Snuggles Quilts
As promised in my blog post from Monday, here is the stitching tutorial for wool applique. This is how I teach the blanket stitch and the whip stitch, two of the stitched I use the most when working on a wool project.
Enjoy the video and start stitching!
Deanne
Everyone knows the traditional quilt blocks like a star block or the Log Cabin block. But did you know, you can take these traditional blocks and create interesting new blocks by combining them? This is also an easy way to make a block bigger if you need it to be for a particular project! I will show you a few examples I have created using my design software.
This first technique I will call “Log Cabining” a block. Sounds funny, but you can create a whole new fun design by doing this. Let’s say you have a pattern for a plain 4″ star block.
It’s pretty, right? But what if you want a larger block to fit with other larger blocks. For instance, if you had 8″ snowball blocks you wanted to use in the quilt. Well, just add strips of fabric to the sides of this block to “log cabin” it!
This not only serves the purpose of making the block larger, it also makes it “scrappy” and more colorful! So, if you combine these blocks with a snowball block, look what you create:
The Second technique I use to mix things up it to take a block like the star above and turn it into a 4-patch block by adding two plain 4″ squares. So, here I start with a 4″ star block:
I made this one with black fabric and you’ll see why in a minute. Now, I combine two of the above star units and two plain 4″ squares to make a 4-patch block.
Now comes the fun. I’m going to combine the Log Cabin star from my first technique and this 4-patch block to make the quilt top:
So now, you have a completely different look from the first quilt top above. You also get a directional secondary design with the stars running diagonally.
Taking that directional secondary design one step further adds a fun additional twist to this quilt top. Replace the plain 4″ squares with 4″ half-square triangle squares of 2 different tans and make the star units with the 2 different tans:
Now combine these blocks with the Log Cabin stars:
Now you have two diagonal designs going in opposite directions! Isn’t this fun? I’ve taken a simple star block and created this fun quilt top.
My final technique is “snowballing” a block. I’m going to use the Log Cabin star block above to show how this can help you create a fun quilt top, but you can use this with any block. I’m going to use 3 1/2″ squares to make my corners. Use the “flip and sew” or “folded corner” technique I describe in this blog post to make snowball blocks.
Here’s the Log Cabin star block “snowballed:
Now, I combine the above block with the plain Log Cabin star block:
Once again, with the same elements, we get a completely different quilt top! Imagine if you use different colors for the center star.
Finally, I put the snowball blocks from above with the 4-patch star blocks for a completely different look.
As you can see, the possibilities are endless! So dig through your fabric, find a simple block pattern like the star block and have fun!
Leave a comment on this post on what topics you would like me to cover in future blog posts and be entered to win a free pattern: Star Struck! The drawing will be on January 22nd. **We have a winner! Congrats Jenniffer!**
Happy Quilting!
Deanne
Happy 2019! I hope your holiday season was a good one and that you are ready for some fun stitching in 2019. But before we get to the starting instructions for the 2019 BOM, I want to remind you that when I post the first block for 2019, the free 2018 block patterns will no longer be available. You will have until January 14th to download those for free.
I also posted a few new quilting tutorials the last 2 weeks. I want to share them here in case you did not see them on Instagram or Facebook.
First up is my tips on matching points when stitching two units or blocks together. Often it’s necessary for the design of the quilt pattern to have your points matched. This short video shows you how I do it:
Next up is my tutorial on squaring up fabric to prepare it for rotary cutting strips. Strips, especially if they are width of fabric, need to be cut straight so they do not cause problems for you while piecing. If fabric is not squared up correctly, your strips my curve or bend. Here’s my short video for this:
2019 BOM
It’s time to start the 2019 BOM! You will find here, the starting instructions for the project. These will detail how much fabric you need and any block construction that needs to be completed before the first BOM block is released on January 15th. First, here is a look at all the blocks that we will be making during the year:
I chose a black background this time to make the colorful wool applique “pop”! If you look closely, you will see that the smaller blocks have a subtle pieced background design by using 2 different black prints. Those piecing instructions will be in the starting instructions found here:
2019 BOM Starter Instructions
So click on the link above to get started! Once you have gathered your supplies and prepared the blocks, come back for block number on on January 15th!
