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

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

A Pinch of This and A Dash of That to Kickoff Summertime!

I love summer time in Miami.  Everything slows to a crawl.  Endless hours floating in the pool.  The smell of Coppertone SPF 5 Million in the air.   It is also the perfect time to quilt because everyone is hiding indoors with the air conditioner cranked up as high at the purse strings will allow.   But, before I go into summer hibernation I have a little of this and that to share you all of you.

This past weekend, Jim and I had an unexpected road trip to mid central Florida.  Jim is the driver and I am the navigator.  Some how, I can't imagine how, our route kept taking us by quilt shops.  

I don't know if I ever mentioned it before but I have a serious notions addition.

We managed to make it all the way down to Sunshine Sewing in Margate as the last stop of the day. 

http://www.sunshinesewing.com/index.html

They have the largest batik collection I have ever seen outside of Hancock's of Paducah.  I was very good and exhibited great self control.  See - only 16 half yards of batiks!  

On another topic, I received several emails asking for a close-up of the embroidered peacock eye.  The white of the eye is reverse appliqued.  The dark eye is a satin stitch oval using 1 strand 50 wt. cotton machine embroidery thread.  The white highlight is a small straight stitch with a colonial knot at the end using 1 strand DMC off white embroidery floss.

 

I am also often asked if I always use the Template Free applique technique.  The answer is yes 99.999% of the time.  Since this block is the rare 0.001% of the time I did NOT use Template Free I wanted to share it with you.  When I found a beautiful batik grape wreath print fabric I knew I had to use it for this block.  I used Template Free to place and stitch the stems and then placed by eye the fussy cut leaves.

I cut a very scant 1/4" - more like a scant 1/8" and then basted the leaf down well so that it could not move.  I can't baste with pins without impaling myself so I thread base whenever possible.

I then needle turn appliqued the leaf.  I tried not to be TOO exact so that each leaf would look different and give the block a little variety (also known as visual interest).

 

The last tidbit...Here is the Victorian Vase block that I worked on during the second workshop with Elly Sienkiewicz at the Quilt Scene over Mother's Day weekend.  Notice the two buds on stems on either side of the vase.  They  are skinny stems (1/8") with an attached reverse appliqued bud.  The green stem/bud is a single piece of fabric.  Underneath is a hot pink polka dot batik. Doesn't everyone have hot pink polka dot rosebuds growing in their garden?

Here's how to stitch this shape using the Template Free method.  First baste the hot pink polka dot fabric in place.  Place the basting stitches just outside the bud area.  See the pink basting stitches in the photo.

Trim the pink bud fabric close to the stitched basting.  Then place the green bud/stem fabric in place and baste in place.  See the gold basting thread in the photo.

From the front of the block, trim the green fabric a scant 1/8".   Slit the green fabric to reveal the pink bud fabric below.  I like to use a seam ripper.  The piece is very sturdy because it's very well basted.  Remove only a few basting stitches at a time as you needle turn the edge.  Stitch the inside of the bud first and the outside last.   Slow and steady wins this race!  

Here is a finished bud.  Well, not really finished because I feel the need to add embroidered moss - maybe a few thorns.  

The view from the back of the block shows that the small bud/stem unit is placed ALMOST perfectly.  I just love Template Free!  By the way, I did find a reference to this technique in an old book on embroidery.  This method was called Tacking.  I plan to research it a little more and I will share any info I find.  Easy!

To all my USA friends and readers, Happy Memorial Day!  Have a happy, healthy holiday and safe travels.  To all my friends and readers in the Northern Hemisphere, Happy Summer!  For those in the Southern Hemisphere Happy Fall/Winter.

Until next time - best stitches,

Mercy in Miami

aka The Savage Quilter

Thaddeus wearing his patriotic bandana is ready for the Holiday.

No Number 2 Pencil Required!

Hi gang!

