A bit about shrinkage…and stitching a binding!

Posted in Bruin, Circle of Tulips, Friends of Baltimore, Jenny and Bruin, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

I let my border dry overnight and this is what I woke up to! Oh well. That is why I keep a lint brush handy!

So once I removed the dog hair, I placed the border (wrong side up) on my ironing board (which has a really thick towel on it) so I could press the border nice and flat. I used a dry iron and just a bit of Best Press. I press the blocks and border on the wrong side so that I am actually pressing the background fabric, and not just the applique pieces.

Next, it was time to trim the border down to the correct size. I always cut my blocks 2″ larger than the finished size to allow for shrinkage during the applique process. I actually cut these borders 2″ wider and 6″ longer than the finished size. You may wonder exactly how much does a block (or border) shrink? Well, my border shrunk about 2″ in length….yikes! Which is why I am so happy that this pattern was designed with shrinkage in mind! More about that in my next post.

Some of you asked if I could show how I stitched the binding on Circle of Tulips. This is what I did…

First I made sure I could see the line that will eventually be the scallop because that is the line that the bias will be stitched along.

Next, I started stitching the bias along the marked line. It is important not to stretch the bias binding….trust me, it wants to stretch! In fact, you need to ease a little more binding into the quilt. I like to use my stitch ripper to ease the fabric in place. Don’t try to ease too much fabric in….
DSCN5793

…..you will get a pucker! Keep that stitch ripper handy!

So, when it came to the spot where the scallops come together in a point, I just inserted a pin to let me know where the exact point is.

I stitched up to the pin, then I pivoted, making sure not to catch the fabric that is bunched up under the presser foot. (You are allowed to swear at this point. I did.)

Those inside points should look something like this.

This technique works so much better if you lock the cat in the bedroom! Where did I put that lint brush?

Once the bias was stitched in place, it was time to trim off the excess fabric.

But first, I checked the back to make sure there were no pleats or puckers.

Now it was time to trim the excess fabric! These are not magic scissors that cut all by themselves!! It’s just that I can’t operate the scissors and the camera at the same time!!

I recently purchased some Wonder Clips designed specifically for binding a quilt. I love them…love them!

And, this is what that little pleat looks like. Sweet!

Yesterday was our last meeting of The Sunday Afternoon Applique Group until September. We presented Kathy F. (on the left in the photo) with a quilt we made for her daughter, Karen, who is undergoing cancer treatments. Each one of our members made a block. We did not decide on any colour scheme, except the background. It is lovely how it all came together! Thanks to Colleen at Elite Quilting for doing such a lovely (and speedy!) job!

And last, but certainly not least, if you attended Quilt Canada this month, you will recognize Brenda’s quilt. (Brenda is on the left in the photo). Brenda is an amazing applique artist (as well as an awesome quilter in general!). This is Brenda’s version of Aunt Millie’s Garden, although the inner border is her own original design! Congratulation, Brenda!

Til next time….

Kerry

18Jun2014

Finishing a border and starting a binding!

Posted in Circle of Tulips, Friends of Baltimore, Hand-Applique Techniques, Sue Garman Pattern, Uncategorized, washing my block by Simple Bird Applique

I spent yesterday putting the finishing touches on the second border of Sue Garman’s “Friends of Baltimore”. All of the flowers and stems and leaves were finally stitched in place. So, it was time to add the little red berries…..

…and the embroidered stems. I like to use 2 strands of embroidery thread for the stems.

Each of the 13 roses has a (really tiny!) yellow center, so I prepped those, also.

Once the yellow centers were stitched in place, I did some more embroidery. Each of the roses and a few of the buds have these tiny little “hairs” stitched around them. They are stitched with just one strand of embroidery floss.

And now for the fun part! When I am finished stitching a block or border, I wash it to remove the glue and starch and the marks from my water-soluble marker. It is a simple process, really! I fill the sink with hot water and add a bit of dish soap or Soak (if I happen to have some on hand). Next, I just toss the block in and let it soak for about half an hour.