Happy Quilting and Stitching!
Deanne
Hi Everyone! Thanks for reading my blog this past year!
I’ve done a few videos of some quilting tips that I think you will find helpful. For this last post of the year, I thought I’d share them with you on my blog so you would know where to find them in the future.
First up, I did a tutorial on pressing vs. ironing. Some people think when they are quilting they should be ironing the seams. That is actually a “no-no”. Pressing is the way to go. Open the seam with your fingers, a wood pressing tool or the tip of your iron (without touching the seam itself) them place the iron on top to literally press the seam in place. Here’s a link to that video:
I like to press my seams open. As I said in the video, this works for seams pressed to one side also. The key is to not distort your seam by running an iron back and forth across it.
Next up, I did a tutorial on tips for flip & sew corners (also known as folded corners). It’s important to follow these tips because this type of unit can end up distorted in size if you are not careful. I like to fold back my piece I just stitched on and measure the unit to make sure it still measures the correct size before trimming off the excess fabric in the seam allowance. Here’s that video:
So I hope you enjoyed these mini tutorials. I am planning on doing more of these in the coming year. Sometimes, the ideas just “pop” into my head as I am doing something and I think “that would make a good mini tutorial” so I set up the camera and start filming. That is, after I lock the cat out of the studio! Future ones I have planned will be on matching points while piecing, applique tips and perhaps fabric storage. If you can think of any techniques you’d like me to cover, give me an idea in the comments below.
Happy Holidays and Have a great New Year!
See you in 2019!
Deanne
I think about time saving tricks a lot when I am quilting. I have always been an impatient person, so if I can find a way to save time…. I do it! I want to share a few of those with you today in this blog posting.
Tip#1
One of the first things I recommend that will save you a lot of time is to read through the pattern you are planning to work on and create a “test” block out of scrap fabric. This is a great way to find out if you understand the instructions! It’s also a way to “audition” color choices.
Here is a test block I made for one of my projects:
So, you are thinking…. what am I to do with these “test” blocks that I make? They’re not for the actual quilt project so do I just toss them into a UFO basket and forget about them? Well, you can do that, but I recommend using these test blocks for instant gifts! All you have to do is add some borders using scraps and before you know it, you have a mini wall hanging, table topper or candle mat!
I added borders, quilted the piece and finished it with binding. This then became a fun Christmas gift for a friend who is not a quilter! She loved it!
Tip#2
When buying your fabric for your project, add a little to the amount you purchase to allow for shrinkage (if you pre-wash your fabric) or for squaring up. We all know that fabric needs to be squared up before cutting. Sometimes, when fabric is rolled onto the bolt at the factory, it can get rolled on a little askew. You don’t want to get home and not have enough fabric for your project! Here’s an earlier blog post I did on squaring up fabric if you need to familiarize yourself on doing this:
Fabric Cutting – Tools, Accuracy and Safety First!
I often buy an extra 1/8 yard – this also allows for a possible cutting error.
Tip#3
This sort of goes with tip #2. Cut all the pieces for your project at once. I like doing this for 2 reasons. I like to get all the cutting done at once and it allows me to make sure I have enough fabric. If I cut in stages, by the time I figure out I’m short of fabric, the quilt shop may be out of that particular fabric!
Also when you are cutting, label and organize your pieces based on when they are used in the pattern. Most patterns will have pieces numbered or lettered. If that’s the case, keep all the similar pieces together as this will make it easier for you to find them when they are needed. Here’s a project of mine all laid out and labeled:
Tip#4
Chain piecing! I love to chain piece when I can. Whether it’s piecing a unit or piecing rows for a block. I start my chain piecing with a leader/ender piece to keep threads under control and make sure my seams start evenly. Here’s some photos of my chain piecing:
Like I said earlier, chain piecing can also be used when piecing blocks. It’s a good time saver technique to use when your blocks are made up of rows and you are making a lot of the same block.
So, those are a few of my time saving tips for this week. Let me know if you have any to share. Post them in the comments below so everyone can benefit! I will have blog posts with other time saving tips in the future. In the meantime…..
Happy Quilting!
