MAKE YOUR DESIGNING EASIER

Quilt making has choices. You can follow the directions exactly down to the very last thread tail, or you can make the design truly yours by putting yourself into your project. An easy way to do this is to put the blocks onto a design wall. Sometimes it is best to have the entire block constructed before you put it on the design wall, at other times it may be advantageous to only construct part of the block. This method of partial construction works better with some blocks than others. With the curved blocks this is an excellent way to design your quilt before your start sewing and later think “I wish I had….”

The first picture is of a fully constructed block. This picture above is of the partially constructed block. If you don't currently have a design wall you can purchase a nice one at the Attic Window Quilt Shop.

It is easier to get a picture of what you want by constructing only part of this block before you put it on the design wall. In the following pictures you can see the various ways you could put the quilt together.

Or do you want it like this

After you have made your decision, it is then easier to sew the blocks together.

Don’t be a follower. Give your individual creativity full rein. Not only will you find pleasure in making a quilt truly yours, you will also find yourself gaining confidence and making quilts that people will cherish forever.

Check out Exuberant Color to see how Wanda has arranged her curved pieces (scroll down when you are on her blog and see all her pictures).

Do you like Vintage? Hop on over to Molly’s Place and check out her free vintage cat cross stitch patterns. They are so cute and really bring back memories (for some of us).

Until Next Time: Happy Quilting

HAVE YOU TRIED REVERSE APPLIQUE?

Have you tried your hand at reverse appliqué? This project was made of a scrap pieced “secret” layer as featured in Jan Mullen’s book Reverse Appliqué with No Brakez.

No fancy rulers or other tools were needed to make this simple wall hanging. The project consisted of one fat quarter. The yellow fabric was “made” by stitching together many small bits of yellow scraps found in the scrap bag. The border is also scraps of red fabrics with a few black and white bits tossed in for good measure. About ¼ yard of striped fabric was purchased for the binding. Watch for an upcoming class in reverse appliqué at the Attic Window Quilt Shop.

Glenys shows us the previous Penny Rug BOM. These wool fabrics make up so nice. Check out this year's Sampler. It promises to be as pretty.

Check this Out: Nellie says spring is in the air and the blue birds are scoping out their nesting places. To help you get in the mood for spring you might want to check out Nellie’s Needles and take a look at her bird sculptures. Scroll down and get the pattern in the side bar.

Until Next Time: Happy Quilting!

HAVE YOU TRIED FREEZER PAPER APPLIQUE?

Mary Ellen, Pat, Jan and Mary (left to right) had fun taking the Freezer Paper Applique class recently at the Attic Window Quilt Shop. With this method you get crisp edges, exact placement and the paper is removed BEFORE you place your applique pieces on the background material.

Here, Jan is ironing the fabric to the freezer paper template.

These are some petals waiting for the paper to be removed before placement on the background square. What you see beneath the petals is a design drawn on vinyl to help with placement.

Mary Ellen demonstrated a quick and easy way to make flower stems. It is so easy and does not require additional tools. Thanks Mary Ellen.

This is what the finished block looked like. The women agreed that this method was quick and easy and gave them crisp edges and enabled exact placement. If anyone is interested in the directions for this freezer paper method send me an e-mail or leave a comment on the blog.

1. New Blog Listings: For all your Blog Hoppers you might want to take a look at a couple new places where the Attic Window Quilt Shop is listed. Paper Panache has a nice listing of blogs. The other one is Quilt Qua and has another fine list of blogs for you to visit.
2. Another Place to Visit: An Sew On has a nice tutorial for a potholder. Check it out.
3. Also check out Freda's Hive on my blog list on the side bar. She has a cute Easter Egg Tutorial.

Until Next Time: Happy Quilting