Tropical Applique

Civil War Bride and Clover Black Gold Applique Needles

2011-12-20T05:35:00.000-08:00

Civil War Bride Block One

Hi gang! As you read this entry I hope you and yours are all doing well and looking forward to a Happy Christmas and Chanukah! Like you, I am happily swapped with holiday preparations but I wanted to take a minute and share my latest completed block - Cival War Bride - Block One. The fabrics are a mix of BOM from Honeybee Fabrics and my stash. It't taken me most of October, November and December to stitch this block - sometimes only stitching half a leaf an evening - but I never surrendered to work/life schedule and got my daily 15 minutes in every chance I could.

Clover Black Gold Applique Needles

There's been quite a buzz lately about new applique needles by Clover. The buzz is because 1) they are fabulous and 2) they are EXPENSIVE. The 6 pack pictured here run about $5.50 US; almost a $1 a needle. Regardless of price, I had to try them because very accomplished, award-winning applique artist claimed that the needles improved their stitch. To my amazement, they really did improve my stitch! Oh great! Just what I needed, more expensive toys! So I went back to my stash of classics - Roxanne, John James, etc. and as soon as I picked up the needles I could see my stitch suffer. CWB - Block 1 was stitched almost exclusively with this size 12 Black Gold needle. Click on the photo above to see the block in a bigger view.

Here's my theory as to why they seem to improve most appliquer's stiches. They are coated in a black substance making the needle shaft matt and non-reflective. When I work with the needle, the tip and shaft are very easy to see because there is NO reflection from my light source. I can SEE exactly where the needle tip enters and exists the background. One tip - wipe new needles with a soft piece of cotton to remove any residue before using on your project.

Close up of Clover Black Gold Applique Needles

Now back to Christmas preparations and my Cottage Garden project!

Best stitches,
Mercy in sunny Miami - expected high temps today - 81 F

Speedy Handwork

2011-12-01T08:40:00.000-08:00

Fused applique finished with hand embroidered stem stitch

Speedy Handwork? I know it sounds like a new oxymoron; such as Jumbo Shrimp or Genuine Imitation. Actually, its a method I use to give the handwork touch to fused applique projects. I happened to mention during a yahoo group exchange that I finish the edge of fused applique with a hand stem stitch. Since then I have received several email asking me to show how I do this. You ask, I answer.

I prefer the stem stitch to the blanket stitch because 1) it's much faster and 2) you can vary the length to accommodate a tip or inner corner without it being noticeable.

I begin with a fused applique project. I then select embroidery thread; variegated colors are my favorite. I tend to stick with DMC floss because it's good quality, inexpensive, and readily available. Typically, I use two strands of floss. Sometimes I use 3 strands if I want to make sure the edge is completely covered.

Referring to the diagram in the link, stem stitch., stitch A comes up through the background and fused fabric. Stitch B goes down into the background only and then comes up at point C through the background and fused fabric.

I'm using this technique to finish one of my UFO's, Baltimore Row. I could finish the project on the sewing machine using a blanket stitch or satin stitch, but with all these tiny pieces, I just can't imagine dealing with all the color changes and re-threading.

Until next time...

Best stitches,
Mercy in Miami

Pick 10 projects. Sounds easy? Believe me, it's not!

2011-11-20T07:38:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I send best wishes to each and every reader. Even if you don't live in the US and do not celebrate the holiday, please take a moment along with us to give thanks for the joy and comfort quilting brings. Quilters worldwide are very fortunate to be members of a generous, creative community. For this, I am truly grateful.

American Album

Before you continue reading, if you did not read my previous blog We All Start Somewhere, please take a minute now to read it or else you will feel like you walked into the middle of a movie and the plot will not make any sense.

Civil War Bride

After I wrote to all of you about the Power of 10, I set out to apply it to my own endless stack of projects that range anywhere in progress from "sew on a binding" to "gleam in my eye". Below is an excerpt of the conversation with myself as I set about putting the Power of 10 into practice.

Pick 10 projects! No problem. Done. Work only 3 hours on each and move on to the next one. Hmm...okay. I really wanted to stitch on my project some more. Now the next one. Uhhh...wait a minute. I'm not sure I love this project enough to spend my precious 3 hours on it! Okay, leave it for last and go on to the next one. But, I haven't been able to find a background fabric I love for this project yet. Okay, next.

Teal Baltimore

Very long story short, I ended up revising my list several times and my productivity did not increase. Instead I spend my precious free time re-working my list. However, I did learn a few important lessons that I would like to share so that hopefully you will not repeat my mistakes.

1. If you are going to limit yourself to 10 projects, only pick projects you LOVE! If you don't have 10 that fit the category then pick 3 or 7 or 17. The key is LOVE. Otherwise, you will not stitch on it or, if you do, you will resent it, and look for excuses to NOT sit and quilt.

Christmas Surprise

2. It is very important to keep all your current projects (the ones you are actively working on) in a state such that you can sit and sew, baste, quilt, cut, embroider, etc. at all times. This may be 1 project or 100 projects. Always be ready to quilt when you have a few spare minutes or a free afternoon.

Baltimore Liberty

3. If a project is waiting in the wings but it's still missing a critical piece, e.g. the perfect background or if already pieced/appliqued the perfect backing etc., and you want it on your Current Projects List, plan a shopping trip to you local quilt shop or you stash (yes, you can shop your stash; you will be surprised what you have and have forgotten!) ONLY after you have all the pieces and parts assembled, do you add it to your list. Otherwise, you will waste precious sewing time holding the pattern in your hands and daydreaming. Ask me how I know!

All that being said, here's my Current Project List, in no particular order:

1. Baltimore Row

2. A Christmas surprise for my husband so I cannot name it here

3. Blue Moon

4. Civil War Bride

5. A Cottage Garden

6. Baltimore Liberty

7. Teal Baltimore

8. American Album

9. Spring Flowers

10. Naturalist Notebook

Baltimore Row

A Cottage Garden

I also have several projects on my "I Should Be Working On or Finishing" List. However, they do not meet my criteria so I removed them from my Current Project List. I am much happier, I am making progress, and stitching is FUN again!

Until next time ... Happy Thanksgiving!

Ricky's in training for the Thanksgiving feast!

Best stitches,
Mercy in Miami

Template Free (Back Basting) When the Fabric is Scarce...Plus Fabric Guard Dog in Action!

2011-11-02T05:43:00.000-07:00

Hello blog-o-sphere friends! This blog is a direct result of several emails I received recently regarding the best way to make use of limited fabric to prepare applique the Template Free (Back Basting) way. Sometimes this happens because no matter HOW BIG our stash, the PERFECT fabric is just a tiny scrap. Most commonly, this happens because we sign up for a Block Of the Month (BOM) and the designer or person packaging the kits uses applique prep techniques that are more frugal with fabric. Another reason is that with the price of cotton fabrics sky rocketing quilt shop owners are trying to keep kits affordable. Following is a Pictorial Tutorial of how I tackle this situation. In addition, if you would like to review various techniques, including Template Free (Back Basting) preparation, Applique Points, Inner Curves, Outer Curves, Fussy Placement, etc., please use the links on the right hand side of this page titled, Pictorial Tutorials. As always, feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Best stitches,
Mercy in Miami

PS - Make sure you scroll to the bottom to see Ricky's latest adventure!

Trace design on back of background as usual.

Here is a small piece of fabric that will be the three flowers in the design.

Pin mark the seam allowance around the first flower.

This is what the pin marking looks like from the front of the background.

Use the pin marks on the front to guide placement of the applique fabric. Get the edge of the fabric as close as you can to the pin marks.

Pin applique fabric in place. Baste and trim as usual.

Pin mark the next flower.

Repeat the process of using the pin marks on the front to guide placement of the applique fabric. Again, get the fabric edge as close as possible to the pin marks.

Sometimes you can save fabric by pinning multiple shapes at the same time. Just make sure there is room for a seam allowance between the shapes. Baste and trim as usual.

Viola!

Here is Jim holding up a Superman pillowcase I made for him as a thank you for being my Superman and grilling for my Round Robin group this past weekend.

Of course it didn't take long for Ricky and Jim to discover the pillowcase scraps. It seems that this is what all the Fabric Guard Dogs are wearing this year!

Good boy Ricky! You nabbed your first fabric thief!

Please no cameras, I have a secret identity to protect!

2011 Round Robin Reveal...Plus This Year's Halloween Costume Parade

2011-10-30T10:12:00.000-07:00

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.: Albert CamusFrench existentialist author & philosopher (1913 - 1960)

Happy Halloween and Harvest Festival! Of course, in Miami all the beautiful maple leaves are made of silk and the smell of apple trees is supplied by Yankee Candle. As children we always chose our costumes to be as skimpy as possible, not because we were exhibitionist, but because it was still so hot in October. Regardless, I love Fall so I turn the air conditioning down low, light scented candles, and scatter silk Autumn colored leaves!

Here's a sneak peek at what the best dressed dogs will be wearing for Halloween this year!

Ethel the Good Witch of the West

Lucy claims The Devil Made Me Do It

Ricky is a Four-eyed Alien

This weekend, a small group from my local quilt guild got together at my home to reveal the Round Robin (RR) quilts we have been working on this year. For those of you are are not familiar with RR, the premise is as follows:

Select a block and collect coordinating fabrics. Put everything into a bag large enough to hold everything. Include a label, notepad, and a disposable camera (optional).
All participants meet and present their blocks and fabrics to the group.
Hand off your bag to the next person in line in the group. That person then adds a border, or embellishment, or row (depending on rules the group sets).
The group meets again, at established intervals, i.e. once a month, or every two months, etc. You hand off the bag you just finished to the next person in line again. The original owner is NOT allowed to see their block's progress at each exchange.
After every one's block has been passed to everyone in the group, the block (by this time a quilt) is passed back to the owner. This is called the Reveal.

I have participated in several RR's and I have always loved the results. They are always unexpected because they are rarely what I would have done so they open me up to new possibilities and push my creative boundaries.

Mercy's Brickmaker's House Closeup

Mercy's Brickmaker's House

My center is a block I stitched as a sample for Elly Sienkiewicz's book Baltimore Elegence, entitled Brickmaker's House. I love this block because my paternal grandfather was a stone mason. I wanted to turn it into a wall hanging but was totally stumped as to how to finish it so I submitted it for my RR. I LOVE how it turned out! Thank you Robinette's!!!

Here are the other Robinette's finished quilts. Please keep in mind that each quilt top was worked on by several individuals. I think the creativity really comes through. Enjoy the mini quilt top show.
Until then...

Best stitches,
Mercy in Miami

Jen's Peacock

Jen's Peacock Closeup

Linda's Geisha

Linda's Geisha Closeup

Carol G.'s Cottage Quilt

That's me holding up Phyllis' Crazy Patch Christmas

Phyllis' Crazy Patch Christmas Closeup

Carol S.' Desert

Carol S.' Desert Closeup

Karen's Seashore

Gerry's I Love Card Tricks

Lois' Geisha

Lois' Geisha Closeup

We All Start Somewhere, Now If I Could Only Stop... Plus, Meet Ricky!

