Sewing Weekend – 2 Tops Ready for Free-Motion Quilting

Time is flying fast and I did not find spare time for writing the blog, but was nevertheless hard-working (or hard-sewing) over the weekend. I have finished 2 tops and they are now ready for free-motion quilting.

Last Friday my husband and me went to Alicante for the afternoon. And by this occasion we visited the local patchwork shop and I spent some money on fabrics (what else!?).

 

9 patch block variations 2012 :

Little Qpples by Moda in combination with white :

Next time some pics from my progress with free-motion quilting.

There is a lot of cold air coming, the temperatures shall drop well down, so this is and ideal time to sit behind the sewing machine.

Happy quilting, Barbora

HST – Half Square Triangle Quilt Tutorial

HST – Half Square Triangle Quilt – the one I always wanted to make and never started. This easy pattern is ideal for practicing precise cutting, piecing and pressing. Since I was working with the wonderful batiks on my last project and liked them very much,  I decided to carry on with the same fabrics. They are so colourful and warm.

Quilt size : 42″ x 48 “

Distribution : 16 rows with each 14 HST blocks, all together 224 HST blocks.  I have decided to work with 4″ strips. After piecing and trimming the blocks have a size of 3,5″ x 3,5″.

Material :

Solid fabric : 1 1/2 yard from colour of your choice; cut in 4″ strips and then in 4″ x 4″ squares

Colour fabrics : all together 1 1/2 yard or 13 different colours; cut in 4″ strips and then in 4″ x 4″ squares

Backing fabric : 1 1/2 yard

Batting : 43″ x 50 ”

Binding : 3/8 yard, cut 5 strips each 2,5″

Assembly :

1. Prepare all pieces by cutting into squares

2. Draw a diagonal line on the left side of the solid fabric, pin together with a batik one

3. Sew all squares along the drawn line with a 1/4″ seam allowance (normally width of the presser foot) using the chain piece method.

4. Complete the piecing by sewing along the other side of the line.

5. Now cut the squares diagonal along the drawn line in

6. Press seams open

7. Trim the squares to 3,5″ x 3,5″

8. You are ready to work on the layout. Using a design wall you can distribute the colour squares according your imagination – see below

I have decided to subdivide the quilt into several sewing batches. Taking always 4 rows with 7 squares. First I sew each row together, then the rows and as last the batches.

Here the rows are pressed a ready for pinning :

Accurate pinning is the secret to a nice and tidy quilt top. So take time, don’t hurry and work on your skills :

Once more : I pressed all seams open

And this is the finished top :

Prepare a sandwich and quilt as you want. After a lot of straight line quilting I decided to go for free-motion quilting. Trim the quilt and add binding. My favorite machine binding tutorial.

The quilt is listed on Etsy and Dawanda.  S O L D ! !

I’ve been listed in the Etsy Spring Lookbook 2012

Yesterday was my lucky day.

When I opened my emails in the morning there were 2 mails

  1. I’ve been listed in the Etsy Spring Lookbook 2012. please use this link to open the online version, my Etsy store Skala Bara is on page 74!
  2. I’ve been asked if I would be interested in participating in a project to help girls in Romania by sending a 8×8″ block. This is also something new for me and I looking forward to do it. Please find more information on this blog: www.callingallquilters.blogspot.com/

I’ve had also a check at the hospital and I am in total remission with my lymphoma. Thanks God, everything is OK 9 months after finishing with my chemo.

And last but not least – my hubby Helmut invited my for meal at our local Indian restaurant. And this means no cooking in the evening, hurrah, hurrah.

Here more info about the Rock Around the Clock Quilt or a quick tutorial how to make a sandwich:

  1. Spread the backing right side down on the floor. Tape it firmly to the floor (using strips of painter’s tape), the fabric is completely smooth. Remember : both backing and batting should be approx. 1″ bigger on each side than the quilt top.
  2. Detail of taping. I use the tile grouts as orientation lines for positioning the quilt backing and top.
  3. Spread the batting on top of the backing and smooth out any wrinkles.
  4. Spread the (well ironed)  top on the batting. Starting from the centre smooth out any wrinkles. Watch the correct alignment of the backing and top. this is your last chance for correction before pinning. I use curved safety pins, start from the centre and pin carefully through all 3 layers (backing, batting, quilt top). Once you have pinned the entire sandwich remove the tape, fold the sandwich and you can start quilting!

At the moment I am thinking about the quilting style for this special top. Should I go for free-motion quilting (with less experience) or for straight lines with a walking foot? Since I have not decided yet, I started a new project with the same wonderful batik fabrics, it is a HST Quilt.

More info next time, happy sewing

Barbora

Praguer Patchwork Inspirations

Since coming back from Prague I did not dedicate much time to patchwork and quilting. The Rock Around the Clock top is finished and I want to work on it, pin it and go on with quilting. Lets put it this way: it is my goal for the weekend. The past 2 weeks we  orientated on the holiday season and cooking more than usually, relaxing on the terrace with an excellent book and enjoying the wonderful weather we have.

Prague has some inspirational pavements. I took pictures of the different patterns in the city and it is amazing what layouts can be done using just 2 colours.

Pictures from our trip to the La Manga area on New Years Day :

Friday is a holiday, so looking forward to a long patchwork weekend!! Happy sewing everyone, Barbora

New Stash in the Old Year

Not only have I bought new fresh and modern fabrics in Prague but also a few colourful machine quilting threads from Gutermann and Mettler.

Look at these dots – aren’t they beautiful? And the tasty cakes, and the colourful cats!!

The Mettler thread is made in Spain, but I cannot find a place to buy it local. So made in Spain it travels to the Czech Republic and then back with me to Alicante in Spain. What a crazy world – or is this called GLOBAL ?!

Just before Christmas a thick envelope arrived from the States. Thanks for the good and quick service at Hawthorne Threads I have received a full fat quarter bundle from the Echo Collection by Lotta Jansdotter. I just love the golden-yellow shades as well as the grey ones. Cannot wait to start a new quilt.

And the matching quilting threads (once more brought from Prague) :

Keep on dreaming of new ideas, new work and new projects – it is all worth it!

Barbora