Deanne
It’s a short week this week with the Thanksgiving vacation thrown in, so I thought I would review some of my fabric storage tips for keeping your stash organized and ready to use. Whether you pre-wash your fabric or not, it’s a good idea to have your fabric neatly folded and pressed after returning from a trip to the fabric store. Also, once you have cut out a project, reorganize what’s left and get that stored in the appropriate places. I know I’ve fallen down on that job at times as you can see …..
This is a basket of strips that resides next to my cutting table. I really need to sort them out and get them stored for future projects!
So I will start with my largest cuts of fabric first. I often buy tans, creams, greys, blacks and browns for backgrounds of quilts. Because of that, I usually need at least a yard to 2 yards of those. I don’t buy larger than that since as a scrap quilter, I like scrappy backgrounds too! I fold my larger cuts and store them by color family in a cupboard:
For my smaller cuts of fabric, I have tubs labeled for 1/2 yards and 1/4 yards (and fat quarters).
For 1/8 yards and fat 1/8s, I roll them and store them in drawers. I like using antiques in my office and I have them stored there:
I wrote a blog post earlier on why I do this and how I do this. You can find that post here: Taming your Fat Eighth Storage!
If I have some of my background fabric left over after cutting out a project, those pieces eventually trickle down to these other storage areas.
If a piece of fabric does not fit into the size category for these storage tubs and drawers above, I will then cut strips from that leftover fabric for future projects. I use 1 1/2″ and 2 1/2″ strips the most so those are the strip sizes I cut and store. Here’s one of my tubs of strips:
I like to keep these tubs small so the pile does not get too high and the strips don’t turn into a jumbled mess.
Finally, I have pieces of fabric leftover that don’t fit into any of the above categories. These are fabrics I put into tubs by color family (and once again I combine some colors if there is enough room in the tub). These fabrics are for my future applique projects. If I need a piece of blue or purple for a flower, I don’t have to cut into a big piece of fabric. I just dig into my applique fabric tubs!
I was looking around on Pinterest for how others handle left over fabric and I found this charming video from The Gourmet Quilter on what she does with her left overs. She has some really great tips. Especially if you are a scrap quilter and like to have all your small pieces organized:
How to Organize and Utilize Your Fabric Leftovers
So, those are my fabric organization tips and some tips from The Gourmet Quilter, Susan Claire. Enjoy your quilting more by having your fabric organized by size and ready to use! Share with me your favorite fabric organizing tips and you will be in a drawing for a free pattern for Country Dance! Drawing will be on December 3rd. **Since no one commented to enter this drawing, it’s been extended to the blog post for 12/3/18 and the drawing will happen on 12/10!**
Happy Quilting!
Deanne
We all want to just sit down and sew and not think about anything else. In a busy life, those precious few hours a week or month are a break from the everyday rush. So, when something goes wrong with the equipment and tools you use for this escape, that’s not good! In this blog post, I will share everyday maintenance that you can do to keep things in tip top shape so you can sit and sew with no worries!
After buying the pattern and fabric, the next thing you do is cut the quilt pieces from that fabric. The tools you use, your cutting mat, rulers and rotary cutter, can make your experience great or give you headaches.
Cutting Mat Care
First, keep your cutting mat in good shape by storing it properly. If you do not have a dedicated cutting area where the board can be kept flat, make sure it’s stored flat, like under a bed or on a large shelf. Another way I’ve stored extra mats is hanging them in a closet from clip hangers.
I put a bit of batting on the part of the board that the clips will attach to to keep it from creating a permanent dent. This is a great space saving storage solution especially if you do not have big flat area to store the mat when not in use.
Another maintenance duty we often neglect is cleaning your cutting mat. To remove stray threads from previous cutting activity, you can use a pet hair roller. Run it across the board to remove threads that may be caught in some of the cuts in your mat.
You’d be surprised how little bits of debris that you think won’t hamper your cutting will actually do just that.
Another good maintenance duty is to periodically wash your mat. Use room temperature water since hot water, like heat from direct sunlight, can damage your mat. You can add a few drops of mild dish soap to the water. Use a soft brush, like a gentle vegetable brush or tooth brush, to gently scrub the mat. This will dislodge tiny fibers that get caught in the cuts of the mat. Finally, rinse the mat with cool water and towel dry (try to choose a towel that is not prone to leaving lint). Lay flat or hang (like above) to dry.
