13 Woodhouse Road

Featured again...

2012-02-22T06:57:00.000+05:30

If I could label each year, I'd label 2012 as the year of being featured!

It all began when Cindy invited me over to chat about my blog name in the Name Game.

After that, Carol asked me a whole lot of questions about quilting, blogging and IMQG over on Quilter Spotlight!

And today. I'm featured on Craft Corners

They feature not just quilting, but other art related sites every week. They call it Best of the Web! I'm honored to be featured here!

Previous featured people include Bea Spoke Quilts, Bumble Beans Inc., Ridge Top Quilts... There are many more...

You can also get some inspiration from the various articles on the site... So go have a peep and be prepared to get lost or go on a hopping ride into the blogland!

Meanwhile, I'll take a 2 day computer break!

Tomorrow is our Nemo party and right now kiddo's sown with his old foe - asthma! I am really hoping that he'll be okay by tomorrow...

Cheers!!!

Nemo!!!

2012-02-18T17:09:00.000+05:30

I did it!!!

Actually I did it too!!!

Okay, seriously, that was confusing...

What did I do? and what did I do too?

#1 : I found Liquid Glucose in Sangli!!!

Actually I have been pestering dear little bro' to go to Dorabjee in Pune and look for it. He had been diligently ignoring me. But then, I came to know that a Starch manufacturing unit at Miraj MIDC makes liquid glucose. I got hold of the owner, who happened to be a friend of my Mom - actually my mom's family is from the town that I was married into! And he sent me a whole lot of bottles of liquid glucose to play with! The best part, not one but two, I got it free and I got it home delivered!!! Yay!!!

#2 : I made Nemo...

Yeah, as soon as I got hold of that glucose I set out working. I was expecting my first attempt to be a failure... Even Aadi was waiting so that I'd finish my trial and give the fondant to him to eat!

But I scraped through...

You should have seen him screaming as he sat next to me and saw Nemo taking shape!

So here is Nemo... I'd have liked it to look better than it does, but I love it and whats more, Aadi loves it!

Look at his happy face...

That makes my day worthwhile!

Cheers!!!

Favorite Things Friday!!!

2012-02-18T06:41:00.001+05:30

Its that time of the week...

I really loved doing Favorite things Friday every week with Shay, but somehow, life took over and it got side tracked.

But now I'm back, and I'm back to stay...

So, what is my FTF this Friday?

Well its IMQG! The India Modern Quilt Guild!

We have a FB page and a blog too...

We started in September with 3 members! I remember it was Shilpa, Vidya and myself! I had very high hopes for it. But practically the situation was that apart from the two of these girls, I did not know anyone who quilted, in India.

But we decided to give it a try. It was very difficult to decide the platform. We then decided that since a lot of people use FB, it would be easier to have that as our launch pad. And we did.

Remember we are a country where you do not get designer fabric, quilting notions etc.

And today we are 69 ladies, roaring to go!

We are meeting too!

We are all spread across the whole wide country, 3287263 sq. km (1269219 sq. mi)!

But we are all coming together at this fantastic resort in April for 3 days!

Can you all imagine how much fun we all are going to have?

I'm so looking forward to it!

And I'm planning a lot for it too... I've even ordered some fun stuff to do while we're there...

759 pieces of pure fun!

(Shhhh, did you know Interweave have a 70% off on that one? its just for $3.24! Go here to buy it)

I have loved planning it all too, especially the door prizes (actually goodie bags - they dont need to do anything to win it!). I have been collecting a lot of things to put into the goodie bags. And I have some wonderful sponsors pitching in too! :)

The girls are going to go crazy! If you want to send something for the goodie bag for the girls contact me.

Thats my favorite thing this Friday - my IMQG! To check out what is the others' head over to the fabulous blog of Shay - better known as Mrs P!

Another sponsor!

2012-02-14T11:07:00.004+05:30

Hey guys,

Meet my newest sponsor...

Wrapped in Fabric is a store with a personal touch!

I loved their About us page.

"Hi there! and thanks so much for popping in!

I am Sandy and I have created Wrapped in Fabric. We are a small business operating from Mount Compass, South Australia, a gorgeous small town with altitudes reaching over 400metres above sea level and hosting the Compass Cup, Australias only cow race!

We became an exclusive online fabric store in 2010 supplying many fabric lovers all over the world especially servicing customers in rural outback Australia. Only through shear dedication to customer service and good honest hard work!

Our small business consists of myself, Sandy the business owner/operator and Tabitha my daughter in law to be (one day I guess) in the office assisting with the clerical duties and often assisting with packing your parcels!

I run my business in and around my husband, 4 children and mum duties!... and love to assist other women who do the same!

Young Amelia who is 2 1/2 will assist removing invoices from the printer and as she grows is really starting to choose favourite fabrics, and Byron who is 4 1/2 is very good at deciding what fabric we should buy for boys!) I have 2 older sons 17 and 19 who occasionly help out with urgent Post Office runs!

My love for fabric begun after my first daughter was born when I created a small children's clothing line called A Lillie Bug that also included making modern cloth nappies and pram liners. I am always willing to assist with your sewing queries.

The business is set up in a spotless, clean area with no food, smoking or animals around. As we built a new home to allow for fabric growth!

We encourage all sales from the website as we don't have a storefront in bricks and mortar.

I absolutely love selecting new fabrics for you to purchase and welcome you to join us to wrap the world in gorgeous fabrics."

What could be cuter than to have a 2 1/2 yr old assistant who removes invoices from the printer!

Sandy has a wonderful collection of fabrics...

I have never seen a variety of Specialty fabrics offered on any other personalized store!

She has chalk cloth (I know you have been wanting that one for a lot of your DIY projects), Corduroy, Iron-on Vinyl, Denim, Minky, Laminated Fabric... the list goes on and on...

She also has a lot of Designer Fabric...

Here are a few of my favorites...

Geese Bubbles by Saffron Craig

Bright Fish by Timeless Treasures

(These would have been prefect for the Nemo theme party I'm planning for kiddo)

Cherries in Purple Canvas by Kokka

She even has the cutest Ribbons I have come across

Comma Stylist Ribbon by Adorn it

Cube Multi Jacquard Ribbon

(I can imaging it going fabulous with Malka Dubrawsky's line of Fabric...)

So what do I have in store for you today!

Will I make you leave 150+ comments and choose One winner?

No...

Everyone of you is a winner!!!

Sandy has offered us all a 20% storewide discount valid upto 21/2/12! Yay!!!

Just use the code AUSSIE MADE when you log out!

So hurry up, buy all that you've wanted to buy...

Just leave me a comment to tell me what you bought... I'd love to know...

I'm on Craftsvilla

2012-02-13T06:56:00.002+05:30

Remember that logo I showed you at the end of this post?

Well thats the logo of Craftsvilla.

In their own words,

"Craftsvilla is a place to “Discover India” with products from designers and artisans selected for you.We believe in empowering designers and artisans helping them to showcase their unique products to the world. Our vision is to create an Indian global brand allowing designers, artisans and small businesses to connect with customers and bring products that enhance one’s life. In a space which showcases true colors of Indian culture and are embraced by people of all ages, religion and regions. We ensure that best raw materials are used, minimal use of chemicals, preference of natural dyes and quality check each product multiple times. You are assured that great effort has been put forward by our team to make sure the products you receive meet your expectations.
We are also dedicated to support the social cause for the upliftment of artisans, craftsmen and craftswomen. We have started an “Artisan Fund” to take on this effort and joined hands for this cause with NGOs.
Customer delight is our motto. Please write to us directly if you have any feedback, questions, concerns or suggestions.
Yours Truly,Craftsvilla Customer Team"

Why am I telling you this? Because... I am their newest seller!!!

