Quilting Arts

Boost Your Creative Vision Through Sketchbooks

Quilting Daily — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:21:00 GMT

If you ever get the chance to take a class with Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn (a.k.a. Double Trouble Enterprises), jump at it. They are two of the most innovative people I know when it comes to creative embroidery and textile art. Plus, they are just a hoot to be with!

Jan and Jean are fearless when it comes to artistic experimentation and firmly believe in the practice of sketchbook keeping to inspire ideas for textile work. However, we all know that the blank page can be very daunting.

A couple years ago in our sister publication Cloth Paper Scissors, Jean Littlejohn shared a trick to dress up the blank page and give it some texture and depth on which to add your photos, drawings, and ideas. Although Jean works in different types of sketchbooks, she finds using old recycled books an effective vehicle for developing themes.

Altering recycled books into sketchbooks

By Jean Littlejohn

Materials

Recycled hardbound book (Look for some unwanted books: children's annuals, cookery books, and road atlases, etc. that are no longer special or have outlived their usefulness to me, a book of 40 to 60 pages is ideal; too many pages will prove unwieldy.)
PVA glue
White gesso or white acrylic paint
Plastic container
2 Foam brushes
Waxed paper or parchment paper
Old maps, magazine images, bits of text, and other printed ephemera
Sharp paper scissors or craft knife, ruler, and craft mat

A finished spread from Jean's “Falling Roses” sketchbook. These pages contain splattered paint, text, quotations, and layers of collage and paint.

Directions

1. Mix 1 part water to 1 part PVA glue in a plastic container. With a foam brush, glue the pages together in groups of 3 or 4. You are gluing sets of pages together to make a base that is strong enough to handle layers of paint and collage. Make sure to paint each page thoroughly with the glue mixture and press firmly so no air bubbles appear.

Step 1. Once the sets of glued pages are dry, a collage of ripped papers is glued down to add texture.

2. Place waxed or parchment paper between each set of glued pages to prevent the sets from sticking together while drying.

Step 2. A gesso wash is applied to create a drawing surface.

3. When you are finished gluing the sets of pages together, allow the book to dry standing upright on a plastic sheet with the pages fanned out.

Step 3. Here, a light acrylic wash was painted on top, creating a colored background for the drawing surface. Now your journal is ready for some featured imagery and text.

4. Now the pages are ready for further texture to make a complex background for your sketching. Some pages already contain print and photographs. Further elements can be added with the application of collaged old maps, tissue papers, color magazines, etc.

note: If the edges become ragged with these added layers of collaged paper they can easily be trimmed when dry with a sharp knife or scissors.

5. Once dry, paint the pages with gesso or white acrylic paint to make a good surface for drawing. If a thin wash is used, some of the print or imagery shows through and can add an exciting serendipity to the drawings. Paint and ink react differently on the uneven surfaces and add an unexpected dynamic to drawings, as well.

Jan and Jean offer more inspiration in Constructions: Buildings & Structures and their other new release, Fragile Fabrics, which offers a variety of techniques to give everyday fabrics and fibers the appearance of fragility. Check out Double Trouble's entire line of books at the Interweave Store. They will open up a new way of seeing everything that surrounds you.

Who Else Wants to Be Part of the Quilt Scene?

Quilting Daily — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:17:00 GMT

I had all my fingers and toes crossed on the plane to Houston for International Quilt Festival last month, but it wasn't because I'm afraid of flying.

No, we were debuting International Quilt Festival: Quilt Scene in a few days, and like a new quilter presenting her first piece for judging, I was nervous. Everyone connected with this special publication had worked so hard, but in the creative extravaganza that is IQF/Houston, would anyone even notice Quilt Scene? Moreover, would they like it?

Turns out, I needn't have worried. We sold out of the copies at our booth. Festival participants loved having the opportunity to purchase a keepsake of the 35^th anniversary of International Quilt Festival, especially since Quilt Scene not only reviews the history of the event but also contains full-page, color images of the top prize winners from International Quilt Association's "Quilts: A World of Beauty" judged show. They also went crazy for the sewing projects, quilt patterns, tips, and mini profiles.

I received this comment from 'Brenda' on my Editor's blog post:

While at Festival I picked up a copy of the magazine. It was a joy to share it with my best friend who became severely ill and was not able to attend Festival with me for the first time this year. She enjoyed seeing the winners [in the magazine], plus the pictures I took of some of the quilts. The magazine is a sure winner and so well developed.
-- Brenda

But don't think you missed out on Quilt Scene if you weren't in Houston. It's now available in our online store and also on newsstands.

If you want a behind-the-scenes look at shooting the photographs for Quilt Scene, visit my Editor's Blog. There you can watch a video of how tricky-and funny-it was to set up the photograph of the fabric birds shown on our cover. Even though the birds "stood still," the alpacas in the background needed an acting coach!

If you've already read Quilt Scene, please take this survey and let us know what you think!

