Monday, June 22, 2009

Stitchin' Mission #17 - Display at St. Luke's

If you couldn't make it to St. Luke's to see your quilt displayed, here are a few pictures taken by Rosie Kingkade.
The Stitchin' Mission coordinator at St. Luke's, Susan Mathison, and her helpers made these 44 quilts look so beautiful in the sanctuary. Thank you Susan, and thank you quiltmakers!

If you have an unfinished quilt to complete for Mission Build West Virginia (Richmond, WV) you have until July 9 to get it finished and delivered to St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 3424 Forest Ave., Des Moines, Iowa.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

In the News!

Hope you all saw the Stitchin' Mission #17 group photo in the Tuesday, June 16 issue of the Des Moines Register. It's in the communities section and everyone is identified by name and city. Great job, everyone!

Monday, June 15, 2009

Binding Tutorial

As many of you know, at the fourth Stitchin' Mission class I teach how to make and apply binding. This binding application method is straightforward, with binding sewn continuously, folding miters at each corner, and making a false diagonal joining at the starting-stopping point. Though this isn't my favorite way to apply binding, the concept is solid because it provides a base for understanding other techniques. 

"How do you like to apply binding?"
This is a frequent question. Below is a tutorial I'm happy to offer, though I encourage you to first feel comfortable applying binding in the traditional, more common, manner.

My favorite technique is one with no joining, and machine-sewn mitered corners.

Binding Tutorial
Begin by preparing double-fold  binding (AKA French binding) in one long continuous strip. My favorite width is cut 2-1/4".
Lay the untrimmed quilt, face up, on a flat surface, smoothing out wrinkles.
This is also when I take the time to ensure that my quilt top is squared.
Use a long ruler to draw straight lines along each side - around the entire perimeter - of the quilt. This straight edge is what you will use as a guideline for sewing binding to the quilt.
Following a straight line will ensure you end up with a squared quilt and straight binding.

Cut and Sew Binding Across Quilt Width
Lay the binding across the width of the quilt, approximately in the center. Leave a 2" to 3" tail extending beyond both edges of the quilt top. Gently smooth and pat the binding flat. 
Cut the binding 2" to 3" from the edge of the quilt top.
Repeat, to make a second piece of binding for the width of the quilt.

Do not move the binding.
Insert a pin, or make a mark at the point where the binding meets the edge of the quilt top.
See blue pin.

Insert another pin, or make a mark at a point 1/4" to the inside of the first pin.
See pink pin.
The pink pin marks the sewing stop-start point. Remove the blue pin.

Now, focusing on the corner of the quilt top,
measure 1/4" from each side of the quilt top. Use a pin or make a mark at the spot. 
Repeat at the opposite end of the binding, marking the binding and marking the quilt top.
Position the binding along the edge of the squared quilt top. Pin.


Begin sewing at the pinned or marked spot on the binding. Backstitch.
Continue sewing binding to the quilt, stopping at the pin or mark at the opposite end. Backstitch.

Repeat the above steps to sew the second binding to the width of the quilt.

Cut and Sew Binding for Quilt Length
When you have sewn binding strips to the top and bottom of the quilt (across the width), again lay the quilt on a flat surface.

As when cutting the binding width, lay down binding along the length of the quilt, placing it approximately through the center of the quilt. Smooth and pat binding.

Insert a pin, or make a mark at the point where the binding meets the edge of the quilt top. Repeat for the second piece of binding.

At both ends of the two binding strips, insert another pin, or make a mark at a point 1/4" to the inside of the first pin.

 Working at the corner, fold back the previously sewn binding to get it out of the way. 
Match the unsewn binding start-stop point to the stopping point of the previously sewn binding.
Lay binding along along the straight edge of the quilt, pin across the binding length and matching the unsewn binding start-stop point to the stopping point of the previously sewn binding.
Sew binding to the quilt, beginning and ending with backstitches.
Repeat to apply the last binding strip.

Mark and Sew Binding Corners
At one corner, fold the quilt onto itself, back-to-back, to form a 45-degree angle. Position binding strips to form a straight horizontal line, meeting the binding's folded edge to the folded edge, and the raw edge to the raw edge.

Pin to hold into place. Use a small ruler perpendicular to the binding to make a small indication mark on the binding fold at a point parallel and directly above where the stitching ends.

