Quilters can never get enough of a good thing.  Every year, we at the  Thumbstall Quilt Guild use our quilting passion for many worthwhile causes.

Our Charity Quilt Chairperson chooses a pattern and the members donate their time and fabric to make quilt  blocks and assemble them.  A charity is chosen and that charity raffles the quit.  This year the March of Dimes will be the recipient of  our charity quilt.

Louise McFadden is heading up the committee to make the this year’s quilt.   She has chosen a kaleidoscope pattern of blues and yellows.  The trick to this block is to press the seams open as the triangles are sewn together.

I think this combination is a winner.  As a matter of fact, when I took a turn as Charity Chairperson in 2004, I chose he pattern Let the Sunshine In by Tone Haugen-Cogborn from Quilter’s Newsletter December 2002. It also featured a blue and yellow pallette.  What a cheerful quilt!

In addition to the Charity Quilt the Guild participates in other smaller charity projects throughout the year.  One such project was completed this past week we gathered at Patchwork Plus in Marcellus, NY  to make receiving blankets and isolette covers for Crouse Irving’s Neo-Natal Unit.   With a grant from the Quilters Consortium of New York State and donations from Guild members we were able to finish 39 receiving blankets and 8 isolette covers.

It is such fun to belong to a guild that is actively involved in a variety of projects.

Quilting at Home!

Saturday was National Quilting Day.  About 20 quilters from the Thumbstall Quilt Guild got together at the Marcellus Library  for a day of sewing and camaraderie.

We worked on individual projects.  I finished about half of the Celtic applique medallion for my quilt.  Baby quilts, pajamas,  an applique block for our Guild’s raffle quilt, machine quilting, embroidery embellishment and a new quilt for a son who had just moved to Europe were among the projects that we brought with us.

We were able to see what others in the Guild are working on, discuss techniques, solve quilting problems and just  have fun!

That ‘s what quilting is all about – sharing talents, learning new techniques with friends who share the passion for quilting.

Quilting from Home!

Tuesday, Priscilla Kibbee treated members of the Thumbstall Quilt Guild to a Wearable Art Trunk Show. A world traveler, Priscella collects the most amazing finds and incorporates the treasures into the clothing she creates.

Whether it is beaded molas from Panama, needlepoint from Turkmenistan, beading or Seminole strip embellishment that she creates, or fabric manipulation; all are fashioned into wearable art.

In the same way, I was fascinated by the intricacies of Seminole patchwork, that I saw when visiting  the Everglades earlier this year.  With the aid of hand-cranked sewing machines the Seminole  used up scraps of fabric to create beautiful designs in everything they made.

It was equally interesting to see Seminole patchwork incorporated into 21st Century clothing. Thank you Priscilla for sharing your talent with us.

Quilting from Home!

I spent some time this weekend,  pressing the strips for the rail fence and 9-patch blocks.  I believe that pressing while sewing blocks may very well be overrated.  Before you take a second look at that statement, let me explain that it is important to press as you assemble blocks for a quilt.

I think that blocks can be “over-pressed.”  That is why I do not use steam when working on blocks.  It is too easy to have the fabric stretch as you press.  Also remember that the technique is pressing – not ironing.  A slight pressure should be applied to the block or strip.

Save ironing for your husband’s shirts – unless you can convince him that it’s really worth the money to have dress shirts professionally done – I’m still working on that one!

With that said, here’s the pressing technique that I like to use..

(1) Pressing to relax the threads

(1)Pressing towards the dark fabric, press the seam on the wrong side of the strip to relax the threads,

(2)Pressing first unit towards the dark fabric, from the front

(2)Flip to the right side and press the seam flat.

(3)Repeat with the other side of the strip.

(4) Pressing both sections from the back

(4) Flip entire strip to wrong side; press along both seams .

(5) Final pressing on right side

(5)Flip entire strip to right side; with a sweeping motion from top and bottom, press toward both sides of center strip.

This should result in flat seams and make it easier to match seams when completing each block.

Quilting from Home

Now to make the bias strips for the Celtic medallion.   Strips of fabric were cut on the bias 1-1/4 inches wide, sewn 1/4 inch from the folded edge and trimmed to 1/16″ of the stitching. Using bias bars the seam side was then ironed, centering the seam on the back of the strip.

(Carol’s Quilt Cafe).

The next step is to applique the medallion.

After transferring the Celtic design to the background fabric with the aid of my light box, I am pin basting and then will applique the strips in place using an invisible stitch (Quilter’s Newsletter, Foolproof Applique).

I prefer hand applique to machine applique, especially for these skinny strips.

It is so much easier to control the stitching  with hand applique.

And it’s a perfect project to work on while watching TV or riding in the car.

Quilting at Home!