Lady Slippers and Laughing Places...

 

Hi Everyone!
                         Well, I know a Pink Lady Slipper actually speaks of summertime, but I thought I'd post a bit of my own artwork.  I grew up in very rural Northeastern Pennsylvania.  My grandparents raised me in a big, double-block farm house on a dirt road, about a mile from our little village of Noxen.  The mountains rose all around and across from the creek that ran to the front of our house. 
           As a child, I didn't have many playmates.  The woods all around me was my playground, and I knew every tree and stone wall of it.  At a bend in the road just down from the house, there was an old logging path that ran from the road to the top of the mountain where they logged off quite a bit a long time ago.  My grandma and I loved to hike that road, and if the wash was done and the bread was baked, and the chickens were fed, we'd slip off, up that old path, looking for mushrooms, acorns, pretty stones or anything else that was new and different about the woods that day. 
         We had a special place we'd go that was a turn off the path and up a rise.  We called it the Laughing Place after the tales of Uncle Remus.  Perched at the top of the rise was a big pine.  It was so big that it's branches shaded the ground around it and no grass grew there.  But at a magical time during the warm summer, up through the thick thatch of fallen pine needles, there grew bunches and bunches of Pink Lady Slipper.  We'd climb up to that big old pine in the summer and Gramma would sit down, close her eyes, brush back her graying hair and begin fanning herself with the edge of her apron.  But I was young and active and ALWAYS enchanted with the bright pink lady slipper flowers and their rich green leaves poking up through the dark brown pine needles like God had landscaped a garden under that tree.  When Gramma was cooled off from the walk, she'd stand up and announce it was time to "get on home," and I'd always have a nice big fistful of those Pink Lady slipper orchids from The Laughing Place to put on our kitchen table.

             Ahhhh.....reminiscing!

             Well....there's quilty things to talk about........!

              How about a bit more of the tutorial?




              

Your Sandwich…No…not the BLT!

                  Before anchoring your quilt sandwich, you must make it!  Depending on how large it is, this could require anything from a small card table to your entire living room floor!  Use any surface where the top, batting and backing will fit flat.  Lay your backing fabric down, wrong side up.  Lay your backing on top of that, and then add your top, centered over the backing and batting.  Here’s what’s important to remember:  Your backing fabric should be roughly 6 inches wider and longer than your top, and your batting should be roughly 4 inches wider and longer than your top.  When you quilt, the fabric layers will “shrink” with the quilt work. 

 

                In this picture, you can see the quilter taped her backing fabric to the work surface so it's taught.  Many people tape all around, which is a better idea.  You want the backing to be taught with no wrinkles.  Then she added her batting, then her top.

          Another method is one that I use all the time now.  This method eliminates crawling around on the floor!  It requires 2 or 3 narrow boards, 4-6 feet long and 1 x 2 inches in diameter.  I purchased boards already finished white.  Mark the center of the boards with a magic marker.  Just a good sized dot will do.

 

           Now lay your backing down on the table, wrong side up with either the top or bottom at the edge of the table.  Center your board evenly with the edge of the backing, having the board dot at the middle of the backing edge and let a few Inches hang beyond the board all along the edge. (This is what the dot is for---so you can center the board on the fabric.) Now bring those inches up around the board and scotch tape roughly every 6 inches all along the board. The scotch tape anchors the edge so it's easier to roll, at the beginning.  Begin rolling the fabric up on the board and smoothing the fabric to the left and right.  Try to keep the fabric as even as possible to the right and left.

 

          Once you have all your rolls made, lay the backing roll on the edge of the table and unroll it a time or two.  Position the batting next to it, and then the top.  The whole idea is to unroll the three layers a bit at a time, being able to smooth the three evenly all the way across and “feed” the sandwich to yourself a little at a time.  Pin a section all the way across, pull it toward you, pin a bit more, etc.  (If you are using spray instead of pins, lay the fabric back, spray, smooth it down, pull it toward you and repeat.)  This may seem complicated at first, but once you have done it a time or two you will realize it’s the fastest, most efficient way!  Here’s some shots of the layout for this board method.  The following pictures are from a website called ColorMeQuilty.  These are the best pictures to demonstrate how this is done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here's a couple shots of mine with my "supervisor."

