KANZASHI Flowers #1

Kanzashi is a form of fabric folding started in Japan in the early 1600's. They made hair pieces and clothes adornments out of them. I want to use them in a quilted wall hanging. There will be a set of at least 4 different flowers for you to learn how to make. Fun and easy! This is the first flower and I started it using 3" squares of cotton fabric. Spray with spray starch and iron cloth before starting the folding steps. Have fun with this new project!

FLORIDA FLOWERS FOR FLORIDA FOLKS!

Hopefully you are going to start your beautiful Florida flower wall hanging. The azalea is so beautiful, and such fun to make. Enlarge pattern to at least amn 8 1/2" X 11" sheet of paper. Using a light box or tape it to a glass window and trace the outline onto a selected background fabric. Then trace the pattern onto the dull side of freezer paper. See below how to do "freezer paper applique." Once you have your flower made, applique it onto your background fabric. Using wax crayons, do shading as suggested on the pattern.
Page 2 of the pattern gives you the small flower that is shown in the picture with directions as well.
***If you do not know how to print from my blog, look in the archive listed to the right of the front page of the blog and find May 10, 2010. This will tell you how to do this. If you've never done freezer paper applique and wish to applique this by hand, check my archive for January 25, 2010
Have fun with this project! Need more help? Go to Ocean Wave Quilters Guild meeting the 2nd Friday of any month at the Players Community Center in Ponte Vedra off Hwy 210 behind the Shell station. They meet at 10:00. Someone there will help you!

Baby Quilt or wall hanging using Orange Peel pattern

I think the "orange peel pattern is one of my favorite classic patterns. Most people avoid it as it have curved pieces in it. It is truly a pretty pattern.
I have devised a method for making it that requires no "piecing" what-so-ever!
The pattern that I put in the newspapers called for making the squares 8 1/2". The "Petal" pattern has to be enlarged for sure. Unfortunately when I wrote the article, I got my "wires crossed" and put the petal for the 6 1/2" square in the paper which has a measurement 4 1/4" from point to point.
Let me correct that right now. If you are making the 8 1/2" squares quilt, the petal must measure 5 5/8" from point to point down through the center! Once you have that petal enlarged to that size,cut out a plastic template for it and cut out freezer paper petals to iron onto the back of each petal, using 4 petals for each square. If you wish the quilt to be 36", cut out 16 squares.
Fold the squares in half and into half again and crease them. This give you the center point where the creases cross in the middle of the square.
Pin the petals onto the square making sure that you are leaving 1/4" seam allowance at each corner of the square. I discovered that when I machine buttonhole stitched the petals down, it ate up some of the seam allowance. I would recommend that the template be cut smaller to ensure the 1/4" seam allowance.
I used regular pastel colored thread for the buttonhole stitching.
I want to make the baby quilt by hand, so I shall use embroidery thread and buttonhole stitch around the petals. The pictures you have here in the blog, or just samples that I made to be sure that everything works.
Wonder Under or Steam a Seam may be used to adhere the petals down firmly before stitching.
Once the blocks are all finished, I shall sew them together 4 blocks horizontally and 4 blocks vertically. 2" borders will be added to the quilt and then all will be sandwiched with batting and a lining. I am going to use "minkie" fabric for the lining; so nice and soft!
I plan on hand quilting around each petal about 1/8" away from each petal once I have sandwiched the quilt.
The finished quilt will be 36" X 36" which is a nice size for a baby quilt.

Directions for NY purse

I guess this purse is a winner. I have gotten so many emails, etc about it. Some want the entire set of directions, so here goes:The top fabric for the purse requires 36" X 15" and the lining requires the same. I used a light-weight batting cut the same measurements. Using a 1/4" seam, sew the three together placing top and lining right sides together, with batting on the bottom, leaving a 6" side open for flipping and turning right side out. Hand sew the opening together.
To get the shape of the top of the purse, make 3" folds toward the center at each corner, pin, and fold the tops down at least 3". Tack all of this in place. Velcro may be used for closing at the top.
Free motion quilt only the back side of the purse.
Before sewing the side seams together, cut an 8" X 15" piece of fabric for inside pockets. Fold raw seams in 1/4" and fold again, to finish the seams. Sew this piece to the back side of the purse. Stitch vertical lines for cell phone pocket, etc.
Make ruffle: Using two fat quarters (one main fabric and one for lining) folded together. Cut four 2 1/2" strips across width of fabrics. Sew 4 strips of main fabric together. Press seams. repeat for lining fabric. Sew the two long strips together along each side using 1/4" seam. To turn the ruffle inside out, use a stiff yard stick and starting on one open end, start pulling the inside of the ruffle out by pulling the outside down over the yard stick.
Once this is done, sew a gathering stitch along one edge of the strip and gather gently....not tightly.
Begin in the center of the purse with a "rose shape" in the center. Stitch this down through the layers to hold it firmly while you work the ruffle around and around to the outside edge of the purse. Pin end under the ruffle. Pin about every 3" to hold the circular shape. Tack ruffle about every 3" with a matching thread.
Hand sew the top triangular sides of the purse together with "blind stitches."
Ribbon may be added for a handle and a decoration. Voila you have an adorable purse.