Then, I drain the water and rinse with tap water.

I leave it fairly wet and lay it out on a couple of thick towels to dry. Easy peasy!

Next on my “To Do” list was “Put Binding on Circle of Tulips”. To figure out how much binding I would need, I measured around each scallop and multiplied by the number of scallops.

According to my calculations, I need approximately 308″ of binding. I cut the bias strips 2 1/2″ wide and joined them all together in one long strip. Next, I pressed the strip in half lengthwise, wrong sides together.

And, I started stitching. So far, so good!

Til next time…

Kerry

10Jun2014

That Value Thing Again!

Posted in Hexagons, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

A huge thank you to everyone very graciously let me know that my dainty pink rose does not show up. It is that “value” thing again. I must say I was pleasantly surprised, though, when my daughter asked me about the photo in question. She said “In your last blog post, you posted a picture of your border and the pink rose at the bottom doesn’t show up. Is it supposed to show up?” I was pleasantly surprised because I didn’t realize she even read my blog! Sweet!

The fabrics I chose for the rose petals are the same “value” as the background. That means there is very little contrast between the rose and the background and so it doesn’t show up very well. How can you tell if your fabrics are the same value or not? Well, I installed an app on my tablet called “Grayscale It”. It changes my color photo…

….to black and white. It is so much easier to judge “value” and “contrast” when you can see your fabrics in shades of black, white and gray.

If you take a look at the flower in the bottom left corner, you can see that it is a good example of light, medium and dark. The pink rose is a good example of light, lighter and lightest!! Interesting!

This is the same problem I had with my leaves a couple of posts ago. You can read more about that here.

Who knew that making hexies could be so much fun? I have made 50 (50!) of the pretty flowers and am now onto making the “paths”.

The “path” is the part that creates a white border around each flower. I find this whole process very intriguing!

So I have about 200 more hexagons to prep to complete the path. Yikes!

Til next time…

Kerry

5Jun2014

Progress feels good!

Posted in Circle of Tulips, Friends of Baltimore, Hand-Applique Techniques, Hand-Quilting Techniques, Sue Garman Pattern, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

I am finally seeing some progress on a few of the quilts I am working on. As you can tell, I like to hand-applique and hand-quilt. As we all are very aware, both are time consuming, and it can be a long time before any results can be seen. So when I get close to finishing anything, I get really excited

First, I woke up yesterday with one thing on my mind. Finishing the hand-quilting on Circle of Tulips! I am sooooo close! I must admit, though, I have been in my pre-mourning stage for a week or two. I start to miss the quilt before it’s even finished and I wonder what I will do to fill the void. Sad, but true!!

So, after a couple of hours of stitching and watching re-runs of Downton Abbey, I am finished! Yippee!!

Now, I just have to bind it! The pattern for this block is available as a free download on my website.

I have also been making some progress on the second border of Sue Garman’s “Friends of Baltimore”. This is the left side of the vase almost finished.

So, now it’s time to start the right side of the vase! I added the fern and a few roses and buds.

These borders have lots (I mean lots!) of bias stems on it. So I end up with lots of short pieces. This is how I use up those tiny pieces…

I find a spot on the pattern where I can inconspicuously hide the joins. Now you see the joins….

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…and now you don’t!!

To keep my (extremely unorganized) self from losing track of all those leaves and flowers, I prep them in my usual way and then I glue the pieces to the paper pattern. Also, when I cut the freezer paper shapes out, I place them on the paper pattern in the spot they will eventually be glued and stitched, just to keep everything nice and organized.

So, now I just pick up each piece and place it on the background. Easy peasy!

So…here is the right side of the border!

And, finally, the border is (almost!) finished…I just have a bit of stitching to do!

