Selvage Edge Piecing - Make a mug mat

Selvage edges can be used in piecing for interesting design and effect in a block or project.  After purchasing your yardage, check out the selvages to see if you want to save them from the bin.  Rotary cut at least 1" into the print so you will have enough to sew onto and leave for interest. 

There are a few books and articles written on this technique.  I have purchased the book by Riel Nason entitled, " Modern Selvage Quilting" published in 2016.  This book explains her method of piecing and 15 projects to make.

About 3 years ago, I made these mug rugs and blogged about them, however since then the post is lost into the ether.  So, if you're interested, I will try to explain the method of creating them.  You will want a wide variety of selvage strips to choose from in varying widths.  There are lots of choices to consider like adding just color bubbles, text, or blanks.  For the size of your foundation square, requisition your strips and set them in the order you want to sew them.  Decide if you want the orientation to be straight across or at a diagonal. 

Cut your foundation fabric from muslin.  These are 5 inches square.  Cut a backing fabric from a contrasting print. 

Lay your first piece in one corner.  Sew a straight stitch from edge to edge following the line between the printed edge and the text edge.  Lay your second strip over the top edge of the first by at least 1/4" for the seam allowance.

Sew down the second strip close to the edge.

Be sure to leave at least 1/4" seam allowance underneath.

Sew down the third strip close to the edge leaving as much print as you desire from strip 2.

Flip down and trim away the excess leaving the seam allowance for strip 2.

Continue adding strips until your foundation square is completely covered.  

Now you will trim away the strips hanging off the edges of the foundation square.

Stack the batting, backing and your pieced square together and sew around leaving an opening to turn.  Press and close the open edge.  Quilt as desired.  

I usually edge stitch very close and then follow the diagonal edges to finish. 

Here is the reverse side of the 4 mug mats.

They would make a nice house warming gift or hostess gift.  

 This is my next selvage edge project.  I used mostly modern fabrics and limited color choices.

Happy sewing and enjoy!  :o) 

Original S&Q Expo weekend

This beautiful butterfly wall was in the lobby of my hotel near Atlanta.  It shimmered and shined in the sun drenched entry as they are all made from metallic paper and pinned to the wall.

It was just breathtaking.  The hotel associate just smiled as I apologized for taking pictures and she remarked that a lot of people do it and are equally amazed.

Anyway, why was I staying in a hotel?  I went to Atlanta for the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo.  There were a lot of classes I was interested in taking, but ended up with 3 good choices.  My favorite was the Shibori dyeing class taught by Cindy Lohbeck.  https://www.handsonhanddyes.com/about-us.htm  There was a supply fee which ended up being a full kit minus the dyes, but at the end of the class, she let us take some mixed dye home to experiment with along with more fabric pieces.

These two photos show my work.  I am so happy with the outcome.  She was a good teacher and explained the technique quite well.  

The second best class I attended was a paint stick class taught by Laura Murray.  

The paint sticks are oil paints in stick form and you do rubbings over the surface of a textured plate and create all kinds of design possibilities.  You can also use the sticks with stencils.  

If you're interested in attending an Original Sewing & Quilt Expo go to https://www.sewingexpo.com
There were classes over 3 of the days, fashion shows, displays, vendors and lectures as well as daily giveaways and a grand prize giveaway.  It was a fun few days away and now I'm filled with inspiration.

May Flowers

Today's inspiration from my garden.    

Round Robin Quilting

Today I have been shuffling through my UFO basket trying to see if any of them strike some inspiration in me to get them finished.  None of them are speaking to me at the moment, so I switched gears to looking at photo files from past projects to see the finishes I have done and this round robin is a good example of what I sometimes do to make it more appealing to my eye and preferences.

My quilt group had a sign up for a round robin which is fun to do if you've never done one.  They vary in direction.  Some are row round robins, some are technique rounds, and some are "step" rounds.  This one was what I call a "step" round robin.  To begin there were 5 of us signed up.  We each started with making 2 blocks and providing the fabrics for the next rounds and passed to the next person in a bag.  There were really no instructions except size (wall hanging, in this case) and what comes next like 2 more blocks.  The third person was to add a sashing to join them, the fourth person added a border, and the final person was to add the outer border.  The theme and tone was set by what fabrics you used and/or the choice of fabrics you provided.   You never get to see the progress of your round robin until it's revealed in the end when you've completed a round with each person on the list.  Each round was given ample time to complete (one step a month) and was passed to the next person on a fixed list.  We had to make sure everyone on the list was ready and willing to take the challenge and stick with it, otherwise it can drag out and back log everyone.