YAY!!!

I have my own page!

I'm so excited about this!!!

So all those who have wanted to know how you can buy the stuff that I make, go ahead and buy it now!!!
More stuff will be coming soon enough!

Cheers!!!

India MQG Blog

2012-02-12T13:35:00.001+05:30

Did you guys know that we have started the India Modern Quilt Guild Blog?

Hop on over here to read the posts and leave a few comments to motivate my gang of girls!!!

Work in Progress

2012-02-11T22:32:00.001+05:30

I have been doing cutting almost all day today... And what do I have at the end of the day?

157 hexagons!
13 half-hexagons!!
and
50 corner pieces!!!

And yes, I do count the tally way! Its far easy to keep track...

All waiting to be made into a wonderful quilt...

Its my first attempt at Y seams...

I have done my homework and am ready to start piecing it on Monday!

Hoping it should be ready by next weekend. Its a large one this time! 75" x 82"

Do you like my plan?

Those yummy scraps make me think some more... There are quite a lot of equilateral triangles in there...

Any ideas?

There are some more quilts-in-waiting too!

Some yummy Ready, Set, Go! by Ann Kelle to make into a Mixtape Quilt by Elizabeth Hartman.

And a fabulous Pure Organic Kona Cotton solids Roll-up paired with some co-ordinating prints!

I was thinking of recreating the magic of this quilt with these! What do you say?

There'll soon be some awesome news here!!!

How many of you recognize this logo?

You don't? Well, you will, very soon. Trust me!!!

FQS Oh, Fransson Friday

2012-02-10T13:25:00.001+05:30

I almost forgot that it was time for

FQS! Oh, Fransson!! Friday!!!

What did I make this month?

Since this is a month of love, I decided what better to try my hand at than the beautiful quilt from The Practical Guide to Patchwork

Valentine!

I have loved this pattern ever since I saw it in the book. But was intimidated by the amount of cutting that it would require.

I realized that doing OFF is really helping me tackle things that normally I wouldn't...

This quilt was one of those things!

And now that I have made a small one I really want to make a larger one, maybe for my bed (a bit too ambitious!)

So here's my Valentine...

Isn't it adorable?

Here's a detail of the simple straight line quilting...

The stunning back... A find of my recent Baroda trip...

Looks gorgeous, doesn't it?

I love it!!!

I think this one isn't going anywhere... This one is for keeps... I dont know what I'll do with it, maybe when Chaitanya (my brother) has a baby I'll give it to him... But till then, its not budging from my home!

Do you like it?

Do you want to join the FQS! Oh, Fransson!! Friday!!!

Hop in to join the fun... I'm doing it solo still, but I'd love if you would link something you've made with any of Elizabeth's patterns...

Help Needed

2012-02-10T07:01:00.001+05:30

Guys, I have taken an absolutely daring decision.

Yes, even more daring than SCUBA diving!

I am making the cake for DS's birthday later this month!

Now, he's a huge Nemo fan. He watches the movie at least 4 times a week (Thats how I can make 3 quilts a week). So he's told me he wants a Nemo Cake!

Wow!

Something like this.

Gorgeous! Isn't it?

Now how do I make it?

I know I need to make fondant!

But all the fondant recipes that I have found require liquid glucose. And the only liquid glucose I can get here is the one IV kind!

Is there any way I can still make it? If I mix butter with icing sugar and add some glycerin, will it work?

I'm so freaked out!

Does anyone know a good recipe for a fondant that does not have liquid glucose or corn syrup (I dont get that either).

Favorite Things Friday

2012-02-10T06:52:00.001+05:30

Its been quite some time since I have joined Shay's blog hop...

I have been missing it, but I have had a lot on my mind lately... So I decided to opt out of it...
But I want to jump into it again... And here I am with my favorite thing this week...
Planning!

I am an architect and planning is what I have been taught to do... If you just went on adding one room after the other to make a house how would that look?

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Well, its not ugly, but you'll never know what it will look like till its done and do you have that kind of patience? Or money?

Apply the same to entire aspect of your life...

If you do not plan (you might not go through it, but it would be good to actually have a plan) you will never know in which direction to go!

Yes, life throws you off course, then what? Make a new plan! Who said we cannot do that?

I love to plan everything... I might not actually go ahead and do the stuff I have planned, but I do have a plan!

Like my weightloss plan! Did you know that if I follow it I will reach my ideal weight of 130 lbs before my next birthday!!! Wow! Sometimes just knowing the destination makes you so happy that you do not bother to go through with the plan! LOL...

Same goes to my quilt...

I have a lot of notebooks that have these pages...

Okay, the photo is upside down, but you can get the gist!

I have many like this too...

If I were to actually make all the quilts I planned, I would sell them and be RICH!

I love the process of planning more than the process of implementing it... (Would I not be thinner if I would have implemented it?) I love making lists and dreaming.

And thats what is my favorite thing this week, PLANNING!!!

What about you? Do you plan things or do you do them randomly?

I'd love to know...

Cheers!!!

If you are here to look for the ABC of Quilting series. Here is where you'll find all the posts.

ABC of Quilting Post # 26

2012-02-09T14:25:00.000+05:30

We've come to the end of the series! Aww...

So today's topic is

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Zoom ahead : Quilt display and care, Quilt Photography.

Quilt Display

There are numerous options when it comes to quilt displays.

First you can have a formal quilt sleeve sewed into the backing and use a dowel to hang the quilt.

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If your quilt does not have a sleeve, you can use pins, closely spaced, to make one.

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The display could be of a single quilt

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or smaller wall quilts.

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Quilts can be also displayed on ladders or quilt stands.

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The greatest advantage is that they can be moved whenever you want!

You can always add a punch of color to a room by throwing some quilts around. Okay not actually throwing around, but arranging them as if they look they are thrown.

Sofas, beds are good candidates for throwing.

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A stack of colorful quilts kept on a chair in a room will add instant homey feel!

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Strategically placed quilts across the room can add character to it.

Use them as table toppers

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or table cloths

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or on chairs too!

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or stair railings!

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or even as headboards!

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Use your imagination to decorate with quilts. It'll give you a chance to display your artwork without actually making people sit down and look at your quilts.

Now when you have displayed them, you need to care for them, dont you?

Quilt Care

You have spent a long time - days, weeks sometimes even months - to make that beautiful quilt. Its the special day when you want to put that quilt on your bed. You remove it from the cupboard and spread it. And are shocked. Smack in the middle of the quilt, on that favorite block of yours is a huge rust mark! (Thats my nightmare).

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You dont really want that happening. So you need to take proper care of your quilt.

When you store the quilt, keep it away from direct sunlight - It will fade the exposed area of the quilt.

Keep it away from roaches and rodents - for obvious reasons.

Dont keep them in huge stacks - the creases formed due to all that pressure will almost be permanent.

Wrap special quilts in muslin fabric - old sarees (your grandma's) are best for this purpose.

DO NOT keep quilts in metal armories directly. Store them in tissue lined boxes (acid free plastic - not cardboard) before you put them in.

To clean your quilt, I would recommend stain treatment first. Use spot treatment for stains, if any.

Vacuum your quilt to make it look fresh.

If you must wash it at home, use a mild detergent - the one you use for woolens will be fine. Wash it on a gentle cycle and lay it out flat to dry. Do not hang it on line. The pressure will cause stitches to break. If you have a dryer use it on a low setting and remove the quilt as soon as the cycle is over to prevent creases.

Iron the quilt with the setting applicable to the fabric on top.

If you have doubts about washing any quilt, take it to a professional.

Quilt Photography

It is not possible to hire a professional to photograph your quilt every time. There will be times when you will have to do it on your own.