2011-10-28T08:15:00.000-07:00

First Applique Block

As I was cleaning out a drawer in my sewing room I found the applique block that I stitched in class with Jeana Kimball a little over 13 years ago. It was during this class that I learned Template Free (Back Basting) preparation and needle turn applique. It was during this class that I fell in love with hand applique. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Poppy

Fast forward to today. Here is the latest block I have finished. It is the Poppy block designed by Jeana Kimball for the Cottage Garden quilt. I also completed the House Finch block.

House Finch

Basted and Ready to Applique

I am also working on the Civil War Bride quilt by Corlis Searcey. I have completely basted block one.

Fist layer basted

This is the perfect pattern to pre-baste the entire block because there is minimal overlap of the applique pieces. How does she do that you ask? Well, first I baste everything I possibly can without overlap of the stitching line. Where applique pieces are very close, I move the seam allowance out of the way before I baste the piece next to it.

Possible overlap areas pinned out of the way to continue basting

In some cases I may even applique a portion of the piece down so that I can baste another piece on top of it. The idea is to baste as much as possible to have the greatest amount of uninterrupted applique time!

Speaking of applique time.... Jeana's class, where I fell in love with hand applique, was also the beginning of my obsession that has led to a houseful of quilting UFO's (UnFinished Objects).

Realizing that many of my quilting brethren suffer from this same obsession, I wanted to pass on a technique for finishing projects that was recently passed on to me. Now, before I share, I need to state that this came directly from my yahoo group. I tried to research the originator but was unsuccessful. I only found numerous references to it appearing in various blogs and quilt related newsletters. I would like to share THE POWER OF 10.

The "Power of 10" in quilting does not refer to a higher mathematical formula. Instead, it is a simple way to complete quilt projects that we want to finish before.

1. Simply find the projects that you are no longer interested in completing and pass them on to someone who would love it as much as you once did.

2. List 10 projects that you would like to complete. Now remember "Only 10" projects are to be on the list.

3. Begin working on the projects on the list and spend three hours toward completing it.

4. Keep a list of projects and the hours worked.

5. Once three hours are spent on a project move to the next. A quilter's interest wanes and is usually spent after three hours. Now if a project requires two to four hours it doesn't matter. Simply finish the project. Feel good about finishing it.

6. Find another project and add it to the list. Remember, only Ten Projects are your focus.

7. Continue to rotate the projects you are working on.

8. List the supplies needed to finish your projects.

9. Shop at Local Quilt Shop for items needed to finish your projects.

10. The `Power of Ten` becomes reality when you are able to share your project.

Ricky on the left, Lucy on the right

On a different topic altogether, I would like to introduce everyone to Ricky Savage. Ricky is a 16 week old German Sheppard puppy and my birthday present. He has bonded quite nicely with his harem, Lucy and Ethel, and is quickly realizing females rule the home! And before you ask, Fred is going to be a goldfish!

All of our puppies have grown up to be excellent Fabric Guard Dogs. Here is Ricky taking his Fabric Guard Dog Oath.

I promise to protect Mommy's sewing room!

Fabric Guard Dog on Duty!

And here is Ricky on his first guard dog shift!

Until next time...

Best stitches,
Mercy in Miami

Updated: New Color-Coded Marking Technique for Template Free (Back Basting) Applique !

2011-10-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

Civil War Bride pattern by Corlis Searcey

Happy autumn! October is my favorite month of the year. It's not as colorful here as in other parts of the US and Canada and it's still pretty hot. But, the humidity doesn't slap you in the face when you open the front door on your way to work. For at least a few hours in the morning it's very pleasant to be outside AND in the afternoon it's still pool weather; best of both worlds! Plus, I love the anticipation of the holidays. They are still far enough away that there is no stress yet but close enough to have something to look forward to.

I've been making progress on a few works in progress this past month, my Teal Baltimore and a few pieced projects. I'm also starting a new project this month, Civil War Bride (CWB) quilt.

CWB BOM Block 1 Fabrics from Honeybee Fabrics

I received the pattern last year for my birthday and am receiving the fabric as a BOM from Honey Bee Fabrics.

CWB Stash

To me a BOM is is a suggestion. I always customize the fabrcis from my most fabric stash.

I'm predicting this will be a fun project because I am doing it along with a small group of friends online. If this is something you would be interested in, the yahoo group is called Appliqué Your Way. We are prepping this month to begin stitching block one in November so there is still time to join if you are interested.

Speaking of prepping blocks, I would like to share a hybrid tip with all of you. It's a hybrid because I combined tips from two appliqué artist I respect, Sandra Leichner and Jeana Kimball. Here goes.... I have always used a pencil of some type to mark the back of my background fabric in preparation to use Template Free (Back Basting). With very complex blocks or blocks that require a lot of stitching and handling, the pencil line will tend to fade over time and become very difficult to see. Jeana's tip is to use a very fine line marker. She recommends a Pigma Pen .01. I tried this on a few projects using a sepia colored one and it worked very well. It's now my back of background marking tool of choice. Here's the second part... I just received several new patterns from Sandra's collection, The Naturalist Notebook. These patterns are complex so Sandra color codes the pattern drawing to separate the flowers, leaves, birds, etc. and make the pattern a little easier to read. When I read her pattern I had a true AH HA moment! Pigma Pens come in a variety of colors!

Color-Coded tracing on the Back of the Background

So on my first CWB block I tested my idea - I traced the pattern on the back of the background using different colors so that I could easily distinguish the apples from the stems from the leaves from the vase from the table from the ..... I think you get the idea. It may not be necessary for simple blocks but if you love complex blocks like I do (Baltimore especially) then I think this tip is going to come in very handy. Let me know if try it. And if you do, did you find it useful.

On word of caution - USE A VERY LIGHT HAND!!!!

USE A VERY LIGHT HAND!!!!!

Cosmos block from Jeana Kimbell's A Cottage Garden pattern

These past few weeks I have also been working on my Cosmos block for The Cottage Garden by Jeana Kimball. I'm not crazy about how this one turned out but I'm not going to stress over it. Remember the Cinderella Principle; Cinderella always appeared so beautiful because she was always standing next to her ugly stepsisters. Every quilt needs a few stepsister blocks and Cosmos will be a candidate.

Well that's it for now. Until next time...

Best stitches,
Mercy in Miami

Quick Update: Since I posted this blog this morning I have received several emails with the same question "Aren't you worried about the pen showing on the front of the block?" My response is YES! I was very worried about it showing through. That is why I use a VERY LIGHT HAND with the marker and why I included the second photo closeup of the marking. It's VERY light. Also I tend to select heavier background fabrics for applique because I have found lighter weight fabrics don't hold up well to all the handling and the weight of the applique fabrics. I usually stick with Cherrywoods, Kona, and some Modas. For the Modas I avoid white or very pale colors. The Civil War Bride is on a Moda Fig in Wheat color and my Teal Baltimore is a dusty teal Moda Three Sisters. In addition, I just ordered a small set of Pigma markers on Amazon that are all .005 (the finest they make) just to be extra safe. Finally, remember to ALWAYS test first on a scrap of background fabric!
Best stitches,
Mercy in Miami

Getting Better Organized

2011-09-25T08:22:00.000-07:00

Color Inspiration for Nasturtiums Block

Too messy for my comfort!

Hi gang! I hope everyone reading this is doing well and enjoying a change of seasons. Here in Miami it's still HOT and HUMID. That means Miami quilters are all still indoors with the air conditioning on high and busy working on projects. If you are like me and busy in your sewing room, sometimes the mess gets a little out of hand. I don't seem to work very well in disorganization so I'm always looking for organizing solutions.

My latest find is called the Iris Scrapbook Cart

Solution!

What I really like about this particular cart is that the individual drawers are closed containers that I can grab go!

That works well for transporting my projects to quilt group OR to the family room so I can sit with my family and still work on my projects.

Loaded with projects!

One holds all my tools, then each remaining holds a project!

I loaded all my hand applique tools into one container (and because it closes tight there is no fear of loosing needles, pins, thimbles, or other tiny tools). I loaded the remaining containers with individual projects.

Much neater!

My sewing room is still not perfectly neat but it's so much better!

Nasturtiums Block

For those of you following along, here is my latest block in Jeana Kimball's Cottage Garden class. I have never seen a Nasturtium flower in real life so I took my color cues from our tropical red orange/yellow flowers. I'm really happy with how it turned out.

Fabric Guard Dogs on Duty

I can't believe Lucy (on the left) and Ethel (on the right) are almost 1 year old. They have grown into wonderful fabric guard dogs. Ethel has an affinity for purple fabric and if I leave any within her reach it's hers! Lucy likes to lay close by and watch me stitch.

Until next time....
Best stitches,
Mercy in Miami

Nature is carefree. Leaves are part of nature. Therefore, leaves are carefree!

2011-09-01T18:05:00.000-07:00

I have been working on and off on a Teal Baltimore Album style quilt for a few years now. I just love the project but sometimes working on formal style applique can be draining. I decided this summer that I am going to approach all my projects with the intention of having fun and simply enjoying the process. Here is the current block that I am working on (one I began May last year).

There are several elements in the block that required perfect placement to make sense. For example, the eye of the peacock had to be located correctly in the head. However, the 50 plus leaves do not have to be PERFECTLY placed nor do they all have to look identical. I use Template Free (or Back Basting) almost exclusively for all my projects. However, the thought of basting 53 leaves just zapped all the joy out of this block! The same goes for freezer paper on top or prepared edge or...

But leaves ARE carefree. They blow and twist in the wind. They are all different colors and sizes. So this is the technique I decided to go with to make stitching this block in the same carefree way as leaves exist in nature. I chose a few general leaf shapes and cut them from freezer paper.

I then stacked 5-8 leaf fabrics one on top of each other. I placed the paper leave template on top of the stack, pinned through all the layers, and cut out the shape adding a generous 1/8 inch seam allowance.

I then placed all the leaves in a bag and shook the bag to mix up the leaves.

I used the pattern to guide me placing the leaves. I pulled out one leaf at a time and I used my trusty Sewline glue stick. It’s one of the few adhesives that is made from chemicals that do not attract critters. In addition, it’s very tacky instead of wet so it sticks and dries almost instantly. Woohoo! I prepped a portable block to stitch on the go and it only took a single short session to complete! Plus, the random nature of the fabrics and placement was lots of fun.

For those of you that this technique is way too carefree, a light box can be used to place the leaves. If you don’t have a glue stick that you like, the leaves can be pinned and later thread basted to make the project portable.

The block is now ready for needle turn stitching. After appliqueing for a while most of us can eyeball a standard seam allowance. However, a bonus of this technique is that each leaf will be different without a lot of effort. Remember, variety is the spice of life and the key to visual interest!

Happy Labor Day weekend to my USA blog readers! I hope everyone has a wonderful long weekend surrounded by those you love.

