1/9/15

Grandma Embossed Pinwheels finished


In case you want to know how that project begans , please take a look here  and here 

Ongoing now backing and wadding cotton taped in the floor :-)) before spraying fabric with temporary glue to keep the sandwich strong, before quilting  in a domestic sewing machine this Queen size Quilt (giggles )



Full of safe pins it is ready for the sewing machine, and old Bernette



Stitch in the ditch technique to ensure the seam allowances



Looped meandering I never covered the embossed triangles , I wanted to highlight them in all that Quilt.


       Queen size : 175 x 200 cm ( 69 " x 80 " )



 Happy week to you all !
 Thanks for visiting and having my Blog in your eyes :-))

TUTO :Assembling Magic Squares

I called this project 'Magic Squares', starting with a humble 'Charm pack', in my case: 1 print Ch p. plus 1 plain white Ch.p. it looks like an intricate work but it isn't .
As many of my inspired Quilt, I found this one in Missouri Star Quilt Co. whom I'm subscribe, I felt in love since I saw this pattern
I would like to explain here, in case you like it .

1/ As said I only use, so far , 2 Charm Pack : 1print and 1 plain white cotton fabrics
    For this project I would like a Table topper or bedspread decoration at  bottom bed

5 " squares called Charm Pack

2/  Sewing together face to face 1 print 1 white sq. all around the square :


3/ After that : cut diagonally , 2 diagonals





4/ Put aside in piles : 2 of them joining 2 prints squares and a pile with 2 of them joining white
as shown next pic



First separate into 2 piles 2 of the 4 HST you get cutting sq.


5/ You have now 2 piles, proceed to join as said : sewing 2 faced prints and sewing  2 faced white


6/ To show what I mean I joined same prints but actually what I made was to sew randomly prints  HST to get variety in a single block, 1 Block = 2 rectangles so far


4 different prints in same bloch

7/ Trim ears and excess to get accurate rectangle,  press all the sew allowance same direction


                             Randomly

8/ You will have now 2 piles : 1 pile rectangle join prints and 1 pile rectangles joined by white
Next step for the layout in the block it is join 2 rectangles (4 HST)  one of each as it shown next pic
IMPORTANT all of them the same direction you will join 4 of them in a clockwise pattern to complete the block of this project.

Made all the same direction, is important  to achieve the correct complete Block



Be careful when pressing HST you can make it bigger  :-))

Photos do not honour such nice prints fabric, they are gorgeous ! 


By join 4 Block together appears in the center a new shape : a diamond !! isn't it amazing ?

I hope it will be interesting for you ! I will show you in next post how will be finished .
Have a nice week , and happy sewing you all !

Here finished , charm rustic adorable Magic squares  (giggles)

26/8/15

Progress in the 'Grandma embossed Pinwheels '

Hello all !
A quick reminder what is going on at the 'Grandma embossed Pinwheels ' Tutorial,  quilt mentioned in my last post.
Although I'm doing 2 top quilts at a time , crazy yes ! and working in my customised linen curtains too, I like to change jobs when I'm working in my studio, too much time in the same intricate work it is a bit tired so, changing is stimulating for my (giggles)

My blog has been neglected for some reason I have explained last posting, now my family are on holidays  that gives it to me an extra time :-))

Some pictures of my recent advance  about bordering the Grandma quilt .
It will be ready for 'motion quilt' but thinking on NO covering what is the most important in that one : embossed pinwheels, I'm proud enough how it turned out ...
Let's say it is my own design, I respect so much my quilter's fellow from whom I'm learning , but I like to give a personal touch :-))
Here we are :

 
It will be a Queen size





I have to provider these fabrics from Etsy USA supplier, I found a good deal of 2 Yards of that nice print reds fabric, same range I used in the patchwork .I have ambitious plans on quilting that big size quilt ...
Hope will be interesting , let's see if the final job (Free motion quilt) it worth it !!

8/8/15

Grandma (embossed) Pinwheels Tutorial

It has been a long way since the last post in my blog. Lot of time without been in touch with my personal quilt, craft and hobby, one at a time ! Well, I mean , I was working, of course, but not posting and writing as much as I would .

First of all, after moving home, I stared an edible garden which makes me feel more than happy, as a vegetarian I like to take from my garden my dairy food : lettuce, rocket, mustard leaves , magetout , spinach
We have planted an apple and cherry tree, quercus, lot of flowers, climbing and rockery plants too. Our small garden it seems now much more green that was before..that's important to me.

But the  most important in our lives it has been the birth of Gina, Gina is a wonderful girl, nice and quiet (quite big now, after 2 months it seems to me LOL ) I went up and down, following her day by day, it seems so fragile when a baby is born !! Now she is on holidays , visiting the rest of the family :-))
I'm now coming back to my blog, I want to show you what is going on in my studio.
Work has been crazy lately, doing curtains and more curtains and I'm  feeling like I'm away on any update from my Etsy Irl Team, others teams at Etsy web, Blog readers, quilting ... etc etc . Even thought, we cannot be everywhere at once, can we ??

