Friday, October 30, 2009

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

Thursday, October 29, 2009

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

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Baby Quilts & Fortune Cookies...



Click Images to Enlarge:

Cotton Candy
45 x 45 inches
Drunkards Path Blocks set in circles
Flannel fabrics that remind me of fair time in the summer and eating cotton candy.



My niece, Marlee with her Cotton Candy Quilt



Cotton Candy Rubik's Cube



Bubbles
Baby Quilt
Flannel Fabrics, Original Design
I cut too many circles, so cut the extras in half and put them on the borders.



My nephew, Jaydn with his Bubbles Quilt



Bubbles Rubik's Cube

CLICK HERE to turn your quilts into a Rubik's Cube




Fortune Cookie
Fear and Desire...Two sides of the same coin

Two weeks ago when I visited the quilt exhibit with my family, we went to lunch afterwards. Each of us read our fortune cookie fortunes and they all related well to quilting.

So many times I have the desire to try a new quilting technique, even though it scares me a little bit.



Fortune
Determination is what you need now

When I am a bit intimidated trying a new technique, it is always determination that sees me through.



Fortune
Take the first step today

When you are feeling intimidated about trying something new with your quilting you need to just jump right in....what are you waiting for.....take that first step, and it will lead to the next step, and before you know it you have mastered a new technique to put in your quilters tool box.



Fortune
Never does nature say one thing and wisdom another

This rings so true for many quilters. Take for instance choosing colors for your quilt. This can be intimidating to so many of us. Look at nature, look at your flowerbeds. Every color of flower looks wonderful next to all of the others. One flower does not take away the beauty of another. We can definitely take our color clues from mother nature.


Fortune
Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort

As quilters we can all relate to this fortune...


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

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Quilt Exhibit....Last Call to see the Show



My quilt exhibit is closing on October 27, 2009.

One week left to see the show...


Click Images to Enlarge:

The exhibit gallery is a round room, which gives a nice flow to the display of the quilts.







I spent the morning at the exhibit with my very favorite people.



This was my first opportunity to get a full view image of my sunflower quilt measuring 100 x 100 inches square.


Detail view of Sunflower Quilt

CLICK HERE to see more on creating the Sunflower Quilt



Viewing the exhibit with my family was an emotional experience for us all.
It is so rare for any of us to see such a body of our work displayed together in one room.
Many of my pieces are stored away and my family has not seen them for a few years.
Let's just say, the exhibit took us back a few years...






Strength & Courage
2003

Heath & I standing with his graduation quilt.
It was my first big leap into contemporary quilting and original design work.


This quilt represents all the things Heath loves in life.



Birthday Surprise
2009

Nicholas and I are pictured here with his memory quilt.
What great fun we had the day he brought home his new puppy, taking photos in the snow.


Nicholas has a graduation quilt created in 2001.
He has slept under it for 8 years now...and wasn't about to give it up for the show!



Here is the man that makes all of this possible, my favorite guy, Brad

We are standing in front of his favorite quilt, Cabin in the Woods.
It took quite a bit of convincing to get him to take it off the living room wall so I could display it here.


Cowgirl

Here we are with Cowgirl framed under glass.
She spent 14 years riding in the pick up truck with Brad.
There will never be another farm dog like her.



Tatanka

This quilt hangs in our coffee room at home.
Brad has the room decorated in Buffalo.



Memories of Yellowstone

A memory quilt created after a wonderful family vacation in Yellowstone Park.

What a wonderful time we all had at the exhibit together.
I hope you had a chance to visit it yourself.
There is one week left to see the show.

CLICK HERE to see more on this exhibit

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

www.uucorvallis.org

2945 NW Circle Blvd
Corvallis, OR 97330-3937
(541) 752-5218

9:30 - 1:30 Mon-Fri


May Your Life & Family be Quilted Together,
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