This photo shows the completed top when I got it back.

This is beautiful as it is, however to me, I wasn't liking all the white spaces or the half square triangles and the choppy look of the middle sashing.  So, keeping with the Asian theme and combing through my scrap bag, I came up with some options and auditioned them after ripping out the entire middle section and removing the 4 blocks.  

This is what I came up with.  It was completely deconstructed and put back together.  There were only 2 original blocks saved and most of the outer border.  The very center yin yang symbol was created with tread painting.  The other 2 blocks in the center and on the sashing squares were fussy cut from printed fabrics.  The outer border was salvaged for the most part only adding the green corner squares to bring out some of the greens from the center of the quilt.  

In the end, you have to be happy with the resulting quilt.  It will hang in your house or be a gift, so I don't apologize for making changes.  The pieces I didn't use have been used in other things, so they didn't go to waste.  

Now back to my UFO basket.  Making changes or additions will be a good start to the improv top I have buried in the basket.  Have a good sewing day.  :o) 

February Begins

February is here and a lot of work is happening in my sewing room/studio.  My DH bought me a Tailor made cabinet which holds my machine and has a fold out extension table.  I love it.  It will help me quilt larger pieces using my home machine.  

I've been working on the National Quilt Museum Block of the Month blocks.  The final block will come out in March. Then, it will be a race to finish it.  I want to clear everything out of the way and just concentrate on this until it is completed.  There will be a label available to all the finishers, however, I am considering making my own.  Here are my blocks so far including this month's on the bottom row center.  Last month's block is to the left and is Hawaiian applique in a sea turtle design.

There is a lot more to prep for this top.  The borders and binding need to be cut and pressed and wrapped onto my binding spool.  Roll out the batting so it can breathe and lay flat before sandwiching.  I also need to apply the embroidery stitching and beading to some of the blocks before sandwiching.  Last night, was a rough and tumble night because I can't decide on the quilting designs.  Maybe each block should be a different design?  My DH loves the pod design I've done, which is an all-over design.  The other thing I need to consider is the thread type and color(s)?
I will be so glad when this one is finished, but I am considering joining in on the next one.  I may wait it out a couple months and just catch up during the summer months.

I finished the Moroccan tile pillow covers but not the Rose petal tile quilt.

I love tiles and take pictures of them whenever I see them.  Well, I love Moroccan tiles and decided to draw out a simple shape onto graph paper.  I used pencil first, then drew over it with sharpie so I can see it for the fusible.

There is something satisfying and relaxing about making your own patterns or templates.  I guess it makes you feel free to create and be in charge of your design.  I drew out #1 piece first, then moved to the right and drew another #1 and so on until I had 4 square.  That left the center blank, so I drew about 1/4" away from the #1's all the way around.  Now you have the #2 piece.  And that's all there is to the pattern.  I drew this onto the paper side of Heat n Bond lite, chose my fabrics which are mostly Kaffe Fassett fabrics. Fuse onto the wrong side of the fabrics chosen, cut around each shape and remove paper.  Be sure to position as accurately as you want them and do your final fuse.  I used Totally Stable tear away for the reverse to stabilize while I stitched around each shape.  In March I will be teaching this technique at my local MQG group.  It is simple and just about everyone has used fusible before.   You could make an entire quilt like this and will need lots more pieces, so I would suggest measuring your design on the graph paper to see how large it is and multiply by how big you are going.  So treat this design as 1 square or block.  When I made the pillow covers, I knew I needed them to measure 25" square, so I cut my background squares and added the fused pieces as I needed them to cover.  You could also work all the way out to the edges and trim off the excess from the edges.

This picture just shows the Rose petal tiles top before sandwiching.  I've just started the quilting on it but will put it away until the BOM is done and out of the way.
Time to get busy.  I will post a picture of my sewing room on a future date.  Have a creative day.  :o)

Quilted Ornament Place Mats

For this year's Christmas project, I've made 6 place mats in this ornament shape.  I didn't purchase a commercial pattern, I drew out the circle on paper and used a box shape for the cap on the top.  Searching for my compass was a disaster, and using a pin and string is too involved, so I took the largest plate/platter from my cupboard and drew around it.  I believe it measures 14" in circumference.  The box for the cap is actually an empty straight pin box.

I fused the 3 pieces of the ornament onto thermaweb batting, then sewed on the rick-rack.  I quilted each section with angled lines on the bottoms and meander stitching on the tops. The backs are cut from the pattern shape and using the pillowcase technique, I stitched around leaving an opening for turning.  I pressed the mats, stitched the opening closed and top stitched around the mat.  They will be perfect for our table throughout the season.    

