounded by two side triangles and one end triangle.

Step 1: Line up the 90° angle of the left setting triangle with the corner of the block and pin in place. there will be a small “tail” of the triangle overlapping the block.

Step 2: Stitch with a 1/4″ seam. Then repeat on the opposite side of the block with the other setting triangle. Press these sides open:

Step 3: Line up the end triangle with the center of the unit assembled above. When you flip it on top to pin in place, you can use a ruler to make sure the point of the end triangle is right in the center of the block.

Pin in place, stitch and press open. Once again, there will be overlapping “tails” from the end triangle:

Here’s what the end cap looks like all stitched and pressed. You can now trim off the “tails” if you want.

Step 4: Now that the end cap is finished, it’s time to join all the blocks and triangles into the diagonal rows. Notice all the “tails”.

Step 5: Now it’s time to join those rows into the quilt top!  Once again, there will be overlapping “tails” from all the triangle points. Be sure to line up the seams of the blocks when joining your rows.

Here is the finished top. All ready for borders and quilting!

See? That wasn’t too hard! Now you can take any blocks and turn them into an on point quilt. Let me know if you have any questions. I’ll be happy to answer them if I can.

Happy stitching!
Deanne