A Very Busy Summer!

Posted in Ladies of the Sea, Sue Garman Pattern, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

It’s been a very busy summer for us this year. We arrived home from Ottawa late last night where we proudly watched my step-daughter, Alanna, perform on Parliament Hill as part of the Ceremonial Guard. (She is the one in the red jacket and black furry hat!!)

Everyday the band congregates at Drill Hall and marches on to Parliament Hill to perform during the Changing of the Guard Ceremony at 10 am sharp!

Alanna plays alto sax and is living proof that music programs in high school really are extremely important! Here she is with her very proud dad.

As we waited for the band to start marching, I noticed that the Drill Hall has some pretty cute quilty details!

Today, we are off to an all day barbecue and pool party for my niece, Olivia, who is going to school in Italy for 6 months. Oh! To be young again. So, I woke up early this morning so I get get some serious prepping time in.

I am thoroughly enjoying working on the first border of Sue Garman’s “Ladies of the Sea”, a quilt I am making for my son Chad. The pattern for this quilt (and a few others!) are available in my website, Simple Bird Studio.

The pieces are a little larger than Friends of Baltimore, so it doesn’t take that long to feel a real sense of accomplishment. As soon as we get back from the barbecue, I will stitch what I have spent the morning prepping!

First, I started with a few bias strips.

Next, I added some leaves and what I believe to be plums…

Next, I added various leaves, flowers, stars and berries.

Not to mention some delightful Lily of the Valley. Dainty!

So far, so good!

Til next time…

Kerry

20Jun2015

First border of Ladies of the Sea

Posted in Hand-Piecing, Hexagons, Inklingo, Ladies of the Sea, Sue Garman Pattern, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

I don’t think I am that different than anyone else when it comes to finding time to quilt. Lately, we have had our fair share of family barbecues, a couple of baptisms, weekends away and on and on and on!! I am trying my very best to squeeze in a few stolen moments here and there to work on my quilts. Here is what I have been working on….

Ladies of the Sea, a pattern by Sue Garman, caught my eye a while ago and I started working on the blocks last year. I decided to start one of the borders before I continued on with any more blocks, just to switch things up a bit!

I use the starch, stiletto and mini-iron method. This involves flipping the pattern over on to my light box and tracing the shapes. I don’t have the attention span to do all of my tracing at once, so I am constantly flipping my pattern over which is kind of annoying (and not an efficient way to work!). So I thought…Why can’t I just flip my freezer paper over instead of the pattern? So I traced the shapes onto the shiny side of the freezer paper using a Sharpie marker. (A Sharpie is the only thing I found that would leave a permanent mark and not smudge.)

Since I use 2 layers of freezer paper ironed together, I experimented and found if you place the shiny side with the markings on it on top of another sheet of freezer paper (paper side up, not shiny side up) the liquid starch will not make the Sharpie marks bleed all over your fabric! The traced lines are actually “captured” between 2 layers of freezer paper. Sweet!

Anyway, here is what I have accomplished so far. This pattern is available on my website Simple Bird Studio.

Last year, I discovered the joys of hand piecing using Inklingo. This is a hexie quilt I made earlier this year using Inklingo…

…and these are the leftover scraps, which I stitched into some log cabins blocks that will become part of the backing. I cut just cut and stitched, not worrying at all about matching colours or even the width of the strips. Very therapeutic!

I love entire Inklingo process and spent a couple of hours yesterday printing the 45 degree diamonds from the free collection. Lots and lots of them.

I have a quilt in mind and will show more when I have a bit more to show!

Til next time….

Kerry

27May2015

Bed of Roses…..Part 2!

Posted in Bed of Roses, Bed of Roses BOM, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

Thanks to everyone for the overwhelming response to the first block of Bed of Roses!! I quickly sold out of patterns and BOM kits, but don’t worry, I quickly placed another order for patterns and they are on the way.

So, here are a few details about the Bed of Roses BOM. If you ordered Block 1 (pattern and fabric) I assume you are going to want all 12 blocks. I have put aside a complete set of patterns (and fabric) with your name on it. The fabric that you will receive in your kit is the exact same fabric as in mine! At the beginning of each month, I will write a blog post outlining how I prepped and stitched each block. That block will then be added to the website and you can order it at that time. Note: If for some reason (like maybe you are on vacation and quilting is the last thing on your mind!) you don’t order it at that time, that’s ok!! I will ship your block to you whenever you order it.