NQM - Blocks 5-8

In an earlier post, I mentioned that I have joined the challenge of the National Quilt Museum of Paducah Kentucky's, Block of the Month program.   Click on this link to join or see the published block projects.  We are to learn techniques each month by making a selected artist's 10.5" block using our own choices and stash of fabrics.

For block #5 (August) they chose the artist, Stephanie Soebbing and the Van Gogh Cherrywood Challenge display at the museum.  She took the play on words, "Up Close with the Stars" display and created a close section of the Starry Night painting.   I created two blocks and chose to go with the one on the right and then added more to it.

I used embroidery stitches to create more movement and look similar to brush strokes.

I also used Inktense sticks to bring out more orange in a few of the stars.   When I quilt this block, I may make more swirls in the darker blue sky areas.  

The next block, #6 for September, was inspired by the youth education program at the Museum. Becky Glasby, the director of education at NQM, chose the Glider block using machine paper piecing technique.  

This is my block.  Please ignore the grey strip on the right for the moment.  

At this point, I had 6 blocks already done and half way through the challenge.  I couldn't stop thinking about how these were going to go together.  Traditional sashing strips and corner stones didn't appeal to me.  I liked a modern look and the 3D effect of some tops I had seen before.  So, I got to work auditioning fabrics for the outer borders and the 3D shadow pieces and came up with this.

So, at this point the first 6 are together.
Block #7 for October was inspired by the exhibit "Color Outside the Lines" at the museum.  The designer, Justin Stafford, chose the watercolor technique for the block design.  I again, made 2 blocks and had to make a decision.

The top one was done using the exact technique as stated.  I didn't like it at all. Using the fusible pellon grid interfacing made it difficult to sew perfectly and it didn't lay flat. It was bulky and didn't measure 10.5" square.  I did the second one using a strip piecing technique and it ironed flat and measured a perfect 10.5" square.  Not to mention the colors used are more pleasing.  The picture shows the sashing added to the square, which I will do from now on so I can get it done faster in the end.  Keeping notes on each block will help me in case there are any questions about what I did in creating each one.  

The Block for November turned out to be another traditional block called "Dutchman's puzzle".  It is inspired by the display of Kansas City Star quilts currently in the museum.  At this point I am hoping the next couple blocks will be contemporary so they will balance together better.  Faith Jones of FreshLemonQuilts.com was the chosen artist for this month. 

These are the colors I chose to go with.

So far I've completed the 8 blocks and have the first 6 together.  

UFO - Improv seeds

First off I have to thank my DH for purchasing this lovely Ottlite for my sewing room.  It's great to be able to have a bright light to see my work.

I started this improv about 2 years ago and it's been sitting in my UFO pile waiting to be machine quilted.  Today, I decided to get it out of the pile and finish it.  Since I don't really care too much how it is quilted, I just started with vertical lines and added a few spaces with swirls and pearls to practice. This is strictly a scrap quilt, as you can see, I wouldn't normally  choose these colors to go together.  I just pulled these randomly from my scrap bag, chopped them up and went to work sewing them together.  What I really like about this quilt is the scale of the "seeds".

 When I attended City and Guilds quilting course in the 1990's, my favorite artist at the time was Georgia O'Keefe and her enlarged flowers and landscapes.  I'm happy I have a finished UFO, but now I would like to explore more on the enlarged scale and see where that will take me.  I certainly have enough scraps to experiment with.

Petal Tiles - Part 3

Here they are, all 16 of them ready to be trimmed and sewn together.  But, wait, I don't want to just sew them together with the white edges touching each other.  This seems boring to me, so I go to work figuring out what is best.  I love the Kaffe Fassett fabrics and have a lot of them in the full range of colors which were used in all of these blocks along with other designers that worked well.

After throwing them on the floor and arranging a few fabrics between blocks, I decided I didn't like using just one fabric for all the sashing strips, however I did use the same corner stone fabric for each intersection, but a different color of KF's paperweight design for each sashing strip.

Blue is my absolute favorite color, so I went with the blue snail KF fabric in the final outer border.  I fussy cut the cabbage rose fabric for each outer corner square.  So, this is the top ready to be sandwiched.

Now, I've got it all sandwiched and pin basted ready to quilt on my machine.  A simple design like around each petal in the white grout  and echoing to the sashing strips is what I have in mind.  All done in free motion quilting as I am not patient enough to draw out any lines or designs.