Doing this bit of maintenance will extend the life of your cutting mat. Another tip to keep your mat “healthy”…. when cutting fabrics that leave a lot of lint and fibers like batting or fleece, do not cut in the same place on the mat for all the pieces you cut. Move around to give the cuts in your mat time to self heal.
Rotary Cutter
The day I discovered the rotary cutter when I was a quilting beginner was a happy, happy day! My first quilting class did not teach cutting the fabric with a rotary cutter. We used templates, traced and cut each piece individually. It’s a wonder I wanted to keep quilting after learning to cut in this labor intensive way!
Safety first! The rotary cutter has a very sharp blade, as we know (I know from personal experience and a trip to the ER!). The first safety tip is to 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.
To make my cutting experience even safer, I never leave the blade open. Use the lock button as well so no one can accidentally open the cutter.
I also use a klutz glove and ruler safety shields on my rulers for added safety:
The ruler safety shield keeps the rotary cutter from skipping across the ruler and hitting my hand and the klutz glove is extra protection.
Sewing Machine
Finally, make sure your sewing machine is ready for use the next time you want to sew. I do this by cleaning and oiling my machine after every project. Your machine should have a small brush that came with it along with oil. Consult your owner’s manual on how to clean the lint from the bobbin compartment, under the throat plate and any other area where lint collects.
Also, change your needle! I change my needle after every project. You may not see damage to the needle, but under a microscope, you would see the wear and tear from use. It’s best to start with a fresh needle so it won’t snag your fabric or break your thread.
So, now you’re ready to sew the next time you get a free hour or two and you won’t have to worry about wasting time on the above tasks. You can jump right in to cutting and sewing that next quilt!
Do you have tips to share? Let me know some of your routine cleaning, prepping or safety tips. We can never stop learning!
Happy Quilting!
Deanne
Hi everyone! I hope early fall is going well for all of you. I have been busy finalizing everything for the Fall Market debut of my patterns. I will be rolling out each one of those patterns here (the ones that have not been released yet) in the coming weeks. I’ll talk about the inspiration behind the designs and give some tips for making the project.
But for today, I thought it would be fun to talk about organizing pieces of blocks so you have access to them at the sewing machine, but you are not mixing them together. I use these homemade mini design boards!
All you need to make the boards, is a stiff piece of cardboard (you can recycle boxes!), scrap batting and a glue stick. That’s all!
I cut the cardboard pieces to about 13″ square so they can accommodate block pieces for a finished 12″ block. You can also make smaller boards if you make smaller blocks more often, or you can make some boards that are larger. I have a few boards that are 19″ square. I can fit pieces on them for 4 blocks that will be 6″ finished.
Once you have the size cardboard square you want, cut a piece of scrap batting that measures about 1/2″ larger than your square. Lay the batting on a flat surface, then lay the cardboard square in the center so you have batting overlap on all 4 sides. Fold the batting over the cardboard edge and secure it to the back of the cardboard with a glue stick. I use a permanent glue stick so it will stay secure through constant use.
Here is a block laid out on one of these mini design boards, all ready to stitch the pieces together!
Now, you can lay out all your blocks on individual mini boards, stack them up and carry them all to your machine. This helps you not to mix up the pieces for each block. Also, it’s a time saver! You don’t have to stop and lay out the pieces for the next block …. it’s already laid out on the board below the one you just finished!
Here’s a stack of mini boards I started for the project I’m working on:
So, what do you think of this time saving idea? Share some of your ideas in the comments below and win a free pattern. My new pattern Country Dance!
This one would be a great quilt project to have mini boards for. The drawing will take place on Monday, October 8th. ***We have a winner! Congrats Cathy!***
In the meantime ….
Happy Quilting
Deanne
My sewing area can get messy from time to time …. I’ve shown you the photos! I do, however, have some easy tips to keep my sewing tools organized and close at hand. I thought I’d share some of these tips to help you organize your sewing area.
First, I like to keep my cutting table area free of clutter. Nothing is more frustrating than getting ready to cut out a quilt …. and not being able to find the ruler you want or the space to cut your fabric! To solve that problem, I bought a metal pegboard that was made for a garage and hung it on my wall.