Bed of Roses is broken down into 12 patterns, so I will do one a month. However, you can start whenever you want. If you want to wait for a couple of months to see more of the finished blocks, you can order at that time. Really, I just want to keep it simple!!

Speaking of “keeping it simple”, I just finished the second part of Block 1. The first pattern consists of one block (which I showed in my last post) and 2 corner triangles. If you check closely you can see that I modified the flower centers a little. Feel free to do the same, or you can do the centers the way they are in the pattern. Again….just trying to keep it simple!

So, I stitched both corner triangles at the same time on a background square (rather than cutting 2 triangles and stretching the bias edges), a tip provided by Sue in the directions. You can see the diagonal centre crease.

Next, I added the pretty pink flowers.

Then I added the yellow centers and the green thingies.

Pretty simple, eh?

Til next time…

Kerry

25May2015

Bed of Roses BOM

Posted in Bed of Roses BOM by Simple Bird Applique

I decided a while ago that I would like to start a new quilt. Something a little simpler (ok…a lot simpler!) than “Friends of Baltimore” and “To Everything There Is A Season”. But challenging enough to hold my interest. After giving it a lot of thought, I have decided to start Sue Garman’s “Bed of Roses”. You may think I am crazy, but let me explain! At first glance, it looks like a very complicated quilt, but it really isn’t. In fact, I was blown away by how easy (yes…easy!) the first block was.

The patterns for Bed of Roses are available on my website. You can order the complete set, or you can order a pattern or two a month. The choice is yours. I have added another exciting option….I am offering this quilt as a Block-of-the-Month, complete with the pattern and the exact same fabrics that I am using. I will post a detailed tutorial of each block from start to finish on my blog around the first on the month and you can stitch each block along with me. Check out my website for the details! Also, make sure you check out my Youtube videos where I show you how to make bias stems, circles and some other neat stuff!

Before I started to work on this block, I pre-washed all of my fabrics including the background. The fabrics I have chosen for this quilt are Toscana and Shimmer, both are from Northcott.

Ok, so here is Block 1. If you can make bias strips, make circles and stitch some gentle curves, then you can do this block. It has some very simple elements in it, but the arrangement of those simple elements makes it look like a very complex block. Watch closely and you will how easy this block is…

First, I made the bias strips and glued them in place. It doesn’t look like much now, but keep reading! By the way, I have traced the pattern onto the background using a Clover water soluble marker. I am using a crisp white background, so I do not need a light box to trace my pattern. I simply placed my background fabric on top of the pattern and traced away!

Next, I added some more stems. These stems will be covered up with another stem, so I like to trim the edge on an angle.

So, here all the bias strips glued in place. That wasn’t painful at all, was it?

Next. I started to prep the pieces and put them into place. I started with the centre pieces. I prep my pieces using liquid starch and a mini-iron. Once the piece is prepped, I remove the freezer paper template. You can see that the seam allowance is ironed in place, so there is no need to turn the edge under as you are stitching.

Next, I use Roxann’s glue (instead of pins) to hold the pieces in place until I can stitch them.

Once I glued the centre pieces on, I came across my first “uh oh…now what do I do?” I am not sure how well it shows in the photo below, but the yellow fabric is quite a bit lighter than the dark pink fabric it is on and the dark pink shows through. So…..I went to put the kettle on and made myself a cup of tea. Let’s be honest, you have a few options here. You can leave it alone and love your quilt just the way it is. Or you can fix it and love your quilt. Either way, you (and only you!) have to be happy with your results. I knew I had to fix it.

So this is what I did…I took the yellow pieces off and added another layer of yellow fabric to the existing piece (without the seam allowance). I just tucked it inside the piece with the seam allowance.

I glued everything in place again and look!….no shadowing!!

So, now I just started to add all of the prepped pieces. This is a very simple tip that I like to use whenever I have a few layers that need to line up. Once I prep my piece, I remove the freezer paper template and place it on top (shiny side up) and draw on the seam allowance wherever there is a raw edge. I do this to all of the pieces.

So, now when I start to place the pieces on top of each other, I have a nice crisp line to use as a guide. Very precise!

Now I have a line so that I know exactly where to place the next piece. Magical!

I did the same thing with the smaller flowers…

Here are most of the pieces glued in place and ready to stitch. Depending on the number of pieces in a block, I like to prep some pieces and then go and stitch. Some people like to prep the entire block before starting to stitch. The choice is yours!

Next, I added the leaves.

