A Solution for Every Problem!

Posted in Bouquet For a New Day, Grandmothers Choice, Roseville, Sue Garman Pattern, Sunday Afternoon Applique Group, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

My eye doctor is a saint! He understands that I need more than one pair of glasses. In fact, I need three! One for distance, one for medium close and one for extremely close! When I quilt, I spend a lot of time looking for my glasses, only to find them under a pile of fabric. So here is the solution!

Block #2 of Barbara Brackman’s Grandmother’s Choice has set-in seams. So, of course, I have been avoiding it. After seeing yesterday’s block, I decided I better get a move on!!

One of my goals is to hand-quilt Sue Garman’s Bouquets For a New Day this winter. I am making steady progress on the second last (!) block.

My Sunday Afternoon Applique Group met last Sunday after taking a break for the summer. This year we are all playing “catch-up” instead of starting a new project. This is one of my Roseville blocks that I am working on this year. I was sooo excited to find this yummy selection of hand-quilting thread by Amy Butler. I am using it as my inspiration for color.

Gee, Bruin, I wonder why my fabric has so much cat hair on it??

Til next time……

Kerry

17May2012

Hand-quilting….sooooo relaxing!!

Posted in Amy's Quilt, Hand-Quilting Tools, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

In between working on my Roseville blocks (and a few other quilts in progress), I am hand-quilting Amy and Bruce’s wedding quilt. They will be getting married on September 1 (of this year!) so I better get stitching!

I find hand-quilting (like all hand work) very relaxing. I tell myself that I will just sit and quilt for a few minutes, but before I know it, a few hours have slipped by! Of course, having the right tools makes a huge difference. Just remember, what works for one quilter may not work for all quilters! So…take the time to try different brands of needles, thread, scissors and batting. Find those tools that work for you.

Here are a few tools that work for me:

John James Size 10 Big Eye Quilting needles. They are smooth and very sharp. And the big eye is a bonus for easy threading!

A hoop to hold the quilt layers tight. I have always used a hoop to support the quilt while I am stitching the three layers together. I have even quilted a king-sized quilt using a hoop. The secret is to have lots of basting!!

Gingher scissors. I treated myself to a pair of Gingher scissors for my last birthday! They curve upward at the end so that I will not snip (another!) hole in a quilt!

Various thimbles. “Various” because every time I sit down to quilt, the thimble I used last time just doesn’t feel right!

Hand-quilting thread. I like Dual Duty Plus because it is a cotton/polyester blend and it glides through the layers really well. I also like YLI hand-quilting thread.

100% wool quilt batt. I am using “Legacy” 100% wool. Quilting through a wool batt is like quilting through butter. It is an absolute dream to work with!

A decent light source. Although there is no substitute for natural sunlight, there may be times when it is not that readily available. I always keep my Ott light handy for times when I need just a bit more light.

Time. No matter how busy I am, I can always find time to quilt!!

HAND-QUILTING TOOLS

14May2012

Four blocks of Roseville completed!

Posted in Roseville by Simple Bird Applique

Well! I am thrilled with the way these blocks are turning out! I am having way too much fun choosing fabrics for each of the blocks. The fabric is “Summer House” by Lily Ashbury for Moda. When I bought the fat quarter bundle last summer, I was not sure what I would ever do with. All I knew was that I loved it and had to have it!! I pre-washed the fat quarters and put it in my closet with the rest of my fabric. When I was stumped by my first attempt at Roseville, I went through my closet looking for some inspiration. My eye was immediately drawn to the bright, cheerful fabrics and I knew right away that this fabric was going to work!

Here are four of the blocks:

4 Blocks of Roseville

5May2012

Not in love…with my quilt blocks!

Posted in Roseville, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

Every now and then I am faced with a quilting dilemna. You know what I am talking about. I have chosen a pattern that I love. (Roseville by Kim McLean). I have chosen fabrics that I love. (Amelia by Me & My Sisters). I have eagerly stitched a few blocks anticipating what the full size quilt will look like. But, as I stitched the last block, I started to get this sinking feeling. You know the feeling! It’s just not coming together like I thought it would. I am not loving my quilt blocks anymore! I still don’t know what went wrong! I still love the fabric and I will save it for another project. I still love the pattern. So…after much thought, I have decided to start this quilt again, this time with a different line of fabric. (Summer House by Moda). Here is the first block:

ROSEVILLE BLOCK 1

This is not the first time I abandoned my blocks. A couple of years ago I was working on Spring Garden Sampler by The Rabbit Factory. It was time to find a backing for it. I searched through my stash and found a whole pile of appliqued blocks that I had forgotten about. I decided to include the forgotten blocks in the backing. So… my abandoned quilt blocks always make it into a quilt…just not always on the front!!