Here are a few tips on how to photograph your quilts better. I have learnt this mostly by trial and error.

Always photograph your quilt in natural light. If that is not possible, use a lot of artificial light.

But do not photograph it in direct harsh sunlight. This is what happens when you do that. Can you believe there's any kind of design on that quilt?

It is a better idea to use a directly lit covered space to photograph your quilt. My living room has wonderful lighting and I use it to photograph all my quilts.

Have a place to hang your quilt, such that your camera is in level with the center of the quilt and is steady. I use my mantle to hang my smaller quilts and place my camera on the dining table. Otherwise I use a stool with some books to adjust the height.

If you do not do this, your quilts end up not looking square.

This is a classic example of bad lighting, bad composition and bad anything-that-you-can-think-of.

You can also use a few props to complement the quilt and also to make an interesting composition.

But do not let the prop overpower your quilt... In this photo what do you look at first? Kiddo or the quilt?

You can also photograph your quilt folded for a more intriguing look.

But dont make the photo too vague or it will look boring...

Just give the reader a glimpse of what your quilt is and get them hooked...

You can also be innovative with the backgrounds for hanging the quilts... I hung this one from my gate.

you could play around with backdrops...

For more inspirations on hanging quilts check this wonderful board on pinterest : Well hung. (I'm there too... with my Paalvi photo!)

A little playing around with a photo editing sofware is what gives my photos the "oooh" effect... Want to see?

Here's an example of my picnik artwork...

You can also click sneak peek photos of your work...

It adds to the mystery of the quilt...

Here are some of my poorly photographed quilts.

The first is a classic case of poor lighting not doing justice to a fabulous quilt...

In this photograph, the background does nothing to make the quilt look good. Compare it with the photo Emily, my partner who received this quilt took and you'll understand what I say.

Emily's photo.

One more that says, poor lighting... Doesn't say anything about my fabulous paper piecing, does it?

Another example of how I badly photographed my quilt. A mug rug I had sent to my partner Marilyn...

And here's her photograph of the same...

Light and composition make a lot of difference!

If you want to go into the details of quilt photography, I'd suggest you take a look at Holly Knott's Website. She makes it all look so simple!

You could also hop over to Jodi Nelson's Blog Pleasant Home . She did a couple awesome write ups about quilt photography that really got me interested into making my quilt photos better.

Remember, you do not need an expensive camera to take a good photo. Its more about composition and lighting.

ABC of Quilting Post # 25

2012-02-08T07:13:00.001+05:30

Today's second topic is

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Yearning to finish : Binding

Today we have another fabulous guest, Melissa from Lilac Lane. Have you seen her patterns? They are awesome. When you reach the end of her posts you'll realize why her patterns are so popular. She really CAN teach you! If thats the way she explains her patterns, they are sure to sell well!
And the lady herself is so wonderful! She volunteered to do this post. It was really sweet of her. :)

Good morning! I'm so excited to be here at 13 Woodhouse Road today. I'm Melissa Stramel, a pattern designer with a little line of patterns from my business called Lilac Lane. They're all about sweet and fun things little girls and their moms like.

Over at Lilac Lane, we've been discussing the Very Basics of Quilting.

This binding tutorial will be one of the last ones in that series. As in the-last-step-and-your-quilt's-done binding. I'm kind of known for my scrappy bindings. Let's get started.

First you're going to need to measure all the way around your quilt. And then you need strips of fabric that will make up that length. Add a little bit extra on so that you can overlap a bit when you bind all the way around the quilt.

What's the perfect width for a binding strip? Well that's debatable, but many people like 2 1/2" wide. I prefer 2 1/4" wide, but you'll have to find your own perfect width. If you happen to have a partial jelly roll around, they make great binding strips. For my little quilt, I only needed four strips.

Place the strips at 90 degrees to each other with the right sides facing.

Using your quilting ruler, mark a straight line at a 45 degree angle across the strip, from tip to tip. Make sure to leave a little extra if you're using a jelly roll so you can get rid of the selvage.

Here's the mark. I used permanent black marker for you, but you should probably use a water soluble or a pencil so it won't show.

Sew across the line you made and then cut off the excess. A quarter inch seam here is plenty.

Voila! A perfectly mitered strip. Why mitered and not just straight across? Well, when you're sewing on your binding this will make the seam a little less bulky. Go ahead and miter all your pieces together into one long strip.

Next press the strip in half with the raw edges aligned.

Now you're ready to sew the binding onto the quilt. If you have a quarter inch foot (which I highly recommend), attach it. Leave several inches (at least 5 or 6) unsewn and then being sewing 1/4" from the raw edges of the quilt, aligning the raw edges of the binding and the raw edges of the quilt. Although you can't tell in this picture, you are attaching the binding to the FRONT of the quilt. Also, make sure to begin attaching the binding in the middle of one of the sides and not right at a corner.

Okay, here you can better tell that we are, indeed, attaching the binding to the front of the quilt.

When you get close to the corner, I want you to stop with the needle down and measure 1/4" from the corner in both directions. Don't eyeball it! Make a mark here. You might be able to see that I made a black dot right in that place (it's on the feather.) That is the exact spot where you will stop and back stitch a few stitches.

Now cut the thread and we're going to do a little bit of fabric origami. First fold the binding across the corner at a 45 degree angle.

Then fold again so that the binding is parallel to the edge of the quilt (straight across). Take your marking pen and again mark 1/4" from the corner from both directions. Again, that is the EXACT place where you will begin stitching once again. And also again backstitch (but not past this mark!). It would be a shame to do all this hard work and then the stitches would fall out.

When you've done this four times (assuming your quilt has four corners), you will approach the place where you started binding. Stop stitching and backstitch when you are several inches from meeting up, at least 5 or 6 inches.

Take one of the binding strips and mark a 45 degree angle across it. Go ahead and cut here, across the mark.

Lay both strips across each other, as flat as possible and then mark a 45 degree angle on the other strip in the same direction, but add an extra 1/4" from the point where they match up. Do not cut -- this is your stitching line.

It should look something like this, except that the strip on the right is scooted back to allow me to show you the line on the strip on the left. The right strip should actually slightly (1/4") cover this line.

Press back in place and sew using 1/4" seam to finish sewing the binding around the quilt.

Fold the pressed edge of the binding to the back and clip in place. I like using girl's barrettes (they're cheap.) You will want the binding to be snug and even all around the quilt, definitely not saggy or wavy.

Here's what it will look like from the front.

I hand sew using tiny stitches in and out of the fabric, but never showing on the top or bottom. This takes practice but you can soon do it very quickly. Miter the corners with a little fold in both directions.

You did it! For more tips, tutorials, patterns and recipes, visit me at Lilac Lane.

Love,

xoxo

Fashionable Fabrics Giveaway Winner

2012-02-08T06:59:00.000+05:30

I know you all are waiting to know who won the Fashionable Fabrics $25 GC.

I used my trusted random.org to draw the winner.

And here's the name of the winner.

Comment # 137! Phew. That was easy, I could count from the bottom!

I really need to get that thingy where the comments are numbered. Anyone knows how to do it?

Oh, the winner,

Its Lisa C

Congratulations Lisa. You will be emailed your GC soon.

Thank you guys for participating.

Dont loose heart, you too shall win! Oh, not today, but someday!

Cheers!!!

ABC of Quilting Post # 24

2012-02-08T06:50:00.002+05:30

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XXXX: Decorative Stitches & Embellishments

Quilting has taken a whole new meaning than just putting three layers together and stitching them.

Now we all want our quilts to stand out. And we can do that by using Decorative Stitches and Embellishments.

Here's a brief intro.

Machine Decorative Stitches

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If your sewing machine came with those fun stitches, go ahead, use them for your quilting!

