E is for English Paper Piecing

Creativeglossary.com defines English paper piecing as

A technique that involves hand piecing shapes of fabric that are basted onto paper templates and then combined with a whipstitch on the fabric edges.

This is a direct quote and I think its a little confusing... the fabric is shaped around the paper template. You can trim the fabric to the approximate shape (allowing 1/4-1/2" all around) and it is more affective at times if you do but you don't have to.

The definition also leaves out the fact that after the pieces are whipstipped together first the basting stitches are removed and then the paper.

I have only completed one English paper piecing project. Not that's not right... its not finished yet although the top of the quilt is. (that is to say I haven't as yet made the backing, basted it, quilted it or bound it...so its a long way from finished) ANYWAY..my so far only English paper piecing project is my hexie quilt... that is hexagon quilt.

I've been working on it since September last year so in terms of a hand pieced quilt top it has actually come together pretty quickly.

The making of this quilt top in brief
1. I found a web page (that I have since lost... sigh) that allowed me to calculate how many hexies I would need to make based on the size of the hexie and the size of the quilt. You might think that obvious but because of the layout of the hexies it involves complicated maths.

2. I found another website that had hexagon templates on it that I could print off. I was able to choose from a variety of sizes. I chose 1.5" sides, 3" across) There were only about 8 to an A4 page which annoyed me as I could have fitted more than that on the sheet. To save printing ink and time (mostly time) I put one printed page on top and several sheets of scrap A4 and cut multiple pieces at a time. I'd worked out I would need 1500 hexies to make the size of quilt I wanted.

3 I used my scrap fabrics. To start with I cut out hexie shapes but rapidly (as in after about 3) I decided that cutting out 1500 of them was going to take way too long. I worked out that I could just fold my precut 3.5" squares around the shape and that would work just fine. I had a heap of 3.5" squares already in my scrap drawers. I started sewing hexagons.

4. I started sewing the flowers together as soon as I had 7 similarly coloured hexies. I worked on making "flowers - a centre hexie with one hexie sewn on each side making a flower with a centre and 6 petals. I put the lightest in the centre and darker ones around the outside. 

However then I decided that I wanted to make the flowers from the same or very similar fabric if possible. At this point I went to my non scrap stash and chose some bigger chunks of fabric to cut up into 3.5" squares to use.

 I also decided I wanted to do some sort of design but I wasn't sure what so instead I made hexies and figured I would work out a design later. (I did a Joen Wolfrom workshop and I had dreams of making a landscape picture) So for several months I just sewed hexies and sorted them into colours

5. SO..... when I had made my 1536ish hexies I started to sew them into flowers, using same or similar coloured flowers.

my daughter's cats always supervised me carefuly

6 I knew I had to work out a design. I printed off several sheets of hexie graph paper, taped them together to approximate the size of the quilt I would make (well not the actual size but the design would be.... ) 

I got my coloured pencils and set to work to design the quilt. I decided to have it as a flower garden with sky and clouds up the top, a mass of flowers in the middle and grass at the bottom. 

No stems for the flowers... that was going to be way to hard to work in. I worked it so some of the flowers were peaking out behind others so weren't going to be full flowers. Also the design ran off the paper so again some of the flowers would be halves

7 Time to sew the flowers together, working in sky behind some flowers... I chunked the design - sewed batches of flowers together then sewed those chunks together. My design wall was invaluable for working out how to put them together. 

(The first photo is on an improvised design wall from when I was away)

Home again I had to extend my design wall with a sheet in order to be able to plan it out properly

When I had the centre piece - the main part of the flower garden complete for the width of the quilt I worked on the grass section- sewed it for the full width and then attached it and finally the sky and cloud section.

 When I completed a chunk I would remove the basting stitches and the papers for all the hexies except for the ones on the edge. This made the quilt easier to scrunch up as I did the top stitching. 

