Tag Archives: thread

checkered quilt with liberty fabrics

This summer was hot on the east coast of Spain and the pandemic situation forced me to stay more at home. No blog posting doesn’t automatically mean no sewing. Actually, I was busy sorting out my fabrics and all the scrap baskets I found.

liberty checkered quilt 1 - skalabara quilts

This quilt pattern was always on the top of my list. But I couldn’t decide what solid color to choose. I am also taking part in this year’s Sugaridoo/Bernina quilt along – here I am using the Kona solid in Haze. As I was short of this fabric, I had to get some more. And why not get even more for the checkered quilt? 

liberty checkered quilt detail 1 - skalabara quilts

The Haze solid blends well with the Tana Lawns by Liberty London fabrics I have on stock from my previous projects. Kona Haze is a versatile neutral shade, not grey, not beige, not white, but still a warm color.

liberty checkered quilt detail 2 - skalabara quilts

Quilting is once more with the walking foot. I have added stitches in the Haze squares on the diagonal. And also stitched on both sides of the vertical and horizontal seams.

liberty checkered quilt backing 1 - skalabara quilts

Last month I went to IKEA to get some calico cotton. I have also visited the bedding department and found some nice sheets and duvets covers to use as quilt backing. This is one of them : a black and white duvet cover with butterflies and beetles.

liberty checkered quilt backing 2 - skalabara quilts

liberty checkered quilt detail 3 - skalabara quilts

I have used the same Kona solid in Haze also for the binding. Keeps the quilt neutral and calm.

liberty checkered quilt binding 1 - skalabara quilts

liberty checkered quilt binding 2 - skalabara quilts

Here a take of the quilting on an early morning just after the sunrise.

liberty checkered quilt detail 4 - skalabara quilts

liberty checkered quilt 3 - skalabara quilts  

Quilt size :  54″ x 74″

Squares : 999 pieces (27 x 37 rows) – cut size 2,5″ x 2,5″

Wadding : 50% – 50% cotton – bamboo from Rosello

Quilting thread : Aurifil Mako NE 40/2 – color 2600 Dove

 

This is all for the moment, more to come! I have further quilt finishings on my to do list, keep safe

barbora  flower small skalabara quilts

placemats for andrea

During the corona lockdown times, I have more time for sewing and quilting. Andrea asked. If I could make her a set of placemats. Something geometrical, maybe triangles. And in her her favourite colours : blues, pinks, purples and turquoise.

placemats 5 - skalabara quilts

I have seen this pattern some time ago on Craftsy/Bluprint, and saved this project for later. The pattern is by Jess Toye and the name is Thirty-Two Carat Paper-Piecing Pattern. I loved the design, and this is the right pattern for Andrea’s placemats.

placemats 1 - skalabara quilts

placemats 2 - skalabara quilts

Jesse has written the pattern instructions very well. In the pattern she explains both cutting and paper-piecing steps. Jesse has also included in the pdf file a few project ideas with this paper-pieced block. From placemats to a king size quilt and with different color options. Thanks to my fabric on stock, I could choose the (hopefully) right colours for Andrea.

placemats 3 - skalabara quilts

placemats 4 - skalabara quilts

Quilted with the walking foot in straight lines, 1/2″ apart. I have used quilting cotton thread King Tut 40/3 from Superior Threads, variegated color 939

placemats detail 4 - skalabara quilts

placemats detail 1 - skalabara quilts

Binding is Kona Solid in Bright Pink. To attach the binding I have used Mettler cotton quilting thread 40, color 959.

placemats detail 2 - skalabara quilts

placemats detail 3 - skalabara quilts

The backing fabric is once more Bomull calico from IKEA, 100% unbleached cotton.

placemats quilting 1 - skalabara quilts

placemats 9 - skalabara quilts

placemats 8 - skalabara quilts

placemats 3 - skalabara quilts

Placemat size : 12″ x 18″ / paper-pieced unit size : 3″ x 9″

 

Thanks for visiting, keep safe and carry on sewing

barbora   flower small skalabara quilts

quilted cover for my new sewing machine

Hurray, hurray, my new Bernina has arrived! At the end I got the B 720 and the free space right to the needle is absolutely perfect.

sewing machine 1 - skalabara quilts

So over the last weekend I made a dust protection cover for the new machine. There is a cover provided by Bernina, but it is dark blue. But I need bright colors in my sewing room! Bright color fabrics = Kaffe Fassett Collective designs. I got out my stash collection and started cutting from each fabric a 4 1/2 inch square. At the end I cut double so many squares as needed. The idea was to make a rectangle of 6 x 7 squares.

sewing machine cover design - skalabara quilts

After a busy afternoon with cutting, piecing and pressing – the dust protection top is ready to quilt.

sewing machine cover sandwich - skalabara quilts

sewing machine cover sandwich 1 - skalabara quilts

This is a perfect small project to try out the new Bernina B 720 with the walking foot. I have used two different quilting threads. The red/pink variegated quilting thread is from King Tut, and the yellow one is from Gutermann Sulky.

sewing machine cover quilting 1 - skalabara quilts

sewing machine cover detail 1 - skalabara quilts

sewing machine cover detail 2 - skalabara quilts

Added some straps using a bias tape to knot the dust cover on the sides.

