2/19/2018

Craft South Quilt Shop Visit

I visited Anna Maria Horner's quilt shop, Craft South, recently while visiting my sister in Nashville. 

The shop is located in the 12 South neighborhood with stylish shops, eateries, and more. 
That Saturday morning we found a parking place a few blocks away. 
We walked in and behind the cutting counter, I saw these beautiful bolts of fabrics! 
Those on the table are Anna Maria's new designs. 
The classsroom is large and bright. 
Classes are offered for clothing construction, knitting, crocheting, weaving, quilting, and for kids!
Here is a view from one end of the shop to the other. 
I am standing in the yarn end and the other end holds the classroom, with fabrics in the middle. 
Wish I did more with yarn, it is lovely.
There were many craft ideas. 

I was happy to have visited Craft South. Just a few weeks after that 
Coats & Clark, the sister company, shut down production of 
Free Spirit and Westminster brands of fabrics.
Anna Maria Horner is one of the designers for Free Spirit Fabrics. 
I am sure that the designers affected will be working with other fabric companies very soon. 


I will treasure the fabrics I did buy that day, since they were definitely "limited editions."
Now to plan a special project with these lovely fabrics pictured here. 






2/14/2018

Valentine's Day Rewind

Happy Valentine's Day!



I thought I would take a trip down memory lane on my blog, focusing on those that show hearts.

I hope you might find an idea for a new quilt project.

This first project is one I blogged about and the link to the post is HERE.

Below are some other projects I have designed and sewn. You can read the blog about these HERE.









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2/09/2018

Machine Binding a Quilt

I have a photo-filled post showing how I bind quilts completely by machine.
I began using this method years ago when hand-stitching the binding caused my fingers to go numb because of carpal tunnel syndrome. The more I used this technique, the better I got.

I am showing how I put the binding on the Valentine mug rug from yesterday's post.

I had to join 2 strips of fabric for my binding (as we do when binding a large quilt). I use 2.5 inch wide strips for binding.

To join the strips:
Cross the ends of 2 strips at 90 degree angles.  Extending the ends allows me to see the start and end of the stitching line (blue line). Sew a 45 degree seam to join the strips. Trim the excess, leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance (green line).

Fold the binding in half lengthwise and press, creating a long strip of binding.
Use a walking foot for the rest of this technique.
On the BACK of the mug rug, line up the raw edge of the binding with the raw edge of the mug rug (or quilt, etc).
Pin the spot to start stitching (about 5 to 6 inches from the end of the binding strip). Use a ¼ inch seam allowance, sew toward the corner. STOP ¼ inch from the bottom edge, near the corner, with the needle down.
Turn the corner so it is pointing toward your body. Sew at a 45 degree angle to the corner of the mug rug and off the corner. Cut the thread. 
Fold the binding away from you, making a 45 degree angle into the corner. Notice how the edge of the binding flows away from the edge of the quilt? 
Keep the 45 degree fold in place (pin if needed), bring the binding strip down so it covers the folded 45 degree angle. The edge of the binding will align from the corner, along the edge of the mug rug.
The fold of the binding, on the edge just sewn. The fold should not extend past the edge of the mug rug. (There is actually a small red arrow above my thumb pointing to that edge!)
Begin sewing at the fold using a ¼ inch seam.
Before the next corner, stop ¼ inch away and continue in the same manner as the last corner.
Sew all 4 corners in this way. Stop about 6 inches from where you first began stitching the binding on the first edge.
Remove from under needle.
Make sure the two binding ends overlap or lay across each other by 2 or 3 inches.
Square the end of the first binding tail about 4 inches from the beginning stitches, but make sure it still overlaps the other end of the binding.
Lay the other end of the binding over the end just squared. Make sure there is 2.5 inches or more beyond the squared end. With a pin, mark where the squared end lines up (green circle).
From the pin, measure 2.5 inches and trim off the extra from the top tail. I like to use the Creative Grids 6 by 2.5 inch ruler for this. 


Open the two binding ends. The top one is right side down. The lower one is right side up. Turn the end of the top one a quarter turn to the right. The binding is not aligned end to end, but  in the same manner used to join strips to make a long length of binding (first step).
I pin the 4 corners. A 45 degree diagonal stitching line can be drawn; but with practice the seam can be eye-balled.


Sew on the diagonal line, remove pins as you go.
Make sure the binding fits the edge of the quilt it will be stitched to.
Cut off the excess leaving a ¼ inch seam allowance.  Press seam to one side.
Sew to attach to mug rug.
With front of mug rug down, press binding on back toward seam allowance. 
Turn over to see the right side.
Wrap binding around edge to front, covering the stitches that attached the binding. Pin binding if needed.
Align needle and walking foot, so the top-stitching line is about 1/8 inch in from the folded edge of the binding.
2 inches from corner, stop with needle down. Fold up the binding closest to you covering the stitches. Fold the corner section you are sewing at a 45 degree angle. Pin if needed. 
The edge being sewn will lay on top of this next edge and create a mitered corner.
Continue around the entire mug rug. Sew a few final stitches over the first stitches and backstitch to lock in place.The back looks like it has been quilted with an edge line.
Thank you for taking time to read about my technique. Perhaps you will find a time when you can use it in your quilting. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

2/07/2018

Love in Your Quilt Blog Hop

Welcome! 
Today is my day to post! 

"Put A Little Love In Your Quilt Blog Hop" 
sounded like fun and non-stressful to me. 
I emailed Carol, of Just Let Me Quilt and told her I would join in. 
(Thank you, Carol, for a great blog hop!)

 Have you been following along? Have you found an ideas you would like to try?
I have 2 things to show you today. 

First, and quickly, I had a quilt with a scissors cut in it. 
I appliqued a heart over the hole, right through all the layers. 

In a different place on the back, I added another heart carry through with the theme. 
It is a charity quilt and I am sure a toddler will like it.

The project I have to show you is a little (6" x 9") Valentine's Day mug rug.

The "Bee Mine" embroidery pattern from Marian, of Seams To Be Sew,
caught my eye the moment I saw it.
This 4" x 4" embroidery, which was free on the day I visited.
I like the quality of her machine embroidery. 
This machine embroidery design, in 6 sizes, can be purchased on Craftsy
For hand embroidery and/or free motion quilting, a bundle can be purchased. It has all of the 14 continuous line designs, and SVG files, in 9 sizes from 3" to 12".

chose two print fabrics that coordinated with the pink I used for the embroidered section. 
I sent it to my daughter in Seattle as an early Valentine gift.

A friend asked me how I did the binding. 
Tomorrow I will post a tutorial on the binding--done completely by machine.
Please visit tomorrow.
Be sure to visit the other participants in this blog hop
listed here.