Christmas Square Dance Quilt

CHRISTMAS SQUARE DANCE

34 x 43

I'm a member of the LEARNING FIBRE ARTS yahoo email group. The owner is Shirley of One of a kind Fiber Arts Blog. Feel free to check the yahoo email group out .... lots of great ideas and techniques to learn.

Recently the Square Dance Quilt was taught as a on-line class. I'm not a traditional type of quilter but this quilt caught my eye and I had to make it. In fact, I dropped everything I was doing (including Christmas gifts) and jumped right on it. Thanks for teaching this class and for holding my hand.

I changed a couple things like my red border is only 3/4 inch wide (finished) and my outer border is 2 1/2 inches (finished). When I make this quilt again I plan to starch my blocks because you see all those blocks have (all 48 blocks) (four) 4 bias edges. To compensate or rather control those bias edges I used Elmer's washable glue instead of pins. This kept the bias edges in check and also gave me 99.6% perfect blocks and the matching intersections are near perfect if I say so myself. I use Elmer's washable glue for lots of things in my quilting ... thank you Sharon Schamber for enlighting us of Elmer's washable glues value.

I thoroughly enjoyed making the quilt even though it's alot of work .... more than I usually put into my quilts. Why you ask? Well I'm mostly a charity quilter (about 95% charity) so I make simple, easy quilts. Although lately I have been looking and liking more complicated construction of quilts .... looks like after 6 years I'm changing ..... that's good.

I'm a little disappointed in my own color selection. I wish I had used a darker border print and I'm not real happy with using white. This would have given it more contrast ... I love contrast. I'm not a fan of using white in my own quilts. Unfortunately I won't have time to quilt it on PRINCE before Christmas rolls around next week ..... I have closed my quilting room as it's such a mess (I'm so bad).

Anyone have a suggestion on how to quilt it. I would like to make a smaller version but don't have a clue how to adjust the measurements ..... I'll have to figure that part out in 2009.

I really like my Christmas Square Dance wall hanging and DH really likes it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Custom Quilt, my first

Goodbye Sharon................

Sharon, a member of our Stitchers Group is moving to Delaware ....... so, of course, we had to make her a quilt. We searched and thought until we found the perfect pattern. Sew Much To Do, by Michele Scott in McCall's Quilting, February 2000. I made the doggie tote for the quilt but now Sharon can use it for grocery shopping and even better visiting quilt shops up North.

All the members of our Wednesday Stitchers Group made a spool block. The featherweight in the middle was perfect .... you see Sharon brings her featherweight to sew on each week.

This was my very first custom quilting job. A few facts:

166 tie offs and burying of threads
21 (yes 21) thread changes ......

20 buttons sewed onto the jar

24-30 hours of quilting (and frogging)

bias binding hand sewing to the back 3 1/2 hours

40 x 40 size

rolled quilt back/forth probably a zillion times

I really didn't know where to start because I'm a pantograph quilter only. I asked my friend Irene, Deb, Marlies, members of APQS chat, MQResource forum and Delphi Quilting Passion friends for help. Man what a great bunch of friends on all the boards ...... Heidi from APQS even sent me a PDF with ideas (thanks Heidi). With all their help I finally got up the nerve to go for it.

First I layed clear vinyl over the quilt, using white board pens I marked the ideas I gathered from everyone. I did this because I've never done custom quilting .... it did help me alot. Once I decided what to do then I went for it.

The quilting took hours. I lost track but I'm guessing somewhere between 24 to 30 hours. One of my problems was I really didn't know where to start. Everyone said to do the SID (stitch in the ditch) first. Unfortunately I had never done SID so I decided to do more like an inside outline. I used my stitch regulator and my Dainty Ditcher ruler.

To make the fabric resemble thread I did lines back/forth. By the way when the spool is laying on it's side the lines must go up/down otherwise you'll be frogging.

The black fabric had gold curlie q's. I found a feather that I traced/cut out of freezer paper, using school chalk I chalked in 2 feathers on the machine. The machine represents a featherweight and Sharon always brings her featherweight machine to sewing group.

The offwhite background fabric (Thimbleberries) was done in a loopy meander. Inside the button jar I did just a meander (my first meander) and lines on the lid. Buttons were sewed on after it was quilted .... yes it was hard as I didn't want the thread to show on the back.

I wanted to use like a heart 'n' hand idea for the outside 4 inch border. I traced my grandson's hand again on freezer paper, chalked the hand randomly then freehanded loops and hearts to connect with the hand.

Our label ...... everyone will sign their name at the bottom.


Well here it is ...... all pieced and quilted. Click on the photo to enlarge.

Sharon and her quilt.

Sharon we will miss you.

Thank you to everyone who helped me with suggestions and especially for the encouragement.

Elmer's Washable School Glue and Quilts

A few months ago I heard that Sharon Schamber uses Elmer's washable school glue on her bindings. Now I was intrigued and very sceptical but hey I'll try again once. I figured the idea had to be great after all the awards she wins so glue must be one of her good friends.

I went a step, well actually several steps, further in my glue usage. Now I'm sure you know that no one pieces perfectly (especially me) therefore sometimes my intersections aren't always perfect. I read a long time back that some people baste their intersections to make them as perfect as possible ... nah not me .... I glue now.

I almost always have to piece my backs and sometimes (as you know) the seam can turn back on itself while quilting .... yep I glue them down. The yellow line only 'represents' the glue. They're so nice after pressing.

EDIT: I now only use dots of glue, then iron dry. There's no need to lay down a line of glue, dots work perfectly.








You want those thick seams usually from string blocks to lay nice and flat ..... glue them, I do.






AND I even glue my label onto the backing fabric before stitching it in place. It works out great and Prince Charming quilts over the label nicely. I like to quilt in my label so that it can't be removed without extensive frogging.





Check out Sharon's FREE YouTube videos ..... watch the 3 part "Binding the Angel" for her binding glue tips. Your bindings will be perfect and you'll have beautiful corners ... I promise (rather Sharon promises).



I'm SOLD on Elmer's washable school glue .... sure wish I owned stock. LOL