This keeps my rulers hanging to the left of my cutting surface. I can just pick the ruler I want! Before I had a place to hang them, I would just put them down anywhere on the cutting mat. They would either get in my way, or I would bury them in fabric and not be able to find them!
I also keep a wire basket next to my mat to the right to place all the extra strips left over from cutting. Before I did that, scrap fabric used to pile up on my cutting mat and get in the way. Let me tell you, that was not good. When the scraps take over your cutting mat, it leaves no room to cut out a new project!
By the look of the basket ….. it’s time to store or use some scraps!
Next, I occasionally need marking pens or pencils, my klutz glove and other tools while cutting. I re-purposed an old sewing machine drawer and placed it at the top of my cutting area above my mat. Now things are easy to reach when I need it!
Once again, it keeps things corralled so they don’t “disappear”!
On the other end of my cutting table, I have my scissors, rotary cutter and some other small tools I use hanging on an old coffee mug tree.
It’s fun to find things around the house that you can put to good use in your sewing area instead of throwing them out.
Have you ever struggled with where to put a pattern while your sewing? I like to keep block patterns and instructions I’ve written close by while I am sewing, but I never knew where to put it so it doesn’t get in the way. At a garage sale, I found an old wooden clipboard and problem solved!
If you have a wall space next to your sewing machine to hang the clipboard on …. even better! I don’t so I just prop my clipboard onto a wooden box I have next to my machine.
Speaking of wooden boxes ….. besides holding my curious studio cat …. I use these to store the tools I need while I’m at my machine. Machine needles, pincushion of pins (to hide from a prying cat), wooden pressing tool and machine cleaning tools. It keeps them close at hand but they’re not scattered across my table to get in the way of my piecing. This is a great storage solution if you do not have a sewing cabinet with storage. I don’t because I use an old dining room table for my machine.
So, that’s a few of my tips on taming my sewing area. Do you have some to share? Put some of your ideas in a comment and be entered into a drawing for my book, Blooming Patchwork!
The drawing will be on Monday, September 17th…. so leave your comments and tips below and good luck! Ooops! Today is 9/23 and I missed my deadline to choose the winner. Congrats, Eugenia! You’ve won my book!
Happy Quilting!
Deanne
Hi friends!
I was playing around with a stack of 1 1/2″ and 2 1/2″ strips the other day and I thought…. this would be a fun share for my blog. How many of us have strips of fabric left over after cutting out a project? Raise your hand …. don’t be shy! Here’s a photo of some of my strip mess that I let accumulate while cutting out and making other quilts.
I do also have some more orderly storage …. when the strips make it there …. these small plastic tubs work great!
Since I have too many strips lying around, I thought it would be fun to share some of the things that you can do with 1 1/2″ strips or a combo of 1 1/2 and 2 1/2″ strips.
Here’s a block I think I will be using in an upcoming project.
The center of the star is the only 2 1/2″ piece. Everything else in this block comes from 1 1/2″ strips! This is how 4 of those blocks look together:
I think this is going to make a fun quilt. Now I just have to decide how big!
Here are some other blocks that can be made with strips that you have lying around:
This variation of a log cabin uses a 2 1/2″ black squares cut from a strip with color print and tan print 1 1/2″ strips to make the “logs”.
There’s the simple, but fun 9-patch block that can be made completely from 1 1/2″ pieces cut from strips. Or you can make the blocks bigger by using 2 1/2″ pieces cut from 2 1/2″ strips.
How about a Dutchman’s puzzle block? In two sizes!
This first one is make with all 2 1/2″ pieces and the second one is made with all 1 1/2″ pieces.
And here is the rail fence block:
This is a fun variation where you have the 1 1/2″ strips, but also do a flip and sew corner on the inner bars of the rail fence to make a center friendship star!
Here are some other things you an do with strips:
Here are a few of my current patterns that are made using my strip piles. The first one used the log cabin variation above. It’s called Crisscross Cabin Blooms:
Then there’s some smaller table runners like Paper Lanterns:
and Bloomin’ Spools:
I bet if you look through a block book, you can find many, many more blocks that can be made with your strip collection. The fun about that is that you can make the blocks as scrappy as you want!
So, grab your basket of scraps and start creating!
Happy Quilting!
Deanne