Here are a few examples

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Hand Decorative Stitches

Nothing beats a quilt thats embellished with some hand stitching. Just a simple running stitch can do wonders to the appearance of the quilt.

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There are a lot of stitches that you can use as embellishments in your quilts to give them the "wow" factor. Here are a few of them.

Feather Stitch

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Closed Feather Stitch

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Coral Stitch

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Chain Stitch

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Pekinese Stitch

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Cretan Stitch

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Satin Stitch Couching

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There are thousands of more stitches to show you, but maybe they'll take up a series of posts in themselves.

Embellishments

There are other ways of making your quilt pop too...

You could add some Shisha Work to it.

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Or you could have some fabulous ribbon embroidery!

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You could even try some Goldwork

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or some bead work.

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Those who can crochet can also add a crochet edge to your quilt binding and it'll just pop!

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If you are not sure about your embroidering skills, use those buttons in a fun way to create interest and add spice!

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You can also use felt to embellish your quilt!

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Just let your imagination run wild and you'll surely produce a masterpiece!

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Cheers!!!

P.S. Ddi this post get your head buzzing? It did to me and I just emptied my button box onto my table! Now what do I do with it?

ABC of Quilting Post # 23

2012-02-07T05:00:00.000+05:30

Today's topic is

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Wonderful Options : Alternative Quilting

There are many traditional alternative quilting methods... This post is only about giving you an introduction to those... I might not cover all of them, I'll be just touching a few... If you think I've left anything out, feel free to write a post about it and link below!

Trapunto

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"Trapunto, from the Italian for "to embroider," is a method of quilting that is also called "stuffed technique." A puffy, decorative feature, trapunto utilizes at least two layers, the underside of which is slit and padded, producing a raised surface on the quilt." - Source - Wikipedia

This method of quilting uses loose stuffing rather than batting. Two layers of fabric are stitched together using a quilt design. The backing fabric is slit and the stuffing is added. The padded areas stand out in relief and, for contrast, the flat areas can be covered in filling stitch. This is one of the oldest forms of quilting and was used to decorate clothes and furnishings in the 17th & 18th centuries.

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Italian (Corded) Quilting

Corded quilting (also known as Marseilles quilting, Marseilles embroidery or marcella) is a decorative quilting technique popular from the late 17th through the early 19th centuries. In corded quilting, a fine fabric, sometimes colored silk but more often white linen or cotton, is backed with a loosely woven fabric. Floral or other motifs are outlined in parallel rows of running stitches orbackstitches to form channels, and soft cotton cord is inserted through through the backing fabric using a blunt needle and drawn along the quilted channels to produce a raised effect. Tiny quilting stitches in closely spaced rows fill the motifs and provide contrast to the corded outlines.

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Corded quilting was popular for dresses, petticoats, and waistcoats as well as curtains and bedcoverings. Originating in the fine whole-cloth quilt tradition of Provence in southern France, corded quilting differs from the related trapunto quilting in which loose wadding or batting rather than cord is inserted to created raised designs. By the Federal era in America, corded quilting and trapunto were combined with whitework embroidery and other needlework techniques to produce a profusion of white-on-white textiles for the home before the fashion faded.

Crazy Quilting

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The term "crazy quilting" is often used to refer to the textile art of crazy patchwork and is sometimes used interchangeably with that term. Crazy quilting does not actually refer to a specific kind of quilting (the needlework which binds two or more layers of fabrictogether), but a specific kind of patchwork. Crazy quilts rarely have the internal layer of batting that is part of what defines quilting as a textile technique.

Hawaiian Quilting

A Hawaiian quilt is a distinctive quilting style of the Hawaiian Islands that uses large radially symmetric applique patterns. Motifs often work stylized botanical designs in bold colors on a white background.

Hawaiian quilt applique is made from a single cut on folded fabric. Quilting stitches normally follow the contours of the applique design.

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Nakshi Kantha

Nakshi Kantha, a type of embroidered quilt, is a type of folk art of Bangladesh andWest Bengal, India. The art has been practiced in rural Bengal for centuries. The name "nakshi kantha" became popular among literate people after the publication ofJasimuddin's poem Naksi Kanthar Math (1929). The basic material used is thread and old cloth. Kanthas are made throughout Bangladesh, but the greaterMymensingh, Rajshahi, Faridpur and Jessore areas are most famous for this craft.

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The colourful patterns and designs that are embroidered resulted in the name “Nakshi Kantha”, which was derived from the Bengali word “naksha”, which refers to artistic patterns. The early kanthas had a white background accented with red, blue and black embroidery; later yellow, green, pink and other colours were also included. The running stitch called "kantha stitch" is the main stitch used for the purpose. Traditionally, kantha was produced for the use of the family. Today, after the revival of the nakshi kantha, they are produced commercially.

Ralli Quilts

Ralli quilts are traditional quilts made by women in the areas of Sindh, Pakistan, western India, and in surrounding areas. They are just now gaining international recognition, even though women have been making these quilts for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. Rallis (also known as rillis, rellis, rehlis, rallees, gindi and other names) are a cultural symbol for the regions where they are made. The most common uses are for a single person sized bedcover (used on the traditional wooden charpoy bed) or as small bag or eating cloth. Traditionally rallis were made at home, from recycled and hand dyed cotton cloth, for use by the family. Now there is some commercial production of rallis as colourful quilts, table runners and cushions and pillows. This production can be found in Sindh in Umerkot and Tharparkat as well aas in the Indian States of Rajasthan and Gujarat.

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In the past decade, rallis have gained much popularity and notice. Articles about rallis have appeared in many popular American quilting magazines and other publications. Rallis have been exhibited for the first time in several quilt museums in the US with the first exhibit at the International Quilt Festival in Houston in 2003. Now the International Quilt Study Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has a growing collection of about 150 rallis. Rallis were in the news as a result of the terrible flooding in Pakistan in August 2010. Many people escaped the floods with only their families and their rallis. Women in the refugee camps used their time to make more rallis to use or to sell.

Sashiko Quilting

Sashiko (literally "little stabs") is a form of decorative reinforcement stitching (or functional embroidery) from Japan. Traditionally used to reinforce points of wear, or to repair worn places or tears with patches, this running stitch technique is often used for purely decorative purposes in quilting and embroidery. The white cotton thread on the traditional indigo blue cloth gives sashiko its distinctive appearance, though decorative items sometimes use red thread.

Many Sashiko patterns were derived from Chinese designs, but just as many were developed by the Japanese themselves. The artistKatsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) published the book New Forms for Design in 1824, and these designs have inspired many Sashiko patterns.

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Cheers!!!

My Most Memorable Experience!!!

2012-02-06T06:06:00.002+05:30

It all began as one of our weekend trips...

This time we chose to go to Tarkarli. A place about 6 hrs drive from home...

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I thought it would be just another one of those put-up-your-feet-and-relax-on-the-beach holidays!!!

How wrong was I...

We stayed at this wonderful hotel : Blue Water Resort

We had this breathtaking view from the hotel...

A wonderful place to have dinner...

When DH suggested we go Scuba Diving, I instantly volunteered to look after Aadi so that he could do it! But the instructor informed us that he could only take one person at a time with him and so both of us could do it!

Well, that sure scared my wits out! Of course, I'm scared of water!

We went through all the required form filling procedure... And then when he gave us all the information, the confidence started to build up... And boy, that inflatable jacket just made my day!!! I knew i could not drown even if I wanted to!!!

So I got into the water!!! For some reason DH could not do it. So it was he who looked after Aadi while I went Scuba Diving...

The first few minutes were scary as hell. I almost said, I wont do it. But decided to give it one more try! And I could do it!!!

Going under water was the most memorable experience of my life!

