The Steps in Making a Quilt

 

There are 16 processes in making my quilts.

Here they are listed :

1. Have an idea

2. Select fabric 

3. Do the math to calculate sizes of fabric pieces

4. Cut fabric 

5. Sew geometric design (by hand or by machine)

6. Make the back

7. Layer using batting 

8. Baste three layers

9. Stitch (or quilt) three layers together (by hand or by machine)

10. Trim edges

11. Sew binding strip

12. Attach binding strip by machine

13. Turn edge and sew to the back by hand

14. Sign quilt using machine

15. Make label

16. Sew label on by hand

So much attention goes into selecting the right fabric.

So much care goes into making my quilts.

I write the number of hours it takes to make a quilt on the gift card.

How much would you pay for an original hand-made quilt?

Tip #6

#6

Make sure the binding is "full" when you roll it from the front to the back. You shouldn't feel any space in there. The quilt and batting should fill up the entire space as you roll the binding strip to the back. 

Hope that makes sense. I was on a jury for a quilt show and that was a criteria!

Early Spring Cleaning

My annual Spring Cleaning quilt class will be held a little early this year. It is in late February.

Sunday, February 28 from 10 am to 4 pm at Artscape Youngplace in Toronto.

This quilt tells a story- a story of my travels.
Besides the techniques of cutting and sewing
 I also teach HOW to start this quilt
from a design point of view. How to make it personal to you.

By 'spring cleaning' I mean clean out that fabric box...shelf...room!

Students make the quilt top using mostly fabric from their stash. That is a good thing to do now that our Canadian dollar is so low!!

For the beginner quilter, there is the option of purchasing a few fat quarters. And that also goes for those 'sensible' quilters who have not accumulated metres of fabric...bought for a future project!

It is a fun day with other quilters in a gorgeous space with lots of natural light. The projects are always simple to sew up.

There are 2 spots left! Register NOW.

Click here for info.

Well Made Quilts are a Pleasure to See

I visited the York Heritage quilt show. It was on for only two days.

It's like a stained-glass! It was gorgeous!
by Kim Workman

Another quilt that brought back images of European
 church stain glass.
Work by Lynne Lee

Back in 2012, I included one of Robert Gutcher's quilts for the exhibit I curated, Tradition in Transition which was shown in France. His machine quilting is superb! His sense of colour appeals to me. I have a similar pattern that I kept from about 15 years ago and I may tweak it and use it for my Spring Clean-Up class I host in the spring. The aim for those classes is to use up your stash and not buy any new fabric. This quilt design would fit in for sure!

Quilt by Robert Gutcher
This quilt sparkles like a jewel!

I like the woven pattern below. The colours are definitely the hot choice these days. They follow the trends of the Modern Quilt Movement.

by Valerie Prideaux
The label stated:
Made with permission of the artist Eleanor McCain

The one shown below wasn't as flashy as some of the others but effective nonetheless.

machine pieced and quilted by Linda Morse
inspired by a Denise Schmidt design

It is a guild show that I try to attend because the works exhibited always demonstrate great skill!

I was able to purchase a few hand-made gifts to give away to my Verona friends when I visit them this week.

Hand-made ornament using felted wool, hand embroidery,
  beads and an antique button at the centre
 by Sandy Lindal

I always hear, 'I can make that', when I am shopping at these stands but why not buy something anyway and support makers!

Better Together

During this busy week of activities, I found time to sew.

I sewed 16-patch blocks for a quilting event I am going to on Sunday.

Normally, you'd sew your own block and a friend would sew hers and so on and then all those blocks would be put together to make a quilt.

But we did something different.

A few of us cut fabric squares.

Someone looked around the studio for fabric scraps.

A few beginners sewed two squares together.

Quilters with more experience attached two strips made up of four squares.

By the end of our visit together we had made 12 16-patch blocks, all very special, all made willy nilly I'd say, but lovely.

It was a new way of working, a little freer, less planning and loads of fun!!

Marking Time

Judith Martin, still my favourite textile artist, marks time by stitching.

This was a pattern I followed but even in those early days
 I changed it!
I was originally making it browns but it got so boring
 so I added a some blue and that gave it some life.

I started quilting almost 25 years ago to do just that. Mark time.

Simple Brick quilt with double boarder.

To show myself that during a day I could accomplish something.

I label my blocks (top left corner)
while I hang them vertically
 on a design wall

I could hold up my tangible quilt block and say, "Today, I did this."

This quilt was put together a few years ago.
Notice the blue square with the shibori circle.
I made that in Verona. The rest of the fabrics
 are blues from my fabric stash.
It is being quilted at this moment.

The other things I was doing were not tangible.

The centre fabric is washable silk.
The outside strips are men's cotton shirts,
Italian, of course.

Every day, I read books to my four children. I made snacks and three meals per day that were gobbled up. I prepared science experiments so we could explore together. I helped button the dress-up clothes and sat as the audience and watched plays. I walked to the park and went down the slide with them. I gave four children a bath every night.

This quilt was also a pattern. I didn't change it.
(that's not usual for me)
I did choose my own fabrics. 

This past holiday the six of us were all together. I was able to see what I had done over time. The four young adults love each other. They are on the path of happiness. They feel good about themselves.

Hearts and friendship stars,
detail of "Baby Earth" quilt
which hangs on our third floor.
The quilt was inspired
by a favourite children's book

I am so happy I marked time that way.

Treasures Found and Finished

Coming back home after I have been away for a while gives me the opportunity to see the house from fresh eyes. I usually say something like, "What? I live like this??"

After throwing out stuff that is broken and unrepairable or recycling clothes, books and bikes, comes the studio clean-up.

I have found many quilt tops that were 75% to 90% done. I wonder why I never finished them?

I have started to finish them using fabric I have and only buying back fabric IF needed. Sometimes I can sew a few pieces together and make a very interesting back. The pictures of the quilt tops seen in this post are the ones I finished in the last ten days. Amazing!!

They'll be dropped off at the quilters soon.

Once they are quilted, we'll be able to use them and enjoy them or give them away as special gifts.

Much better than being in a cardboard box!