 

           There’s one last way you can make your quilt sandwich.  If you use this method, there’s no need to pin.  You can use a spray adhesive.  Many people prefer a product called “505 Spray,” but I have used June Tailor’s product and been very pleased with it.  If you go to ColorMeQuilty's website, she's posted great instructions about using spray basting combined with the board method above.

Your Sandwich….No…Not the Ham on Rye!

      There’s several ways to permanently anchor the three layers of your quilt together. But the first thing you want to do is temporarily anchor the layers so they don’t skew while you’re working with the permanent quilting. There are several ways to do to this.  The most common way is to

 

PIN.

 

        There are special, curved pins for this.

          They are curved to make it easier to push the tip down from the top, through the batting, pick up a bit of the backing, and bring the tip back to the top before latching.  There’s no rule for how far apart you should pin, but every 4-6 inches is a good start.  Pin as closely as you feel comfortable with, keeping in mind that you will have to remove the pins as you quilt along.

           Pin all the way out to the edge....

They make a special tool for this process put out by Kwik Klip.  This tool lifts the pin tip so it can be clipped and unclipped easily.  But I will climb up on a very teeny soapbox, again, about this sort of thing.  Even though this is a fine product, it's one of those things that I feel can be replaced with another household tool---needle-nose pliers.  I have RA in my hands and Carpal Tunnel problems, so the pliers are actually much easier than gripping the small pin.  AND, if you puch your pin all the way through and come back up and can't get a tight enough grip on the tip, the pliers come in very handy!  TIP:  When you begin the tying/quilting process and you remove your pins, store them open.  Easier access next time! 

 

 

Spray.

  Many people LOVE spray baste and use it for all their quilts!  It does save time, as there’s no need to pin, and I love it.  However a word of caution…Shake the can often, hold the can about a foot away (no closer), and always spray the batting, not the fabrics.  Protect your surrounding work surfaces, as the over-spray is noticeable.  Try to use a “sweeping” motion so the spray is not concentrated too much in one spot.  Truly a time-saver, but a bit tricky as well!

 

         Okay....so you've made your blocks, joined them into a top, made your sandwich and temporarily anchored it with either pins, thread, or spray baste.  You're ready to quilt!  YAY.....!  Let's approach that tomorrow!

***********************************************************************************************

 

.

 

                                                                                      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 
 

The Bluebird of Happiness

Hi Everyone!

        Isn't that little bluebird cute?  You can find the pattern at http://www.paperpanache.com/ecart/Pblubird.htm.   This little spring songbird is done in a technique called paper foundation piecing, and I will soon be adding a tutorial on this method.     

         Yesterday I posted the beginning of my own tutorial on basic quilting procedures, and I will be continuing that today, but first I'd like to talk about fabric. 

          Lately, there's been a lot of talk about fabric on some quilting Facebook Pages, so I figured it would be nice to kick over some thoughts about fabric---prices, quality, etc.

          I've heard the term "fabric snob" and I don't think fabric snobs exist.  Supposedly, a fabric snob is a quilter that only buys name brand fabric at only exclusive quilt shops and pays high prices for the privilege of doing so.  I don't think those individuals exist because  I've NEVER heard of a quilter wasting her money unless it's on junky fabric she bought at a discount...and that individual couldn't be classified as a fabric snob!  The fact is, those that buy quality fabric WILL, most probably, pay a higher price than if they were to buy stiff-as-a-board, heavily starched fabric with no I.D. on the selvage edge and a less-than-acceptable print.  And many times, those better quality fabrics are sold at high-end stores.  It's the way things work.

         But you know, there's exceptions to every rule, and the purchase of fabric has it's exceptions.  The best thing to do at this point is to go over the differences between "quality" fabric and "junky" , or "cheap"  er... economical fabric.

         Most of us have heard the names of the manufacturers of "high end" fabric....Moda, Kaufman, V.I.P., Concord, etc.  But what sets these manufacturer's fabric above others?  What features would a "quality fabric" have?

