Bargello “Links” Quilt Finished

I finished a project this week that has been years in the making. Do you have that same problem? 🙂

I took a class taught by a dear friend at a local quilt shop a few years back. I’m very glad I made it, however, I would never make it again. It was just too involved. The pattern was called “Links” and is a quilt design by Dereck C. Lockwood with very well written instructions.

I pieced it on my hand-crank and treadle and then did free motion quilting on my treadle with matching thread colors.

My finished “Links” quilt.

Great Free-Motion Quilting Tool

I have found a great new product for free-motion quilting. Grip & Stitch quilting disks.

I tried them to compare them with quilting gloves. I found that I liked them better for a couple of reasons. The first is that it is much less cumbersome not having to take the gloves off and on for snipping threads and other things you can’t do with the gloves on. The second is that I found that my hands don’t get as fatigued with the discs.

As you know I use a treadle sewing machine for all my free-motion quilting and they worked very well. They are made by Clever Craft Tools.

To see my demonstration check out this video. Enjoy!

The Sewing Studio is Now Open

Today is the first day that I had someone join me in my sewing studio. My friend purchased some reproduction fabrics and wants to make a nine-patch quilt for her son’s wedding. We had cut the strips previously and now it was time to put them together.

I set her up with my 1898 Singer handcrank.

Dori sewing on the 1898 Singer handcrank

 

Piecing nine-patch blocks

We had cut 2-1/2 inch wide strips and will finish with a 6-1/2 inch block before putting them together. After sewing the strips together we cut those ironed strips at 2-1/2 inches too.

Strips cut and ready to put together

Finally she sewed the pieces together to construct the block.

The finished nine-patch block

 

It was great fun to finally have sewing time in my studio with a friend joining me 😀

Thanks Dori!

Corner Cutter Tool for Making Flying Geese Quilt Blocks

Found a great new tool!

Make fast flying geese the no-waste way with the Corner Cutter Ruler.  Complete and easy to follow directions are included to make 4 flying geese at one time.  This ruler works for ALL sizes of flying geese.  Package also includes fun project ideas.

You can find them on my Etsy Shop 🙂

Perfect Piecing Seam Guide

I would like to introduce you to one of my favorite quilting tools – the Perfect Piecing Seam Guide.

This little ruler allows me to ALWAYS have the exact same 1/4-inch seam, necessary for quilting, on any machine I decide to use. It’s very simple and extremely easy to use. There is a small hole on the 1/4-inch line in which you lower your sewing machine needle into.

You then line up your magnetic seam guide along the edge of the ruler.

There you have your perfect 1/4-inch seam. As many of you know, small variances in the seam can make a big difference in the end and this handy tool can help you keep it all even. 😀

I have these for sale on my Etsy Shop (click here).

Links Bargello Quilt Top

I can’t believe I’ve finally finished it! I’ve had this one in the works for about 4-5 years…Now just to add the frame.

What do you think, should it just keep it a wall hanging or make it a bed quilt with big borders? Give me your ideas.

Links Bargello Quilt Top

Art Quilts

My husband and youngest daughter, Jessica, are going on a missions trip to Mexico next month. They are doing fundraisers for the trip. One of the fundraisers is a bake/craft sale at a local bank and Jessica & I each made an art quilt to sell. Our wonderful friend and neighbor, Carol, gave us instructions and materials and we were privileged to make them at her place last week. Today we put on the embellishments to add a few sparkles.

The first thing we did was to pick out a background fabric. We were to choose something with a lot of character, no plain cotton here. I chose a slightly fuzzy taupe stretchy fabric and Jess chose a black slinky furry fabric.

Next we got to peruse Carol’s accucut dies and choose what the theme or motif would be for our art project. My daughter chose a beautiful jumping stag and a matching swirly design and stars. I chose a cute little owl and leaves of different kinds. We cut these out of different colors of felt fabric. I had to use a bit of glue to hold the pieces of the owl into place.

The next thing was to decide how to set them in the quilt and what other things we would like to put around them. I chose a black eyelash type yarn and it turned out to be the tree the owl was perched on. Five silk flowers then were added for some color. Jessica also picked out some eyelash style yarn in shiny blue and gray.

Next we put them each on a piece of muslin for the backing and then, this is the strange part, we covered each with a piece of black tule. Then we pinned the loose items in place.

We carefully took them home and I quilted them, first free motion quilting directly around each piece to hold it into place and then doing some free motion background filler. I also did a little quilting on my owl as he needed some feathers and gave the leaves some veins.  Finally we chose a matching binding and finished them off.

Back to Carol’s for the final embellishments, crystals. We used heat bond crystals to give the wallhangings the final touch.

How To: Make a Snap Close Purse

I purchased this pattern at a quilt show and after following the instructions I found some issues with understanding the pattern and reworked it as well as tweaking a few measurements. Here is the finished pattern.

This pattern makes a 10” purse that is completely lined and has 2 inside pockets and snaps closed using a section of metal carpenter tape. (Make sure your hubby is okay with that!) The size of the outside is easy to use from a quilt pattern. Just make sure you have a 12 x 24 inch piece when finished than trim 1/4 inch off each side.

Pieces Needed:

Outside fabric and fusible pellon 12 x 23-1/2 inches

Pocket and pocket facing* 12 x 11-1/2 inches

Lining and fusible pellon 12 x 21 inches

Casing: Cut two strips 3-1/4 x 12 inches

Casing facing*: Cut two strips 2-3/4 x 12 inches

Handles: Cut two 2-1/2 x 18 inches

Handle facing*: Cut two 3/4 x 18 inches

*fusible pellon interfacing

The Outside

Fuse pellon to wrong side of outer fabric and mark the center by pressing in half. Quilt if desired.

