Thursday, June 30, 2011

LHQ - Binding - Back to Front

LEFT-HANDED QUILTING - Binding - Back to Front

============
Note - these instructions are written in LEFTISH.
If you are right-handed - just reverse the directions.
============

ALTERNATE METHOD - MY FAVORITE

Machine stitch the binding to the back - then fold it to the front

For this demo - we’re going to consider the GREEN the “front/right” side
and the PURPLE the “back/wrong” side


Machine stitch the binding to the back – purple
then fold it to the front – green

Now you can MACHINE STITCH IN THE DITCH FROM THE FRONT -
and not worry about whether or not you are "catching" the back - it has been sewn already -
and if your thread matches your backing – any mishaps will barely show on the back

OR

EDGE STITCH - TOP STITCH


OR

PLAY WITH YOUR DECORATIVE STITCHES –

The one on the bottom is my favorite –

DECORATIVE STITCH - _ _ | _ _ | _ _ | _ _ | _ _

UPDATE - Rose reminded me of this omission.  Thank you, Rose!!
Make sure to TEST your stitch first to see if it goes the direction you want it to go.
If it "zigs" to the LEFT - you need to "MIRROR" the stitch - so it "zigs" to the RIGHT.

So - that's it - that's how I do my bindings.

Maybe not the best way - or the easiest way - but - It Works For Me!



Talk to you later – gotta go – gotta sew –

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

LHQ - Binding - Front to Back

LEFT-HANDED QUILTING - Binding - Front to Back

============
Note - these instructions are written in LEFTISH.
If you are right-handed - just reverse the directions.
============

I already showed you how I prepare my quilt bindings - (here) -

And some binding - "basics" - (here) -

Now I want to show you the standard method of attaching bindings - from the front to the back - and lest anyone think that these are "rules" - rest assured that this is simply - How I Do It -


STANDARD METHOD -  

Machine stitch the binding to front – then fold it to the back –

Reminder - if you want more binding to fold over to the back - 
you need to cut your binding at 2-1/2" - and - use a 1/4" seam allowance on the front

For this demo - we’re going to consider the PURPLE the “front/right” side
and the GREEN the “back/wrong” side

Machine stitch the binding to the front – purple
then fold it to the back – green

Turn the mini-quilt over to the green - “back/wrong” side –


Get yourself some clips –
Isn't it amazing how – if they can find a “quilting” use - they charge you more for their product?
I found these at Walmart – in the section that has kid ponytail holders and barrettes – same thing as they show in quilt supply catalogs – and way cheaper.


Fold the binding to the wrong side and clip it down to the corner


Skip the corner for a second and clip the bottom side up


Put another clip in the bottom – closer to the corner


Using a stiletto (or my plain-wrap cuticle stick – again from Walmart) –
Fold the corner - “bottoms up”


Fold the top side down and clip it


Now you can –

MACHINE STITCH IN THE DITCH FROM THE FRONT – trying to catch the back –


Good luck with that – I never seem to be able to catch the back the way you're "supposed" to - but I cut my binding at 2-1/4" and used the 3/8" seam allowance so I didn't have that much to turn to the back.

It may have worked if I had used a 1/4" seam allowance on the front - and if I had cut my binding at 2-1/2" instead of 2-1/4".  Remember Rule #2 - Do What Works For You!


OR

HAND STITCH FROM THE BACK.

QUILTER’S KNOT

I use a “quilter’s knot” on the ends of my thread
There are tutorials on the web if you google it – but for now – this is How I Do It.
I showed you how on my post LHQ – Embroidery Basics – but here’s another version.

I can’t hold the needle and take pictures at the same time – so bear with me
I used white thread so you could see it in the pictures – it shows up better on the dark fabrics.
Normally I would use a matching thread, of course – to match the binding – not the quilt.

Take the end of your thread


and wrap it around your needle three or four times


and – holding the wraps between your left thumb nail and index finger – pull the needle through with your right hand until it knots on the end


Straighten it out


HAND SEWING THE MITERED CORNER

I showed you how I did this on my post – 4/16/11 -

LEFT-HANDED QUILTING - Binding - Hand Sewing the Mitered Corner

Next up - an alternate method -



Talk to you later – gotta go – gotta sew –

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Two Question Tuesday - 6/28/11

Two Question Tuesday – 6/28/11

Here's the deal - I really liked Mama M.'s Five Question Friday - but that's just too many questions for me.  So I'm going to do my version - and without the linky thingy.