I will show you the process of the quilt I'm doing now. Quilting is the best way to keep creativity going.
I want to share my own design , probably is out there made by other quilter, but I wanted to made a 3D Half SquareTriangle (from now on HST ) in a Pinwheel pattern . I love Pinwheel, as shown in most of my Quilts, I made before a 3D Log cabin , I really enjoyed see here , in the Quilter nomenclature called as 'Prairie points ' .
Then instead to do a normal 'picket fence ' block, with 3 bars jelly roll which join them comes up a Pinwheel or Diamond in the centre , what I did was fold the square in a half and sew the entire fabric in HST shape
I have to face the bulk's fabric issue..but I think it worth it to try something different.
See here my trials and results , first I decided the block , after the 3D HST


This is the usual HST (picket fence ) in a 3 bars jelly roll to get a Diamond in the middle



join 4 blocks comes up a Diamond, as said  or  what I did was this one:



 the layout is a Pinwheel  after join 4 blocks the same:


But I wanted even more... make them on 3D , embossed HST and highlight pinwheels over all



Here mine, I used 'Le bouquet Francais ' fabric from Moda French General.



My trick to go faster: first of all
to sew all Jelly roll 3 strips, total width achieve is 6.5" then you will cut squares section of 6.5"

Once I have done, I sewed up triangles in its place.


Yes, of course, I have to undo
a bit for that, but it worth it !



Only for the seam allowance follow the line ! 




I used the plain colours of Jelly roll to make HST gathering Pinwheels




and some small red print also !


To put an example what I mean 3D, take a look to the scissors   ..got it?

Here, how I'm doing now the border using embossed HST too , the block is 4 x 2.5" sq with same 2.5" plain HST in the middle, will be join both sides of the quilt ..it seems Flying geese but also in 3D , take a look:








a row on both sides of the Quilt, sashed in red as following:






I will be post further how will be finished , I still have to decided it , at the moment measures are
50 " width by 60 " length , I want to add some more large

Hope will be interesting for you reader , if you have any question please feel free to leave a comment , delighted to know about you  :-))
Happy week !

19/5/15

Stories from Africa : Quilting Hippo and Lion

Hi all. Here something I promise long time ago, promised to share my experiences about my first Applique , I mean my first choice on decided what technique, (it is crazy to learn every chance ) my first choice on going for an African look, only made an approach with small quilt.

My friend Althea, is originally from South-Africa, she ask me for animals cushions with applique, she show me some ideas , but after all I had to do with colours giving life to shapes , How come ? How can you give life to an Hippo with fabrics ?  limited if would be grey, isn't it?
And what about a Lion? How can I do to give him personality and relevance ?

Althea (Larry , her husband)  and myself , we are happy enough with results , never counted time on do it , cause I was excited starting a new challenger and pleasured playing with all those Batik fabrics, my first time too on use them !!
Here , as usuall, no exactly a TUTO but and idea HOW was done :

1- FIRST of all , designing and making an sketch : 'The Lion's head'



2- Building pieces and giving a number to each one , cutting them:


3- Assembling and Piecing with Batick fabrics : sticky fabrics.

I wanted to do it with Bondaweb, actually is a material's glue, it is web's glue mounted on paper (as white tracing paper)
Drawn your design to tracing paper for reversing the piece .. keep in mind you want at the end
a glue piece fabric on a background in the same way was created  but STICKY.
When Ironing facing web onto fabric's back (heat over the paper) allows you to glue web on fabric, neat no stain, you will get stronger fabric in order to cut all that smalls intricate shapes .

Next I did was peeling paper , you will have sticky fabrics (at the back) to place fabric in your background, first step is done ! In my case was coulored head lion on  white background.

Now you will get temporary fix it on place for sewing a blanket stitch , zig-zag or whatever choice to finish design , ......hope will be understandable  :-)

Keep in mind that being Batik fabric, back and face are the same , for beginners is quite helpful .

Here a image about reversing, could be easier to understand (good images helps more than explanations :-))


drawn reverse scraps , 'mirror effect'

Here I show you drawn pieces number 6 & 7 transported to mirror effect onto Bondadweb

  Right ? Easy ! How to do it ?  cheaper in a glass window :-))

4- Time to put in order : from A to B 




To get from A to B , you will need to make prior step : reverse your pieces drawn onto Bondaweb's paper and when cutting,  ironing onto fabric .

And...Voila ! the result is quite happy in my first experience ...I do my best




 Quilting the background with FMQ, no the Lion's head which has been done :blanket stitch

Same was with ' My blue Hippo'  (giggles)








I made same technique an Hippo..very funny , isn't it? I like how it looks stylized drawn:
my Blue Hippo

And meanwhile they were done, I finished those ones...
Althea wanted 2 more 'Friends from Africa', happy to make them !  Take a look




Each black is an strip  ... amazing !



I find the Elephant it looks like a puppy Elephnat ..isn't it ?

Hope you comment and tell me what do you think about explanations and result as you know in the internet is full of Applique tutorials but... I wanted to share with you all the amazing adventure of beginners ..

Happy sewing week my friends !

'See' you soon in that 'Ship's logbook ' .............LOL