The border may have a feather design for each side of the quilt, think that will go well with the swirly shapes of the petals.  Even that won't be drawn, I will just sew a curvy center line from one corner to the other all around the border, then start free hand sewing the feather shapes.

I estimated almost 200 different fabrics went into this quilt, so it would be a great scrap buster design.

Not finished yet, but I wanted to see how it looked on my bed.  Have a great sewing day.  :o)

Fusibles - Tile Petal blocks

I'm in the middle of making the tile blocks and want to share my experience with you.  I've used fusible for many years and several different brands.  Years ago, it was a concern with longevity and quality of the fusible.  Will it yellow with age?  Will it some how react with the fabrics it's fused to?  What temperature is optimal for fusing?  Each product is different and will fuse at a different temperature.  I would suggest testing the fusible on scrap fabric to see what your result will be before using on your entire project.  When I was a student in C&G, I did this test.   But, that was many years ago and products have improved.  So, if you're concerned about the outcome, I would do a test first.

These blocks measure 17" and will be trimmed down before they get sewn together.  I'm using fusible web for the pieces appliqued to the background squares.  Following the manufacturers directions for each of the fusible products I am mentioning here with mixed results.  As you can imagine, this uses a lot of product.  I've already used up all my Steam A Seam 2 adhesive, which I said before was a nightmare to work with.  The only advantage is that it's tacky and can be repositioned if you need to move a piece around before fusing.  This product leaves a sticky gummy mess not only on your needle when stitching down, but also behind the applique.  What will this do to the fabric in the long run?  Or, maybe it will wash away....eventually.

In the picture shown above, I have removed the background behind the piece so that there is no show through on the front and as you can see, there is a lot of residue.

After running out of the Steam A Seam 2, I searched my drawers and found some Heat N Bond Lite.  This product is a better choice as it is not as sticky and gummy and pieces can be removed by making a slight scoring on the reverse side of the layers and place a bone tool between to gently un-stick the piece.  Stitching down is also easier but your needle will gum up a bit.  I always keep cotton pads and rubbing alcohol near by to clean off my needle when necessary.


The large circle was showing through the small circle, so I cut away the background and larger circle so that there is only 1 layer of applique in the center instead of 3 and no more show through.

The interfacing product I am using is a fusible interfacing called Totally Stable which is cut the size of the block and ironed on the reverse of the block to prevent any tunneling while blanket stitching the edges of applique.  This is easily torn away after all stitching is complete, but can leave some tiny bits behind.     You can choose to remove all the tiny bits with tweezers, which to me is very tedious and boring or just leave them.  They'll be buried between batting and stitched with quilting on top, so they don't have anywhere to go.   And they are tiny.   My choice is to leave them.
           
It's slow going, but I only have 5 more blocks to make until I can trim them all up and start the next phase which is sewing them together.   Have a great sewing day.  :o)

Summer Strawberries

This picture has nothing to do with what I am posting about, I just like this one my son took of an outdoor sculpture of a "jack" at our local library.  A few years ago, I would take a lot of pictures of food I would make, but I've gotten away from doing that.

I look forward to every summer season and all it brings, especially when strawberries ripen and I can go to a pick-your-own farm to get them fresh.  Usually I make jam, strawberry shortcakes, strawberry ice cream, or just eat them plain or with cereal.  They're even better dipped in chocolate for a simple dessert or chopping them up and adding them to oatmeal or on top of waffles.  Recently, I've discovered a new recipe.  It's light and refreshing "strawberry soup" served very cold in a bowl at breakfast as a fruit course.  Similar to a smoothie, but different and should be served in a chilled bowl with a spoon.

Strawberry Soup

1 pint strawberries, cleaned and hulled
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice or orange juice

In a saucepan combine the above ingredients and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved.  With a stick blender, whiz until smooth, let cool completely and then continue with the rest of the ingredients.

4 oz. plain or strawberry yogurt
1/2 cup half and half, or 2% milk, or if you like, cream
 Whipped cream for garnish (optional)

Add the next two ingredients, mixing in well and chill until very cold, at least 4 hours.  When ready to serve, ladle about 1/2 cup into chilled bowls or parfait dishes and top with a dollop of whipped cream.

I hope you will try this recipe and will like it.  If you don't like milk or yogurt or have an allergy, you could try a substitute.  I have not done that, so I don't know what the outcome would be.  If you do substitute, I would be interested to know if it worked so please leave me a comment.   Have a berry great summer!