I'll ask two questions and then give you my answers.  If you want to play - you can give me your answers in the comment section.  If you have a blog and would rather answer them there - just leave a link to your blog instead.  I don't know how to do the "Linky" thing like Mama M. yet - and to be honest - I would rather sew than find out - so I'll do it this way until I figure it out.
==========

Two questions for you this Tuesday -

1.  Early bird or night owl?

2.  Button, Button, Who's Got the Button?


==========
1.  Early bird or night owl?
Night owl.  BOB doesn't do 6:00AM.  Neither do I.
I spent many, many years getting up at o'dark-thirty because I HAD TO.
I'm retired now - and I DON'T HAVE TO any more - so I DON'T.  ;))

2.  Button, Button, Who's Got the Button?  
Good question! You'll never guess!

My button - "A Left-Handed Quilter” has been on my side bar for over a month now.
I told you guys all about it - here.  Isn't it cute?  All pretty and pink?  Yeah - it's CUTE!

Anyway - it's meant to tell the world that YOU are "A Left-Handed Quilter" - like ME.

So - after a month - who has it on their blog?

The "LEFTIES" on my list?
(See that little tab at the top of the page?  Them?)

NOPE - not them.  Guess again.

Never mind - I'll just tell you.

TWO of my RIGHT-HANDED followers!!   HUH???

I thought that "A Left-Handed Quilter" looked rather odd on a "Rightie" blog – so I made another button for them – “Right-Handed Friend of A Left-Handed Quilter”.  Yeah - much better!

Then one of my followers – an actual LEFTY - put my button on her blog.  YAY!!
I think that it looks TOTALLY AWESOME!!  THANKS........!!  (She knows who she is.)

So – anyway - that makes a grand total of THREE buttons!!

Can you tell me who they are?

Is it you?

If not - why not?

How come YOU don’t have my button?

No bribes this time – I'm just askin’. ;))


==========

OK - your turn.



Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -

Monday, June 27, 2011

Design Wall Monday - 6/27/11

Design Wall Monday – 6/27/11    

So this is what is on my design wall today - 

Well, kinda/sorta on the wall - (not REALLY on the wall) -


Yeah – I’m back to these –


I got a bit side-tracked trying to duplicate Bonnie’s block for Scrappy Saturday

But -

Once I made one –
I kinda assembly-lined them –
I folded the ‘semi-finished” one back over to see which “side” was up


Then I took the stack and trimmed ONLY the side that I was going to sew – to ¼”

Then I made sure they were all going the same direction in my little basket
(Gotta luv them little baskets! – 2 for 99¢ at the 99¢ store! - I can't sew without 'em!)
Making sure that the one under the presser foot matches the “semi-finished” one –
(in the middle) -


And chain pieced ‘em -
Using my ¼” foot with the little flange guide on the right side


Pick up two –


“Flip” the bottom one –


Nest the seams – and sew them -


When I get done –


If I did it right –
The stitching on the back-side is right on the line!  YES!


Managed to get 16 of these done
Don't worry - they get trimmed when I sew them to the next part -


And then 16 of these –
Of course that's NOT counting the four that I had to redo because I didn’t notice that I had run out of bobbin thread - so I really made 20 -

See the dark green corners in the middle?
They are going to "chain" with the ones in the black four-patches - cool, huh?


Now I get to make 32 of these -


Are we taking bets on whether or not I come up short?  :))


Talk to you later – gotta go – gotta sew –

Sunday, June 26, 2011

QJ - SERENITY

QUILT JOURNAL
SERENITY

Machine Pieced
Machine Quilted by M
75" x 75"
Started - May 17, 2009
Top Completed – February 16, 2010
To M for Quilting - March 19, 2010

Pattern – Butter Charm & Jelly
Legacy Patterns

Quilt Pattern – Deb’s Feathers

This quilt was made using “Serenity” charm packs from Keepsake Quilting ™ and a “Serenity Scrap Bag” of 16 quarter yard cuts.