8. The edges of the quilt had to have half hexies stitched in to make them straight. I had planned to make half hexies specifically but in the end I had so many hexies (I miscalculated... or made the final quilt smaller ...) that I was able to use full ones and fold them over (sides) or cut in half (top and bottom)

My design changed as I went but the design on the graph paper was a great starting point.

Now the top is done and I have to work out what to do for the back.

Mind you I think that the back looks rather nice anyway with the sun shining through (and when you can't see the raggy edges and messy bits too well)


I plan to piece together all the left over hexies together and then appliqué them onto a backing piece. I do NOT intend to hand quilt it as I want the all over stipple I am planning to reinforce the had stitching on the front. That is the plan.... stay tuned!!

(If you want more photos and progress shots just search hexies on the blog and it should show you a heap of posts that this quilt gets mentioned)

D is for Disappearing Blocks

There are lots of different Disappearing Block. Basically these blocks are traditional blocks which once made are sliced up and the pieces put back together to make another block. Jenny Doan, from Missouri Star Quilt Company is famous for the many different Disappearing blocks she has demonstrated on her YouTube channel.

I have made 3 different "Disappearing" blocks using her tutorials. 

Disappearing Pinwheel

Disappearing Hour Glass

Disappearing Nine Patch

C is for Craft Sanity and Crafty Planner

Craft Sanity is the first craft related podcast I listened to. It might even be the first podcast I listened to. 

When I started there was a huge back catalogue of podcasts and I binge listened to them till I was up to date and had to hang out for her to post her next one. Right about then she started to slow down with her posting and then went into a  hiatus of several years where she didn't post at all. Fortunately through her show I had found out some other podcasts and I had them to listen to and have been able to keep my podcast addiction well fed ever since.

The podcaster is Jennifer Ackerman Haywood and her website is www.craftsanity.com  

Jennifer. (Photo from her website)

She describes how her podcast came to be

CraftSanity History
This podcast was conceived in late 2005 when I was on my second maternity leave from my newspaper gig. My husband had become a big fan of tech podcasts and suggested that I do one about crafts. I told him he was nuts, then I started planning my first show.

And though I cringe at how awkward I was during the earliest CraftSanity episodes, the experience of fumbling my way through with the support of my husband to create this show from scratch has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. It’s been a wonderful joy to get to chat with all the creative people who have shared their stories with me and to get amazingly sweet feedback from the folks at home makes it all seem like some kind of crazy, happy dream. Producing this show has been a labor of love and really has enriched my life in ways I never imagined. I really feel blessed to get to have this experience. Thank you, dear listeners, for making it possible

Jennifer interviews a range of crafters in her show. Many of them have written books, some are local to her area (Michigan) but she speaks via computer to others all over the world. Knitters, crotcheters, quilters, shoe makers, weavers, printers, recyclers.... a huge range of people who have interesting stories to tell

CraftSanity podcast is available to download from Itunes and also her website.

Crafty Planner Podcast. Sandi Hazelwood is the Crafty Planner. As she describes herself - she is a city planner who likes to craft.

Sandi also has an interview style podcast where she speaks to a different guest each week. Most of her guests tend to be sewists - often patchwork and quilters, quilt pattern designers but also fabric designers, bag and clothing pattern designers. Her podcast has a modern bent, which isn't to be surprising given that podcasts tend to appeal to younger people and they tend to be more into the modern movement. Having said that - I love podcasts and my aesthetic is definitely a mixture... a modern traditionalist.

Sandi's podcasts are available on Itunes, Stitcher and from her website.

Sunday Stash Report

I started and finished another quilt this week. It wasn't one that I had planned to make but I made it on inspiration and it was great to get it done so quickly.

I wrote about this quilt in WIP Wednesday already but here are the photos again.

The quilt measured 130cm x 130cm with a pieced backing as well. I loved the way it turned out. I called it Another Cat Quilt

It was my only finish for the week and no purchases.