I wish I had photos of what I saw to show you...

There were moments when I panicked, but the trainer was with me and he guided me well. I was even scared that a shark would come and I'd have to make it to the boat, maybe even rescue my trainer!

Btu nothing like that happened and I came back safe and sound! Just with a dreamy brain and (later) a bad headache!

But I'll tell you, it was worth the headache...

It feels great to overcome your fear (I'm sure I'll be as scared as a chicken when I start my swimming sessions in a few weeks). But at least, till then I can say I did overcome my fear!!!

Go beat your fear!!!

Cheers!!!

ABC of Quilting Post # 22

2012-02-03T07:03:00.002+05:30

Today's first topic is

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Very Handmade : Hand Quilting

My experience with hand quilting is very limited. But while I made my quilt, I realized that its not as hard as I thought it would be.

I was scared that I would never finish the quilt that I started, but ended up not only finishing it in a day, but relaxing in a way I had not done is quite some time!

So here's a short skit on how-to hand quilt!

Hand quilting maybe time consuming but it produces the softest finish on a quilt.

Quilting needles are very fine and can pierce the skin quite easily, so please get yourself a thimble - and get a good one - to protect your fingers.

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Whether you are using a hoop or a frame, make sure you are sitting comfortably and in good light before you begin. When I quilted this one, I did not use a hoop or a frame. I just basted it, laid it on the table and did it. But that was because it was only straight line. Working with shapes is better when you're using hoops.

Thread a small betweens needle (size 8) with a single length of quilting thread and tie a knot at the end. The knot must be small enough to pull through the fabric yet large enough to catch in the batting. Take a small stitch into the quilt top and through the batting.

Pull the needle through and tug the thread sharply to pull the knot through the quilt top to catch in the batting layer.

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Use a thimble to guide the needle at an angle through the layers and then bring the needle back through to the surface. Take several stitches at a time along the needle before pulling the thread through. Try to make the stitches all the same size (with practice you will be able to make them smaller). The stitches will probably come out smaller and more irregular on the wrong side. I did it one stitch at a time so that my stitches were even on both sides. Mine was a double sided quilt!

End the quilting with a knot tugged into the batting. Wind the thread twice around the needle and insert it through the quilt top and batting. Bring the needle back out on the surface and tug the thread sharply to sink the knot into the batting. Trim the thread end.

You're done!

Go enjoy your beautiful quilt!

Cheers!!!

ABC of Quilting Post # 21

2012-02-02T07:10:00.001+05:30

Today's second topic is

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Understanding Long Arming : Long Arm Quilting

And today we have a long arm quilter writing about it. Ebony Love from Lovebug Studio (such a freaking cute name!) is here to tell us about Long Arm Quilting.

She says she's new to Long Arm Quilting, but I believe its not how much time you have spent doing something that matters, but how have you spent that time! She has quilted some amazing quilts! I do dream of buying a long arm machine some day! Maybe that day, I'll look back at this post once again!

I'm Ebony Love, and today I want to give you some information on what makes long arm quilting different from machine quilting. I'm relatively new to long arm quilting, but I've gained a lot of experience in that time & I'd like to share some of that knowledge with you. There are still lots & lots of people who have never seen a long arm quilting machine before, and don't really know what the difference is between quilting on a long arm and quilting on a regular machine. Today I'm going to take you on a tour of my long arm, and highlight the differences between a long arm and a home machine. The biggest difference you'll see right away is that when you're quilting on a regular machine, the machine stays on the table while you move the quilt. When quilting at a long arm, it's the exact opposite: the quilt stays stationary, and you move the machine! It's a very different way to quilt, and might be a little hard to picture at first, but I will explain everything as we go along. There are three categories used to describe quilting machines:

Domestic sewing machine (DSM) - This is the type of machine that everyone uses! These machines typically sit on a table, and you use it for everything including general sewing, piecing, and quilting. The harp (the area to the right of the needle) is typically between 4" - 8" wide, and the speed is around 800 stitches per minute. When you quilt at this machine, you sit in front of it, with the needle on the left.
Mid-arm machine (MAM) - This is a bit larger than a DSM, and typically only performs a limited number of stitches, such as a straight stitch or free motion. These machines can be used at a table or on a quilting frame, and perform at speeds between 1,100 - 1,500 stitches per minute. The harp area is between 9" - 17" wide. Whenever the machine is mounted on a frame, you will be quilting with the needle directly in front of you, moving the machine. Frames can be anywhere from 4' to 12' long. If the machine is on a table, you'll quilt with the needle either in front of you, or to the left, depending on the model you get; either way, you'll move the quilt under the machine.
Long-arm machine (LAM) - This is even larger than the mid-arm, and is always mounted on a frame. The harp area can be anywhere between 18" - 36", although most long arm quilters will stay under 30". These machines stitch very fast, from 1,800 - 2,600 stitches per minute, and ONLY do free motion stitching because they don't have feed dogs. The needle will always be in front of you as you are quilting, and the frame itself is usually between 8' - 14' long.

I'm going to focus on the DSM and the LAM; the MAM usually are a hybrid of the two, and can be a nice compromise for those who don't want to invest in a long arm or don't have the space for one. I actually upgraded from a mid-arm to a long-arm last year, and after trying a bunch of different models, I settled on a HandiQuilter Fusion that I named Mr. Darcy. (Mr. Darcy is a character in my favorite book & movie - Pride & Prejudice. I prefer the BBC version of this movie with Colin Firth, but I hear the Bollywood version, Bride & Prejudice, is also very good.) Mr. Darcy has a 24" harp and sits on a 12' frame, and he takes up most of my basement! Let's take a tour of Mr. Darcy, and while we do, I'll point out some of the major differences between him and a DSM.

Basting & Loading a Quilt When you are quilting at a DSM, you have to create a quilt sandwich with the quilt top, batting, and backing, and secure it with pins or thread before you can start quilting. Lots of people hate this part of quilting! You still do some of this when long arming, but it is very different from how you would do it for a DSM. When you load a quilt onto a long arm, each piece of the quilt gets loaded independently. First, the backing fabric is loaded onto the long arm with the wrong side up. It is secured to canvas fabric called leaders, and then rolled onto two rails or poles, like a scroll.

The quilt top also has a rail that it can be rolled onto, with the right side up, but many quilters will do what's called floating - that is, they let the quilt top hang free without securing it to the rail. The quilt in the picture is being floated; I will do this for quilts that are really too small to bother rolling onto the rail, or for quilts that may have border issues which prevent it from being rolled evenly onto the rail. The batting goes between the quilt top and the backing fabric. It does have a rail underneath the machine (I didn't label it, but you can see it in the photo), but I find it easier to float the batting, so I always do that with my quilts. You can see that this forms a nice quilt sandwich, but it doesn't have any pins! At this point, the quilt will get basted, by running a straight stitch along the very top, to secure the quilt top to the batting & backing. Then, the sides will get basted between the idler rail and the quilt top rail. We don't need to baste the middle of the quilt, because we can just quilt it from here. We'll talk about the different kinds of quilting in a little bit. The backing rail that is above the idler rail is also known as the take-up rail. Once you finish quilting the first section, the finished part of the quilt is rolled onto this rail. The idler rail is actually there to keep the quilt sandwich nice & flat so that the bulk of the finished quilt is out of the way. Whenever you are quilting on a LAM, you will usually quilt from top to bottom, left to right. On a DSM, you probably start with the center of the quilt and work your way out to the sides. If I wanted to start quilting this quilt from the center, I would have to baste this quilt all the way across, then roll it onto the take-up rail, baste it, and keep doing that until I got to the center, and THEN I'd still have to go back and quilt it! It's very inefficient to quilt from the center on a LAM, but sometimes I will do it if I'm trying to get a certain effect with the design. Now, before we get to the quilting, let's talk about needles and thread. Needles, Thread, and Bobbins for the Long Arm LAM's use industrial needles. Industrial needles have the same basic parts as a DSM needle, but they are made a little differently. First, the part of the needle that gets inserted into the machine is completely round. On the DSM, it's flat on one side, so you know which way to insert it. You probably have never bothered looking at a DSM needle very closely, because you always know which way is correct. On a LAM needle, we have to look for the long groove that travels down the shaft; that's the part that goes in front. Look at your DSM needles, and you will see a long groove down the front too! Industrial needles use a different needle numbering system. You can't exchange needles between the two, although some companies will list both needle sizes. To see the difference, LAM needles range from 2.5 - 4.5MR; DSM needles are usually numbered 70/10 up to 110/18. The needle that I stitch with the most is a 3.5MR, which is roughly equivalent to a 100/16 on a DSM. On your DSM, you will choose your needle type & size based on the fabric you are stitching, where on the LAM, we will choose the needle based on the thread being used. Really! Because we are stitching at higher speeds on a LAM, we use larger needles just to cut down on the friction that the thread experiences as we are quilting. If I use the same thread from my long arm for piecing on my DSM, I would use a 75/11 needle, but that same thread on Mr. Darcy uses a 100/16 needle. That's quite a difference! If I wanted to use a smaller needle on Mr. Darcy, I would have to slow down to keep my thread from breaking.