I absolutely loved the colors – Taupes – Tans – Browns – Neutrals – very “Serene”.


The top seemed to go together rather quickly.  The charms made four-patches and the quarter yard cuts made the extra strips surrounding the blocks.  The darker brown used for the inner border seemed to “contain” the variety of fabrics – and the outer border was fabric left over from an Anniversary Quilt that I had made a few years ago for my sister-in-law and her husband – I love that fabric!



The back just didn’t want to cooperate.  It kept coming up short by about an inch.  I used the extra strip sets and ”scrappy patched” it.  I love the way it finally worked out – but it was a royal pain.  I had two one-way prints that I wanted to use up – the rust with wheat thingys on it and the brown with the little white doves.  I did manage to use up most of those two fabrics – only a little left for the scrap bins.  Yay!!


Thursday, June 23, 2011

LHQ - Binding - Basics

LEFT-HANDED QUILTING - Binding - Basics

============
Note - these instructions are written in LEFTISH.
If you are right-handed - just reverse the directions.
============


For this demo I assembled a little mini-quilt and some strips for binding


I prepped the binding like I showed you before – and made a little roll



BASICS - 

Machine stitch down
Leaving a “tail” of about six inches – for joining the ends later
Start about 2/3 of the way down one side – 1/3 of the way before a corner
(I usually start on the bottom side - and you don't want to start AT a corner - there's too much going on there!)

I like to use my quilting even-feed foot – to attach my quilt binding.
The seam allowance is 3/8” instead of 1/4" and results in the binding being the same width on the front and back – if you cut the strips 2-1/2”.

Some quilters like to use a 1/4" foot so the binding is wider on the back and there is more fabric to fold over – it’s not as tight when they go to hand stitch it down.

Personally - I prefer my bindings to be the same width on the front and back.  I think it looks nicer – just my personal preference, that’s all.


MITERING THE CORNERS -

Fold up the bottom – ("bottoms up") - 3/8” – to mark the stopping point
See the 3/8" mark on the right side of the ruler - lined up with the bottom of the piece?
If you were using your 1/4" foot - you would fold it up 1/4" - not 3/8".


Stop at the marked point and backstitch


Remove the quilt from the sewing machine – turn it so that the side you just sewed is on the top – and the second side is on the right - fold the strip up


and then back down – on top of itself - line up the raw edge with the second side


Starting at the top – stitch it down


You can see the fold in the corner – that’s going to be the miter


Fold it up a bit – to see


JOINING THE ENDS -

mainer-meinca uses a one-pin system – check it out – here

I do it a little differently – but not much!

Sew around the quilt – mitering the corners as shown above.

When you get to the end – stop about 6” away from where you started.

Remove the quilt from the machine – you should have about 6” “tails” at both ends.
(Mine are a little short - and it made joining the ends more difficult than it had to be.
You are better off with longer tails - more room to "sew" - mine got a bit tight.)


The easiest way to join the ends – is to use a straight seam.  That's why I like to use straight seams when I stitch the binding together.  You can find demos of diagonal seam joinings on other blogs - so I won't do it here.  (Diagonal seams are trickier – and you better watch which piece you have on top – or your seam may go the wrong way – ask me how I know!)

Lay the quilt on your pressing surface – fold the binding to “meet in the middle” and press them both.


Open up the binding – pin them together – folding the rest of the quilt out of the way.
(Make sure you pin them the right way.  You want the seam allowances to be on the "inside" - I've done THAT part wrong, too!)


and sew on the crease lines.
(This is where it got tight.)


DO NOT TRIM THE SEAM YET!!


Take the quilt back to your pressing surface – spread the binding out to see if it fits - and that the seam allowances are on the "inside".  If it doesn’t fit – repin and restitch the seam.
(If you trimmed the seam already - you may not be able to fix it.)


When it fits – trim the seam – press the seam allowance open (like the rest of the binding strips) and finish stitching the binding to the quilt.

After the binding is completely sewn to the quilt – I trim the backing and batting even with the binding all around.


Next up - the "other" side -



Talk to you later – gotta go – gotta sew –

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