A Convo with Kelli Perkins and Fabric Cookie Giveaway

Pippa E — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:21:00 GMT

No one knows more about pushing your artistic boundaries than Kelli Perkins, author of Stitch Alchemy: Combining Fabric & Paper for Mixed Media Art.

Not only does her book contain a wide variety of projects, from bookmarks to beads and paper quilts, but it’s full of inspiration for embarking on your own mixed-media projects. Fortunately, Kelli recently had the time to answer a few of my questions about her art, and her responses are loaded with even more words of encouragement (scroll down to see for yourself).

You can also find instructions for one of Kelli’s projects, “Frosted Holiday Treats,” on page 24 of the latest issue of Quilting Arts Gifts. These no-bake cookie pins, made from fabric, batting, cardstock, and plenty of embellishment, are an ideal little stocking stuffer to whip up this holiday season.

Lucky for you, we’re giving some of these delightful little treats away! All you have to do is answer the following question, in honor of Kelli’s adventurous approach to art: What was your most fortunate artistic ‘mistake’? Ever made a project that simply didn’t turn out the way you expected—and found yourself even more pleased with the results? Tell me about your experience and on Monday, November 9^th, I’ll select six winners, each of whom will receive one of these adorable little cookie pins.

Until then, check out Kelli’s insights and be prepared to embrace the unruly in your future artistic endeavors.

I love your serendipitous approach to creating. And I definitely agree that the most rewarding art often comes from working without a plan, but that can also be challenging since you have to have the confidence to let go of the rules. Have you always taken such a free-wheeling approach to your work or did it take some time to get to that point?

If you knew me, you'd understand how humorous that question is! I am a serious control freak. I've spent most of my adult life trying to work around my natural inclinations toward order, so learning to embrace serendipity has been a journey for me. I wouldn't say it's over yet. Some days, serendipity is a dirty word, but I've learned to walk away from my work when I feel that way. When I return to it, there is a new perspective and I find that I see new avenues for creativity. I figure that the more "mistakes" I make, the sooner I'll get to a good place where I'm happy with my work. So I just barrel through the bad parts on my way to the other side. It's kind of like closing your eyes during a scary movie.

A lot of your work combines fabric and paper, as well as other materials. This isn’t always easy to do. What’s your number one bit of advice for beginners who are interested in entering the mixed-media realm?

The only rule is: there are no rules. Art rules are for sissies. Take whatever media you have (paint, ink, thread, crayons, etc.) and apply it to whatever substrate you have (paper, canvas, fabric, etc.). There is no point in spending time thinking about it. Just do it. Do it over and over and over, and then you'll have something!

I woke up Saturday and decided I needed to take a bunch of book pages and saturate them with colorful ink, so I did. They're sitting here at this moment and they look spectacular. At the time, I was worried because they were soggy and the colors were bleeding and then they curled up as they dried, and I thought to myself "what hast thou wrought?" (Yes, I speak to myself in Old English when I am frustrated--it's an English major thing). But then later I ironed them and set them aside. Now they are beseeching me to do something wild.

You have to try, experiment, fail, succeed and keep making art. You don't even have to know what it's going to be when you're done. A dyed book page is not a project, but it's inspiring me. I think it wants to get together with something else and turn into art. If I hadn't acted on my impulse to apply ink to paper, I wouldn't be feeling as limitless as I do right now.

Do you have a favorite material to work with—or is that an unfair question!

Yes. My favorite material is the one someone else is using. I'm always sure that it's better than what I have on hand! Beyond that, I need touchy-feely, so it doesn't matter to me what I'm using as long as I can hold the end result in my hand and "feel" it. That's why I love to add stitching to paper. I just finished a small series of acrylic paintings on watercolor paper and now I'm going to try stitching them because they just look so static and flat. It may not work, so I'll start with the one I love the least. But if it does work out, I'll be off and running. I'll be painting and stitching for weeks until I get it out of my system. Then I'll see what material someone else is working with and I'll use that!

Your create such a wide variety of projects, from dolls to bookmarks, beads, and even soap. How do you usually garner inspiration for your work, and what do you do if/when you’re feeling uninspired?

Uninspired? I'm not sure that's ever happened. I have so many ideas that most days I'm afraid my head will explode— thus the little pieces of paper with cryptic messages floating about my studio. I try to write ideas down when I have them so that when I find time to create, I have a myriad of ideas before me.

If ideas are not popping for you, I'd recommend noodling about on Etsy or your favorite art/quilt/stitch website. I try to visit many of the artist and vendor sites in Quilting Arts and Cloth Paper Scissors. They lead me down rabbit trails that are always so interesting! When you see something that fascinates you, jot it down. When you have time to make art, try some of the ideas that resonated with you.

What project(s) are you currently working on, and how’s it going?