    First off, I have never been a big follower of the "latest" fashion fabrics.  If I like a fabric, I don't care if it's the hottest fabric out there, or it's a print from 1971.  If it just fits my purpose, it's just what I want and I buy it.  And I would not include the fabric's trendiness with a judgement of it's quality!  That being said, a great place to purchase trendy fabric prints is Moda. 

And their prints are lovely for baby and children's quilts too.  (and I wasn't paid to say that!)

 

 

So let's move on to what constitutes a quality fabric. 

            First off, higher quality fabric has a higher thread count.  Thread count is how many threads there are in one inch of your fabric.   A good thread count is 60 by 60 threads (maybe a bit higher)...so that means if you measure an inch of your high end fabric and analyze it, you should have around 60 threads running "north and south," (also called the warp threads) and 60 running "east and west" (also called the weft threads.)  So this means that your weft threads will run side to side, from one selvage edge of your yardage to the other and your warp threads will run the length of your yardage.

 

         Also, when you have a higher thread count, the print on the fabric may be more complex, will contain more colors, and is clear and crisp.  You will also have less "bearding."  Bearding is when the fabric has an excess of fibers that stick out and cause a fuzziness much like the hairs on your arm.  Good quality  fabric is smooth, and has a sort of "buttery" feel to it, with a soft drape and a sort of "heaviness" without being thick.

 

    In most circumstances, the old adage goes:  You get what you pay for.  But, as I said before, there ARE exceptions.  One might take all the above descriptions, point at a low grade "polished cotton," and deem it to be a good quilt-quality fabric.  That may not necessarily be true in every case.  That good old vintage fabric....polished cotton.... .......gets it's sheen from heat and rollers, which adds it's unique finish.  But the quality of the base fabric may or may not be very good.   

                 There is one exception I would make when obtaining fabric for the backs of my quilts.  Regular bedsheets make Great backings!  But for this, stick with the low thread count (200 or so), inexpensive sheets.  If you get too HIGH of a thread count (as some quality sheets are) you run into problems when you begin your quilting process.

 

          Now, with all I have said, touting the benefits of high-end, perhaps more expensive fabric, let me add this.  Pablo Picasso once said, "Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist."  This is sort of true when you buy fabric, in my opinion. A few months ago, I was at my favorite fabric store and saw some "no brand" fabrics---a whole collection of them---and they smacked of civil war prints.  Olivey greens, smokey blues, browns, some turkey reds, a few purples...etc.  The FEEL of these fabrics was no where near "buttery," or "heavy," or soft.  And they were stiff as boards.  But I loved the prints, and at $3.00/yd...wellll.....the price was captivating.  But I was cautious and bought only a half yard of a few of the worst.  I brought them home, put them through their paces and was pleasantly surprised.  Hot wash with Tide, hot dryer....they shrunk, yes, a bit.  But the sizing (stiffener) washed right out and they ironed up beautifully.  So I went back and bought a bunch more and I'm going to use them for quilts that are more utilitarian than showpiece.  And that's okay. 

 

 If you are a novice at recognizing quality fabric, stick with the name brands and the higher prices.  Soon, you will be able to feel a fabric and KNOW it's of a good quality.  You will be able to tell the thread count at a glance, realize the fabric's lovely "hand," (how nice it feels to you), and learn that it's okay to "break the rule"-----it's okay to go ahead and buy THIS yardage, even though it's not a big name brand. (AND you might be buying at Walmart!)  Thus, you will never have the fear of becoming a "fabric snob!"

 

           Now on to a bit more of the quilting tutorial.........

 

          One of the first things I would like to point out about quilting is that many people are under the erroneous impression that quilting requires a large variety of expensive tools for making all sorts of fabric cuts and an expensive sewing machine.  Both of these assumptions are incorrect!

           That being said, please keep this in mind:  If you want to be happy and satisfied with sewing, you don’t want a sewing machine that will snap threads and “eat” your fabric , giving you problems every time you sit down to sew.  You will soon decide sewing isn’t for you, when, in fact, it’s not SEWING that’s not for you but that awful machine!  Therefore, your sewing machine is NOT one of the tools that you’ll want skimp on!

      One can successfully sew with inexpensive thread and fabric.  The finished objects won’t be high quality, but you will at least be able to complete a project.  However, if you are using a cheap, badly working sewing machine, you won’t get very far!