Til next time…

Kerry

2Jun2014

To Everything There Is A Season…Block 3

Posted in "To Everything There is a Season", Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

Oh my! Time really does fly! Here we are at the first of the month already. It’s time for the third block of my BOM ” To Everything There Is A Season”. This block, The Rose Kaleidoscope, is relatively easy and is one of my favorites!

I launched this BOM two months ago. Thanks to everyone who has purchased the patterns! This is what is available so far….

Block 1 – The Spring Urn

Block 2 – The Hummingbird

All of the blocks are available on my website. When you purchase the block, I will send you the link to the file within 24 hours (usually much sooner). I use Dropbox so that I can send the files from anywhere. Once you download the file, you can print it out. If you would rather not print the pattern yourself, for a few dollars extra, I will mail you a full sized pattern. Both options are on my website.

Til next time…

Kerry

26May2014

Something not quite right…..

Posted in Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

You know that feeling when you look at the quilt you are working on and you know there is something not quite right, but you don’t know what it is?? Well, that is the feeling I had every time I looked at the vase I am working on. I finally put my finger on it yesterday. The fern and the leaf are not only the same colour, they are the exact same value! All I see is a glob of light green, not two distinct leaves. Drat!

So this is what I did. I un-stitched what I had to so I could remove the offending leaf. The yellow circle is also stitched through the leaf so I had to remove it, too. Double-drat!

Next, I cut out a new and improved leaf. This time I checked to see that the leaves have some contrast. They do! And, then, I stitched everything back in place. Much better. (sigh of relief!)

Speaking of leaves, I have just posted another Youtube video on how to tackle those deep inner curves on the fern in this vase. You can see it here.

And, my Sunday Afternoon Applique Group met yesterday and had just a bit of Show and Tell. This is Lynn’s “Stitcher’s Garden” from a class she is taking at Country Concession, one of our local quilt shops. As you can see in my recent posts about our group, Lynn is one talented (and productive!) quilter!

The daughter of one of our members in the group is going through a round of cancer treatments. So we are doing what all quilters do when we want to show we care…we are making a quilt for her. Here are some of the blocks, and I am expecting more to be handed in by the end of the week. I’ll keep you posted on the progress of the quilt…

Til next time…

Kerry

23May2014

Always more than one option….

Posted in Friends of Baltimore, Hand-Applique Techniques, Hexagons, Sue Garman Pattern, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

It occurs to me from time to time that quilting is a lot like life. You rarely are in a situation where you do not have options. And the option you choose is really up to you (and not the Quilt Police!). There are a few dainty buds in the border of Sue Garman’s “Friends of Baltimore”. How you decide to make them is totally up to you!

Here are the buds……they are the same but I am going to prep them two different ways.

First, I ironed both buds to the wrong side of the fabric and cut them out.

For the first bud, I prepped it in my normal way.

Next, I removed the freezer paper and cut out the circle to use as a pattern for the red centre and prepped it.

Bud #1.

For Bud # 2, I decided to do reverse applique. I think this term often confuses people. (You are not appliqueing in reverse!) You are simply reversing the layers. For Bud #1, I placed the red piece on top of the green piece. Bud #2 involves placing the green piece on top of the red piece.

This technique involves cutting a hole in the centre of the fabric and still leave a seam allowance that you can turn.

I carefull clipped the seam allowance. You can see that I didn’t clip right up to the freezer paper. And you can see how small the hole is!

Then I carefully turned the inner edge.

And once the outer edge was prepped, I removed the freezer paper.

And finally, I cut a piece of red to place under the bud. There is no need to prep the edges of the red piece of fabric. It will be covered up.

So here are both buds glued in placed in the border. Remember, you always have options!!

In my spare time I am still making hexies…and still loving it!!

Til next time…

Kerry

16May2014

Prepping and prepping…..

Posted in Circle of Tulips, Civil War Bride Quilt, Friends of Baltimore, Hexagons, Sue Garman Pattern, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

I have been spending most of my spare time prepping the second border of Sue Garman’s “Friends of Baltimore”. I must admit, it is a little tedious, however, I am sticking with it!! It isn’t long before this…

…and this…

….becomes this! For those people who have asked how I prep my pieces, you can see more here.