Outside with fusible interfacing (pellon)

With right sides together, fold in half and sew the sides together with 1/4-inch seam allowance, leaving the top open. Press seams open.

1/4 inch side seams

Press seams open

To make the flat bottom, match the bottom center to the side seams, mark a line with pen 2 inches in from the point and sew on the line. Sew another line on the outside of that 1/8 inch from first seam.

Mark 2 inches in from point

 

2 seams

Trim off the points leaving 1/4-inch seam allowance. (If you have zigzag you can use that instead of the second seam after trimming.)

Trim point 1/4 inch from marked line

Turn right side out and press bottom rectangle so purse will stand up. Cut a piece of Timtex (or template plastic) 7 x 4 inches and lay in the bottom of your purse under the seams. Set aside.

Press from corner to corner

 

Standing up

Handles

Press a 1/4-inch seam allowance on one of the long sides of each handle. Place pellon in the center, fusible side up, and bring raw edge up and cover part of the pellon. Then bring the finished side (side with seam allowance) edge over, covering the remaining pellon and raw edge, and fuse in place.

1/4 inch seam allowance pressed, pellon placed in center

 

raw edge folded up over part of pellon

 

finished edge folded over to meet other edge…iron

Stitch 1/8 inch from the folded edge and turn and stitch again 1/8 inch from the other side. (The seams match nicely then.)

Lining

Press pellon to the wrong side lining piece and mark the center by pressing in half.

Pocket

Press pellon to wrong side of pocket piece. With right sides together fold in half longwise and sew the raw edges with 1/4-inch seam allowance. This forms a tube. Turn right side out and press. Now you have a finished on both sides pocket piece. (The seam you see is where I sewed 2 small pieces of pellon together so as not to waste.)

Pellon fused, sew long edge with right sides together

 

pressed, finished pocket piece

Pin the pocket 1-3/4 inches from the upper edge of the right side of the lining having the folded edge as the top of the pocket and the seam edge as the bottom. Measure 4 inches from one side of the pocket and mark with pins for the pocket separation. Sew the sides, bottom and pocket divider seam.

Attached finished pocket, seamed on both sides and bottom with divider set of stitches

Casing/Top Purse Edge

Fuse pellon down the center of each of the casing pieces with 1/4-inch uncovered area on top and bottom. Press 1/4-inch seam allowance over the interfacing on one side. Set aside.

Casing pieces with pellon fused in center, 1/4 inch pressed up on 1 side

Adding the Handles and Casing

Place each end of the handle with the best side facing up 2-1/2 inches in from each edge of the right side of the lining. Pin in place with raw edges matching.

handles 2-1/2 inches in from side with raw edges matching the lining edges

Now place the casing (right side facing right side of lining) on top of the lining and handle and pin in place matching raw edges. Sew with 1/4-inch seam allowance.

Casing pieces placed & pinned

Press the seam towards the bottom of the lining with handles up and stitch in the ditch securing the seam and adding strength to the handle attachment.

Press seam down towards bottom of lining. Stitch in the ditch with handles up.

To mark the center of the casing, bring the 1/4-inch hem fold down to the stitch in the ditch seam and crease the fold by pressing. Unfold before stitching the seams.

Press with finished edge matching the stitch in the ditch seam

Finishing the Lining

Now fold in half with right sides together being careful to keep the 1/4-inch seam allowance on the top of the casing folded down so you have a finished edge. Pin in place matching edges and top. Sew side seams using a 3/8-inch seam allowance. Press seams open.

Pin, carefully matching edges and seams.

Press seams open

Now make the boxed bottom the same way you made it for the outside matching the center pressmark to the side seams. Sew 2 inches from the point and finish the same as outside instructions above. Press bottom lines.

Press from corners

Finishing the Purse

Place the lining inside the purse, lining up the bottom seams and side seams and pin into place.

Now fold the casing fabric over the outer fabric forming the casing. Half of the casing is inside the purse and half is outside, encasing the outside fabric. Your outside fabric should hit at the fold line in the casing. The handles will come from the inside of the bag and will be sewn into the top line of stitching on the casing.

Casing pinned in place making sure outside is up to the fold line in the casing

Pin all around the casing making sure the handles are up straight and the outside fabric is up to the fold line in the casing and side seams are matching.

Sew the top line of stitching 1/4-inch from the top fold of the purse making sure the handles are coming out of the bag and in place (being sewn into this line of stitching).

Prepare the Snap Closure

Next prepare the snap closure by cutting 4 pieces of metal carpenter tape 1/2 inch less than that of the finished purse. (Cut tape 10-1/2 inches long.) Using an old scissors or tin snips round the edges and place 2 pieces together. Two pieces give it a nice strong snap. Cover the rounded edges with duct tape and trim.

Sew the bottom of the casing about 1/8-inch from the folded seam allowance. On one side carefully open the seam line between the two rows of casing stitching and insert the 2 sets of tape so the numbers face each other and the inside of the tote. Hand stitch the seam closed. Your purse is now finished.

Finished snap close purse

Your purse will easily open by pulling the handles apart and snap closed when you release the handles.

P.S.- These bags are for sale in my Etsy Shop 😀