It was when I was at this point in the block that I realized that there wasn’t anything that I would describe as “difficult”. Quite the contrary…pretty simple.

Now onto the circles. When I do my circles, I like to use Perfect Circles. One afternoon I decided to go on a “Circle Marathon” and just do all 72 circles in this block…you know…get it over with! I lined the completed circles up in rows so I could see my progress. Thank goodness for audio books, that is all I can say!

Once all the circles were ready, I glued them in place and started to stitch them. I don’t recommend gluing all 72 circles in place before you start stitching. The thread gets caught up in the circles and its annoying!

And here we are. Finished. Yummy!

Block 1 also comes with enough fabric to complete 2 of the side triangles. I will do a separate blog post about those. Stay tuned!

Til next time…

Kerry

13Feb2015

Finished!!

Posted in Friends of Baltimore, Sue Garman Pattern by Simple Bird Applique

Finally finished! Here is the last HST border being stitched on…

And here is the finished top of Sue Garman’s “Friends of Baltimore”!

I started this quilt about 3 1/2 years ago and loved every moment of it. Now that I am finished, I have been walking around in a bit of a fog. I miss working on it already!

I said it before and I’ll say it again….this quilt is not difficult. Honestly! When I first purchased the patterns, I really didn’t believe I would ever start it, let alone finish it. But then I started looking at just the blocks by themselves, and I soon realized that the pieces (although there are lots of them!) are very manageable. Just start with one piece, and then another and then another. Before you know it, you will be on your way!!

Til next time….

Kerry

1Feb2015

Slow Stitching Sunday

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

Today I am on a mission….I am going to finish this last corner block of Sue Garman’s “Friends of Baltimore”. After that I will sew the remaining half-square triangles that will be stitched to the edge of the border. I told my family that I am having a “me day” and if they need me, I’ll be in my sewing room…with the door shut! I am linking up to Slow Stitching Sunday, so go on over and check it all out!!

Yesterday I stopped at a delightful quilt shop in Shelburne, Ontario called “Cobwebs and Caviar”. I spotted this spectacular fabric and just had to have some. I have no immediate plans for it, I just had to have some! It is by French General.

And, my hexies are coming along quite nicely. Edyta Sitar has a new book called “Handfuls of Scraps” and I am using her quilt on the cover as a bit of a road map.

Till next time….

Kerry

25Jan2015

Slow Stitching Sunday

Posted in Friends of Baltimore, Grandmother's Flower Garden, Hand-Piecing, Hand-Quilting Techniques, Hexagons, Inklingo, Slow Stitching Sunday, Sunday Afternoon Applique Group, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

This past week I have been busy with non-quilting activities, but I still managed to find the time to work away on the last corner block in the border of Sue Garman’s “Friends of Baltimore”. And, as usual, I started with the vase. This just might be my favourite vase!

Slowly, I filled the vase….first with some stems and leaves. You can see that some of the leaves and flowers cover the seam line and flow from the block onto the border.

So now I have prepped as far as I can. I am going to stitch everything…well, maybe not everything!… in place this afternoon at my Sunday Afternoon Applique Group. Once all of the stitching is done, I will attach this border to the rest of the quilt, and then fill in the missing pieces. I am linking up to Slow Stitching Sunday. Check it out and see what some fine quilters are up to today!

My hexies are taking on a life of their own. I am not exactly sure where this quilt is heading. I am just making it up as I go! Have you tried Inklingo yet? All of these hexies were made using Inklingo. Inklingo is fast, efficient, super-simple and extremely addictive! Betcha can’t make just one!!

And, finally, a couple of people asked me if I would show the back of my hexie stitching once it has been pressed. It’s all about spiralling the seams!

Til next time….

Kerry

19Jan2015

So Close to a Finish!

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

I am in the process of finishing the fourth and final (!) border of Sue Garman’s “Friends of Baltimore”. Once the flowers, vines and leaves were finished, I appliqued all of the tiny details, like the red berries, the yellow centers of the roses. The embroidery is done with just one strand of floss.

Once that was finally finished, I did what I did to all of my blocks and borders once I am finished stitching them….I poured a warm bath, added some suds….and tossed the border in!

Why do I do this? I do this because I use glue, starch and marking pens on my quilt blocks, so I want all of that to be removed before I stitch the blocks together. If you want, you can watch my Youtube video on Washing Blocks and you can also check out this post.

After the border was dry, I auditioned it along side the rest of the quilt. I think Jenny and Bruin are pleased with the results!

