Trapuntoed Feathered Wreath Quilt

March 30th, 2014

I’ve been generating lots of wreath blocks through test stitch outs of designs and threw a quick quilt together using a few of them. These center blocks are all 13 1/2 inches square with 10 inch diameter wreaths and the four cornerstone blocks are 6 inches square with 4 inch diameter wreaths. This is what the backside of the quilt top looked like before it was placed into the final quilt sandwich:

All eight of the wreaths have a trapunto layer. The large wreaths have a wool trapunto layer and the small wreaths have a polyester trapunto layer. I’m assuming that they will “poof out” at different levels but only time will tell. I haven’t quilted at all outside the center section yet, but here’s what the center section looks like after my outlining w/invisible thread and establishing a quilting design surrounding the wreaths:

Photo-2-center-section-wreath-quilt-early-quilting

I’m loving how that straight line quilting is looking and some of those channels will be filled in with different quilting designs. here are a few shots of wreaths were you get a little sense of the “poofiness:”

and the inlined hearts hyperquilted wreath:

…and the asymmetric inlined curley cue wreath:

I can’t wait to spend more time on this quilt!

Filed under Free Motion Quilting, Machine Embroidered Applique, Trapunto. 2 Comments

Fun New Notions for you to try!

March 28th, 2014

Hello Quilting Friends!

Many of you had purchased the wonderful “Bag See Your Stuff”, and now there are even more colors options. These high quality bags are a great way to keep your notions organized in your sewing room as well as when you’re on the go! There is also a new ruler called “Attic Window” which will enable you to create 6 different sizes for attic window blocks. Make sure to also check out the corresponding pattern called “Bats in the Attic”!

We have many other great new additions to our store and you can read all about them below! The products in this newsletter are all new, so for the first week in the store we will be offering them at a reduced introductory price. You will not need to enter a discount code to receive these introductory savings and the prices are valid until April 4, 2014 at 6 am, E.S.T.

Remember that each and every retail purchase that you make in our store is being tabulated to count toward a gift certificate you may use for a future purchase. We also offer free shipping to US customers and a discount for our International Customers. This is our way of thanking you for being a loyal customer. Please make sure you are logged into your account when making a purchase to properly track your points.

**Please note that when purchasing any item in this newsletter, your order will not ship until Tuesday April 1, 2014, as these are new items in our store**

Attic Window

One tool creates six sizes of Attic Window blocks and comes with an eight page booklet. With no Y seams, this is the easiest attic window you’ll ever make. The tool offers a preview window area to make fussy cutting easy.

MSRP ~~$14.99~~... reduced introductory price $13.34

True Cut 8 Circle Cutter

Cutting curves and circles is a breeze with the TrueCut 360°! The innovative design makes it simple to use, and prevents the fabric from bunching or wrinkling as you cut.

–

**Precise ruler markings

**Locking center point

**No fabric bunching

**Clean-cut, accurate curves and circles

MSRP ~~$39.95~~… reduced introductory price $35.56

Omnigrid Foldaway Miniature Cutting Mat & Ironing Area 7in x 7in

This Omnigrid Mini Fold-Away Portable Cutting and Pressing Station is convenient for use beside your sewing machine. This station is perfect for trimming and pressing foundation blocks and great for cutting around templates. This item folds to fit easily in travel bag with Velcro closure.

Omnigrid Mini Fold-Away Portable Cutting and Pressing Station:

**Convenient

**Ideal for trimming and pressing foundation blocks

**Great for cutting around templates

**Folds to fit easily in travel bag with velcro closure

**Non-stick ironing surface

**Size: 7″ x 7″

MSRP ~~$21.49~~… reduced introductory price $19.13

Bag See Your Stuff

Clear 20 gauge vinyl bags accented with 600 denier poly tough duck & zipper closure. Great for organizing all your projects.

6in x 8in

Each MSRP ~~$7.00~~… reduced introductory price $6.23

10in x 11in

Each MSRP ~~$9.00~~… reduced introductory price $8.01

12in x 13 in

MSRP ~~$12.00~~… reduced introductory price $10.68

Pedal Betty Designer Series 6in X 12in

Steady Betty Pedal Betty is the perfect surface for holding your sewing machine’s foot controller. Both sides are covered with soft Grey foam that keeps the pedal firmly in place, and prevents the slippage on floor or carpeting. 6″ x 12″

MSRP ~~$38.00~~… reduced introductory price $33.82

Pedal Betty Designer Series 12in X 12in

MSRP ~~$48.00~~… reduced introductory price $42.72

Insertion Tool with 2 blades 1/8in and 1/4in

Simplicity Bias Tip Insertion Tool for use with 1/8″ & 1/4″ bias tips. Tool comes with 1 handle and 2 blades. 3pcs.