Until next time,

Best stitches!

Mercy in Miami

Hollyhocks Blooming in South Florida

2011-08-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

Geranium in my front yard that I used for color inspiration

Hello everyone! I can't believe it's almost Labor Day! Where has the summer gone? Mine has been spent focusing on my 9-5 job. Actually more like 7 - 6 but that's okay because I really love it! In my spare time I have been working on adorable little blocks from Jeana Kimball's A Cottage Garden. Here is the latest installment ; my interpretation of a Hollyhock.

Hollyhock block from Jeana Kimball's A Cottage Garden pattern

All the embroidery is done using 50 weight sewing thread. This is an online class and we receive our patterns on the first of each month. I can't wait to see what September 1st brings!

I also have my main sewing machine back and working so I spent part of the weekend trying to finish my Blue Moon quit kit by Charlotte Angotti. My 830 had been feeling poorly and my local dealer closed it's doors in May. I took me a bit but I finally found an excellent Bernina dealer, Sew Studio in Naples, Florida. The repair person, Ken, is a retired US Air Force aviation electronics technician and an absolute whiz with machines! Not only did my machine work perfectly when I brought it home, it looked brand new! Ken even polished the foot control so it looked as if it has never been used! Of course, I had to do a little shopping while I was there. The fabric selections were gorgeous. All new fabrics, tons of batiks, backgrounds, blenders, prints, etc. I highly recommend to my applique friends!

Until next time...

Best stitches,
Mercy in Miami

A Gift For My Readers!

2011-08-22T05:12:00.000-07:00

I decided to give a gift to all my loyal blog readers that stuck with me while my blogs were far and few between. Please click on this link Gardenia Wreath with Bow to access a page to download one of my original patterns. The pattern is designed for the adventurous beginner and up. It is appropriate for all machine and hand applique methods. The only favor I ask is that you respect that it is for personal use only. If you would like to use it for any other purpose, please email. I will do my best to work with you.
Enjoy!

Best stitches,
Mercy in Miami

Not Every Painting Needs to Be Important

2011-08-18T06:22:00.000-07:00

Hi gang!

I hope all of you reading this are enjoying a wonderful summer (or for those in the Southern Hemisphere an uneventful winter). Miami has been hot, humid, and rainy for the last few months – i.e. perfect quilting weather! We lock ourselves indoors, make huge pitchers of iced tea, crank up the AC, and curl up with our projects. Other members of my household have found more traditional ways to keep cool. Sometimes it’s a dip in the pool.

Ethel loves to swim!

Other times it’s sharing a popsicle.

My husband's hand with Lucy on the left and Ethel on the right

Many of you have written to ask if I was 'OK' because my blogging have been very sporatic since last fall. The truth is that I have had a very difficult year heathwise. However, I am very happy to report that I am finally on the mend and will do my best to return to a more dependable blogging schedule. One of the worst side effects of being ill was that it zapped my creative energy as well as my spirit. After barely stitching or sitting at a sewing machine for a year it has been very difficult to dive back in. Especially because most of my works in progress required either advance applique or very detailed machine quilting. Everything seemed so overwhelming! But then I remembered some very wise advice I received from my graduate school painting instructor - not every painting needs to be important. Wiser words were never spoken - at least to me directly! Not every quilt you make, or every block you stitch, or every project you work on, or every book you read, or every show you watch, or every (fill in the blank) has to be SERIOUS. A joyful life is made up of joyful activities. It's perfectly ok to work on projects that are whimsical simply because it's FUN. Remember fun? Wasn't that the reason most of us started quilting?

So that's exactly what I did! I picked out the most FUN project I had on my radar and decided to just enjoy myself. I enrolled in a year long online class with Jeana Kimball, called A Cottage Garden. Here is my first block of the project; Robin

It took me too evenings to stitch is block and I had the time of my life - no pressure, no worries - just fabric and thread and joy!

So until next time, remember to have a little fun every day!

Best stitches!

Mercy in Miami

Fast, Easy, Tiny Circles - By Hand - Perfect Every Time! Plus EXTRA Skinny Stems - Bonus

2011-07-11T20:08:00.000-07:00

OK gang - I have finally found by my preferred method for making circles! If you do not hand appliqué (or if you have not made a grape wreath block) then you cannot possibly appreciate the impact of this discovery. Nevertheless, I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the how quickly and accurately circles can be prepped for hand (or machine) appliqué.

First, let me give credit where credit is due. I belong to several online appliqué groups. These are fabulous resources and opportunities to share with quilters all over the country and the world. Members post questions, generously provide tips and answers, and enjoy fellowship (I posted links to a few of these groups below for anyone that might be interested). Very recently, a member of one of these groups, Jenny Craddock, posted her method of making circles. With her permission I am posting her method...

"Iron two sheets of Wash Away Appliqué Sheets (C&T publishing. I've had mine for some time, so don't remember where I got it but probably my local quilt store)... cut your circles with a hole punch. I recently bought a 5/8", 3/4", and a 1". I already had a 1/2" and a 1/4" and a couple of smaller ones. Put a dot of glue on the circle and place on the fabric. Cut your circle with a seam allowance, do a running stitch around it and carefully pull together. The advertising for the sheets says "wash out for a softer end result or simply leave it in...it will soften over time." I plan to leave it in. " Jenny Craddock.

This is the beauty of quilting; the generosity and sharing of ideas. The craft paper punches were my AHHH moment. I ran right out and found a nifty selection of circle paper punches in the sizes I needed for my current projects.

I did not have any of the Wash Away sheets available but I did have a very similar product from Sharon Schamber. It did NOT work! The paper punch was instantly jammed on the fibers. I tried freezer paper - didn't work. Two sheets of freezer paper ironed together - still did not make a clean cut. Then my husband suggested I use "real paper." Huh - sigh - he always thinks he understands this quilting stuff. So he brought over a few sheet of printer paper and an old manila file folder. Well, sure enough, he was right. But please don't tell him! The punches were perfect every time; even the 1/4 inch. After a little more experimenting, it turns out that only "crisp" paper works well. For most of the world this is not an issue. But, for soggy, south Florida, in the dead of summer, this is a big issue. I decided to stick with manila folders- they are cheap, just sturdy enough to provide a nice edge, and thin enough to leave in if I desire. I imagine some purists are horrified at the thought of leaving a piece of paper in their quilt. Well, many award winning appliqué artists admit to leaving freezer paper inside very small shapes. In my book, anything 5/8 inch or less is considered very small. Plus, museums are filled with quilts loaded with newspaper foundations, glues, adhesives, interfacing, etc.

In twenty minutes, I have 120 PERFECT, 1/2 inch circles punched out of a manila folder.

I was not in the mood to mark and cut 120 fabric circles and I did not want to use glue (glues, starches, etc. are not suitable for our climate because they tend to attract flora and fauna, i.e. molds and bugs). Instead I rotary cut 120 1-inch squares (double the size of the finished circle). This took another 20 minutes.

I then freehand stitched a circle (does NOT have to be perfect) along the edge of the square. In the example I used a contrasting thread so you can see it. I then quickly snipped the corners to remove bulk. I placed the manila folder circle in the center of the stitched circle and pulled the thread to gather the edges up over the circle.

I smoothed the edges and tied the thread off in the back. Viola - a finished fast and easy circle that can be stitched down either by hand or by machine.

OK - so if you are still fretting about the piece of paper left in your block, after the circle is stitched, you can, from the back, snip the background underneath the circle, and pull the paper out from there. You can also iron the circle, then snip the basting threads to pop out the paper. Re-iron and stitch down. But really - I don't see the need.

For a stuffed circle, place a little tuft of batting under the paper shape before gathering. It's give a very nice effect.

Now for the bonus - EXTRA skinny stems - thinner than 1/4". Again, I have to thank Jenny. She has everyone on our online group modifying our clover bias makers. Jenny's tip for making 3/16" and smaller stems is to take a 1/4" clover bias maker (the smallest one on the market) and use pliers to squeeze the opening together until it's only 3/16" wide. Then feed a scant 1/2" bias strip of fabric through the bias maker following the manufacturer's directions. A perfect 3/16" bias strip comes out the other end. Next I am going to try to modify a bias maker to make 1/8" bias strip. Yes, I know extra skinny bias stems are easy using the back basting (template free) method. But, this mehtod also goes very fast.

Enjoy these tips, enjoy the summer, and enjoy your quilting!

Best stitches,

Mercy in Miami

From start to finish, each circle only takes about a minute to prep - including cutting the template, rotary cutting the fabric, and stitching the gathering. In addition, because there is no glue, or starch, or iron involved my project just became that much more portable.

Round and Round - Applique Circle Methods Put To the Test

2011-04-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!

I belong to several excellent, online quilting groups. Lately, there has been quite a bit of discussion regarding the best method for appliqueing circles. I have always used Template Free preparation to prepare and baste the circle in one step, and then needle turn to applique it down. My grapes, berries, etc. have always looked acceptable but I am always looking for ways to improve my work. So, I set out to test a few of the methods discussed in the groups. I can say that there is no one definitive way to make circles and that personal preference plays a huge role. So instead of trying to sway anyone towards one particular method, I decided to record both the pros and cons I experienced as I conducted the great circle experiment of 2011.

Gathered over a Freezer Paper or Card Stock Template
The first method I attempted required me to draw several circle shapes on either freezer paper or card stock and them cut them out. Well, it seems I must been out the day they taught circle cutting in Kindergarten because I could not manage to cut out a circle that did not have a flat edge. Like most things in ~~life~~quilting- your outcome is only as good as your template. Therefore, based on the fact I couldn't make a decent template, I had to skip over this method. I wonder if I can hire a cutting tutor.

Gathered over a Mylar Template

This method requires the purchase of a set of Mylar Templates. The fabric for the circle is cut about 1/4 inch larger than the finished circle. Using a strong thread, run a line tiny basting stitches just inside the cut line.

Place the Mylar template in the center of the basted lines. Pull the basting threads to gather the fabric around the template.

Paint the edges of the fabric with either fabric sizing or starch.

Place the fabric circle under a medium iron until the starch/sizing dries.

After the sizing is dry, loosen the basting stitched to remove the Mylar template. Pull the basting threads gently to close the circle again. Place on your background and stitch. The biggest PRO is that the circle is pretty round. You can't argue with results. However, I did not find the process enjoyable. Which leads me to the CONS. I had to work at my ironing station with a hot iron and sizing. I like my handwork because it's portable and I can stitch anywhere the rest of the family is. Also, the starch and ironing made the circle relatively stiff and hard. I like my fabric to feel like fabric.

Moreover, I am not a fan of adding any more chemicals to my fabric. In fact, I prewash all fabric in hot water because of my allergies. If any fabrics bleed in the hot water wash I discard them. In the tropics, we can't use starch without attracting critters. That leaves us with sizing. I noticed that when I sprayed the fabric with sizing, the fabric began to bleed quite a bit. Now I'm worried about what will happen when I wash this piece and the remaining sizing washes out - will it bleed the color onto my background? Scary.