As you can see, I am not finished yet! I still have the remaining 2 corner blocks to do. Wanting to keep the momentum going, I started with the vase, an easy place to start.

Next, I started to add some leaves to the vase. I have found this little tip to be very helpful when lining up mulitple pieces. I prep the piece as usual and then remove the freezer paper template. I flip the template over and place it on top of the prepped piece. Then I draw on the remaining seam allowance.

As you start to glue the pieces in place, you can also see the emerging shape that will cover all of those raw edges (in this case, the rose).

And now I can start to fill in the rest of the vase. Lovely!

Til next time….

Kerry

14Dec2014

Surrounded by Inspiration!

Posted in Bouquet For a New Day, Civil War Bride Quilt, Friends of Baltimore, Hand-Applique Techniques, Sue Garman Pattern, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

Today Hubby and I spent a bit of time picking out some porcelain tile that is to be installed at our front door and mudroom. No matter where I go, I seem to always see quilts designs….I have always loved clamshell quilts and one day I will make one!

How impressed would your quilting friends be if they came over and saw this floor in your sewing room? (Answer: Very Impressed!)

If this were my backsplash, I would be reminded of how much I love hexies while I am doing the dishes!

And, finally, isn’t this the perfect pattern for an appliqued quilt? Inspiration is everywhere!!

Last week, I started the final (!) border of Sue Garman’s “Friends of Baltimore”. I would love to have this border finished by the end of the year. We will see….First I picked out the fabric for the vase. I like to start with the vase because it just feels like such an accomplishment once it is completed! This is one of my favorite fabrics. Do you recognize it?

I used it for a vase in my Civil War Bride Quilt. Notice the pattern is running up and down.

I used the same fabric for the vase in my “Bouquets For A New Day”. In this vase the pattern is running sideways.

And here is the fabric for the third time!

Now on to the fun part. All those curved pieces at the bottom of the vase need to line up properly. I did the same thing I did in my last post about lining up the pieces of the pine cones. First, I removed the freezer paper template from the prepped pieces. Next, I placed the template shiny side up on top of the prepped piece. Then I used a sharp white marking pencil and drew the seam allowance on the pieces. Can you see the white line? This just makes it so much easier to place the pieces in the correct spot.

It’s such a nice feeling when things line up properly!

Next, I added the top of the vase and the curvy section on top of it. Then I started to add the stems, leaves and flowers!

Til next time…
Kerry

8Dec2014

Building a Better Pine Cone

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

When I mentioned in my last post about “off-block construction” a few of you asked if I would do a tutorial on that subject. So…here it is!!

I would normally use my Applique Pressing sheet for this tutorial, but, sadly I cannot find it. A few weeks ago, I spent a couple of hours organizing my quilting stuff. I guess I have put my pressing sheet away in a really secure spot. I am sure I will some across it one day! But that’s ok….because maybe you don’t own a pressing sheet. So, let me show you what you can use instead of an Applique Pressing Sheet.

I used a piece of freezer paper (shiny side up). First I traced the pine cone on the shiny side of the freezer paper with a Sharpie marker. I have found that a Sharpie marker is about the only thing that leaves a permanent mark of the shiny surface.

Note: If I was using my Applique Pressing Sheet, I would simply pin it to the pattern, and build the pine cone on it, like I did with these flowers.

First, I made my templates using 2 layers of freezer paper. Yes, they are a little on the small side!

Then I chose my fabrics…light, medium and dark brown.

Whenever I have a unit that has a lot of pieces in it (and those pieces need to line up) I take the time and do this next step. Once the piece is prepped, I take out the template and place it on top of the finished piece. The template has to have the shiny side up. Next, I take a very sharp marking pen (I like to use a Clover water soluble fine marker for light fabrics and a white chalk marker for dark fabrics) and mark the remaining seam allowance. You will be very happy you did this!!

So….next, I start to glue the pieces in place. The glue will not stick permanently to the shiny surface of the freezer paper (or the pressing sheet), but it will hold temporarily.

Once all of the pieces are glued in place (and you have made peace with the fact you will have to make 7 more pine cones) you can lift the entire piece off the the freezer paper (or applique pressing sheet) and simply put it in place on the background. If you are working on a unit that has fewer pieces (or larger pieces) you can actually stitch it before you place it on the background. I thought this piece would be easier to stitch while it is on the background. Lots of options!

Til next time….

Kerry