According to the blog-o-sphere, Spring seems to finally be making an appearance across the rest of the US. For us in Miami living in a Tropical Monsoon Climate - it’s true I looked it up and everything, Tropical Monsoon is a real climate- our seasons are a little different. We don’t have Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Instead, we have Hurricane, Tourist, and Mosquito. Fortunately, Tourist season does not overlap Mosquito and Hurricane. We are now between seasons in a time I like to call Seminole Spring (name inspired by Indian Summer familiar to our friends up north). Too early for the mosquitoes (at least the mean ones), most of the tourist are gone (at least the mean ones), Hurricane season still a few weeks away, the air temperature is higher than the humidity reading. Sheer bliss.

I promised several blog readers that I would chat a little about monofilament thread. First, the disclaimer – everything stated here is purely my opinion and my observation. I do not have any relationship, financial or otherwise, with any of these manufacturers or distributors. Phew – glad that’s over!

I firmly believe that it is important to test techniques, tools, notions, etc. for you and not just take someone’s word for it. I have wasted quite a bit of money because I “took someone’s word for it” (I’m thinking of a relatively new marking pencil put out by a fabric manufacturer that I went and bought in every color only to discover they were worthless for my techniques). That is why I would like to share not only my results but also my testing methodology.

Step 1 layout the criteria for the test.

Step 2 is to put each product through the paces simulating REAL use.

Step 3 is to review your results, weight your options, and then spend your money.

For the monofilament thread test, I was looking for the best monofilament for my machine appliqué technique. My criteria included minimal shine; no wiry feel either on the spool or after it’s stitched, and must behave in the sewing machine (both top and bobbin). If you find that you have MANY criteria, (more than 3 is considered MANY) then prioritize them because chance are good not every product will meet all.

Here are my three subjects.

Can you tell which is the shiniest? Which is least shiny? I photographed the spools in very low light with no flash but look at how much spool 1 and 3 shine!

Next, I put each thread through the paces. My setting is an extremely tiny blind hemstitch. Width is 0.6 and Length 0.40. Not all thread behaves at this setting, at least in both the bobbin and the top.

Specifically for this test I created a machine appliqué sample that I could stitch. It’s important to use the same fabrics in your sample that you would in a real project. For example, I use a lot of batiks and hand-dyed fabrics. Even though they are expensive, I have to include them in my test or I will not get an accurate result because the weave and dye are different enough that the stitches will show more and the light may reflect differently.

The pattern is Block 1 from Mary Sorensen’s Simple Gifts (http://maryappliques.com/). Here I stitched the stem and the circle. Although you can see the stitches, I quite please that there is no shine with the brand used to stitch the top of the stem. There is a bit more shine on the thread used to stitch the bottom.

As for the Feel Test – the middle spool felt the least wiry. It was very soft and was not kinked at all, as it came off the spool. The other two did.

And the winner….. The middle spool Sew Art Invisible Nylon.

Originally, I had four spools to test, Sulky, Monopoly, Sew Art, and YLI. However, Thaddeus (13 month old “puppy”) took a special interest in the YLI and it disappeared before I could test with it. Someone or something, Thaddeus denies any involvement, chewed the top of the spool off causing the tightly wound thread to explode off the spool. I’m dusting for paw prints now.

Bonus Example: I just used this methodology to search out the perfect needle and thread combination for hand appliqué.

Step 1 – My criteria was simple – Invisible Stitch

Step 2 – Set up sample. I used all the problem children - hand-dyed fabrics, batiks, circles, very light colored fabric, dark fabrics, bias stems, etc. Each set identical to try out different thread/needle combinations.

Step 3 – my results were very interesting – all my samples were scalloped. It was not the thread/needle combo. It was operator error. My technique was flawed. I turned to an appliqué artist I admire and respect, Sandra Leichner (http://sandraleichner.com/) and asked for help with technique. Thanks to her generosity, I was able to set the test up again, this time varying only the technique and viola! Here are my before Sandra’s help (berry on the left) and after Sandra’s help (berry on the right) photos. To give you some perspective, the berries are smaller than a dime. The needle is a No. 11 sharp.

Until next time, I wish you all…

Best stitches!

Mercy in Miami

aka (The Savage Quilter)