Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted in Circle of Tulips, Civil War Bride Quilt, Hand-Quilting Techniques, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

I am determined to learn how to hand-quilt in a frame. I have watched many you-tube videos, emailed many questions to a couple of quilters who I know quilt in a frame and read a few books. Now, it’s time to do it! I spent Saturday morning putting my Q-snap frame together and put my Circle of Tulips quilt in it. I spent 2 or 3 hours just doing some cross-hatching. Even that feels really different than cross-hatching in a hoop. Next I tried figuring how to quilt away from myself. My first instinct is to pick up the frame and move it, but I don’t think that will work. I planned to spend today doing a bit more practicing, but I see it is nap time!

So,,,instead I starting prepping and stitching the bottom border of Civil War Bride. I chose not to include the owls. I tried different colours and different fabrics, but they just did not look like owls. So I just enlarged the love-birds in the top border and placed them on the branches. And, of course, I added a butterfly.

Then changed my mind and added a gold butterfly. Of all the fabrics I chose to fussy-cut my butterflies, I think this one is my favorite!

Til next time…

Kerry

11Oct2013

Again with the moping!

Posted in Circle of Tulips, Civil War Bride Quilt, Hand-Quilting Techniques, Hand-Quilting Tools, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

I am getting ready to start the final borders of my Civil War Bride Quilt and it hit me…I am almost finished! That is very exciting, but, again, a little sad. But I remind myself that I have so many more quilts on my “To-Do List”. The more quilts I have in the works, the happier I am! So the borders are all marked and ready to go. I put everything out on the floor just to make sure that I wouldn’t have any unfortunate surprises when the time came to stitch the borders on. Everything is going to line up!

Our local shops had a “Shop-Hop” a couple of weeks ago and my “quilting partner-in-crime” and I went. So exciting to see 6 completely different quilt shops! Of course, I found something in each shop that I just could not live without! Even though I already had backing at home for “Circle of Tulips”, I found not one, but two backings that I thought I might like better. After auditioning all three, I chose the one I already had!

I love everything I bought, but I found this very intriguing. I have had so much fun playing.

Here it is a nutshell…Triangulations by Brenda Henning is a CD. You insert it into your computer,and the next thing you know, you are a Triangle Expert! First of all, I love when I don’t have to think! Just choose the finished size of the triangle you want to make. I chose to make some 2 1/2″ triangles. So I printed a few sheets just to try it out. Put two fabrics together, pin one of the patterns on, stitch on the dotted line…

…and cut on the solid line.

Trim off the dog-ears…..

Remove the paper, press……..then, bippity, boppity, boo….you have half-square triangles that require no squaring up!

I see some pieced quilts in the very near future!!

And finally, I am enjoying having something to hand-quilt again!

Til next time….

Kerry

7Oct2013

Finally! Something in my hoop!

Posted in Circle of Tulips, Hand-Quilting Techniques, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

I casually mentioned to my husband that I would be on my hands and knees later that evening and he was free to join me! He could even take photos! Finally….I had his attention. He asked me what I had in mind. I told him I needed help basting my quilt together, of course!

First, we pinned the backing to the carpet. I use large safety pins and pin directly into the under padding. In a couple of weeks, we will be replacing the carpets with hardwood floor. Not sure where I will be basting my quilts, but I will figure that out when the time comes! I make sure the backing is smooth and fairly taut and free of cat hair!

Next, I lay the batting on the backing and smooth any wrinkles there may be. I am using wool batting for this quilt. If you haven’t tried wool batting yet, what are you waiting for? It needles like a dream!

Then, I put the quilt top on the batting and, starting at the very center, I smooth it out nice and flat. The top is already marked! I spent the last couple of evenings marking the quilt top with feathered wreaths and 3/4″ cross-hatching. I didn’t mark the outer borders because I am not sure what I want to do, yet. I have time to think about it!

Now comes the fun part. I start at the centre and baste the three layers together. The trick is not to stitch into the carpet, and to actually stitch all the layers! I use an embroidery needle with a large eye and cotton thread. I baste in a grid, with my basting stitches going both horizontal and vertical.