Gathered Around a Mylar Template and Pulled Through a Round Hole

This method is fast because it does not require any stitching. It does require the purchase of a Circleez tool. Basically, you cut a square of fabric the size indicated on the packaging for the size of circle you are making.

Place Mylar template in the center of the fabric.

Gather fabric around the template and twist.

Pull excess gathered fabric through red template that comes with the tool.
Arrange the gathers such that the circle's edges are nice and smooth.

Spray the front with sizing and place under a medium iron until dry.

After it's dry, remove from template and trim excess fabric.

Several circles ready to stitch.

After the circle is trimmed, place on your background fabric and stitch. The most notable PRO is that this technique is FAST. I was able to prepare a circle in less than a minute as claimed on the packaging. However, all the cons from the previous technique also apply here. In addition, I was not able to get as perfect a circle because the edge was not as crisp as using the basted gathering around the template.

Circleez circle

Template Free Preparation and Needle Turn

This is my old standby method. Please refer to my pictorial tutorial Template Free Circles for a more detailed explanation of this method. Basically, you draw the circle on the wrong side of the background fabric. User a circle template for an accurate shape. My favorite is Skinny Stems & Tiny Circles Ruler by Mary Sorensen. You pin the applique fabric to the front of the background. From the back you baste right on the pencil line. Then from the front you trim the applique fabric seam allowance. Clip one or two basting threads, remove them, and needle turn the seam allowance.

Trimmed circle. Clip knot and remove
one basting stitch at a time.

Remove basting stitches and needle turn as you go.

Not perfect but not bad.

The biggest PRO to this technique is that it it TOTALLY portable and does not require any extra chemical (i.e. starch or sizing). The CON is that you need to be fairly good at needle turn get a good result.

Final impressions...

This is by no means all the methods out there. But, this grouping is a good representation of the basic techniques available. I did not find a perfect method. Each has it's fair share of CONS. However, each method has great PROS that I can use to my advantage depending on the project and my objectives. For example, if I have a machine applique project I will use the Gathered over a Mylar Template method. If I have a community quilt or other project where time is short, I will use the Gathered Around a Mylar Template and Pulled Through a Round Hole method. If I am working on a needle turn, hand project I will stick with the Template Free Preparation and Needle Turn method. Finally, but most importantly, this was a completely unscientific study. The Pros and Cons are my personal opinion. The only way to find what works best for you is for you to try techniques on your own.

I invite you to please leave a comment if you have found this blog entry useful. Or, if you have a circle technique that you love and would like me to try. I am always looking for way to improve my quilting!

Until next time...

Best stitches,
Mercy

I Won an Award!

2011-04-14T08:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, when I got home and checked my email, I was very shocked to learn that I had won the Stylish Blogger Award! Susan Torrens from Ontario, Canada nominated me. Susan writes The Proficient Needle blog. Thank you Susan! You made my day.

Being the total nerd that I am, I had to research the award and learn as much about it as I could. Of course, there is no information to be found on the origin of the award but lots and lots of Google search hits of past winners. I was surprised that it's not exclusively a Quilting Blog award. Hmmm...Could this be the Blog-o-sphere version of a chain letter - but without the threat of bad luck! And, then I realized "No, it's simply a very nice way to share the blogs you enjoy with others!"

Just like winning a Nobel Prize or being crowned Miss America, the Stylish Blogger Award comes with certain responsibilities. First, you must add the Stylish Blogger Award logo to your site. Check!

Second, you reveal 7 things about yourself to your blog readers. This is tough because after 3 years of blogs I feel like there is nothing much left to say that I haven't already mentions at least twice. But, here goes....

1. As much as I love my dogs, Lucy, Ethel, and Thaddeus (RIP) I never wanted to have any pets. I am allergic to dander and suffer around birds, I grew up terrified of dogs, never cared for cats, and Prada was my idea of Reptile Rescue. Yes, when you grow up in Florida there is such a thing as Reptile Rescue. As a child, all I ever had were fish and as Archie Bunker used to say, "Goldfish are the best pet. They die before you get tired of them." Now, I can't imagine my life without my furry companions and a nice pair of designer pumps with matching handbag!

2. I am a terrible cook! I am a real foodie and I have a beautiful herb and vegetable garden. I give my tomatoes and peppers to my parents - this year's tomatoes are very sweet by the way, and use cuttings from the herbs to scent the kitchen. But, our meals are delivered to our door by a gourmet food service 4-5 days a week.

3. I design databases for a living. I have been an Information Technology professional for 27 years. For the last 17 years, I have specialized in database designs.

4. I love a good story! I read, listen, or watch anything as long as it has a plot and interesting characters. Highbrow, lowbrow, no brow isn't important. It's all about the story. My favorite contemporary writer is Michael Connelly. My favorite writer of all time is John Steinbeck. I can read Cannery Row once a week and always find something new. Right now, I'm reading Quilt As Desired (A Harriet Truman/Loose Threads Mystery) by Arlene Sachitano, Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly, and Fourth of July by James Patterson - love my Kindle. I am listening to The Bourne Identify on audio. In total, I read/re-read/listen/re-listen to about 40 books a year.

5. I inherited my mother's most famous family trait - I can't carry a tune unless it's in a bucket! My little brother suffers from this affliction also. As kids, we had to prepare pageants and songs during holiday time. I remember one year when the young seminarian that was filling in as the choir director had to separate my brother and me because if we sang together it would throw the organist off.

6. My formal education is in visual art. My degree is a Bachelor of Fine Arts - Painting. In graduate school, I majored in drawing. Yes, I build database for a living.

7. Superman is my favorite super hero. No one comes close. Before I met my husband, whenever I would meet a new man, one of the first things I asked them was "Who do you prefer, Superman or Spiderman?" If the guy answered Spiderman he never got a second date. When I asked my husband this question on our first date, his response was "Superman, no one else comes close." I knew right then this was the man I was going to marry!

Check, Check!!

Now for the last instruction...I must select seven blogs to nominate for this award. Without a doubt, these are my favorite blogs. Some are VERY famous so I'm sure you have read them many times, others are not as famous but the work is phenomenal and the content inspiring. Please enjoy!

1. Charlotte Angotti

2. Diane Gaudynski

3. Jeana Kimball

4. Sandra Leichner

5. Jane's Threads and Treasures

6. Miami Threads

7. Secret Sewing Sisterhood

Check, Check, Check!!!

Until next time...

Best stitches,

Mercy in Miami

What Color Are Leaves?

2011-04-09T18:01:00.000-07:00

Striped Leaves

For most of my childhood my definition of heaven was a box of crayons and a coloring book. When I started first grade my parents splurged and gifted me with my first Crayola 64 box with the built in crayon sharpener. I remember pulling each crayon out, reading the names, and lining them all up by color. I loved each and everyone.

In 1966, in Miami, Florida, on an especially nice afternoon, Sister Christine took the first grade class outside. She sat us all in circle under a large banyan tree. She stood in the middle of the circle and held up a crayon drawing of a tree; a brown rectangle topped by three green cotton ball shapes. She then handed each of us a piece of white craft paper and asked us to draw a tree. Now, I was more of a coloring book type of kid. I like choosing the colors and staying inside the lines. I wasn't particularly interested in drawing my own pictures. (Maybe that's why today I love to buy other designer's patterns and subscribe to BOM's.) I copied the basic drawing, the rectangle trunk and the cotton ball shaped leave clusters. I filled in the shapes using every color in my box - all 64 colors! I remember feeling quite proud of my drawing. I also remember Sister Christine's shadow falling over my paper and the paper being ripped from my hands. She held the drawing up to the class and said "Children, please look at this drawing. This is a perfect example of not listening to your teacher and not following directions." Then the drawing was torn into several small pieces. I was given another blank sheet and asked to do the assignment again but this time correctly. But, we were sitting under a tree! Couldn't Sister Christine see the colors were all there? That my drawing was accurate? Didn't she know that leaves were red and black and orange and brown and pink with only a tiny bit of green? The trunk was dark red and purple and yellow - see! I guess she didn't because she didn't accept my assignment until I turned in a brown trunk topped with exactly three, green, cotton boll shapes.

Polka Dot Leaves

Fast forward 45 years. I am here to say, without fear of another unsatisfactory mark in conduct on my report card, LEAVE ARE NOT JUST GREEN and TREE TRUNKS ARE NOT JUST BROWN. The photo at the top of the blog is of a bromiliad with zebra striped leaves- how cool is that? How about the polka dot leaves on the right? They are yellow green with white polka dots on the top of the leaf and bright magenta on the underside of the leaf.

Below is one of my favorite trees in our local botanical garden. It's a camouflage tree. The photo does not do it justice. It is shades of blue, grey, pink, yellow, etc.

Camouflage Tree

Use your imagination and use your stash. Use the colors, textures, patterns, prints, values, and scale that speaks to your heart and eye. Make sure that what you stitch brings you joy. Isn't that why we all started to quilt in the first place?

Potential Leaf Fabric

I recently took a quick trip to a local quilt shop and found some interesting fabrics to use for leaves. My guidelines for buying fabric is "If you love it buy it" and "If you use enough variety of fabrics, they all go together"

This was specifically an applique fabric finding trip. I found water fabric, sail fabric for a clipper ship. a great red for berries, lace print, very small checks, and multi-colored ric rac for gathered flowers. My chauffeur ( and wonderful husband) fell in love with the Superman fabric. I will make a couple of pillowcases for his man cave.

Quilt Shop Finds

20 1/2 Inch Square Ruler

However, the FIND of the trip was a 20-1/2 inch square ruler. Unless you are an appliquer you can't appreciate the pure joy of this find. I am a Baltimore style applique enthusiast. The original blocks were in a large scale - 18 inch to 20 inch or more finished size. I also like to have the option of a larger scale block. For 2 years I have been working on a quilt made up of 13 - 18 inch blocks set on point. I have had more than one sleepless night fretting about how I was going to square up and trim a block that size (on point) when the largest square ruler I had ever found locally was 16-1/2 inches. I actually did a happy dance right in the store.

Here are a few more photos from our local botanical garden. I find them very inspiring.

Until next time,

Best stitches,

Mercy in Miami

Lucy and Ethel

If you need to get something done, you ask a busy person to do it...hmmmm

2011-04-06T17:32:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring everyone!

I sincerely hope each one of you has been healthy and happy during my blogging hiatus. It has been a trying winter but everything seems to be back on course and I am finally able to devote a little time to my blog.

So without further ado, let’s talk quilts!

They say that if you need to get something done, you ask a busy person to do it. Hmmm. I never really understood this quote until I found myself with a husband, a home, a demanding job, pets, parents, and a passion to quilt. Then I understood – the busy person knows how to organize and prioritize. And, let’s face it, that seems to be the only way things get done. Now, I am NOT the poster child for getting projects finished but I do manage to get a little quilting in almost every day and thought I would share some of my organizing tips.