Once the pieces are prepped, I use a dab of glue and attach them to the paper pattern. I do this for a few reasons…one is so I can make sure I prep all of the pieces and don’t forget any. The second reason is so I do not lose any pieces (been there, done that!). And I can preview my fabrics, which is especially useful when doing multi-couloured flowers.

Once I get a section prepped, I am eager to glue it to the background and then I stitch it in place. I find it easier to break the process down into smaller chunks rather than to try to do the prepping all at once, then all of the stitching at once. That is just the way I work!

Yes, I have been hexi-ing! I have a special project in mind!

And finally, I am in the process of turning the last(!) corner of Circle of Tulips. So exciting!

Speaking of excitement…my Civil War Bride Quilt received a ribbon at the Plowing Match Quilt Competition! All quilts that received a ribbon will be exhibited in the Lifestyles Area at the 2014 Simcoe County International Plowing Match and Rural Expo September 16-20, 2014. Sweet!

Til next time….

Kerry

8May2014

Back to the border…

Posted in "To Everything There is a Season", Friends of Baltimore, Hand-Applique Techniques, Sue Garman Pattern, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

Once I had the second border of Sue Garman’s “Friend’s of Baltimore” traced, I was raring to go! (I really don’t like tracing, so I will put it off as long as possible.)

When I am filling a vase with flowers, I like to prep the pieces and place them onto my paper pattern before I glue them to the bacground fabric. That way I can tweek anything that looks out of place.

First, I added a few stems and buds. But then I realized, I couldn’t go much further until the vase was in place. (A few of the flowers and leaves overlapped the vase.)

So I started to build the vase. The edges of this piece will be totally covered by more pieces…keep watching!

Then I added the base.

Next came the second layer of the vase.

…and finally, the very last piece of the vase!

Well, except for all those circles! Sweet!

Some of you have asked me if the patterns for “To Everything There Is A Season” are available for download only or can I mail them out. Yes, I can mail you a paper pattern instead of emailing you a link. I have added this option to my website. The cost is $10.00 and includes a color picture of the block and shipping anywhere in Canada or the U.S. To have the patterns shipped to other countries, please contact me.

Til next time…

Kerry

4May2014

Put the hexies down and walk away!!

Posted in "To Everything There is a Season", Friends of Baltimore, Hand-Applique Techniques, Hexagons, Sue Garman Pattern, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

Even though I am OHOH (Officially Hooked On Hexies), I still have some projects that are needing my attention. As of this moment, I have 3 (how did that happen?) hexie projects on the go. First, my brown-ish-neutralish kind of scrappy collection.

Then, there is my bright-cutesy could be a baby quilt collection.

And last, but certainly not least, it the first block of a Hexie Quilt Along (Value Proposition Quilt Along) that I found on an amazing blog by Karen at Faeries and Fibres. If you want to know anything about hexies (I mean anything!) and English paper piecing in general, this is a blog you must visit! But make yourself a cup of tea first, you may be there a while!

Last night, I took the time to trace the second border of Sue Garman’s Friends of Baltimore. I would really (I mean, really!) like to have this quilt finished by the end of this year. You know, one more thing to cross off the bucket list! Yikes! Do I see ferns??

I thought I would show how I assembled the hummingbird block, the latest block of “To Everything There Is A Season”. Looks complicated, but really it isn’t!

First, I traced the pattern on to my background. Next, I added the leaves and the blue flowers.

Now, I have a dilemma…the leaves have covered up some of the traced lines, and I cannot see where to put the flower petals. Here is my solution. I “build” the flowers on an applique pressing sheet.

Then I pick the flower up in one piece and glue it in place. Easy peasy!

Here is how I stitched the hummingbird. Don’t forget that the “underneath” wing goes on the background before the feathers. I forgot, so I had to un-stitch the feathers and insert the wing underneath.