It’s true! We’ve had so many requests for this book in the years since it’s been sold out that we finally went ahead and printed a short run. Just like the original “Feather Adventures,” this second edition is 140 pages of full color feather education and inspiration. Learning to quilt feather motifs will take your quilting to new heights and transform your quilts. If you missed out on scooping up a copy from the original printing, don’t miss out on this new opportunity! You can find this book in our online store by clicking here.
As if the Feather Adventures news weren’t big enough, we also have a new set of arc rulers that are debuting today! The PTD Shallow Arc Ruler Sets are a set of 4 arc rulers that are cut from 18-inch diameter, 24-inch diameter, 30-inch diameter, and 36-inch diameter circles. This means they hold curves that are shallower. Why does this matter?
Shallower arcs are ideal for creating diamond-based ruler work designs. This is because arcs with more dramatic curves leave little “interior real estate” inside the diamonds, and this means less room to subdivide with channel work or beautiful free motion quilting work. If you’re like me, that “empty space” is your playground, and shallow arc rulers will deliver!
Adding to your arsenal of arc rulers will always pay off. In ruler-guided free motion quilting, we are always working off either piecing landmarks or applique landmarks, so having a nice stash of curves available means you’ll have just the right arc to deal with whatever curve you’re working around on your quilt top!
If you like making large feathered wreath ruler work designs, these arcs are a great tool to have on hand.
Here are a couple of “stand-alone” diamond designs I whipped up with the shallow arc set:
In this next one, I changed the internal design and also added plumes to the outside of the diamond:
Here’s a diamond border design:
…and here’s another diamond border design:
…and here’s one more:
These diamond borders are as much fun as arched swag border designs! You can find the shallow arc ruler sets in our online store by clicking here. If you’re looking for a bargain, there is a 15% discount when you purchase the PTD Ruler Work Starter Set and the PTD Shallow Arc Set at the same time. You can find that merged product in our online store by clicking here.
I’ll post some tutorials about how to create these designs in the next couple of weeks, so check back at the blog!
Remember the Fantasy Flower Block I showed you several weeks ago? Here is a shot of it to jog your memory:
While I was trying to figure out what to do about borders to surround the 4 of these blocks in the center of the quilt, I decided to add a little trapunto to these 4 blocks. I began by pinning a piece of scrap batting behind each block, then began my design by using ruler work that played off major applique landmarks in the block. Here is the initial outline that I made:
I then added a 1/4 inch parallel channel inside the outline, then a 1/2 inch channel, and then another 1/4 inch wide parallel channel. Once all that was done, I added a cross-like ruler work shape that played off landmarks in the center of the blocks. I began stitching at the edge of one of the periwinkle embroidered shapes, carried the thread line to the adjacent stem base, and then moved to the next edge of an embroidered shape. Once done, I threw a 1/4 inch parallel channel inside that design, and here is what followed:
I cut away all the excess batting that fell outside those designs, and here is what the backside looked like at this stage:
I went back in and filled my 1/2 inch parallel channels with a single row of pearls, then added plumes that sprang from the stems to add some yummy featherwork. Here is a shot of one of the gold blocks at that point:
Once this entire quilt has been pieced and thrown into a quilt sandwich, I’ll outline these areas with invisible thread and it will really make all the various “zones” of this ruler work framework pop. I think it will highlight the centers of the blocks and help set off these ruler work designs from non-trapuntoed ruler work designs elsewhere on the quilt. I have my work cut out!
Happy summer! I haven’t posted much for awhile because I haven’t been quilting much. There’s no good reason for this except that I’ve been kind unfocused, which is not my norm. I’m trying to force myself to be less goal-driven but I am learning that I am not very good at being unfocused and I don’t really like it!
Anyway, Ern kindly filmed and edited this video showing how to quilt a long featherette border. This is an easy border design that works well in borders that are 1 inch to 3 inches wide. If the border is much wider than that, you’ll end up needing to hyperquilt the featherette once it’s done because the plumes will be so large that they are kind of scary! Thanks much to Ern for his skilled editing…