Tip 1 – Maintain a Project To Do List. I know – very scary. The first time I did this several years ago, I had over 30 quilt projects listed. This included small items such as finishing a binding, or adding a label to a quilt back, and big items such as designing my own Baltimore Album Quilt. The latter is still on my list by the way. Today, my list is a little longer (hahah) but I don’t worry about that. I use the list as a tool to organize the projects by technique, by what stage each one is at, and by due date if any has a deadline. I then select the top project in each category/stage and setup a workstation for each one. This brings me to Tip 2.

Tip 2 – Setup Workstations. Currently, I am blessed with a large workspace that I can leave set up to sew at any time. Previously, my “workstations” were plastic project bins. The idea is to have everything to you need to work on a project all in one place so that if you only have a few minutes, you don’t spend them gathering your tools.

Current portable applique project - sometimes I only get half a grape sewn.

Tip 3 – No amount of time is too little to sew. Just a few minutes here and there all add up to progress.

Blue Moon in progress - Design and kit by Charlotte Angotti

What my sewing room looks like now….

Workstation One is setup for piecing. The project is a WONDERFUL laser cut kit by Charlotte Angotti called Blue Moon.

Charlotte Angotti's quilt, Blue Moon

I must digress here and put in a plug for precut kits – they are the cat’s meow. This is the first laser cut kit I have ever worked with and to quote Scarlett O’Hara “God as my witness, I will never cut fabric again!” Okay, maybe that isn’t the exact quote. But, it’s wonderful to stitch. John Flynn cuts the kits to Charlotte’s specification using fabric she provides. The laser burns the cut line into the fabric so the edges are seared – NO raveling – and accurate to within the width of a human hair. Even more wonderful, the Flynn’s provide this service for us regular folk too. You can pack up your fabric, mail it off to Kate Flynn, tell them what you want; they cut it, and mail it back. How wonderful is that? And what a great time saver!

Workstation Two is setup for machine appliqué. The project is The Planets. My college-age cousin came down during her spring break with a photo from the internet of a quilt she wanted to make. Of course, there was no pattern to be found so we made it up as we went along. After Meagan picked all her fabrics from my stash, I taught her how to prepare the planets and rings using the templar and Starch method. I appliquéd the unit using Sew Art invisible thread in both the bobbin and top. I set a very narrow and short blind hem stitch. I left everything set up for her to continue in May after the school term is over.

The Planet in progress - block 1 stitched, 19 more planets and rings waiting to be prepped

Workstation Three is setup for cutting. Again, waiting for Meagan to return and cut the strips for The Planet quilt border.

Workstation Four is setup for handwork. This includes a great light, a comfortable chair, the best view of the TV, and all handwork supplies within easy reach. The individual projects are stored in plastic bins and Ziploc bags. This way I can pull out the project I would like to work on and have all my tools handy. While at the workstation, I usually work on prep tasks that I can’t do elsewhere easily. I save the things that I can do outside of the sewing room for when we watch TV in the family room or sit outside by the pool.

As soon as Meagan visits in May and finishes The Planet quilt, Workstation Two will be transformed into a piecing workstation and Workstation One will become a machine quilting workstation. I know exactly the machine-quilting project I will be working on because it’s at the top of my Project To Do List!

In early December, we lost the world’s best fabric guard dog, Thaddeus. Although he lived a short life (21 months), we loved and spoiled him beyond measure.

Thaddeus Malloy Savage March 13, 2009 – December 9, 2010

Later in December, Santa Claus brought me two little girls. Lucy and Ethel are sisters from the same litter born October 14, 2010. Here they are shortly after they arrived.

Lucy and Ethel at 10 weeks

They are now at 6 months old. They love keeping me company in the sewing room. I believe Ethel has an affinity for quilting because every time I turn around she is chewing on a fat quarter she swiped from my stash. Batiks are her favorite.

Lucy and Ethel at 5 months

Until next time...

Best stitches,

Mercy in Miami

Oil and Fabric Do Not Mix

2010-12-08T19:44:00.000-08:00

“The reason canvas is primed is to protect the fabric from the paint. With acrylics this isn't much of an issue, but with oil paint the oils will, with time, cause the fabric to deteriorate and become brittle.”

What? No! It can't be! It is? Oh my!

“Unfortunately, fabric painted with oil paints will deteriorate over time, and that is why canvases must be primed before use with oil paints”

Recently, there has been a flood of books, videos, tutorials, etc. that promote embellishing quilt blocks with Oil Pastels, Oil Sticks, and Paint Sticks. This technique seems especially popular with applique needle artist. Many that work in the Baltimore-style blocks are using this technique to stencil and shade flowers, sailing ships, vases, fruit, etc. I have also seen this technique used to highlight quilting designs on whole cloth quilts. The effect is amazing and seems to bring the designs to life. However, what most quilters do not know is that this artist material damages fabric and may be quite toxic.

All artist grade pastels, even the wax-based or chalk type, contain pigments. The higher the pastel quality, the higher the pigment content. Many pigments are toxic so each color must be checked to see if it’s safe. This excerpt is taking directly from the product description on the Dhama Trading Company’s website.

“All colors of Shiva Professional Grade Artist's Paintstiks are AP non-toxic, with the exception of Cadmium Orange, Cadmium Red Deep, Cadmium Red Scarlet, Cadmium Yellow, and Cobalt Blue, which bear the ACMI Caution Label. Those particular colors are not intended for use by or for products for children 12 and under.”
Working with toxic pigments is dangerous. Applying it to a quilt top that will live in someone’s home is probably not a great idea either.

Even if you do your research and only select the safest pigments, you are still left with the risk of damaging your quilt. In the 15th century, painters discovered that the oil used to bind the pigment in paint would deteriorate the painting support – usually wood and later on fabric. They began to apply a sizing or ground to the support that acted as a barrier between the fabric (or wood) and the oil. I am personally very grateful that the early painters discovered this prior to the Renaissance or we would not have some of the magnificent paintings we do today because they would have crumbled and cracked away into nothingness.

You can read all about the history and evolution of formulas and techniques for protecting the painting’s support in one of my favorite technical books , “The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques: Fifth Edition, Revised and Updated” by Ralph Mayer.

As I write this, I can hear all my blog readers screaming, “Say it ain’t so! I LOVE my stenciling, I love my embellishing techniques!” Not a problem - you can still use all of your techniques safely and ensure the permanence of your quilt by switching a few of the key materials.

Before I fill you in on my preferred materials, I would like to make clear that I have no affiliation with any of the manufacturers, distributors, or suppliers of any of these artist’s materials discussed in my blog. My preferences are based solely on my personal experience using these products. Your experiences may differ. I encourage each of you to try a range of products to find what works best for you.

That being said, I only use water-based or wax-based, non-toxic artist materials directly on my fabric. My favorite water-based media is All-Purpose Ink by Tsukineko (pronounced Soo - Key – Necko). My favorite wax-based media is Prismacolor Pencils.

I heat set all ink work by laying a white paper towel over the area and pressing with a hot iron.

I heat and chemically set all color pencil work. First, I heat set by laying a white paper towel over the area and pressing with a hot iron. When the fabric cools, I apply an infinitesimal dab of Jacquard Textile Color in Colorless (#100) with smallest brush I can find. Apply in tiny dabs. I let the area air dry. I then heat set again with the paper towel and the hot iron. From a time management perspective, I don’t recommend pencil for large areas because you could be dabbing for days.

Some of you may recognize the block at the top of this posting. It is “The Brickmaker’s House” from Elly Sienkiewizc’s book “Baltimore Elegance. This is the block that I made, at Elly’s request, for the book. Notice that the bricks in the brickhouse are two different sizes – one size for the main house and a smaller brick for the chimneys. I was not able to find any commercially printed, brick texture fabric that was the correct scale. Therefore, I cut out freezer paper stencils of the brick patterns and made my own fabric using All-Purpose Ink by Tsukineko. See my tutorial page, Stenciling with Inks, for tips on how to use artist’s inks to embellish your quilts.

We are about to go into full holiday mode so this is probably my last entry for 2010. I wish all my blog readers a very Merry Christmas surrounded by the people you love and a Happy, Healthy New Year filled with your best stitches!

Back Basting Takes Flight - In Reverse!

2010-11-17T15:58:00.000-08:00

I love all types of appliqué. I get just as excited about intricate, perfectly placed, 100-plus piece per block, Baltimore-style blocks as I do a single folk art heart. Most of the time I am happy stitching on something in between the two extremes. Sometimes I just need it to be simple. These days I am in my Simple Zone.

However, what if I need it to be simple to mark and stitch but I want it to look complex? I have two favorite techniques to accomplish this. The first is to set the block on point. Any block will look more complex this way. Suddenly your piece is bigger and you now have beautiful setting triangles to quilt beautiful motifs.

The second technique to transform the look of simple into complex is also one of my favorite, easy appliqué techniques - reverse appliqué! Traditional appliqué has the stitcher place the appliqué fabric on top of the background fabric. The appliqué fabric is stitched onto the background. In reverse appliqué, the appliqué fabric is placed UNDER the background fabric. The background is cut away to reveal the appliqué fabric underneath. The background is stitched to the appliqué fabric. You can layer several pieces of fabric to make the appliqué look more complex but it's all easy because everything is securely basted in place.

Here is a green rosebud that was appliquéd onto an aqua background. The center of the green rosebud was reverse appliquéd to reveal a hot pink, polka dot fabric placed underneath. Looks difficult but is very easy to execute. The added benefit of using the Template Free or Back Basting technique for reverse appliqué is that the basting stitches secure everything in place and removes any risk of fraying and of fragile pieces coming apart or shifting. Refer to my blog entry Pinch of This and Dash of That for details of how I stitched this bud

I am currently working on a challenge piece for my local guild, Ocean Waves. My initial idea and sketch was a little more intricate than I really have time to execute. Out comes my bag of tricks. I knew I wanted the peacock feather eyes in the finished piece but I wasn't willing to appliqué 20 plus sets of concentric circles.

My peacock fabric was perfect but I did not think fussy cutting and appliquéing them onto the tail feathers was the right look. Then the heavens parted, a ray of light shone down, and I heard a choir of angels singing in perfect harmony.......reverseeee appliqueeeeeeee........amennnnnnn......

Yes - I had a plan. I studied the peacock feather fabric and realized I would not even have to cut it apart. I would cut a chuck of the fabric in the shape I wanted the peacock's tail to take.

I then placed the peacock feather fabric face down (wrong side up) on the wrong side of the fabric I was going to use to stitch the main tail.

I basted all around the outside of the feather fabric to hold it in place. I then basted (using smaller stitches) around each eye in the feather fabric. I shaped each teardrop a little differently to add visual interest. I basted larger teardrops as I move to the bottom of the tail. I changed the direction of the teardrops to give the tail some movement.

After all the basting was complete, I appliquéd a single eye to make sure this was indeed going to work and give me the look I was hoping for. Reverse appliqué is stitched from the top - the right side of the background fabric. This is easy to do because the basting stitches exactly mark the turn line.

