Autumn Leaves Quilt

NOVEMBER JUST BRINGS TO MIND AUTUMN LEAVES FALLING ALL AROUND US NO MATTER WHERE WE LIVE. Fond days of raking leaves, piling them up and kids jumping into them and spreading them all out all over the lawn again, comes to mind, too. The beautiful leaves on the massive trees in North Carolina triggered my brain to make a quilt as if I were looking through a window.....thus, I used the attic window quilt pattern that I shall put on this blog this next week. This quilt was made from drawing around the actual leaves that I had gathered out of my yard up in the mountains of NC, using them for my patterns. The added little picture of the water wheel in the center came as an afterthought. It added a little action to the quilt and a little more interest, I thought. Quilting the leaves was easy, as I had the actual leaf veins to copy, using metallic threads for interest. I like a little glitz on some of my quilts. I shall be putting pictures of my quilts that I have made over the years, for you to see on this blog. I'll share some of the patterns with you as well. HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL!

Seminole Patchwork

For ones of you who do not live in Florida, the Seminole Indians inhabited the state many many years ago but now live on reservations in the southern part of the state in an area called the Everglades. They also have reservations around Pensacola in the panhandle of Florida. Many years ago, the Indians were given treadle sewing machines and remnants from fabric bolts that were donated to them from clothing manufacturers in the U.S. They were very creative, and started sewing the remnants into strips in beautiful patterns that they named from nature, such as fire, lightening, turtles, man on horseback, etc. I have given some of the more prevalent patterns for you to see. The patchwork is always done on the sewing machine and is relatively easy to duplicate. There are many books written about this, but you'll enjoy seeing a skirt that I made before I was known as a "quilter." I just loved to sew, and this idea intrigued me to no end.! I made many items using the patchwork patterns. The more intricate patterns were made by the Indians for their own clothing. They did not share the patterns with anyone. The items that they made to sell back in the 20's and 30's, were made using the more simple patterns. I am showing you a beautiful piece of the early Seminole that a friend of mine bought many years ago when she lived in Miami. This piece has one of those more difficult patterns, and thus, makes it more valuable. I'm sure you can pick out which patterns are difficult to duplicate!

Continuous Binding for quilts

Continuous Binding is very simple to make. Some judges at juried quilt shows will pick up a quilt and look at the binidng, and if it is not a bias binding, they will be even bother to judge it. Now, doesn't that get your attention? It certainly did me, back in Ft. Worth, Tx when I watched a judge do just that! I know that all of you know that quilts with scallops or curved edges have to have bias bindings to make them lay flat, but most of the quilters that I know today, just whip on a crossgrain binding or a selvage edge binding that is cut 2 1/2", folded in half and sewn down raw edge to raw edge of the quilt. Here is a beautiful binding, that is done with continuous strips on the bias: Looking at the pictures: Picture A on the left, and Picture B on the right. Follow these instructions: For a better wearing binding, take a 30" square of fabric, cut straight on each side with the grain line, and mark a diagonal line from one corner to the other, and cut. Pin two straight sides together so that it looks like Picture !, and sew with a quarter inch seam allowance. Press the seam allowance open. Lay fabric flat with wrong side up. With a yardstick and pencil, starting from the top, draw a line every 2" parallel to the bias cut. Then pin the other two straight sides together offsetting the top to line A on one side. see Picture B. stitch, using quarter ince seam allowance, and press seam open. Start cutting on line A and continue to the end of the tube. Fold bias in half lengthwise and press. Place raw edge of binding to raw edge of quilt back and sew using quarter inch seam allowance. Fold finished edge of binding to front of quilt and whip down by hand. A 30" square of fabric will give you approximately 13 yards of 3/8" wide binding.

Quickie Quilt

The Quickie Quilt may be used for making small quilts such as for Hospice quilts,baby quilts or even Quilts of Valor. The size depends on the size borders you wish to have. I am making a Western quilt for a new baby using this method. Great use of "fat quarters." If you do not know how to print directions from my blog, go to the ARCHIVES on the right side of the blog, and find May 10th, 2010 and read the directions for printing, carefully; then print off these directions and pictures that are here for you.

Fairy God Mother Quilt!

O.K., I have to tell you, being without a computer for a week is truly devastating!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so sorry for the delay, but I just had to backup my computer in the event of a major "CRASH!" This happened to a friend of mine, and I know her pain!!!!!!! I have 12 years of articles on this computer, and just can't afford to let that happen to me........so forgive my delay in getting some of the articles and pictures on here that you are looking for at this moment! Here is the Fairy God Mother quilt. It is truly adorable. Just think of all those dainty little handkerchiefs in your dresser drawer that you never ever look at except in a blue moon, and that just passed............so, get them out and choose one that you adore, and get busy making a little miniature quilt out of is.! So simple..........just layer it with batting, and a lining, and do a little stitching on it and add a few baubles that you adore and voila, you can enjoy it every day of your life, right there in your face!!!!!!! This one is only 12" square..........and isn't it precious!!!!!!!!!! Almost as precious as the person who gave it to me!!!!!!!!!!!