Speaking of thread, there are many, many types of threads out there, and I truly believe that ANY machine can sew with ANY thread. However, I also know that Mr. Darcy has preferences, and there is a certain type of thread that he will run with no problems and very few adjustments, but if I change him to a different thread, I will have to do some trial and error to make it work. Some threads also have to be threaded differently through the machine, or the bobbins wound looser or tighter. Most long arms run best on thread cones, although many can also be set up to run using regular spools. Most quilters find it more economical to buy cones of thread instead of spools; we go through so much thread on a long arm that having cones is much better. There are so many choices for thread - cotton, polyester, metallic, and even silk - and everything in between. Each type of thread has different requirements for threading, speed, top & bobbin tension, and the needle size. I know that Mr. Darcy will run everything, but the setup time is much less if I stick to one type of thread for the majority of projects. Our bobbins are different too; Mr. Darcy uses an M sized bobbin (you can see it in the photo above), which is about 1" in diameter and 1/2" tall. Other long arms use L size bobbins, where DSM's will use a totally different kind called Class 15/A. The major difference between the bobbins is how much thread they can hold, and because Mr. Darcy uses the largest bobbin size, I have to change it much less often than if I were quilting on a DSM. Now, let's talk about the actual quilting! Quilting Styles on a Long Arm There are 3 major categories of quilting on a long arm: Hand Guided, Pattern Assisted, and Computerized, and different types of quilting in each. Let's talk a little about each one.

Hand Guided - The quilter is guiding the machine on their own by driving it with the handles. Mr. Darcy has two sets of handles, one in the front & one in the back. When I am hand-guiding, I use the handles in the front, and I quilt from left to right.

Freehand - This type of quilting just comes out of the quilter's head, and they will just work whatever pattern they decide for that area of the quilt to get the effect that they want.

This is my very favorite free-hand design, and it's the first quilt I ever did with Mr. Darcy.

Ruler Work - This is done with the use of 1/4" thick acrylic templates. These are NOT the same as quilting rulers that you use to cut out blocks. They are specially made to accommodate the foot of the machine so that we don't accidentally stitch onto the ruler, and it is the slowest type of quilting because you have to hang onto the ruler with one hand and drive the machine with the other. You also have to be very careful and methodical, and there's a lot of stopping and starting (and sometimes ripping out) associated with this type of quilting. You would also use a ruler to do stitch in the ditch work, which makes SITD very expensive & time-consuming on a long arm.

I had to use 9 different rulers to do the quilting on this project!

Microquilting - This type of quilting is very intricate and tiny, and is usually done sitting down at the long arm and using special tools to get really close to the quilt so you can control the machine better. Each of the squares in this sampler are only 3"!

Pattern-Assisted - In this type of quilting, the quilter is using some sort of predetermined pattern or tool, which gives a particular effect on a quilt. Many quilters find this the easiest type of long-arm quilting to start off with, because you don't have to think too much about where you're quilting next or trying to work your way out of a tight spot.

Pantograph - These are pre-printed, usually on a long roll of paper, and you use a laser pointer to guide you on the lines. On Mr. Darcy, he has a special shelf on the back of the machine to hold the pattern paper & the laser, so when I use a pantograph I have to quilt from the back of the machine, from right to left! The only bad part about having to quilt from the back is that you can't see what you are doing, so you have to trust that your quilting looks ok and your stitches are forming correctly. I always stop and check on the quilt periodically so I don't have lots of stitches to rip out if something went wrong.

The great thing about a pantograph is that you don't have to follow the line precisely - nobody but the quilter knows exactly what it is supposed to look like!

Stencil -This is usually a thin piece of plastic that you can trace a design through, either onto a sheet of really thin transfer paper, or onto the quilt itself with a marking pen or chalk. Once the design is transferred to the quilt, you then follow the lines with the machine. Stenciling is usually done from the front of the machine. In this quilt, the center started with stencils of feathers and different shapes, which I then embellished free-hand.

Board/Stylus - This is similar to a pantograph, except you use a stylus in a hard template to trace lines exactly. It's a great method for making shapes that are very precise and regular, and I like to think of it as a nice balance between a pantograph and a ruler. I use this method for patterns like spirals or circles because they can be done a little bit faster than with rulers. Here is an example of the Baptist Fan pattern on a board:

And here is what it looks like stitched onto a quilt:

Computerized - I can't show you any examples of computerized quilting because Mr. Darcy is not equipped with that feature, but computerized quilting is essentially where you can load a pattern into the machine, size it, tell the machine where to start & stop, and let the machine do all the work. If you've ever seen an embroidery machine working, it is very similar to that. It can be difficult to tell computerized quilting from the other types of quilting, but after you get some experience looking at different quilts, you can start to tell them apart from hand-guided and assisted. One thing I do know: no one will ever mistake my free-hand work for a computer. :)

Quilt by Hand, Quilt by Machine, Quilt by Checkbook At the end of the day, it's up to you to decide how you want to finish your quilts, either by hand, on your own machine, or by sending it out for someone else to finish for you. Everybody has their own likes & dislikes about each stage of the process for making a quilt, and everyone has their own reasons for choosing a method of quilting. I don't hand quilt myself because I think it's too slow and I don't like my stitching, but I can appreciate the beauty of hand quilting that other people do. On the other extreme, I don't think I will ever move to a computerized long arm, because I like having that connection to the quilt and being able to express myself through my quilting. I can appreciate my imperfections here, and the fact that I can get something quilted in a couple of hours instead of weeks or months. Just like I have preferences for my own method of quilting, you will also make a choice about whether you will do the quilting yourself or have someone else do it. This could be for many reasons - maybe you send it to someone because you don't feel confident at your own quilting abilities, or you don't want to fight with a king sized quilt through a 5" harp or, maybe you just don't like the actual quilting part! Whatever your reason, don't ever let anyone make you feel like you are not a quilter if you don't do every step on every quilt. I much prefer quilts to be finished than sitting in a box on a shelf because someone didn't, couldn't, or wouldn't quilt it.