       The same is true of your quilting tools.  There are many that are not needed, and there a few that can be bough cheaply.  But there are are even fewer that you should NOT skimp on. 

        These are the basic tools needed to get started in quilting.  Use coupons and sales to buy them.  Facebook has several groups devoted exclusively to selling fabric, tools, etc. for quilting.  If you gather other quilty friends together, you could share tools. 

       Two of the first things you need is a good cutting mat and a rotary cutter.  Don’t  waste your money on the cheapest of these items you can find; you will be unhappy after a while and wind up spending more money on better equipment.

 

     This picture shows an OLFA Self-healing  cutting mat and two rotary cutters---a medium one and a small one. You don’t need the largest size cutting mat.  Choose one that best fits the space you have to cut out fabric.

 

   

Rotary cutters also come in a larger size than the 

 one pictured, but of the three sizes, the medium is the one you will probably use the most so make that size your first purchase.  The largest rotary cutter is helpful when you cut a larger than average stack of fabric layers.  The smallest is helpful for cutting small fabric units and/or around curves.  You can purchase both of these later, but they're not necessary for starting out.

 

 

Some other  tools you should have on hand to begin with:

 

Two pair of scissors---one with long blades and one with short.  Here is where you can save money.  A good pair of Gingher brand scissors....

can cost between $20 and $30.  It’s lovely to have  high quality scissors to use.  They feel heavy and graceful in your hand, and will last a long time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                But if you want to save money to start out and still purchase  good quality scissors, Fiskar is an economical way to go.  Get an long handled pair and a short handled pair.

...And then.....use a magic marker and write this on the handles:  Do not touch!  Otherwise, your sewing scissors will be fair game for opening potato chip bags and hot dog packages!

Just look for the orange handles!  These nice scissors run anywhere between $5.00 and $15.00, depending on the size and where you buy them.

 

           

You will also want a small amount of two kinds of pins….straight pins…….

 ......and curved safety pins.

The straight pins will be used in the assembly of your blocks, so should be among your first tool purchases. Your curved safety pins will be used after the assembly of your top, in the sandwich process, so you can postpone the purchase of these until later.

 

 

Quilter’s Acrylic Rulers

       There are probably as many different quilter’s acrylic rulers on the market as there are individuals in a good size quilter’s guild!  All shapes, sizes, lengths….with all sorts of helpful markings on them.  Don’t be dazzled and dazed by these! 

       Have you ever glanced at a collection of beautiful quilts made during the times between 1500 and 1800?  Some of the most beautiful quilts ever created were  made during these ancient times…..Mariner Compass Quilts.....

Texas Star Quilts.....

Feathered Star Quilts and so many more!

None of these ancestral quilters had acrylic rulers.  Acrylic itself hadn’t even been dreamed up!  There were no self-healing mats and no rotary cutters.  What did they  use? 

           They cut templates from cardboard or wood and cut out their fabric units individually---by hand---with scissors.  They marked their quilting lines with shards of soap and the seams and quilting stitches went in with a needle and thread they held in their hands.

            My point?  Why does the quilting world insist that we need 50 different rulers and a multitude of cutting tools?  Granted, acrylic rulers, cutting mats and rotary fabric cutters are quite handy and I’d be lost without mine.  I certainly wouldn’t want to go back to quilting the way my ancestors did, and they’d certainly love to work with my modern tools.  But the dazzling array of tools available to modern quilters is overwhelming and intimidating and I’ve seen it lead to potential quilters staring with that deer- in-the-headlights look at a display of all the latest and greatest rulers and walking swiftly away from quilting!  This is unnecessary nonsense!  Keep these thoughts in mind when considering ANY quilting tools people say you “must” have!

     Thank you, Susan Branch, for supplying the best image I could find to step down off my soapbox, but I’m passionate about quilting and some things just need to be said….

     On to quilter’s acrylic rulers……..

 

            When I started out, I had one ruler.  It was a 12.5” square.  That’s all. 

 

      At the time, it was perfect for me.  I was making traditional, block-built quilts from 12.5” blocks, and it worked just fine for cutting my initial unit fabric pieces and squaring up my blocks before assembly. 