New York purse

Fun time making this purse. It is a quickie for sure!
Directions in the Crossroads Chronicle and the Highlander right now. It will be in the Ponte Vedra Recorder in June.
Necessary pictures are here for you seeing purse at different stages of construction.

Hoop cover construction

Directions for making a "hoop cover" for your quilting hoop to aid in quilting the borders. Once you have quilted to the outer edge of your quilt, it becomes difficult to quilt the borders in a hoop, as there is nothing to make the border stay taut. I used to use one of Mr. Whoozy's handkerchiefs attached by pins to the outer edge of the quilt. This gave the quilt something to fit into the hoop, completely.
Then one day, a dear friend of mine, named Sissy, came over with a "cover" that she had made for my 14" quilting hoop. She used prequilted fabric that is very soft, yet very sturdy. Here are her directions:
You will need 1/4 yd. prequilted fabric;they make this un unbleached muslin.; 1 pkg. double fold wide bias tape (a 3 yd. pckg is enough for two hoop covers.; and a nice 3" piece of Velcro; freezer paper to make pattern.
Lay the inside ring of the hoop down on freezer paper and trace around the shape, stopping about 2/3 of the way up from the top. This will allow two-thirds of the quilt to be inside of the hoop. Cut out the paper pattern.

Lay the paper pattern onto two layers of prequilted fabric and cut out including a 1/4" seam allowance.
Cut a 1" X 18 joining strip of the fabric for a 14" hoop.
Fold this strip into quarters and mark with a dash on outer edges. Then do the same with the curved pieces. Right sides together, pin the joining strip to the edge of one curved piece, matching dashes. Straight stitch, zigzag or serge together using the 1/4" seam.
Pin the other side of the joining strip to the other curved piece, matching dashes, then stitch. Press seam allowance toward strip and then topstitch.
Bind the bottom edge of the cover with a bias strip or bias tape.
Sew the Velcro approximately 1 1/2" up from the bottom edge. This allows the quilt to be slipped inside of this cover later.
The cover is finished now, so slide it on the inner hoop ring and fasten the hooked tape to lock it in place. Pin with large safety pins the edge of your quilt layers to the straight edge of the cover. Slide the outer hoop on and tighten.
Quilt to your heart's content!
Again, THANKS SISSY, you have added many years to my quilting life!

HAPPY MAY DAY TO YOU ALL!

I always think of those SOS calls they used during WWII, etc. in movies: May Day! May Day! I guess perhaps that they still use that for emergency calls........hopefully, I hope I never EVER find out!
It is a beautiful day in the neighborhood! Friends of many many years are arriving from Texas in about an hour, and I am so excited! We go back a long long time, and love to talk over "old times." That is what aging is all about! It is o.k. to talk about them for a little spell, but not to dwell on that. Today is more important!
And, today, I am so blessed to have lovely stitchery friends and even family members who are "stitcherers." I am going to start sharing all of my quilts that I have made down through the years, with you! I shall start with some of the very first ones, and then get up to the more recent ones. It will be fun doing this, as I have not seen some of them in quite some time. They have been on beds throughout the house, under a coverlet, keeping them unwrinkled and safe from dust and too much light. That is so important.
Folding quilts ia not a good idea. That makes permanent creases in them. Therefore, if you have a bed that is not in use, layer the quilts on them as high as you wish. Most of my beds look like the "Princess and the Pea." ha.
Before I start that project, I shall show you one of my favorites. It is a wall hanging that I made from a photoghraph that I took in Keukenhof Gardens in Amsterdam. It was on April 21st, the day that the tulips all blossomed out. It is truly heaven on earth.
I made the wall hanging after I got home from there. The windmill fabric that you see was purchased at a quilt show in The Hague, Netherlands, that same year.