If you are thinking about sending your quilts out to someone else to quilt, I highly recommend that you do some research on the things you need to do to prepare your quilt for long arming. Because of the way the quilt is loaded and the differences in how we quilt, you will have to do a few extra steps to make sure your quilt is ready. On my own website, I have a guide that you can read and print that is called, "Preparing Your Quilt for Long Arm Quilting." Believe it or not, your preparation begins before you even attach your borders! In addition to long arm quilting, I am also a Designer, Teacher, and Editor-in-Chief of a digital magazine. I've gotten to be quite an expert on using fabric die cutting systems, so if you are interested in learning more about that, you can see my patterns, tutorials & videos on my Quilt Possible! website (quiltpossible.com). My magazine is also related to die cutting, and is called Blocks to Die For! It features patterns & cutting charts to help people use their cutting dies. If you want to learn more about long arm quilting or you're interested in sending me a quilt, I keep a separate site called LoveBug Studios. I maintain a blog where I post about all the quilts I work on, and there are frequently tips and lessons for those who are long arm quilting or who want to learn more about it.

Getting Ready for Spring!!!

2012-02-02T06:58:00.000+05:30

I know its a bit early... But this is just a sneak peek at what is to come in the next few months...

I just love spring! The beginning of summer... Since the summers are harsh here - temperatures even going up to 48 deg C on the worse days - we rarely use any quilts!

Well, winters are harsh too, well - not as harsh as those on the other side of the world! Temperatures can be as low as 12 deg C - and we do not have heating installed in our homes! I use a huge cotton stuffed quilt about 3-5 cm thick!

So spring lets me use all those wonderful quilts that I make... But this spring is going to be special... I am planning to make a blanket for myself!

I have selected the Commute Bundle to work along with some pastel Cotton Couture Solids

But, I'm using a Moda Snuggles backing for it...

Would you like to Snuggle-along?

Well, not immediately... But somewhere around March-ish?

Kimberly will be glad to have kits for you in the shop!

What do you think?

ABC of Quilting Post # 19

2012-02-02T06:46:00.001+05:30

Hey guys, today we have a visual treat for you!

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To Please your Eyes : FMQ Design Options

And to bring to you thins post, we have a very special guest. She has tried it all! I can say that. Leah Day is the lady behind The Free Motion Quilting Project. I have not seen anyone else quilting so many FMQ designs!

So here we have today, Leah Day!

Now it’s time to discuss FMQ designs, or free motion quilting designs! This is always my favorite part because you can and a whole new level of design over the surface of the quilt with your quilting stitches.

Let’s start by understanding a bit about free motion quilting and how it works:

Free motion quilting gets its name from the fact that you move your quilt freely over the surface of your machine. You need to be able to move the quilt in all directions easily which means you will need a special foot for your machine called a darning foot (some shops also call it a free motion quilting foot).

To ensure a totally free range of movement, many quilters will also lower the feed dogs of their machine. Feed dogs are the little teeth that feed fabric forward, and obviously we want the quilt moving more than just forward, we want it to move in all directions!

Personally I find that the feed dogs are essential for maintaining proper thread tension on my machines, so instead of dropping the feed dogs, I lower my stitch length to 0 so the feed dogs move, but they no longer feed the fabric forward.

I also cover my feed dogs with a tool that makes free motion quilting much easier - a supreme slider. This Teflon sheet goes over the surface of your machine bed and reduced the friction between your quilt and the table, making it much easier to move and shift in free motion!

When you’re just getting started make sure to pay attention to your darning foot. When you lower this foot, make sure that it is not squishing your quilt. The foot should just hover over the surface of your quilt and you should be able to move the quilt smoothly and evenly at all times.

It really can’t be stressed enough the importance of your quilt being able to move smoothly and evenly under your darning foot. If you find this is impossible, check out instructions on how to modify your foot right here:

Once you have your foot set up and the machine ready to go, what next?

Now it’s time to play with fun designs! Because you can move your quilt in all different directions, you can now quilt an infinite number of designs: leaves, vines, feathers, flowers, hearts, squares, triangles - any shape or design you can think of.

Let’s get started learning a simple free motion quilting design called Venn Diagram.

To quilt this design, first stitch a circle. Now stitch another circle, overlapping the first. Experiment with stitching your circles in many different sizes and directions so they fill your quilt randomly.

Then try quilting the circles all the same size and in a line. See which way you like better as you stitch this design over your whole quilt.

You can learn a bit more about Venn Diagram right here:

http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/2010/08/day-209-ven-diagram.html

If you’d like more practice before stitching this design on your quilt, try drawing it. Many quilters have found that if they can draw a design, they can usually quilt it.

Now let’s try another simple design called Basic Spiral.

To quilt this design, first stitch a large spiral, leaving yourself space to get back out again. Swirl around your quilting space into another spiral, interlocking it with the first.

Watch a video on how to quilt Basic Spiral at:

http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/2009/08/day-5-basic-spiral.html

Basic Spiral does require a bit of practice to get the hang of. When I first got started free motion quilting, I would never remember to leave space to get back out of a spiral, and end up getting stuck.

Fortunately I soon figured out that you can just loop out of the center of the spiral to create Spiral Knots:

To quilt this design, start the same way as with Basic Spiral, only this time don’t leave space for you to get back out of the spiral. Instead get into the center, then stitch over the entire spiral design to get out of that space and start a new shape.

It’s a bit trick to explain, so click here to read more about this design and watch a video:

http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/2011/12/day-348-spiral-knots.html

You might have noticed that each of these designs can be quilted without stopping. Free motion designs are typically called continuous line designs because they can be stitched without breaking thread in one long, continuous line.

However, sometimes you’ll need to get from one area of your quilt to another, or from one area of a design to another (such as around a new area of a circle in Venn Diagram), and the only option appears to be to break thread.

But there is another option: travel stitching.

Travel stitching means to stitch over a previous line of stitching. If you stitch RIGHT ON TOP of the stitched line, you can easily get to a new area of a design without breaking thread.

See what I mean by stitching Modern Art:

To quilt this design, start on the edge of your quilt sashing and stitch a long skinny triangle shape into the center of the sashing area. Now travel stitch in the pieced ditch area of the quilt and branch out with a new triangle shape. Continue working down one whole side of your quilt until the entire sashing is filled with triangle shapes like this:

Now travel stitch to the opposite side and branch out with new triangles, matching them up and interlocking them with the first side.

Because the sashing was first stitched in the ditch, there are two layers of thread along the edges of this quilt sashing. It will appear darker on both sides of the quilt because of the 2 layers of thread in these areas, but so long as you stay on the line, you’ll be able to quilt this design through your entire sashing area without breaking thread!

Learn more about Modern Art right here:

http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/2009/12/day-110-modern-art.html

Another important technique to learn for free motion quilting is echoing. This is the ability to stitch a line, then stitch another line a specific distance away.

The best way to learn echoing is in a simple design like this Echo Shell:

First stitch a half or quarter circle shape, then travel stitch a distance away, then echo the circle shape, creating a second ring to the circle. Continue to echo as many times as you like, then stitch a new circle shape and travel and echo quilt it as well.

Advice for learning free motion quilting

In this article we’ve learned 5 quilting designs, and on the Free Motion Quilting Project you can find over 365 designs to choose from as well!

This might lead you to think that every quilt you make needs 100 designs, but the truth is, the best possible way to learn free motion quilting is to practice only 1 design.

By focusing on just 1 design, you will be able to quickly memorize the design and how it works, then be able to focus on how to move and position the quilt, how to place your hands and grip the quilt.

Free motion quilting can be an overwhelming skill to learn simply because it’s a totally new way to use a sewing machine, a totally new way to move a quilt with a full free range of motion. By focusing on one single design, you can simplify the learning process and gain useful skills quickly.

The biggest key is to have fun and allow yourself to learn, make mistakes, and even stitch ugly stitches with no judgment!