      After a while, I discovered it would be easier to square up the units I made the block with if I had a smaller size square acrylic ruler.  So I bought a 4.5” square.  Then I began making blocks of various sizes----9.5,” and 6.5.”  So I bought both of those size squares.  And I also bought an 8.5” x 24” ruler.  But that’s all I’ve ever had and I’ve been quilting for years. But the thing to keep in mind is that I also BOUGHT these other rulers over the years.  So I would suggest as your first ruler purchases, a 12.5” and if you can afford it, a 4.5.”

 

 

 

 

          

           

 

 

 

So to recap, to start quilting, you really don't need a 12.5," a 9.5," an 8.5," a 6.5," a 4.5," a 3.5," and a 2.5,"  although you will find all of these at the store from which you buy your materials.  Just a 12.5" will do, and perhaps a 4.5" would make squaring up your units a little easier.

A Word About Rotaries and Rulers and Mats….Oh my!

  There’s lots of acrylic rulers on the market, but I only get Omnigrid rulers because I like their lines!  Look closely at this Omnigrid ruler….

(Yup…it’s a picture of my own scratched up (i.e. well-loved) quilter’s ruler taken on my counter.) 

         Can you see the yellow outline surrounding all the black lines?  THAT’S what I love about this ruler.  When you cut your fabric for your units, you will like those yellow outlines too….I’ll explain later.

 

 

In regard to your rotary cutter…

• Respect the retractible blade thingy.  You won’t regret it. 

• You will eventually have to replace the blades.  Use a coupon, sale, or whatever you need to do because they aren’t cheap, but keep the blade sharp.  You won’t regret it.

• Keep your fingers AWAY from the edge of your ruler when you cut. You won’t regret it.

 

• Your studio is no place for young children---especially at your cut table. Send them back to their Legos…you won’t regret it.

 

• Don’t cut over pins, staples, etc.  If you do, you WILL regret it!

 

In regard to your self-healing mat….

• Take care of your mat!

•  Don’t iron on it!

• Don’t expose it any to heat!

•  Don’t fold it---even a little bit---store it flat! 

There are websites online explaining how best to care for the surface of your mat.  Study up on these and practice their advice to extend the life of your oh-so-not-cheap cutting mat.

Choosing What to Make as Your First Project

  Maybe you’ve been in the company of someone who has viewed a quilt (or some other handiwork piece) and exclaimed, “Oh!  I want to make that!” 

      They had neither the skills nor the tools to do it, but they signed up (a.k.a. p

aid for) for the class and bought perhaps HUNDREDS of dollars in materials and tools and by the time they finished their project they had decided THAT medium wasn’t for them. 

       That’s because they learned ALL their quilting skills within the range of a certain amount of classes and they burnt out on the art of it. And to make matters worse, they might have worked very hard to just get through finishing their project and they wind up disliking the finished work!  Ummmm…don’t do that.

        Granted, you may have to invest a BIT for tools and such in order to delve into quilting, but many people decide to make their first project a king size quilt for their bed.  Don’t do that either! This is why………….

        Quilts are, for the most part, “built” block by block.  Some blocks are easy, some are more complicated. But once you learn how to successfully assemble even the simplest block, you can “build” anything…a quilt any size, place mats, hot mitts, tea cozies, table runners, etc.  Therefore, learn the skills you need to assemble a couple types of blocks FIRST, and THEN choose a SMALL project such as a set of place mats or a table runner.  Make a few small projects before moving on to even a lap quilt.  Small projects can give you the opportunity to practice every skill needed in quilting before moving on to the purchase of yards and yards and YARDS of fabric needed for a full size quilt!

 

 

 

 

Preparing to Enter the World of Quilting

             Anyone can quilt.  Anyone.  Anywhere.  But you will want to take a few things into consideration when determining the magnitude of your quilting projects.  The size of your projects is unlimited with a nice big, sturdy table.  You can press on the table, cut out all the units for your top, put your sewing machine up, sew the units, assemble the top, sandwich your layers and effectively machine quilt---all on a good size, sturdy table.

           But if you are more limited on space, you may want to consider smaller projects such as wall hangings, lap quilts, runners, etc.

