Exciting TKDAA Update for Hand and Machine Enthusiast

Fanciful Free Form Feathers Class Sample

Preparing this blog I was amazed that it has been almost 4 years since I taught my most popular class - Fanciful Free Form Feathers.  Time flies!  Part of the reason is that it takes a lot of planning and the generous backing of a sewing machine company to host a machine class.  Well, Kathy was able to pull it off and Bernina will be a sponsor of the TKDAA event in February 2015.  That means that I will be able to offer my one day machine quilting class.  This is a wonderful class because it's packed with machine quilting information that applies to more than feathers.  And the best part, is that I share all my tips including how to free motion quilt with NO MARKING - including the feather bouquet in the photo above!  

 

Tropical Portal



Kathy has also been hugely successful in pulling in needle artist with differing styles and techniques from very traditional to very cutting edge.  Therefore, in an effort to round out the class offerings and give the event participants more choices, I will not be teaching a block class.  Instead I will be teaching a project class; Tropical Portal.  That means that the kit and class are designed to help you start a complete project - and with the luxury of a three day class you will get a wonderful head start! 

 
You will receive all the materials (except backing, binding, and batting) and instructions to finish the project at home.

Tropical Portal in its natural habitat

As always, my kits will feature mostly hand-dyed fabrics and all the needles, threads, etc. to participate in class.  The supply list for both classes has three items or less! 

 

Yes, it's a change from what I shared earlier and means I will not be able to teach my Basket of Roses or Esperanza Rose block classes.  If anyone had their heart set on either blocks, I will have the patterns and fabric kits available at TKDAA event and fabrics will all coordinate beautifully with the Santa Maria - New World Rose block and include the same background fabric.  Hopefully, I will have another opportunity in the future to teach the complete New World project.  In the meantime, I hope you all like the Tropical Portal project and will consider coming to TDKAA!

Until next time,
Best stitches from Miami
Mercy

A Gift For My Readers!

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

Round and Round - Applique Circle Methods Put To the Test

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 lifequilting- 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  







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

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

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

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

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