Tip a small ruler so the ruler corner is positioned in the middle of the binding strip. Position the ruler point an equal distance from both the mark along the binding fold, and the end point of the stitching. Between each point the distance is 1/2" to 5/8".

Draw along the corner of the ruler to make a visible line that forms a >
Sew on the drawn line: backstitch at the fold, sew, pivot at the point, sew, backstitch.
See the > that was sewn to join the binding corners.
Trim 1/4" from the sewn line to remove binding tails. Snip the tip to reduce bulk.

Repeat steps, marking, sewing, and trimming on three more corners to sew a total of four mitered corners.

Finish Binding
From around the perimeter of the quilt, trim excess batting and backing 3/8" from stitching line. Be sure not to rotary cut the binding corner!
Turn the binding to the quilt back. Use a stiletto or point turner to pull out the points at each mitered corner. Admire these sturdy, machine-sewn mitered corners - you won't have to hand-sew them closed!
Using thread that matches the color of the binding, blind stitch to hand sew binding to the quilt back.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Didn't we have fun?

Stitchin' Mission #17 at St. Luke's Episcopal in Des Moines concluded. And didn't we have fun?! What a great group! Everyone was eager to learn, and pitched in to help one another.

Thought you would enjoy this photo from my camera. We were caught in the act, so to speak, shouting out "Glory to God" when this photo was taken. Wonderful!
This prolific group made 45 quilts that will be delivered to West Virginia in July by a St. Luke's mission team. If you live locally and would like to see the quilts, stop by the church at 3424 Forest Ave., Des Moines, on Sunday, June 21, 2009. Even better, worship at 10:00 a.m. and be present for the blessings of the quilts. 

A generous quilter will herself be blessed, for she shares her quilts with the poor.
Proverbs 22:9 (from "the quilting Bible by Linda")

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Free Quarry Stone Quilt Chart

Here's a free "Quarry Stone Quilt Chart for Larger Sizes." It's two pages with information about:
  • determining the size quilt you want for your bed
  • how many Quarry Stone blocks (6-1/2" X 6-1/2" unfinished) are needed
  • and, yardages for Quarry Stone blocks, binding, and backing.

Please send me photos of the quilts you make!

Saturday, May 30, 2009

String-Piecing Bloopers

Today at Lutheran Church of Hope, Hope Quilters and other quilters from the Des Moines area met for a work day. From Hope Quilters' stash of donated fabrics, we selected colors, pressed, rotary-cut strips, and sewed to make string-pieced blocks, much like you've been invited to do, making Stringing Colors blocks by July 31. 

However, several of us managed to creatively find a way to make a mistake. The following bloopers are shown to keep you on the alert for these potential hazards. If you manage to blooper anyway, join our club! (Names and faces are not shown, to protect the innocent.)

The most common mistake occurs when a quilter lays fabric strips together incorrectly. Right sides together is the correct way to join strips. A right side sewn to a wrong side is the blooper way...followed by unsewing.

The second most common mistake is to lay down a fabric strip so it doesn't completely cover the telephone book paper. This blooper joined its mates in the trash.
Here a quilter became quite creative, simultaneously sewing two layers of fabric strips to the paper. 

And this quilter, surely believing more is better, sewed a snippet of fabric right into the strips. A blooper with a bonus!
A great big thank-you to the quilters who sewed today, and who help all of us learn by their mistakes. You're wonderful!


Friday, May 22, 2009

Stringing Colors - Here's a Sample

My friend, Lola, accepted the invitation to participate in Stringing Colors and already put together this quilt! Yes, she went a little overboard (you're invited to make SIX blocks to donate toward our mission quiltmaking effort), but isn't the finished top just lovely?

For her two-color blocks she chose lavenders and purples to go with neutrals. And I know that all the fabrics came from a stash donated to Hope Quilters at Lutheran Church of Hope. See what you can do with leftover, and even ugly fabrics?

Also, Lola's layout is just one of many ways these blocks can be arranged. At a yet-to-be-schedule sewing day at WDM United Methodist, we'll explore all the layout possibilities - even combining different colors of blocks.  

I hope seeing this tickles your interest in participating. Make your string-pieced blocks by July 31, 2009, and drop them off at West Des Moines United Methodist Church (8th and Grand, WDM), along with your contact info. Then, we'll let you know when we'll make blocks into quilt tops. Click here for detailed information.