I prefer to use a seam ripper to make the initial slit in the background fabric.

I then used my sharpest pair of embroidery scissors to trim excess fabric and leave only the scant 1/8 inch seam allowance.

I clipped to the turn line in the cleft at the top of the teardrop. I made several shallow clips perpendicular to the turn line in the concave, u-shape, bottom of the teardrop. See my tutorial Clip, Clip, Snip, Snip for a refresher on proper clipping techniques.

I finger pressed my seam against the basting stitches to help score the turn line.

I was ready to stitch. I appliquéd the teardrop shape. YES, it was exactly the look I wanted and the feather eye was centered in the teardrop opening.

I was able to trim the blue tail fabric so that I would have a smaller piece of fabric to gather in my hand while I stitched.

I also pre-trimmed all the teardrops shapes so that I could preview the tail section. Fraying was not a worry because everything was securely basted. This was now a sturdy piece that can travel in my handwork bag.

Here is a sneak peak at how the tail will be incorporated into the design. For the rest you will have to wait until after my guild challenge in January.

The design idea, sketch, fabric selection, basting, and stitching were all completed in an afternoon. For those of you that do not know me - this is a record. I am going to have to come up with more designs that I can use this technique on. Fast, fun, and freeform thanks to Back Basting!

Best Stitches,

Mercy in Miami

By Machine or By Hand? Plus a New Tutorial, a New Book, and a New Blog recommendation!

2010-10-26T18:25:00.000-07:00

I love all styles of appliqué. In fact, I'd be hard pressed to find an appliquéd quilt or pattern that I didn't like. And even though I enjoy drafting my own designs, I really get pleasure from working on other appliqué artist's patterns. Therefore, this year I was thrilled when I received several appliqué patterns for my birthday. The three styles could not possibly be any more different!
Roseville Album
Civil War Bride
Baltimore Christmas
So now, the question is BY MACHINE OR BY HAND. The answer is "I am not sure?” If time were an endless commodity I would hand needle turn everything. However, time is a finite, consumable resource in my world. Moreover, I am burdened with the guilt of a big, beautiful, top of the line sewing machine that is not getting as much use as it should. Hmmmmm??? What to do, what to do?

I know many other appliqué lovers share my same or very similar predicament so I'm sharing my decision making processes with you, not with the intention of swaying you one way or another but, to help you think through your own likes and dislikes and be able to reach your own choices
My artistic dilemma is that I don't care for the look of obvious machine work on pieces where the design is noticeably from an older era. Typically, I reserve machine stitching (at least the kind that shows) for more contemporary designs. Based on that logic, Roseville Album
will most likely be machine appliquéd and embellished.
Civil War Bride's design is definitely from a bygone era and it calls for a hand appliquéd look - BUT DID YOU SEE ALL THOSE LEAVES? Since many of the leaves and flowers are the same shape and size, this pattern could possibly be a good candidate for a method where templates can be reused. Therefore, I will probably go with the Karen Kay Buckley (KKB) method of heat resistant templates and starch. This method will give me the look of handwork but at a much faster pace.
Baltimore Christmas is beautiful and delicate. I'm afraid that any visible machine work will overwhelm the charm. There are some repeated shapes but not many so I don't know if creating templates for the KKB method will save any time. Some of the tiny pieces I would prefer to hand needle turn because dealing with templates that small would push me past the brink of sanity. Maybe combining KKB for the larger, repetitive sections (like the ivy border) and hand needle turn for the remaining shapes is the answer here?
Here is the link to a previous blog that compares the various machine applique techniquest discussed above.

New and Noteworthy:

New Tutorial: I have added a new tutorial page, Clip, Clip, Snip, Snip, that illustrates the clipping technique I use for both inside points and inside curves. These tips apply to all needle turn techniques - not just Template Free (Back Basting). Enjoy!

Hand sewing needles and threads: I belong to several quilt-themed Yahoo groups and there has been quite a bit of discussion regarding the proper way to thread a needle, needle types/brands, and thread types and brands in order to get the best results. First let me say that I have the upmost respect for all the stitchers that came before - without them we would not have this wonderful tradition. However, technology has advanced such that many of the old rules no longer apply. Thread, especially good quality thread, is a perfect example. Thread twist (Z or S) does not impact hand stitchers as it did in days of old. It makes no difference which end of the thread is pulled through the eye of the needle first. The likely cause of issues usually attributed to thread such as knotting, twisting, etc. is your stitching motion. The second most likely culprit is the needle eye being too small. However, don't take my word for it. Becky Goldsmith (of Piece 'O Cake fame) wrote and incredible blog entry on the topic that I think you will enjoy.

Sandra Leichner's book, Hand Applique with Embroidery has arrived: The theme of 2010 has been "Eagarly Awaiting." Sandwiched on my list between Toy Story 3 and Michael Connelly's new novel was Sandra's book. It arrived yesterday and it does not dissapoint! If you only buy one applique book this year, this is the one to buy. The material is fresh and the techniques are well illustrated and explained. Caution, view carefully because you will be drooling over the photos of Sandra's equisite work.

Thaddeus Savage - Backyard Frisbee Champion!

Until next time...

Best stitches,
Mercy in Miami

Two New Tutorials

2010-10-03T18:56:00.000-07:00

Fall is officially in the air in South Florida! The telltale signs include 1) the temperature outside in suddenly cooler than the temperature inside the house, 2) the tropical storm/wave/depression activity takes over the local newscasts, and 3) the birthday presents my husband sent away for begin arriving in the mail! This is always a hoot and a half because he CANNOT keep a secret from me and he is terrible at finding hiding places. My birthday is still a week away and I have already found two presents. Maybe turning fifty may not be so bad after all!

Since the last blog posting I received several emails with questions specific to Template Free appliqué preparation. The most common questions were:

When do you remove the basting threads?

How do you approach a design with several layers?

How do you stitch a point using this method? How to do you ensure the point is perfectly placed.

Can you fussy cut fabrics and place them exactly as needed even though you are basting from the wrong side of the background?

I decided that the easiest way to answer these questions was to create another tutorial or two.

I posted two tutorials today, Perfectly Placed Points and Finagling Fussy Fabrics.

If you need a refresher on Template Free Applique preparation, study the tutorial, Pictorial Tutorial Template Free.

I will be posting Luscious Layers in the near future.

Until then, enjoy the tutorials and...

Best stitches,
Mercy in Miami

Template Free (Back Basting) Myths Exposed!

2010-09-13T19:10:00.000-07:00

As a child I loved to play the game where you sat in a circle and one child would whisper a secret to the child on their right. Then that child would whisper the same secret to the next one in line. This would continue until the last child. Then the first and last child would repeat their version of the secret. Of course, each retelling would change the secret just a little bit. The more children in the circle, the more the secret would transform. My favorite was the time we started with "Donald Duck quacks me up" and ended up with "Mickey Mouse has warts.

Template Free applique preparation (also known as Back Basting) for needle turn hand applique has not been well documented and has been under represented by the quilt book authors and publishing houses. As a "word of mouth" technique it has fallen victim to the several misinterpretations as it "went around the circle." Basically, Back Basting has warts. I had the wonderful fortune of learning this technique at the master's knee (Jeana Kimball) so I feel compelled to clear up some of the misinformation.

Before we discuss the myths, let's cover the basic technique (or visit my new tutorial page. Click here to see detailed instructions and photographs of this technique)).

1. Trace the applique pattern on the wrong side of the background fabric. Trace the pattern accurately and with care. Use a pencil or any other marking tool that will not show through to the front of the background fabric. This marking does not need to be removed EVER so there is no need to fret about marking tool brands, types, etc. or is there any need remove markings once the applique is complete.

2. Pin the applique fabric, right side up, to the front of the background fabric. Hold the piece up to the light to make sure the applique fabric covers the shape completely including a generous 1/2 inch overhang around the entire shape.

3. Thread a FAT needle (I like a size 8 Sharp or Straw) with thick, glazed hand quilting thread and begin basting directly on the pencil line that outlines the applique shape. The purpose of the basting stitches is twofold. The basting stitches both score the applique turn line and define the applique shape. Use a simple running stitch small enough to define the shape accurately. The fat needle and glazed thread do the best job of scoring the needle turn line. This is not the time to use up old, fuzzy threads. They are not strong enough to score the line.

4. From the front, trim the applique fabric a scant 1/4 inch from the basted line.

That's it! You are now ready to needle turn applique as usual.

And, now the some of the misconceptions.

Myth #1: Template Free preparation takes longer than other methods like freezer paper on top.

Reality: You trace the applique pattern once, exactly as is, on the wrong side of the background fabric. Then each applique fabric is pinned and basted on the background fabric. That's it. You are stitching. There are no templates to create, there are no window templates to create, there are no individual shapes to trace or cutout, and there is no overlay to create.

Myth #2: You cannot see your turn line so your shapes are inaccurate.

Reality: There is no need to see the turn line. Template Free works on the principle that the purpose of the basting line is to SCORE the fabric EXACTLY on the turn line. Then, when the needle sweeps the seam allowance under, it turns exactly on the scored line.

If you are still worried about losing the stitching line, you can finger crease the turn line by pressing the seam allowance against the stitched basting line.

Everyone has their favorite techniques and I can understand being reluctant to change anything that is working just fine. However, if you have not been successful using other applique techniques then I encourage you to give Template Free a try. I successfully use the Template Free technique for ALL my applique projects and I sincerely believe it's the answer for quilters that have tried all the other applique techniques without success. Many of my students have told me they had given up on applique until they discovered Template Free. Feel free to email me if you have been tempted to use this technique but have questions or if you have tried this technique in the past and ran into challenges. I always welcome your comments.

Best stitches,

Mercy in Miami

No (Color) Fear

2010-08-22T17:41:00.000-07:00

If you had no fear of color, what car would you drive? This car was in front of me in traffic. I was late for an appointment but I could not stop myself from following it. Finally, the occupants pulled into a chain restaurant parking lot. I pulled in right beside them and took a photo of the car to share. Well, not really to share but to have proof that something like this really exists; the same way I would grab the camera is I ran into the Loch Ness monster or Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. At first my thoughts were "who would pay money for this?", "who would let a spouse spend money on a car like this?" Then, my thoughts shifted to "who has the guts to buy something like this just because they like it?" And it definitely takes guts and a bit of the "show off" gene to drive this vehicle around town and park it in front of your home. Good for them. I admire someone that has so much self confidence that they can make an extreme, long term color commitment. And pull it off with style! Did I mention the driver and his wife got out of the car wearing matching outfits?

Think of how much we stress about picking just the right color fabric for a project. A PROJECT! Something that if it does not turn out as expected we can change it EASILY. When we create a project we are only making a color/fabric commitment for that project. If it's a commitment that we decide later on that we cannot live with then we can change the fabric. Fortunately, many of us do not suffer from fabric shortages so we always have more to pick from. A friend of mine, Rusty Miller, says that when you pick a fabric for a project you are not deciding to marry it, but only date it. If you find out you don't love it, then you can always break up.

