Cattle Quilt.....Ready for Quilting

This is a comfort quilt for a friend who is not feeling well.

My objective for this quilt:

* Complete it in the 3 days I have available to make it

* Use the fabrics I have in my stash, as I have no time to run to town to shop

* Give it a masculine look and use cow fabrics

Day 1: Pieced the Star Blocks and Designed the quilt top on paper

Day 2: Pieced the quilt top, Piece the quilt backing, Baste it together

Click Images to Enlarge:

Sashing Strips between Star Blocks

Always place the pieced unit on top.

That way you can control the direction of the seam allowances.

The brown sashing fabric is on the bottom.

The star block is on top where I can see and control the direction of the seam allowances.

Star Points

Notice the X where the stitching lines cross over each other...

This is the Sweet Spot

You want to sew across that X, but NOT to the left side of the X.

Pointy Star Points

This gives you pointy star points

Star Points

Crisp and Pointy

Master Piece Thread

60 wt cotton thread made specifically for piecing.

It is thin, very strong, and nearly lint-free.

It does not add any bulk to the seam allowance when you are precision piecing.

Border Strips

When piecing strips for borders do not butt them up and sew them together.

Border Strips

Place them on a 45 degree angle and piece them on the diagonal.

I like to use a ruler and draw a pencil line to follow.

Border Strips

Sew along the drawn line.

Border Strips

Border Strips

Trim off the excess corner to the right of the seam.

Border Strip

A diagonal line isn't as easy for the eye to follow as a straight seam in the borders.

Chicken Wool Pincushion

This is a gift from my friend, Suzette

I call her Henny Penny

She is weighted down and quite heavy.

She sits nicely on my sewing machine.

The machine is computerized and I cannot keep a magnetic pincushion near it.

Henny Penny is just right for the job!

Cattle Quilt Top Done

60 x 70 inches

By 2pm the top is done.

I ran in the house to show my favorite guy.

Cattle Quilt Basted and Ready for Machine Quilting

By 6pm the back is pieced and the quilt is basted and ready to go!

I don't have to tell you what I will be doing tomorrow on Day 3

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn

To see my New Work CLICK HERE

To see the Thread Shed CLICK HERE

To see my Exhibit Quilts CLICK HERE

To see Tutorials CLICK HERE

Cattle Quilt......Cattle Call

Day 2 of creating the Cattle Quilt....I have enjoyed looking at the cow fabric and thinking of the person this quilt is intended for.

I have decided to name the quilt.......Cattle Call

Enjoy the video below:

Cattle Quilt & Bias Squares...

Click Images to Enlarge:

We raise commercial beef cattle so I am always on the look out for great cow fabric.

When I saw this....I bought the whole bolt.

I have made a few quilts with it and some pillowcases so far...

Our friend, who raises cattle himself, is in need of a comfort quilt.

I have just the fabric!

Fabric for Sawtooth Star Blocks

I have decided to include stars in the quilt.

I pulled golds, blues, and creams from my stash for the star blocks.

Cattle Quilt.....Design Work

Here are a few fabrics I pulled from the stash.

I am thinking brown and gold border fabrics.

Fabric looks like cattle brands...

I'm not sure if this fabric will work or not, but it reminds me of brands.

Bias Squares Strip Set

When you are in need of a lot of bias squares this is the very best and most accurate method with very little waste.

I need 80 bias squares for the 10 star blocks.

Back To Square One Book

This book includes instructions for making Bias Square Strip Sets

Feathered Star Book

This book also contains instructions for creating Bias Square Strip Sets

Ocean Waves Book

Yes, the book also included directions.

Guide to Rotary Cutting

This one also contains directions.

Look around your quilt library, maybe one of your books includes this method.

I recommend it highly.

I have been making bias squares this way for 10 years.

Security Blanket

Also known as a "Leader Square"

I start and end all of my piecing with a scrap of fabric.

All of the threads are secured to this square, and no threads on my work.

I don't have to hold the two threads when beginning to stitch, the security blanket does that for me.

Assembly Line Piecing

I assembly line or chain piece every opportunity I get.

Just feed one piece in behind the last one, no stopping, starting or cutting threads.

Saves a lot of time and thread.

Assembly Line Piecing

Pile up all of your pieces to the left of your sewing machine.

Feed them through one right after the other until they are all pieced.

Security Blanket

Don't forget to sew a Security Blanket to the very end of your Assembly Line Piecing.

Then snip the threads and leave this security blanket in place.

Straight Stitch Throat Plate

When sewing very pointy pieces, the fabric can sometimes get shoved down into the machine by the needle.

By using a straight stitch throat plate (not an oblong zig zag throat plate) the pointy pieces of fabric will feed through beautifully.

Bias Square Strip Set

All Sewn and ready to be pressed.

Bias Square Strip Set

Ready to cut into Bias Squares.

This Bias Square Ruler is one of my all-time favorites!

Cutting Bias Squares

Line up the 45 degree line on your seam.

I am cutting 2.5 inch squares.

Cutting Bias Squares

Continue down the bias square strip set and cut squares.

Then, rotate the squares and trim the other side.

This gives you a perfectly accurate bias square with no stretching.

You never deal with tiny triangles, and there is very little waste of fabric.

Sawtooth Star Blocks

I put all of my cut pieces on a flannel board.

They are easily transported from the cutting table, to the sewing machine, to the ironing board.

Tomorrow I will complete the quilt top and begin basting...

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn

To see my New Work CLICK HERE

To see the Thread Shed CLICK HERE

To see my Exhibit Quilts CLICK HERE

To see Tutorials CLICK HERE

Bright Light, Costumes & Grapes...

Click Images to Enlarge:

Bendable Bright Light

My 15 year old New Home Sewing Machine has a new light.

Even though I have a new Bernina, I still rely on my New Home for ALL of my applique work.

I added a bright light to my Bernina and to my Featherweight 221.

Now the New Home can also see so much better.

After you have a bright light.....you will feel like you have been sewing in the dark all of these years!

I spent the day making costumes.

This one is for my son......Nicholas......26 years young.

I added textile medium to black acrylic paint for the triangles on Fred Flintstone's shirt.

Painting on the very bright orange fabric put me in a great mood.

Fred Flintstone is ready for Halloween.

These are the last of my Grape Arbor images

Enjoy Them!

The images are all uploaded at high resolution.

Feel free to use them in your artwork if you are so inspired.

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn

To see my New Work CLICK HERE

To see the Thread Shed CLICK HERE

To see my Exhibit Quilts CLICK HERE

To see Tutorials CLICK HERE