Turned Edge Machine Applique'

I was asked about the baskets shown in an earlier post.  They are part of Ruffled Roses, the 2011 BOM for www.thequiltshow.com     Here is a photo of the pattern, available at Sue Garman's Website

Ruffled Roses, designed by Sue Garman



Begun in January 2011, I'm finally getting back to it and hope to have the top finished this fall.  The applique' is being done with C&T Wash-Away Applique' sheets, a technique I'm doing a demo of at our guild meeting.  In are earlier post, HERE, I showed the steps for preparing the applique' shapes--turning the edges over the wash-away applique' sheets, using glue stick, then using a very narrow zig-zag stitch to sew the pieces to the background.  Here are more pieces ready for the demo:



EDIT:  At the demo I was asked to describe the glue tips I use to attach the pieces to the background holding them in place for sewing.  Here they are:

They are FolkArt brand Enamels Tip-Pen Craft Tip Set.  I got mine from Purple Daisies LLC at a quilt show.  You can probably find them at a craft or hobby shop.  There are 3 different size tips that allow for the tiniest drop of glue.  I place tiny drops of glue on the background, place the piece on the glue and then heat set with a dry iron.  The washable school glue dries very quickly and the piece is right where I want it for sewing--no pins to get in the way. 

These pieces are for the corner blocks on the basket borders:

I like this method for the speed in printing the pattern pieces and the speed in sewing.  The preparation time is more than I would have for hand needle-turn applique' but sewing by hand would take me a LOT more time.  The wash-away sheet will dissolve when the completed quilt is washed.  It acts as a stabilizer and there is no need to put a stabilizer under the background while sewing.  I'm also using a neutral putty-colored thread for all the pieces, no changing threads--of course, you could if you wanted the stitches to be close to invisible.  Here is my center: 

Our guild program is a round robin of 6 different applique' techniques, being demo-ed by 6 guild members.  I'm in charge of getting it organized--the only downside to that is, I don't get to see the other 5 demos!  Oh, well, it's still fun and will be an educational experience for our guild members.

I was also asked about the two quilts  I have in the Traditional Treasures Special Exhibit, opening tonight at International Quilt Festival in Chicago.  Those were shown in a previous post here:  Traditional Treasures 2013.  The quilts will then travel to Houston for the 2013 International Quilt Festival Fall show there so I will get to see them hanging in the special exhibits.  Very happy.

Grandmother's Choice is only 7 blocks away from being done--here is the sixth row: 

This block of the week, designed by Barbara Brackman, has very interesting historical information about the work of the suffragists who struggled to earn the right to vote for women, both here and in the UK.  

That's it for today--time to quilt!

Barbara

Summer Projects--Charge!

It's that time of year when I get going on all the projects I want/need to finish.  With our guild bi-annual show in October 2013 I have several things to work on.

None of these will make it in this year's show but I'm trying to get them further along.  Here's the design wall:

A small part of Ruffled Roses, BOM 2011 The Quilt Show

Antique Rose Star--mostly hand pieced--quite a few more to go.
 

Grandmother's Choice, row 6, I'm keeping up--only 9 more blocks to go

I'm teaching a few classes this summer and working on Fall class schedules and samples.  There's garden work to do--red raspberries are coming in now and a good crop of blackberries will start ripening in the next few weeks.  I've got 4 tomato plants--perhaps we'll plant more vegetables next year--there's room for it.  Mostly, it's keeping the yard mowed and weeding, weeding, weeding.  And moving things that have gotten too crowded.

 

I still have to put the binding on the red and white quilt and figure out the rest of my show entries.  I'm also hand quilting an old-timey looking nine-patch, using Big Stitch with perle cotton--fun and fast! 

 

The great news I received recently is the Special Exhibit, Traditional Treasures 2013, that will debut at International Quilt Festival in Chicago this month, will move to Houston--SO, I will get to see my two quilts hanging at Fall Festival there in October.  I'm very happy about that. 

 

That's it for now--let's quilt!

 

Barbara