quiltmaker

Quickie Basting Tutorial

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Seeing as I have spent the last 3 weeks doing nothing but quilting – projects big and small – I thought I would show you how I baste a quilt.

I am old fashioned – no basting sprays for me. I don’t have anything against them, they just aren’t my preference.  The one time I did use one the quilt felt really stiff afterwards and I just didn’t like the way it felt. I know tons of people do like them and use them. I think you should try different methods and see what works best for you – pin basting – while time consuming – works best for me. This is a twin size quilt, I did it in front of the TV and was done in about 30 minutes.

I start out by putting together my backing and pressing it.

Lay backing right side down onto the floor. Having hardwood floors is awesome for pin basting because I can tape the quilt to the floor. You can also do this on carpeting – I usually pin the backing to the carpet.

Press batting (it looks wrinkled but it really isn’t).  Lay flat on backing – DO NOT STRETCH. Trim batting down to size of backing.

Center quilt top on the batting – you are now ready to pin.

Pin every six inches – if you know your quilt pattern (I did straight line quilting following the diamond shapes) try to avoid pinning directly in the path of where you want to stitch.

Once you finish quilting – square up your quilt and trim excess batting and backing.  Bind it and you are all done!!! Let me know if you would like me to do a tutorial on how I bind quilts 🙂

And this is where I tell you how glad I am that my hubby, while incredibly supportive, does not read my blog and for that I am grateful! This is his present and I can show it off here before giving it to him because he won’t see it!

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a $25.00 Intrepid Thread gift certificate!

NOTE: Don’t forget, I am one of the bloggers who is going to lose Google Friend Connect in March 2012, please take a moment and follow me via Bloglovin’, Facebook, RSS or networked blogs.  You are important to me and I want to be able to stay in contact with you!  Check my side bar for all the best ways to stay in touch after GFC goes bye bye!

 

Mystery Quilts, They’re a Complete Mystery!

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I told Sunni this morning that I was doing a Mystery Quilt and that I had completed part one and was very excited. To my surprise, instead of congratulating me, she asked me what a Mystery Quilt was.  That is when I thought…maybe other quilters and sewists do not know what a Mystery Quilt is either.

Image Courtesy of: quiltbug.com

This picture is of two completed mystery quilts, these women followed the exact same directions and came up with two  completely DIFFERENT quilts!
A Mystery Quilt is a quilt project where you get only a small amount of information about the project at one time.

For example: I have decided to do the Mystery Quilt that is featured in the May/June ’11 Quiltmaker Magazine.  I learned about Mystery Quilts from family friends, a husband and wife who quilt together. One of the projects they worked on last year was the same Mystery Quilt but in two different color stories, similar to the women in the photo above.

The magazine is releasing three issues, each with various steps. Issue one focuses on fabric selection and the creating of 3 different blocks.  I have no idea what part two will be and will not find out until the next edition of the magazine is released…thus the MYSTERY!

The reason I decided to make this quilt was two-fold, one I wanted to stretch my sewing skills (and my imagination) and I also wanted to use up my stash.  I didn’t need to buy ANY fabric (not even a backing!) to make this quilt and the finished size is 56″x68″ so that is saying something!

If you are interested in joining me on the quilt along, head to your local bookstore or magazine shop and purchase the current issue of Quiltmaker or you can buy one from their website.  There is also a great article from the designer of the quilt, Debbie Caffrey, on rotary cutting techniques. I started using them while cutting this quilt and I’m already noticing a difference!

Here are the fabrics I have selected to use, the last two may change depending on my mood when part 2 comes out in the July/August ’11 issue.

Here are the blocks I whipped together for step one.  All of the cutting and sewing took me about 2 hours for part one. The hardest part was the fabric selection, which I am assuming is pretty normal with a Mystery Quilt. It can be hard to pick fabrics when you don’t have the slightest idea what you are doing with them!!!

I am so excited to see what I get to do with these bad boys!  The best part is that some of this fabric I have been holding on to since 1996 and I am finally getting to use it!!!

Do you want to join me on this mystery quilt along?  Go buy the current issue of Quiltmaker and we will sew together! There is also a great community for this project on Quilters Club of America which I joined this weekend.

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