This week's goodies. Since we are on the topic of color, I will share I treated myself to several yards of Cherrywood Fabrics. The photo does not do the fabrics justice. The colors are from left to right, Icicle, Periwinkle, Turquoise, and Celery. I also sent away for a new color card. They have added deep, saturated reds. Great reds are difficult to find in hand-dyed fabric so I'm excited. My wish list ready for my next order.

Until next time...

Best stitches,

Mercy in Miami

Setting Sail to the New World (Please pardon the shameless self promotion)

2010-07-31T21:37:00.000-07:00

Thank you everyone for the good wishes and congratulations on our new endeavor - New World Quilt Company (NWQC). Please pardon me hijacking my blog for shameless self-promotion. But, I have received so many inquiries that I felt it was important to share with everyone what NWQC is all about and what we will be offering in the near future.

We are hoping to have several original quilt patterns published and posted for sale by the end of the year. All patterns include detailed instructions for BOTH hand and machine applique.

Currently, we have the first of the Aloha Collection patterns, Enchantment Under the Sea, posted for sale. Future Hawaiian-style patterns will be published as part of this collection.

The next set of patterns will introduce the Tropical Botanical Collection. The Tropical Botanicals patterns are realistic applique designs that depict the details of plant specimens similar to botanical illustrations. These are a bit more challenging and are better suited to needle artist looking to stretch to the next level. Here's a sneak peak at what's in the works. Can you tell which were stitched by hand and which were stitched by machine?

Yes, the Gardenia above is machine appliqued! The bougainvillea, Angel's Trumpet, and Hibiscus are all hand appliqued.

All blocks are marked and prepped waiting for me add the embroidery details.

And, many more on the drawing board!

Stay tuned for details of the third collection coming this Fall, Tropical Folk Art Collection!

There are a few hard-to-find notions that I find indispensable for my favorite machine quilting, machine applique, and template-free needle-turn applique techniques. I encourage all of you to please support your local brick and mortar quilt shops and look for these notions there first. However, if they do not carry these notions, you will be able to find then on the NWQC Online Store.

Here are a few of my favorites!

The sharpest, thinest blade embroidery scissors I ever used are made by KAI. I lost my KAI scissors shortly after 911 to airline security. They are impossible to find so I just moved on to a more expensive brand. A few years ago I purchased a pair of inexpensive Omnigrid scissor for cutting paper and fell in love with the quality. They had all the great characteristics of my old pair of KAI scissors and they soon replaced the expensive embroidery scissor in my applique basket. Then one day I noticed that KAI was stamped on the blade! That's why I loved them so much!! My favorite scissors came back home to me!!!

My preferred hand applique preparation technique is the Template Free method. This technique hinges on basting the applique fabric to the background fabric with a thick needle and a thick thread to score the turn line. Size 8 Sharp needles do the trick!

My favorite applique needle is a Roxanne Size 12 Sharp. It's one of the few needles that I cannot bend. Plus the eye is always burr free so I don't have issues with my thread shredding.

Not everyone is a thimble person. But if you are, I really like this hybrid metal/rubber thimble. It's got the strength of a metal thimble, but the gripping, no slip ability of a rubber thimble. Plus dimples to really hold the needle in place!

Awesome machine applique requires a quality, invisible nylon thread that really disappears! SewArt thread is my favorite because it's very pliable and non-reflective. The fact that it's inexpensive is a bonus!

For all machine work, a pair of quality thread snips is essential. Snip-Eze has incredibly sharp, thin blades with just the right amount of curve. I can get in and trim as closely as I need to while my work is still in the machine, with needle down, and then just keep right on sewing.

There are a few other notions available online. Plus we will soon be carrying the large spools (1000m) of YLI #100 Silk thread for machine quilting.
I hope I have answered all your questions. Again, I apologize for the infomercial and I promise to go back to my tutorial-style blogs with my next entry.
Until then,
Best stitches,
Mercy in Miami
New World Quilt Company

It's a New World

2010-07-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's been an few weeks and I have lots to share. Where to start? First, the workshop I am teaching for my guild next month. Several readers and members of my guild have asked to see the Freeform Feather Workshop samples. I have also received several questions regarding the differences between cotton, wool, and silk batting. Here are the class samples using the various type of batting that I recommend. The photo at the top of my blog is silk dupion fabric, quilted using Tuscany wool batting and 100 weight YLI silk thread. Below are a few more class samples. I added captions to describe the materials I used. Notice that the feathers stitched with wool batting are the fullest with the least amount of wrinkles. That's why wool batting is my favorite.

Commercial cotton fabric quilted using Tuscany silk batting and YLI 100 weight silk thread.

Commercial cotton fabric quilted using Tuscany wool batting and YLI 100 weight silk thread.

Silk dupion fabric and YLI silk thread but using Tuscany silk batting.

Silk dupion fabric and YLI silk thread but using Tuscany wool batting.

Simplest feather - Silk dupion fabric and YLI silk thread but using Tuscany wool batting.

A few Pros and Cons based on my experience:

Wool batting is more expensive than cotton batting. Silk batting is even more expensive. Definite CON for wool and silk.
Wool batting fluffs up to fill unquilted spaces to give a trapunto effect without all the extra work of trapunto. My favorite PRO for wool.
Cotton batting lays nice and flat so it's easy to mark quilting designs even after the quilt is layered. Both silk and wool batting are too fluffy to allow you to accurately mark a layered quilt. Definite cotton PRO.
Wool batting can be compressed very tightly so it's very easy to roll and maneuver a full size quilt in a domestic sewing machine. Silk batting is even easier to compress. Silk and wool PRO.
Silk batting drapes like fabric. A definite PRO for clothing and wearable art projects.
Cotton batting can be heavy. Wool batting is very lightweight. Silk batting is light as a feather. Can be PRO or CON depending on the application.

Secondly, I would like to share that I have officially published my first applique pattern.

"Enchantment Under the Sea" is a Hawaiian-style pattern that finishes 40 inches square and features Seahorses, Dolphins, Starfish, Seaweed, and Coral. The packet includes a full size pattern, a 6 page traditional Hawaiian hand applique instruction booklet, and a 4 page bonus booklet that explains how to convert ANY Hawaiian style applique pattern from hand applique to machine applique without using any fusible or adhesive products.

I'm also making available copies of my "Freeform Feather Workbook" that I wrote as a companion for next month's workshop. The booklet includes basic instructions on how to draw a feather and 20 plus feather designs to fill several different shapes (circles, squares, triangles, rectangles, etc.).

The pattern and workbook are available on the shopping cart page of my new, still in progress, website; www.NewWorldQuiltCompany.com Because I have many original designs that I hope to also make available in the near future, my husband and I decided to start this small company dedicated to publishing my quilt patterns. Our website is still under construction. However, at your request we rushed the shopping cart page so that it is now available to take your online order for either Enchantment Under the Sea or the Freeform Feather Workbook.

To all of you that requested these items - I hope you are not disappointed and enjoy your pattern and workbook!

Until next time...

Best stitches,
Mercy in Miami

Fanciful, Free Motion, Freeform Feather Fun

2010-07-04T18:37:00.000-07:00

The second Saturday in August I will be teaching a Freeform Feather Workshop for my guild, Ocean Waves. I began preparing for the class by pulling examples of quilted feather designs that I stitched freeform (or freehand). As I studied these quilts I began to write my notes. The notes expanded into a handout. The next thing I know the handout became a 50 page workbook. I am a huge fan of quilted feathers. They are so beautiful, and once you get the hang of if, so easy to stitch it's impossible to not fall in love with them.

Feathers are made up of three parts, the Base of the Spine, the Spine, and the Individual Feathers.

There are endless variations of Spines.

The Individual Feathers set the tone for the design.

Practice drawing feathers. It's an easy way to try out design ideas and it teaches your muscles the "feather motion". Eventually, all you will need to mark is a guide for the Spine, and maybe the outer boundaries.

When you are ready to commit thread to fabric, your choice of materials is critical to your success. Machine quilting is unlike other quilt making techniques in that skill cannot overcome inferior materials. Select the best quality thread, fabric, and batting that you can afford. For example, investing in Tuscany Wool batting gives feathers a stuffed (trapunto) effect that cannot be achieved with another, less expensive batting. Stitching in a fine, silk or cotton thread, or a high quality invisible nylon thread hides a multitude of sins. These threads are so forgiving that you don't even need to stick to the same color as the background for the stitches to look lovely.

I stitched my first free motion, freehand feathers several years ago right after I took my first class with Diane Gaudynski. If you ever get the opportunity to take a class with Diane, run, don't walk to sign up. I never would have had the confidence to try freehand feathers without Diane's instruction. My feather shapes are little jerky and the thread choice is not ideal but for my first effort I was quite pleased. The little quilt, Pretty in Pink, (25 inches square) was stitched using commercial Moda cottons, Cherrywood hand-dyes, Tuscany Wool batting, and YLI #100 silk thread on my Bernina 440QE using the BSR.

A few years later I was fortunate enough to take a machine quilting class with Sharon Schamber. I showed up to class with my 440QE and the BSR. Sharon immediately zeroed in on the BSR and asked me to try putting it way for the class. She approach is more along the lines of "Zen and the Art of Quilting". She was absolutely right. I found I actually had more control and more freedom to maneuver without the BSR than with it. It was like taking the training wheels off of your bicycle. Since then I have never used the BSR again. However, like the training wheels and learning to ride a bike, without the BSR, I never would have learned to free motion quilt. The Iris quilt on the left is my first freehand, free motion, none BRS, effort. The pattern is by Alice Wilhoit. The Iris is stitched using commercial fabrics, Tuscany Wool batting, DMC #50 cotton machine embroidery thread. Again, it's far from perfect, but the owner, my good friend LaVerne, loves it as if it were. And, it shows improvement.

Since then, I have taken more classes with Diane and I have forced myself to machine quilt as many pieces as possible with as little marking as possible. The exception is Diane-shiko that requires a marked grid. Here is a close-up of my last free motion, mostly free hand quilted piece. It is a whole cloth design on RJR Sateen, quilted on my Bernina 830 using Tuscany Wool batting and YLI #100 silk thread. For those of you that own a Bernina 830 and like to use (our would like to experiment with) fine threads for free motion quilting, check with your dealer to make sure that the latest software update is installed on your machine. Bernina recently adjusted the software to specifically address the challenges of stitching with extra fine threads.

I hope this blog entry inspires you to try freehand feathers, or at least free motion quilting. If you are a true beginner, it may be a little overwhelming to to do it on your own so sign up for a class at your local shop or guild. Once you get the hang of free motion quilting you will never look back!

Until next time....

Best stitches,

Mercy in Miami

Once Again, Value Saves the Day!

