As I took out the rubbish this afternoon I looked up to see these beautiful cloud formations in the east. They had more of the setting sun colours in them just before these shots, but I had to go back inside to get the camera.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
What's on My Machine
I have had this customer quilt for too long, knowing that it wasn't due until May. May it is, so I am slowly working on it. Stitching charcoal on black hasn't made it much easier so it is definitely a day time task.
Amish type blocks and the customer prefers heavy quilting. I hope I have it right.
The back of the whole quilt taken with the early morning sun shining from the side. Otherwise very hard to photograph charcoal thread on a black backing fabric.
The back of the whole quilt taken with the early morning sun shining from the side. Otherwise very hard to photograph charcoal thread on a black backing fabric.Sunday, May 1, 2011
Half Square Triangles
When I started quilting I stated that I didn't like making quilts with triangles and squares. I spent two days of instruction with Marti Michell in Sydney and came away with a love of her templates.
Great for accurate piecing and accurate cutting. Never did figure out how to cut your strips 7/8" bigger than your squares cut your triangle and sew that bias seam neatly and without stretching it etc. Plus the triming of the dog ears!
So Marti's templates have you cut your strips the same width as your finished squares, the corners are trimmed on her templates, so no ear trimming and if you put your two fabrics right sides together they are in pairs to take straight to the machine. Hence the reason Featheration stitched so quickly (well the large stars).
You then line up the edge of the tape with the edge of your fabric strip. The 45 degree line of your ruler goes on the vertical line of the fabric. ( Maybe I should have cut this on the example to show you.)
Great for accurate piecing and accurate cutting. Never did figure out how to cut your strips 7/8" bigger than your squares cut your triangle and sew that bias seam neatly and without stretching it etc. Plus the triming of the dog ears!
So Marti's templates have you cut your strips the same width as your finished squares, the corners are trimmed on her templates, so no ear trimming and if you put your two fabrics right sides together they are in pairs to take straight to the machine. Hence the reason Featheration stitched so quickly (well the large stars).
But students don't always have the same gadgets I do so, to cut half square triangles from a jelly roll or a strip the same width as you cut for squares, you can use a normal square. Etch a line from the 3/8" mark on the left hand side of a corner to the 3/8" mark on the right hand side of a corner. The first picture shows this with some Omnigrid Glow Line tape.
You then line up the edge of the tape with the edge of your fabric strip. The 45 degree line of your ruler goes on the vertical line of the fabric. ( Maybe I should have cut this on the example to show you.)I have also shown the Easy Angle Ruler, all three rulers are doing the same thing.
If you trim the ends of your bindings before joining them this way, it takes all the guess work out of which way do I hold this to join them , or the joins not being straight.
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