Stats from Weeks 14

                 Fabric used            4.00m

                 Fabric added           0.00m

Year to Date

                 Fabric used         33.37m

                 Fabric added       19.17m

Net Used                             +14.20m  

Linking up with Patchwork Times

B is for basting and binding

 

Basting and binding would be probably my two least favourite parts of making a quilt.... well basting is anyway

Basting

Patchwork quilts are made up of 3 layers of the quilt ;the "top" which is the part that is usually pieced ie the patchworked bit of the quilt; the backing which is often one piece of fabric which may be joined in order to obtain the required width however increasingly this is also being pieced. (I do it to use up fabric and left over block) and the wadding or batting which is the warm bit that goes in between.

Basting is the process where by these 3 layers are secured together temporarily so that they can be quilted. Securing them together means they wont shift about and thus when quilted there wont be puckers, pleats or other such nasties and so the top will have batting and backing under it. The backing and the batting are cut larger than the top (usually 4" is the preferred amount - essential if you are having the the quilting done on a machine called a longarm) The excess is trimmed off once the quilting is completed

The first step for basting is laying the pieces out... first the backing is stretched out. I usually do it on a table (we have a great one at our patchwork room) It is smoothed out right side down and secured by clamps or tape. It needs to be smooth, and firm but not tight so as the fabric doesn't distort. Then the batting is laid over the top and again smoothed out and secured firmly by the same clamps or new tape. Lastly the quilt top is smoothed out on top, right side up again it needs to be smooth and firm but not distorted. Once it is secured in place (making sure it is straight and has wadding and backing under all of it) the 3 layers are secured together.

This large quit, made from men's ties was pin basted on the big table at the club rooms

Pinning out a quilt at home. It was a smaller quit so I could manage it on my cutting table

The traditional way of basting a quilt was with needle and thread. Large tacking stitches were sewn across the length and breadth of the quilt about 3" apart. I have only done this to a quilt a couple of times. Once a friend who only stitch basted and the other times partially done when I ran out of pins. 

Pins are my preferred method. The pins are placed 3" (or clenched fist) apart. When pinning it is good to have worked out how the quilt is going to be quilted so as to avoid pinning where you plan on stitching. ie if you are going to quilt it stitch in the ditch (down the seam lines) you keep the pins away from the seams etc.

There are other methods of basting. There is a "gun" which pins with plastic loops through all three layers (like a pricing gun) I've never used it or seen it used. 

Spray basting is a popular method of basting, especially for smaller projects. The backing is sprayed with a basting glue using an aerosol can. The batting is placed on and smoothed down and then the batting is again sprayed before the top is placed down.

The advantage of thread basting and glue basting is that when quilting you are much freer to quilt where you like - you don't have to avoid pins or stop quilting to remove the pins. The pins are tedious to use - they have to be placed, closed, then later removed. Sore fingers from closing the pins is common for me (There are gadgets designed to help close them and many people use a teaspoon but I have never really mastered the knack)

Spray basting is smelly and can be messy. Overspray is an issue. If you spray your table it becomes sticky. The spray basting is also an on going expense. The pins once purchased can be used over and over, not so the spray.

Thread basting takes longer than pins but many people like it who are used to it. I have never done it enough to become proficient at it. The threads are left in till quilting is completed and then removed at the end.

When I was first learning to quilt I had trouble with layering my quilt and not getting puckers and pleats in it. I felt I worked so hard at stretching it out and yet I would end up with these nasties. It was also tedious to do. Nowadays I am much more proficient at the job and if I pin it at a group gathering there are usually a few people who willing help with the job which makes it so much quicker. The feelings of frustration and tedium from those early years remains as a dislike of pinning out quilts to this day.

These 3 methods plus one other are described well on the Craftsy website here

Binding

Binding is usually the last part of the process of making a quilt. It is when fabric is stitched around the edge of the quilt, folded over and stitched down again. This covers the edge of the quilt and gives it a neat finish. Binding is usually cut between 2-3" wide (mine is usually 2.5") The length is calculated as being the perimeter of the quilt plus 10" or so. The fabric is folded in half and pressed then pinned around the edge of the quilt. 

