Even though I quilt nearly every day, I am always on the lookout for different techniques.

Last night I needed to make continuous bias strips for a current project.  I pulled out my basic technique book but wasn’t quit able to grasp how to join the straight grain edges together to make a cylinder and still have a piece that was flat enough to put through the sewing machine.  The picture in my book shows a perfectly flat tube.  Mine was very twisted and bumpy.  I thought that I’d probably have to go to my local quilt store for a hands-on demo.  (I am so lucky that they are only 5 miles from my home.)  Unfortunately it was 9:00pm – and they weren’t open!

Why not the Internet?  I found a number of videos that demonstrated the technique such as the one on ErinComptonDesign.  The technique is really quite simple:  Cut a square in half and sew the bias edges (the hypotenuse of the triangle) together to form a parallelogram.  

Mark width of bias strip parallel to bias edges.

Then bring the straight edges together.  The trick is to offset the straight edge the width of the cut bias strip (in this case 1 inch).

A tube is formed that can be cut into bias strips.

I find cutting with a scissors can be cumbersome compared with using a rotary cutter.  By inserting a small cutting board in the center of the tube, the strips can easily be cut with the rotary cutter.

The result:  Perfect bias strips.

I think that this method, while producing a continuous strip by the tube method is more of a hassle than joining strips at right angles and trimming to make the mitered ends.

I’m always on the look-out for new techniques to make quilting more accurate and easier – But in this case, I think I’ll continue to use this tried and true method when making bias strips.

I do think the Internet has really made our world smaller.  When people first began to quilt the techniques were handed down from mother to daughter, neighbor to neighbor.  Then we moved from rural areas to cities and suburbs and got caught up in every day life and lost that unique interaction.  The Internet brings experts right into our homes to share their techniques and hints.  What a small world we’ve become again!

Well – it’s official!  Tom and I are on our way to obtain official ‘Snowbird’ status.  I just made the reservation for our winter trip to McAllen TX, just north of the Mexican border.  We’ll probably be leaving just after Christmas to spend time with my son and family in North Carolina and plan on arriving in McAllen around Jan. 21.  We’ll leave for home March 25 and should arrive back in the Central New York area the second week of April.  Can’t believe we’ll be away from home that long.

Tom will participate in a photo workshop during one week of our stay.  I’ve talked with the park manager and have arranged to take some quilt classes at a neighboring RV Park.  In addition I’ll be teaching a class in hand applique while I’m there.

Now I’m on a quest to find some other quilting opportunities in the area.  Life sure is tough – but I’m up for the challenge!

Well its almost here.  Thumbstall Biennial  Quilt Show.  I was pretty productive last year, finishing a queen size quilt for my daughter’s wedding and a king size quilt for my son at Christmas.  Unfortunately since both of my children live out of town I won’t be able to display them at our quilt show in July.

Additionally, I was able to finish two quilts for our guild’s Fat Quarter project and

Simply Charming (quilt fat quarter quilt project)

Delectable Mountains (guild fat quarter quilt project)

a second Fat Quarter quilt to be used in the Silent Auction at the quilt show,

Seasons - Silent Auction

a challenge quilt using a unique focus fabric, and

Quilt Show Challenge

the quilt Seasons – My Favorite Things.

Seasons - My Favorite Things

I particularly enjoyed working on this project.  It not only depicts the seasons by month but I was able to find quilting stencils to use in the borders that are specific to each season.

Quilt patterns for Seasons border

Actual borders on the quilt:

Spring

Summer

Fall

Winter

Well it’s a bit late – but I wanted to share my birthday happenings.  My birthday was actually last month and I  spent it doing my favorite thing – quilting – what else.

I mentioned in an earlier post that Kim Einmo was teaching a class on Keukenhof Tulips from her book Quilt a Travel Souvenir and presenting a lecture to our guild on May 18.  I was so glad that we had delayed our annual camping trip.  Not only did we finish two blocks of the quilt:  April Tulip made with flying geese (that were easy to assemble) and corner-square triangles;  and set-in seams for the pieced Tulip Block, but we had a great time doing it.

We had so much fun!

For more photos check out Kim’s blog

Mae and Lisa surprised us with a birthday cake.  Diana and I were delighted to spend our birthday this way.  We were going to cut the cake with rotary cutters -

but……

We showed off our blocks at the lecture later that night.