Let’s go quilt,

Leah Day

Fashionable Me!!! Giveaway for you

2012-02-01T20:42:00.002+05:30

Hey friends!

Did you notice something new on my side bar???

Yes I have a new sponsor!!!

Apart from Kimberly, there is someone else who also believes that I can do good work! Yay!!!

Please welcome, my new sponsor : Fashionable Fabrics!

I have bought stuff from them before... And they are absolutely fantastic to work with!

They have a huge range of my favorites : Novelty Prints! You can never have enough of them...

Some of my favorites are

The British Subway Map by Timeless Treasures

Children at Play on Parade by Sarah Jane

Dandy Damask Charcoal by Michael Miller

Tufted Tweets Itty Bitty Chairs on Orchid by Laurie Wisbrun

Not that they do not have blenders! They have a whole range of fabulous fabrics to choose from...

Go have a look...

I have a $25 Gift Certificate to the shop for you guys!!!

Here's how you win it...

You have 7 chances to win. (I am a Harry Potter fan!)

1. Leave a comment here telling me what would you buy with your $25 GC. - Mandatory!

2. Be a follower. If you already are, thats great! But leave a comment in any case.

3. Like me on Facebook. Leave a comment here.

4. Follow me on Pinterest. Leave a comment here.

5. Like Fashionable Fabrics on Facebook. Leave a comment here.

6. Follow Fashionable Fabrics on Twitter. Leave a comment here.

7.Follow Fashionable Fabrics on Pinterest

I'll draw a winner or Monday, 6 Feb 2012 at 8.00 am IST

Have fun!!!

Cheers!!!

ABC of Quilting Post # 18

2012-02-01T07:15:00.000+05:30

Today's first topic is

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Super Simple Stitching : Machine quilting, straight line and FMQ

Quilting helps give the quilts texture and also adds to the durability of the quilt.

Most of the quilts can be quilted at home on a regular sewing machine! You can use one of the two basic techniques : Straight-line Quilting (if you can use a walking foot, it will be more even) or Free motion Quilting using a Darning foot.

Machine quilting is much quicker than hand quilting but the preparation has to be more thorough. If the layers are not basted together carefully, unsightly folds will be caught on the underside.

Preparation

I would recommend moving your sewing table against the wall if it is not. That will prevent your quilt from hanging over the side and increasing weight and pressure. I use the same table for cutting and sewing so when I actually quilt I have a large area!

To ease the process of quilting, you must keep your quilt sandwich on the table - the entire thing and all the time! The easiest way is to roll the part you're not quilting (it'll also be easy to maneuver it through your machine).

I usually start straight line quilting from the center and free motion quilting from one side.

Straight Line Quilting

Using a walking foot for straight line quilting is highly recommended. Your sewing machine has feed dogs that pull your fabric as you sew. But they are only on the underside. With a walking foot, you have feed dogs on the top too! That results in a much more even feeding of fabric and hence even quilting... The bonus : no puckers!

Here's my example of Straight Line Quilting

Free Motion Quilting

Fit your machine with the darning or free motion quilting foot. Set the stitch length to zero. I also reduce the tension, just a little bit. Lower the feed dogs. Now you're ready to go!

With your quilt in the machine, manually bring the needle down and then up again. Pull the bobbin thread up to prevent any entanglement on the back of the quilt. Now make several stitches in place to create a knot.

Begin to move your quilt sandwich, stitching in your chosen pattern. When you do a few inches, trim the loose threads. Always stop the machine with the needle in the down position.

Continue quilting by moving your quilt sandwich stitching in your desired pattern. Remove safety pins as you encounter them. (Keep a bowl ready and you can keep them in it as you remove them, dont bother closing them, I never do! After all, you're going to open them up to use them again so why waste time?)

As you work you'll start getting a feel for the right balance between the speed of the machine and the movement of your hands. I personally find using my machine's top speed and moving my hands at their top speed works!

Try it on scraps until you are absolutely comfortable. Free Motion Quilting can actually be fun once you get the hang of it.

Here's my example of FMQ, I think this is my best. :)

And this one too...

For this quilt, I flipped the quilt over so that the back was on top while quilting. I outlined the shapes on the fabric on the back with a thread that contrasted the front fabric. It is one of the favorite quilts I ever made!

Famous!!! Well, almost!

2012-01-31T17:13:00.000+05:30

January has been a complete action packed month for me... Not just on my blog, otherwise too!

I have been tackling things like I normally wouldn't...

I have had some nasty and some awesome experiences...

They have surely made me a better person...

On 23rd January, Cindy from Live a Colorful Life featured me on The Name Game...

My blogger was playing naughty at the time, and I could not post...

Later I wrote a post and forgot to "publish" it!!!

Now you know me better, do you?

Today, a fellow quilter from India Carol is having me as a guest on her blog.

Se, I'm famous!!! Well, almost... But I enjoyed doing it!!!

Cheers!!!

Blogger Map

2012-01-31T11:47:00.001+05:30

Katie from Latte Love has started Blogger Map. Here you can list your blog according to region. It will be a great way to connect with fellow quilters while traveling!

Hop over and list your blog.

ABC of Quilting Post # 18

2012-01-31T07:11:00.000+05:30

Our next topic today is

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Rendezvous with the layers : Quilt Sandwich, basting techniques

Sandwiching the quilt is one of the most important steps in quilt making. It is how you sandwich the quilt that will tell you how well your quilt will look after you have quilted it. So take your time with this one!

Here's how I do it.

First Iron everything! The quilt back, the quilt top and if possible, even your batting. I cut my batting about 4" more on each side of my finished quilt top and the backing another 4" more.

Go to a room that has a big enough floor space for you to lay the quilt on. Hardwood or tiled floors are best.

Then lay your backing WRONG SIDE UP on the floor and smooth it.

Using a masking tape (I use regular cellophane tape as I have a tiled floor and can wash it away!) and fix it to the floor. Use as many pieces as you need to make it really secure.

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Now smooth the batting on top of the backing. Take your time and make it as flat as you can. Get down on your hands and knees to do this.

Now take the top and start on one side of the quilt. Lay it over the batting and smooth out any wrinkles as you go. I use my iron here to smooth out each and every wrinkle.

image source

Now use safety pins ( I ordered my bent safety pins from Nancys Notions, if you do not have the bent ones, the regular ones work just fine) to secure all the layers together. I prefer to pin at about every 6".

Then remove the cellophane tape (or masking tape) and you're ready to quilt it!

There are other options to this too... But you cannot gt out of the get down on your knees part!

You could use a basting spray - a temporary adhesive in spray form.

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or you could be easy on your fingers and use a basting gun.

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Or you could make quilting absolutely easy by using a curved needle and thread to baste your quilt. This eliminates the need for removing pins as you quilt!

image source

Use any method you want, but take care that the sandwich is absolutely smooth. This will prevent any puckers in the quilt backing.

Cheers!!!

13 Woodhouse Road

Featured again...

Nemo!!!

Favorite Things Friday!!!

Another sponsor!

I'm on Craftsvilla

India MQG Blog

Work in Progress

FQS Oh, Fransson Friday

Help Needed

Favorite Things Friday

ABC of Quilting Post # 26

ABC of Quilting Post # 25

Fashionable Fabrics Giveaway Winner

ABC of Quilting Post # 24

ABC of Quilting Post # 23

My Most Memorable Experience!!!

ABC of Quilting Post # 22

ABC of Quilting Post # 21

Getting Ready for Spring!!!

ABC of Quilting Post # 19

Fashionable Me!!! **** Giveaway for you ****

ABC of Quilting Post # 18

Famous!!! Well, almost!

Blogger Map

ABC of Quilting Post # 18

Fashionable Me!!! Giveaway for you