THE QUILTING HAS STARTED!

YEHHHHHHHHHH Yesterday, Memorial Day, 2010, I started quilting the Amazing Flower Quilt. It has taken me since last Thursday, four days ago, to get it hand basted for quilting. I baste every 6" to be sure that the lining and batting don't shift. I use polyester batting, Hobbs Poly-Down quilt bat, for hand quilting. It is truly the best. It is bonded and is so uniformally put together that it is great to use to sandwich the quilt. I bought it at a Hobby Lobby in Jacksonville, however, I'm sure you can find it at one of the quilt shops in the area. I used machine basting pins to secure the outside edges, first, and pin basted it all over, and removed the pins as I was basting. The pins catch the quilting thread so they need to be removed.

As you can see from the picture, I use a round 14" hoop for my quilting of any size quilt. I use Gutterman's Quilting thread in a natural color. I began in the middle of the quilt, with the Dogwood block, as it is in the center of the quilt.

I use a washable blue fine line marker to mark my quilting lines. I am "Shadow quilting" the flower petals, by quilting 1/4" away from the petal (after having quilted as close as possible next to the dogwood petal, pulling the thread very tight!) ALWAYS pull the thread tight to make the quilting show up.

After the first row of Shadow Quilting is done, use the blue marker and draw a line 1/4" away from the last one, etc. until you reach the bottom of the block. I always quilt 1/4" or 1/8" away from the sashing just to give the finishing line for the shadow quilting. I use tape to mark this line so it is very straight above the sashing. Study the picture very carefully before starting to quilt.

The blue marker MUST BE REMOVED as soon as you quit quilting for a session. I keep a little bowl of DISTILLED WATER and a Q-tip ready to removed the blue pen immediately! I let it dry overnight. REGULAR TAP WATER will not work for removing these pens. The blue will come back and sometimes the salt in the water will make the blue permanent! Also, Heat sets the blue pen and will not every come off, so keep your quilt out of the sun or away from very bright lights that get warm, while you are using the blue pens.

I've been to quilt shows and found blue pens on people's quilts. Not a good thing! A quilt with blue pen markings showing NEVER won any prizes!

Carolina Lily stems, leaves, and flowers placement

Hopefully you can see how this block looks when finished. The lillies look a lot like lobsters, so Mr. Whoozy said when he saw them on my drawing board! ha
But that is exactly how they look for real when growing in the yard! Amazing for sure and a great finale block for our Amazing Flower Quilt. Next week, I'll post a close up of the flower with stamens and beads. "stay tuned" as they used to say on the radio, back before most of you "children" were born! So great to have young quilters!

Pictures for Florida Flower Quilt Blocks Block #2

Here are pictures of the magnolias that I used for the pattern. If you need the pattern, let me know and I'll send it to you via email......... You'll notice that there are 9 petals to the magnolia. My pattern spreads them out a bit. I'd use many shades of green for the foliage.

Quilters' University #5 Printing from a Blog

Several people have asked me "How do I print off something from your blog?" My friend, Bonnie DiCarlo sent me these directions that work for me. She said that they might not work for people with a Mac or Apple computer. If you are getting to the blog from Windows Internet Explorer, this will work very well.
Once you have pulled up the blog, look at the right side of the screen to the BLog Archives for the Quilters' University Lessons. These might be the ones that you wish to print off. When you have found the lesson you wish to print, select EDIT and then SELECT ALL at the top of the screen. Next, select FILE and then PRINT PREVIEW. On that screen, change AS LAID OUT ON SCREEN to AS SELECTED ON SCREEN. Click on printer icon to print. This works for Internet Explorer 7 & 8.
Happy Quilting!

Block #9 Carolina Lily actual pictures

Before starting on the Carolina Lily, you need to study the pictures very carefully to be sure that you have the correct colors of fabrics.

Notice that the flower hangs upside down from the stem. The stamen will be added later.

The brown spots are quite obvious and may be done in brown beads or French knots with brown embroidery thread.

I took the flower from the underside for the picture at the top. They are so unusual!

QUILTERS' UNIVERSITY Lesson #4 Mitering borders

Some people have a terrible time with mitering.
Let me make it easy for you. Measure length and width of quilt top. Use those measurements and add at least eight inches on each end of borders for mitering. After sewing the inside border to the outside border, overlap the extra as show in the picture above.#1 picture

#2. Picture shows folding under the top border to form a miter. Be sure that the wrong side of the top piece is even with underneath piece at the top and at the bottom. Pin down the fold and press with a hot dry iron

#3 Picture shows unpinning after pressing and gently folding the top piece back to see crease line made by pressing. Draw over the crease with a dark pen. Repin across the crease and line, and stitch starting at the top. Stitch with a basting stitch, in the event that you haven't gotten the miter perfectly in the center of the corner. When sure of that, restitch with a regular tight stitch.

#4 Picture shows the miter perfectly sewn and perfectly at the center of the corner.

#5 Picture shows the underside of the miter with the seam allowance and excess borders materials removed. Press with a hot iron and DO NOT OPEN SEAM! Press to one side!

FLORIDA FLOWERS FOR WALL HANGING

Here's a picture of my AZALEA in full bloom. Notice the spots of red and the red veins. All of this may be duplicated with deep red crayola and shading around the sides, etc. Using a hot iron, iron over the crayon with a sheet of wax paper face down on the flower to set the color. Do this before appliqueing the flower down to the background. Seed beads may be sewn over the lines and larger red beads may be sewn onto the red dots. Silk ribbon will be used later for the statem and silver beads at the ends of each. All beading is done AFTER the flower and leaves, etc. have been sewn down. In other words, that is the finale for the flower block.