MSRP ~~$11.99~~… reduced introductory price $10.67

Sew Red Glasses Clip Ons

Red filter glasses that allow a hands free method to determine the color value of your fabric. They change the color to grey scale so you can see contrast.

MSRP ~~$17.99~~… reduced introductory price $16.01

Zip Clips Medium

Whether sewing, quilting or crafting, our Zip Guns and clips are the easiest and fastest way to hold the edges of projects together. Eight reusable clips are included.

MSRP ~~$9.00~~… reduced introductory price $8.01

Thimble Pack Plus

Includes ThimbleCrown, ThimbleDimple, 8 Adhesives, 12 Needle Grip-it2, 12 Thimblepads and 4 Thimbleits.

MSRP ~~$9.95~~… reduced introductory price $8.86

Bobbin Rings 3pk

Nickel Plated Steel 3 – 3in rings each hold 16-18 bobbins. Store and transport multiple bobbins easily.

MSRP ~~$1.99~~… reduced introductory price $1.77

Bats in the Attic

50-3/4in x 65in. (Borders only on top and bottom) Bats In the Attic

From Primitive Pieces by Lynda

MSRP ~~$10.00~~… reduced introductory price $8.90

Grand Re-Opening

Have fun with these easy to stitch little angles and watch them move the eye toward the accent squares. Choose dark and light with good contrast for the angle block and something fun for the framed center squares. 26in x 40in and 44in x 54in.

From Maple Island Quilts

MSRP ~~$9.00~~… reduced introductory price $8.01

Filed under Site Updates. Comments Off on Fun New Notions for you to try!

Trying Out a New Product

March 26th, 2014

Sometimes I’ll want to make something out of fabric but I’ll really want the end product to have more body and more stiffness than fabric plus batting will provide. A friend suggested I try a new product (which will go un-named for now) that has properties of both. Just like fabric, it can be dyed, painted, stamped, silk-screened, embroidered, quilted, washed in the washing machine, etc, etc etc, but it has just a bit of stiffness to it so it can hold a shape better than fabric layered with batting. I kept my initial experiment simple and merely dyed it. My first experiment was to embroider a hyperquilted feathered wreath onto it, using a piece of scrap batting behind it as a trapunto layer. Here’s how that came out:

…and I deliberately quilted this motif at the far end of my piece because my goal is to create a quilted envelope that I can use later to store stitch outs of digitized motifs. The way I’ve situated this trapuntoed motif, the feathered wreath will take up most of the front of the envelope. This next shot illustrates what I mean:

It’s hard to see the 3-dimensional nature of the wreath, but it really does have a nice bit of “poof” to it. If you look closely, you might be able to see the line of invisible thread that goes just outside the wreath:

I stitched a swirl motif as my background fill design. Since the material was dyed in various shades of green and turquoise, I used the color “Grass” in YLI Variations Thread. I love this line of thread and am very bummed out that YLI has discontinued it. Here’s an early shot of it as I was just beginning to add some background quilting:

When I’m working on a background like this, where the background is really a melange of related colors, I find it really helps to use a subtly variegated thread like this one. I say that because a solid green thread would kind of “deaden” the wonderful feel of this variegated background color, and a variegated thread like this one really enhances the variegation. Here’s a shot of more of it quilted:

…and here is a shot of the whole piece quilted:

Next, I folded it into my envelope shape and stitched the two sides down. I did this with my seams on the outside. This was my first time of stitching my binding down completely on the sewing machine and I have to say that the speed of getting it done was nice. I’m still not in a place where I’d do this on a “real quilt,” (I enjoy the handwork of sewing that binding down by hand), but it was great for a project like this one. Here’s a shot of it all bound:

Because I made my wreath so large, I didn’t have a whole lot of room left over for the flap of my envelope, but again, this is kind of an experimental piece for me so it’s not a big deal. I kind of made this envelope on the fly, so I didn’t think through issues like enclosures ahead of time. I wasn’t sure how to “seal” the envelope and because I’d left such a narrow fold over flap, I didn’t have many options. I ended up settling on Velcro mini-dots:

And here is the finished envelope:

I have to say that this was a total pleasure to make! It has the stiffness/sturdiness I wanted from a functional standpoint, but still retains all the beauty of quilted fabric. The trapunto on the wreath also lends a great 3-D texture. The colors on this next shot aren’t great, but it gives you a better sense of the wonderful texture of this material:

This was a really fun little project to make and for some reason, this was especially fun to quilt. This is a nice little background fill to play with:

Can’t wait for the next “experiment!”