Traditionally the binding is pinned to the right side of the quilt, with the cut sides lining up with the edge of the quilt.. The corners are mitred The ends are joined (there are lots of different ways to join the two ends )  This is my favourite method.

Then the binding is folded over to the wrong side of the quilt and hand stitched down.

I say traditionally because more and more people are choosing to machine the binding down both sides and this is how I am doing it most of the time. I sew it to the wrong side of the quilt, fold it over and then again machine the other side down having matched the edge of the binding with the sewing line or the initial machine stitching. I choose a decorative stitch usually. Its not as neat but is way quicker. 

My quilts are utilitarian - they get used and so need washing more frequently than many. The machining is sturdier than my hand stitching. But my quilts don't win awards at shows.

A is for Applique

 

Applique is a sewing technique in which a decorative design is made by one fabric being sewn onto another. Usually  more than one fabric is sewn down to make the design.

There are several different techniques that can be used to sew the fabric down. 

Needleturn is one. Janet Wickell, on the webpage "Learn Needleturn Appliqué" describes it thus.

Needleturn applique is a traditional technique. Shapes are traced onto fabric and cut out, leaving a seam allowance of 3/16th-1/4" around the traced line.... Seam allowances are turned under as shapes are hand sewn to the background.

There are many and varied ways of undertaking needleturn appliqué and there are many people who have developed particular ways of doing it using various gadgets and notions. I can't speak to any of them as I have done very little of this kind of appliqué.

There are many videos on You Tube that demonstrate how to do needleturn appliqué. This one by Sue Daley, a well known teacher

The main alternative to needleturn appliqué is raw edge appliqué. Here the pieces to be appliquéd are cut to their exact size. Usually a double faced fusible webbing is ironed onto the wrong side of the fabric before it is cut to size. The paper backing is removed before it is positioned on the background fabric and ironed into place. I trace my shapes onto the paper side of the fusible webbing before cutting it out (leaving a 1/4" or so all around) and then ironing it onto the fabric. I then cut it out neatly, on the traced line, peel off the paper and ironing it into place.

Sometimes the appliqué is completed without any stitching taking place but usually the fabric is stitched down into place but the edge isn't turned under. This stitching might be blanket stitching, zig zag or straight stitching. It can be done by machine or by hand. The fusible webbing not only holds the fabric in place but it binds the edges of the fabric meaning it won't fray.

There are many videos on YouTube which explains how to do raw edge applique. This is one from Nancy's Notions, a reputable source

This is my preferred method of appliqué. I have made several quilts using blanket stitch around the fabric. Its a great hand project. I have used straight stitch on the machine, and sometimes zigzag to add appliqué to some banners that I have made for church. 

Some machines have blanket stitch as an option on them. I have friends who have completed large appliqué projects using their machines to blanket stitch around them but I haven't mastered that art yet. 

This wall hanging, Into the Rainforest, was one of the first projects that I used machine applique on 

Into the Rainforest

Appliqued heart - a block, called a healing heart made to be included into a group quilt, a gift for a friend who had suffered a loss in her family

My own healing hearts quilt called Peaceful Hearts. Friends from a quilt retreat I go on,  sent me hearts after the death of my father.

A cake wall hanging made using hand appliquéd cup cakes that were decorated with lace, buttons and braids.

Tea Pot wall hanging - hand appliqué.

My largest applique project - a Christmas quilt featuring 9 hand appliquéd blocks and border

close up of one of the blocks from "Celebrate the Season"

This Teddy quit was made for my Great niece Sofia. The teddies were from a panel that I fussy cut out after I had put the fusible web on it. The features of the teddies were emphasised by the quilting

Another great nieces quilt that features applique, including some 3D work. The bows are sewn on afterwards.

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