          

           If, on the other hand, you have the means to set up a small studio/area for yourself, here’s a good configuration for it:

          

 

 

 

 

A few notes on this…..These tables can be simple fold-out tables---the kind you can get for about $40 at Walmart.  If you don’t want floor lamps, you could attach a lamp to the sewing table---whatever makes your sewing area well lighted.  A power strip comes in handy for this setup.

             The swivel chair simply makes it more efficient to turn to the left and right for easy access to the three functions you will need in the basic quilting processes:  cutting, sewing and pressing. 

              If there’s additional room, you could set up additional open surfaces to cut larger sections of fabric. Many times, I use the kitchen table to cut and then move it all to my studio for the sewing/assembly process.  I’ve made king size quilts completely on my kitchen table!  If you don’t have this much room (and many people don’t), remember….you can use simply one good, sturdy table.  You will just have to move things a bit more and streamline your process a bit more.  But it’s all doable.  I’m sure our ancestors didn’t have “studios” devoted exclusively to quilting!!  J

 

 

Preparing to Enter the World of Quilting  II

          I taught sewing at a leading fabric store for awhile, and the classes ranged from beginner to advanced.  That’s a good thing.  But when an individual signed up for a “beginner” class it wasn’t clear how MUCH of a beginner that individual should be!  Therefore, I had people in my beginner class who were so advanced they could have done the simple PJ bottoms almost with their eyes closed, (I think they simply wanted sewing company! J) and those who had only glanced at a sewing machine, and that was at a distance.  They’d never even sat down to one, had no idea how to thread the machine, and were generally afraid of the sewing process---especially the needle part!

                  When I began to teach sewing privately, I added a pre-beginner class for the aforementioned group.  It was a class all about the sewing machine---either the one they borrowed from me, or their own.  Of course, I only insisted on the pre-beginner class if they needed it, but if they did, they spent that first class learning ABOUT the machine.  Learning about it’s various parts and their function, learning how to thread it, how to adjust it, and how to care for it.  Then they put fabric under the needle and practiced sewing a straight line.  And the biggest lesson they learned was not to FEAR their machine. 

                  This had a twofold benefit.  When they finally sat down to their sewing project they had a better chance of success without frustration, and I  had a better chance of knowing they would succeed without frustration.  Combine these two and you may encourage an individual that will stick with sewing, increase their skills with each project and eventually form a very worthwhile hobby or business.

                  My long-winded point?  If you want to pursue quilting as a hobby, do this first:  Obtain the machine you will be sewing on---whether it’s bought or borrowed.  Sit down with it.  Use whatever you have---a person familiar with the machine OR the machine guidebook.  Become familiar with the machine.  Learn to thread it and adjust it and learn to sew an accurate seam.  Above all, learn to respect the machine, but not to FEAR it!  If you do this, once you sit down to assemble your first quilt top you will be SO much happier with the beautiful, accurate results.

                  Now for a quick comment (or two) about this whole quilting process.  Much has been discussed about “accuracy” in quilting.  It’s true…there’s nothing prettier than when two intersections on a block come together perfectly.  But there’s way too much focus on accuracy, and not enough focus on FUN!  Quilting, like any other skill, can’t help but improve over time if there’s an effort put forth.  When you start down the path of this hobby, remember to forgive yourself for errors---you’re smart---you won’t make the same mistakes twice.  And maybe you will.  But the most important thing is to remember to have FUN first.  Everything else will fall into place in time.

           That being said, I’m sure you will agree that accuracy is a fine goal to always shoot for.  In this vein remember one thing:  Accuracy begins with the first step:  cutting.  If you cut your measurements as accurately as possible, and then SEW them as accurately as possible, you will ACHIEVE accuracy and your blocks will go together with little struggle and frustration.  Many people focus mainly on the sewing part, and that’s important.  After all, what good is a nice accurate cut if the seam is too wide or too narrow?  Each step of the process REQUIRES accuracy, beginning with the cutting. 

           Your first project might not be as perfect as you’d like.  Start small…learn with each mistake, and soon you will be entering your work in a quilt show!

                                

                                        MORE TOMORROW!

***********************************************************************************************