Filed under Free Motion Quilting, Trapunto. 2 Comments

New Notions, Fun Projects and Much More!

March 14th, 2014

Hello Quilting Friends!

The new issue of Machine Quilting Unlimited is in and you aren’t going to want to miss it! Kay Bell shares her beautiful Quilts from the Scottish Borders with you. Jayne Bentley Gaskins shows you her gorgeous trapunto methods! Get your copy before they are gone!

Wool Roving is now on Clearance for 30% off MSRP! Wool Roving Assortments retail for $17.62 but now you can pick them up for only $12.33. The 12″ packs normally retail for $3.26 but are now only $2.82. These colorful wool rovings are great to create those lovely wool pin cushions that we all love receiving as gifts!

**Please note that when purchasing any item in this newsletter , your order will not ship until Tuesday March 18, 2014, as these are new items in our store**

Machine Quilting Unlimited
March/April 2014

Vol. XIV, No 2 March/April 2014

This issue includes:

Kay Bell’s Scottish Flair
Thread Storage Options
Backing Basics
Two Sided Quilts
Jayne Bentley Gaskins – Taking Trapunto to the Limit!
Cityscapes!

MSRP ~~$8.00~~… reduced introductory price $7.12

Fit to be Quarter 6.5 & Companion Ruler

Fit to be Quarter 6.5 & Companion rulers are designed to accurately trim flip corners, quarter-square triangles and combination units. 2-6-1/2in x 6-1/2in Acrylic Ruler with Free Pattern.

From Open Gate

By Dillard, Monique

MSRP ~~$22.00~~… reduced introductory price $19.58

Fast2mark 6in & 18in Quilter’s Rulers

Now you can draft precisely with fast2mark Quilter’s Rulers with two sizes – 6in and 18in in one set. These clear acrylic rulers include a beveled edge for accurately marking and measuring. With 1/8in markings on one ide and 1/16in markings on the other, create truely accurate templates.

From C & T Publishing

Designed by Mary Knapp

MSRP ~~$14.95~~… reduced introductory price $13.31

Get A Grip 2pc
Machine & Foot Pedal Pad Set

Includes one each of the Machine and foot pedal pads. The double sided, no-slip surface helps your pedal stay in place.

MSRP ~~$40.00~~… reduced introductory price $35.60

Chaco Liner Pen Style White

Pen Style Chaco Liners fine point permits accurate drawing of both straight lines and free hand curves. The fine point makes lines and marks more visible and is easy to use with a straight edge ruler. Easy replacement refill available.

MSRP ~~$9.50~~… reduced introductory price $8.46

Chaco Liner Pen Chalk Refill White

Refills for Pen Style Chaco Liners. ***Don’t forget these prices are only good for a week so make sure to pick up your refill now!

MSRP ~~$4.75~~... reduced introductory price $4.23

Disappearing Ink Marking Pen Combo Pack

One air soluble ink pen and one water soluble marking pen.

MSRP ~~$9.99~~… reduced introductory price $8.89

Mark-B-Gone Marking Pen Combo Pack

Water soluble ink, removes with a damp cloth.

MSRP ~~$10.99~~... reduced introductory price $9.78

Karen Kay Buckley’s Perfect Scissors Protector Connector

Feed the chain clasp through the lower handle. Open clasp and attach to chain. Place plastic cover over tip of scissors. Works with Perfect Scissors Karen Kay Buckley 4 inch Small Green

MSRP ~~$10.00~~… reduced introductory price $8.90

Magnetic Bobbin Pals 3pk

Magnetic Bobbin Pals. Cute; vintage designs to keep your bobbins organized and within reach. Magnetic or adhesive back allows bar to be mounted on a vertical surface. This 3×7 inch package contains three collectable designs of magnetic bobbin pals which hold up to five metal bobbins.

From Dyno Singer

MSRP ~~$2.99~~… reduced introductory price $2.66

Kraft tex Roll White or Black 19in x 1-1/2 yard roll

Wait till you get your hands on this rugged paper that looks, feels, and wears like leather, but sews, cuts, and washes just like fabric. kraft•tex is supple, yet strong enough to handle projects that get tough wear, like totes, belts, wallets, book covers, luggage tags, and more. Sew it, stamp it, draw on it, fold it, inkjet print it to bring an exciting new texture to craft-sewing projects, mixed-media arts, and bookmaking. Durable fiber-based texture softens and crinkles with handling and washing.