2010-06-21T08:50:00.000-07:00

Miami, my home town! If you were a fan of the TV Show Miami Vice, you may recognize some of the high rises from the show's opening sequences. If you are a quilter you may see other things; like block layout ideas, quilting patterns, value patterns, or a potential color scheme. The "lesson" I am learning by studying this photo is that the color palette is very limited yet there is a ton of detail that is clear and distinct. The reason is value. In this particular photo, value is doing all of the work.

I can enjoy a quilt if the color is not my personal taste or if I don't care for a fabric print. However, for a piece to work, the value must be on target. If you would like to read more about the importance of value, read my blog entry I Owe, I Owe, It's Off to Blog I Go. For a general color theory refresher and how value and color work hand in hand, you may also wish to read Color Theory for Quilters Exposed.

Value is not just limited to fabric choices. It's also very important when choosing embellishments. Waterlilies is a small wall hanging that is part of my Tropical Botanical series. It has been kicking around my UFO pile since 2002. I had never been able to finish it because I had never been able to decide on the embroidery thread. Nothing I tried looked right. I have ripped the embroider out of the lily pads and the stems at least half a dozen times if not more. I dragged the piece to the Quilt Festival in Houston in 2003 and the AQS show in Paducah in 2004 desperate to find the right color floss, thread, anything to finish the wall hanging. In 2005, I put it away.

Fortunately, as quilt makers we learn from our mistakes and are constantly evolving. Since I put Water Lilies down I have had the "value lesson" burned into my psyche. I had also learned quite a bit from working on my Baltimore Album BOM project. In fact, Baltimore BOM Block One Split Leaves tells the tail of my embroidery thread "Ah Ha" moment (Tips #2 and #3).

The issue was 3 fold. First, I was using embroidery floss that was the wrong value and just melting into the background. Second, I was using a color that was boring it was ugly. And third, the floss was thick and out scale. The lily pads looks so heavy I thought they would sink if a single mosquito landed on them. Notice how heavy the purple highlight on the stem is. Notice the disappearing veins in the water lily on the right side of the stem.

I also kept trying to embroider the water lily petals themselves. Even a single strand of floss was just too heavy. See the bud on the left.

Armed with my lessons learned I tackled the wall hanging once again. I began by auditioning all type of fibers - machine embroidery thread, sewing weight thread, perle cotton, machine quilting thread, hand embroidery fibers, etc.

Everything I tried out was OK... but just OK. Nothing was making my heart sing. So I turned to my tried and true inspiration, my garden. However, it's been VERY hot so at this point, my garden is very neglected. Turns out it's true what they say "One man's weed is another man's wild flower." The "wild flowers" were the perfect inspiration. I think the pink/red highlights on the stem are beautiful! I especially like the pink/red on the distressed leaves.

Once I began trying out the threads in the red/pink/burgundy family, I was able to finish Water Lilies.

The petals look much more natural with only a single strand of floss to highlight or shadow select petals.

Close-up of the lily pad shows the dark pink embroidered veins.

Responses to requests by blog readers:

More Tips- Your emails are asking for more tips, especially regarding handwork. Here's a favorite hand embroidery tip. Everyone has heard that thread has a nap. One should thread the needle on the end that the thread comes off the spool and knot the end that is cut. The same applies to embroidery threads. But if you cut one end and only pull out a single strand, then how do you remember which end was the one you cut when it's time to pull the next strand? My solution is to make a very loose knot at the end I cut as soon as I cut it.

I then undo the knot to pull my strand(s) out and redo the loose knot immediately.

Sneak Peak at what's on my drawing board. I'm refining another Tropical Botanical pattern. This one is called Gardenia and it's one of four block in a wall hanging. The other three blocks are Bougainvillea, Hibiscus, and Angel's Trumpet. They are stitched and ready to be embroidered.

I have received several inquiries from readers asking if my patterns are available for purchase. I am currently investigating the best way to make this happen. My goal is to have a few of my patterns available midsummer so please stay tuned for more details.

Finally, thank you AQS for selecting Tropical Appliqué as their Blog of the Week! I am truly honored.

Best stitches,
Mercy in Miami
(aka The Savage Quilter)

Magnolia blossom I photographed on the grounds of the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky. If you have never been to the museum, definitely add it to your "Things I must do before I need a walker" list!

Quilting Heals All Wounds and Lessens All Longings

2010-06-10T08:16:00.000-07:00

Hi gang!
Like most quilters I love flowers. This is the first year that I have had more space than just a tiny patio or apartment balcony to flex my greenish thumb - after all I am a farmer's grand daughter. I'm disappointed to report that the farmer gene must be a recessive gene. I'm strictly a "container" garden type of gal. Everything I plant in a pot like my bougainvillea on the left or my African violets at the top of the page are thriving. Everything else is a tragedy. I also discovered a few other important facts; 1 - It's really hot OUTSIDE, 2 - The really BIG bugs live OUTSIDE, and 3 - There's a lot of dirt OUTSIDE. My conclusion - OUTSIDE is really beautiful when viewed from the INSIDE through big glass windows and doors (ahhh air conditioning).

I also love the ocean and am fascinated by the creatures that live in the sea. Flipper was my favorite movie as a kid. The Seaquarium was my favorite school field trip (even though MacArthur Dairy gave out free ice cream samples). While my friends were reading National Velvet and pleading with their parents for a horse, I was always begging my dad to take me fishing with him. I dreamed of a pet dolphin. Long story short - I get sea sick standing at the edge of a pier. BUT I'M A QUILTER! Quilting heals all wounds and lessens all longings -which explains my current Hawaiian-style applique theme obsession; Under the Sea. I just started a new wall hanging (shown here pinned to my "design wall" that doubles as living room curtains). I have drawn, cut and pin basted the entire piece. It should finish at between 40 to 42 inches square.

The center is my favorite part of the design and I'm thinking for a future project to applique four centers and then piece into a larger square (2x2). A wave design border would finish it off and make an adorable baby quilt.

But then again, I love the seaweed, coral, and dolphins in the border.

The pattern is based on my miniature quilt, Enchantment Under the Sea (shown left), that finishes at 13 inches square. The miniature size was inspired by Diane Gaudynski's A Visit to Provence which won first place in the miniature category in AQS's Paducah show in 2004. It's hand appliqued and machine quilted. Quilting close-ups below.

The inspiration to NOT echo quilt it like a traditional Hawaiian quilt was a combination of Diane Gaudynski's classes and a sculpture at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida.

Responses to requests by blog readers:
1. How to make a Bullion Knot - I found an real treasure! It's an incredible website by Mary Corbet that has a terrific video of how to make a Bullion Knot. The trick to these knots is to slow down and to use a needle with a very small/narrow eye such as a milliners or sharp needle and not a crewel or chenille needle. Remember that all the wraps have to pass over the eye of the needle so make it as tapered as you can.

Request from blog reader of a closeup of how I free motion machine quilt hand applique and embroidery. This is Shirley Bloomfield's block Summer Bounty that I free motion machine quilted for her. The best tips for how to machine quilt hand applique and hand embroidery are on Sandra Leichner's blog.

Sneak peak at what else is in the works. Sunflower blocks in progress - used Template Stamps by Cindy Blackberg. The plan is to set the sunflowers into square blocks then set the blocks on point leaving enough space for a touch of applique and of course, my favorite - lots and lots of free motion machine quilting!

More flowers from Key West - photo take in at the Hemingway House gardens.

Fabric guard dog on duty!

A last word before I close out this entry. Some of you may have noticed the photos of my quilts and designs obscured by a copyright stamp. I apologize for not presenting a clear and larger view but I have been forced to protect my work. I consider myself a nice person and really like to share with fellow quilters. However, out of common courtesy, please email me and ask permission to use any content contained in my blog for purposes other than personal use and enjoyment.

Until next time...

Best stitches,

Mercy in Miami

aka The Savage Quilter

To Knot or Knot to Be ... Plus Inspiration from Key West

2010-06-05T19:51:00.000-07:00

Hi gang!
I have started block 9 of my Baltimore style quilt. Block 9 is a fruit basket. I'm using Sandra Leichner's pattern, Traditional Still Life. By the way, for Sandra's fans, she has made several of her patterns available for sale on her website. That will have to hold us over until her new book is published in October!

So far, I have only completed the pineapple that sits at the top of the basket. I love to applique pineapples. They are large, beautiful shapes that come to life with the simplest of embellishments. For this pineapple, I used a chalk pencil to mark a simple grid on the diagonal. I then used two strands of silk floss to make a colonial knot at each intersection. I really like colonial knots because they nestle into the fabric with the "knot" sitting upright. They are especially nice if you pad the applique piece with a thin layer of batting. The knot then accentuates the dimensionality/stuffed effect. They do not flop over like French Knots. Unlike a French knot, you cannot make the knot bigger by using more wraps. Instead to make a bigger Colonial knot you need to use more strands of floss or use a thicker floss.

Colonial knots are not as common as French knots so many quilters are not familiar with them. But, they are so quick and easy to stitch, and so versatile, that I decided to create a quick tutorial for my blog readers.

First my favorite tools. I love this Clover Embroidery Needle Threader. Unlike other needle threaders, it's sturdy enough that when you pull on it the "wire" it does not pull out or come apart in your hands. It's thin enough to thread smaller embroidery needles but has an opening large enough to thread larger fibers.

For thicker embroidery threads or silk ribbon, I really like Clover Gold Eye Chenille Needles.

My other "Must Have" is Thread Heaven. It really does tame the most unruly threads. I wish the manufacturers also made hair care products!

To make a Colonial knot, thread your needle, pass your floss through the Thread Heaven, and hoop your fabric. I prefer Spring Tension 3 1/2 inch Embroidery Hoop.

Start the stitch by coming up from the back to the front right where the stitch will be. Pull the floss toward yourself with your left hand.

Point the needle away from yourself and scoop the floss from left to right.

Then with your left hand wrap the floss up, over and under the needle to create a figure eight of floss.

Gently pull the floss with your left hand until the knot is formed around the needle. Pull until the knot travel down to the tip of the needle. Then insert the needle into the background right next to where it came up originally.

As you pull the needle slowly through and out the back, control the loop on top with your left thumb.

After you pull the floss to the back, travel between the background and the foreground to the next spot for the next knot. This helps keep the background a little neater.

The stitch is really very simple, but a little complicated to explain; especially the up, over and under step to make the figure eight. Since a picture is with a thousand words, a video should be worth a million words. Here is a short (90 second) video, How to stitch a Colonial Knot , that my husband recorded of me stitching a Colonial knot. Hopefully, between the video and the instructions/photos above you too will soon be embellishing your projects with a new stitch!
While downloading the photos for this blog I came across a few snapshots from a trip to Key West in January. The first photo at the top of the blog and the one immediately below is from Hemingway's house. The rooster and hen are from a gas station parking lot. I hope they inspire you like they do me!

What a great quilt setting!

Beautiful color - touches of brights in a sea of neutrals. Nice.

Until next time....
Best stitches,
Mercy in Miami
aka The Savage Quilter