Quilting Heals All Wounds and Lessens All Longings

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

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