Each MSRP $~~12.95~~… reduced introductory price $11.53

Perpetually Fun – Softcover

Forty-eight individual appliqué designs create our perpetual calendar that will be a treasure for years to come. Seven days, twelve months, every combination of numbers plus fifteen designs for seasonal, holiday and weather for the final ring.

This 24 page book contains full sized, already reversed illustrations, plus tips for mounting pieces to our custom die-cut tags. Separate packet of 50 die cut tags is available to finish the calendar. All tags hang on the awesome Ackfeld Calendar Holder.

From SamSarah Design Studio

By Connor, Patti

MSRP ~~$18.00~~… reduced introductory price $16.02

Calendar Die-Cut Tags 50/pack

Make the hang tags used in the Perpetually Fun Book!

MSRP ~~$19.00~~… reduced introductory price $16.91

18in x 9in Calendar Holder Silver Tex

Great for displaying your finished projects.

MSRP ~~$24.00~~... reduced introductory price $21.36

CD-Rom A Kimberbell Spring Volume 1

A dozen darling designs for Machine Embroidery Applique. Formats include ART, DST, EXP, HUS, JEF, PES, VIP & XXX. Each design includes 4 x 4 & 5 x 7 fields. Several bonus 6 x 10 sizes in Watering Can, Kite, Welcome Spring, Shamrock, Swirl flower and bonus projects.

From Kimberbell

By Christopherson, Kim

MSRP ~~$29.95~~… reduced introductory price $26.66

One Sweet Spring

The sweetness of Spring is captured in this whimsical (and sweet!) wall hanging. Learn new techniques like paper piecing, appliqué, and more! Letters for the banner include both “Spring” and “Easter”.

Finished Size 40 in x 40 in

From Kimberbell

By Christopherson, Kim

MSRP ~~$14.95~~… reduced introductory price $13.31

Yellow Brick Road

Grab some fat quarters, and you’re on the road to a fast and fun quilt! Great project for beginners. Make a baby, lap, twin, queen and king size quilt.

From Atkinson Designs

Designed by Terry Atkinson

MSRP ~~$8.00~~… reduced introductory price $7.12

Filed under Site Updates. Comments Off on New Notions, Fun Projects and Much More!

Playin Around

March 12th, 2014

We have been working to develop some digital files for some of the wreaths I’ve free motion quilted over the years. This has been fun to work on and we’re close to finishing up the first groups of wreaths. They are all based on a very basic wreath form, and then hyperquilted with different designs. The most basic of all is a simple “in-lined” feathered wreath. (Think of in-lining as the opposite of outlining. It means that you stitch the same motif inside the original plume, except you just do it on a smaller scale:)

In-lining is the most basic hyperquilting design there is, and it works on traditional quilts as well as more contemporary quilts. This next one is called “heart in-lining.” In this one, a heart-like shape is stitched inside each plume. Here’s a version with high contrast threads:

…and here’s the same wreath in a white on white format. It looks good in a traditional setting as well:

This next one is called the Splay of Fireworks Hyperquilting Design. We altered this in a very subtle way and I would never have the patience to add this fine detail if I were stitching it manually:

If you look closely at this next close up shot, you can probably see the subtle addition we made:

Can you see it now? We added a tiny little dot at the end of each splay! I would never have the patience to quilt that manually! Here’s what this one looks like in the white on white format:

Notice that I skipped the stitching sequence for the inner plumes. I love the way you can play with leaving out portions to give a wreath a whole new look! Next up is the asymmetric curley cue wreath. This one is my personal favorite:

I ended up enlarging this one to the largest size I could stitch on my Bernina 830 and I got this 10 in diameter wreath:

You can’t really see it in the photo, but the inner plume HQ is done in a different thread color than the outer plume hyperquilting. I really like how this white on white version came out when I left out the inner plume hyperquilting sequence:

Oh my! There is something about the simplicity of these white on white wreaths that just makes my heart skip a beat! This last wreath still needs a little tweaking, but here’s the preliminary stitch out:

This next shot is the last wreath after only the 2nd stitching sequence has been done…I kinds like this one’s simplicity:

Can you tell I have a bit of a love affair with feathered wreaths? I never tire of playing with these!

Filed under Free Motion Quilting, Machine Embroidered Applique. 3 Comments

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