sewing machine cover 1 - skalabara quilts

sewing machine cover 2 - skalabara quilts

sewing machine cover 3 - skalabara quilts

And a few colorful shots from the garden. This winter has been very mild, and we have had hardly any cold weather. Since weeks we have nice and warm sunny days, sometimes with some wind. Spring is here.

sewing machine cover 5 - skalabara quilts

sewing machine cover 6 - skalabara quilts

I started writing this blog post before the pandemic spread of the corona virus. At the moment our area is secure, but this can change any moment. My trip to Prague to visit my Mum has been cancelled – which I approve. If each of us can help a little, we all together can achieve a lot. So, I shouldn’t let sewing machine wait for a long time, it is time to sew. Get out the best of the situation!

barbora   flower small skalabara quilts

experience with wool wadding

In today’s blog post, I would like to share with you my experience with wool wadding/batting Quilters Dream Wool. Maybe this is not the right time to write about wool. Here in Spain we have full summer with high temperatures; over the weekend we had nearly 40°C.

levitating liberty jewel box silver eggshell quilt 21 - skalabara quilts

I have used wool wadding for the first time in my two levitating jewel box quilts with Liberty London fabrics – see blog posts here and here.

What I found out is that wool wadding doesn’t crease or fold. A big plus in my eyes. When I took the king-size wadding out of the packaging and I rolled it open, it was flat in a moment with no visible folds. I could cut the wool wadding exactly to the size needed having no problems. The wadding didn’t move on the quilt backing, and this made cutting it with scissors very easy.

wool wadding 1 - skalabara quilts

Also pin basting the quilt sandwich was quick. Even-though the wool wadding has a higher loft than cotton; the pins went through the three layers smoothly. Once more, the wool wadding was stable, flat and did not move.

Because of the higher loft of the wool wadding I could easily mark my quilting lines with a Hera marker and a long ruler. The marked lines were perfectly visible.

wool wadding 2 - skalabara quilts

My experience with quilting wool wadding is positive. At the beginning, I was afraid of the high loft. Will my sewing machine manage it? But because the wool wadding is so soft, I had no problems so ever with quilting. I have used the standard Bernina walking foot, Aurifil Cotton Mako 40/2 thread and 90/12 jeans sewing needles.

On the contrary : the wadding did not move between the layers, no shifting or creasing. Over all I am satisfied with the result and I know, I shall use wool wadding for my future quilting projects. 

levitating liberty jewel box eggshell quilt 10 - skalabara quilts

I have washed the quilts with the wool wadding several times in the washing machine (using a special program for wool with low temperature and a detergent for delicate fibres). No creases, no folds, the quilts dried quickly.

levitating liberty jewel box silver eggshell quilt 25 - skalabara quilts

My opinion about wool wadding :

  • warm and breathable, perfectly warm in the winter, cool in the summer
  • soft drape, resists folds and creases
  • lighter compared with cotton
  • sustainable and renewal natural fibre, environment friendly
  • machine washable
  • suitable for both hand and machine quilting

Do you have any experience (good or bad) with wool wadding, please let me know!

Happy quilting!

barbora   flower small skalabara quilts

quilt finish #1 with liberty fabrics

Hip, hip, hurray, I have finally quilted the grey (Kona Solids in silver) levitating jewel box quilt using Liberty London Tana Lawn fabrics. In this earlier post, you can see the design process and photos of the finished quilt top.

levitating liberty jewel box silver quilt 10 - skalabara quilts

Actually, it was the first jewel box quilt top I have made, but quilted it as the second one.

levitating liberty jewel box silver eggshell quilt 20 - skalabara quilts

As both the beige and grey quilts have the same design, I have quilted them both the same. Using my favorite walking foot for the Bernina. I have opted once more to use Aurifil Cotton Mako 40/2, but this time in the shade 2600 dove. I have marked the straight lines on the quilt sandwich with the help of a Hera marker and a long ruler.

levitating liberty jewel box silver quilt detail 12 - skalabara quilts

levitating liberty jewel box silver quilt detail 13 - skalabara quilts

The straight line quilting went fairly quickly and so the next day I could finish the quilt by adding the binding.  Once more, I used the same fabric for the background and for the binding, Kona Solid in silver. Both quilt bindings for comparison.

levitating liberty jewel box silver eggshell quilt 25 - skalabara quilts

I have used the Bomull unbleached calico from IKEA as the backing fabric. The fabric width is exactly what I needed, and the colour is a natural beige.

levitating liberty jewel box silver quilt 15 - skalabara quilts

levitating liberty jewel box silver quilt backing 14 - skalabara quilts

Quilt size : 56″ x 80″  /  Block size : 8″ x 8″

Wadding : Quilters Dream Wool

Quilting thread : Aurifil Cotton Mako 40/2 colour 2600 dove

levitating liberty jewel box silver eggshell quilt 21 - skalabara quilts

levitating liberty jewel box silver eggshell quilt 22 - skalabara quilts

levitating liberty jewel box silver eggshell quilt 24 - skalabara quilts

Enjoy the photos. I think I need not write more details in this post. Happy quilting!

barbora flower small skalabara quilts