Let's not count the projects in my head because that would be astronomical. Let's not count the projects on my desk because, well, let's just not. My active projects include the acrylic paintings I mentioned and a bunch of stitchpaper (fabric-paper) I'm creating for a Yahoo book study group working through my book Stitch Alchemy.

When the stitchpaper is done, I'll move on to projects from the book. I plan to make some more dolls, pillows, purses, bookmarks etc. It's addictive. This week, however, I took time out to learn to crochet with my daughter. We made an amigurumi ghost for her best friend's birthday. I hope she likes it because it just about killed us!

Is there any medium, technique, etc. that you haven’t yet tried but are hoping to in the near future?

Well, everything I've not tried before, plus a hearty dose of practicing the things I've tried. I love encaustic painting and want to find more time for that. I've never wet-felted (shhhhh, don't tell anyone). I've never made a large quilt--that's gotta happen. My sewing skills need updating. Metalwork? Everything in the latest issue of QA and CPS. Why am I talking with you? I have to get busy!

So many shoulds, time enough to follow through.

MellyMells — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:51:00 GMT

There are many things I should blog about, like the ten yards of fabric that came to my door on winning the Nature's Best contest, THANKS to you! Or the fabulous review of my book in Machine Quilting Unlimited, or the fantastic blog I found this week.

But instead I want to talk about the Recycled Journals I am now in love with. Have I talked about this too much already? I used some original pages from the book, Dreams their Meaning and Significance and layered them into signatures of 140 pound cold press Fabriano watercolor paper. See the texture? I could bite my tongue.

I already, sort of, messed the book up. I have to learn about end paper. I think they need to be stiffer than the paper I chose. And because I chose a paper that was floppy, I tried to substantiate it by painting the wrong side with white, panicked, glued something on top, panicked and well, you get the gist of it. Now the end paper in the front of the book is glued to the first page. Covered that one right up. It isn't that bad, a little odd, but. So am I (I was giggling through the writing of that last paragraph- it is good not to take self too srsly).

Have I said how much I love 140 pound watercolor paper? I learned to love it in school, Fabriano in particular. The brushes, the paint, the way the water lays atop the page ready to be reworked until it isn't anymore? Totally different than painting on cloth, but still such satisfaction.

And we all know how much I love to draw and wish that every person who had an inkling of even wanting to draw would start now. Right now. It is so graceful, paper and pencil, that it all you need. Painting is just an extension of drawing. And every artist, even if they don't use every tool in the box should have an understanding of the basics. It is so meditative.

I wish my first journals were available to me now, (they are in storage). I would show you. I sucked. We all suck when we start out, that is the way it is. I still have a ways to go, I want to learn to have ease with hands and feet, for instance. But when you are new, just tell yourself to turn the page and don't look back. Not right away, anyway. Now I can look back as some of my early journals and see the raw beauty and the gems among the mundane. See where I was stretching to see myself further, trying. For the most part, I love the progress I have made. But I do see it as a journey, not a destination.

Arrow, beautiful, white and black Arrow. Head tucked, smiling. He knew I was looking at him and kept murping and coming to attention and asking me to pet him.

Attention Wild Things! Latest QA Reader Challenge Announced!

Pokey — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:02:00 GMT

One thing our editorial team loves to do is devise reader challenges, and usually during the brainstorming sessions, there is a lot of laughter around the conference table. This next reader challenge is no exception.

I confess this one is of a personal nature. You see, I have had a lifelong obsession, a kinship shall we say with something...

It started with this green little guy who so soulfully sang--what still is--one of my favorite songs:

(Please visit the site to view this media)

How can you not adore a spindly-legged little amphibian who is in love with a strong, opinionated, feisty female (...who could crush him)?

Source: Bizarrerecords.com

Throughout my early adulthood, frogs continued to dominate my thoughts. Here I am posing with one in Northern California. (I am lamenting the fact that she is more endowed than me.)

And in my 20s I discovered Frog's Leap Cabernet. (My favorite wine.)

And I confess, at my very own rehearsal dinner I got up and told... you guessed it...the Wide Mouth Frog joke.

So...want to know what our reader challenge is?

Have you ever related to or dreamed of becoming a particular animal (or insect)? Or has someone ever walked up to you on the street and said, “Hey! Did you know you resemble a ______?” Let your inner animal out of its cage by participating in our latest reader challenge! We will show some of our favorite entries in future issues of Quilting Arts Magazine and even exhibit some at upcoming national quilt shows in 2010.

Here’s how to enter

Make an 81⁄2" x 11" art quilt of vertical orientation that celebrates your inner animal. (Only one entry per person.)
The entire quilt, including binding, must measure 81⁄2" x 11" and must weigh no more than 1 lb.
Your quilt may be made of alternative substrates (such as paper), but it must consist of three layers and it must be quilted, either by hand or machine or both.
The edges of the quilt must be bound or zigzag stitched closed and there must be a sleeve on the back.
Any embellishments must not protrude more than 1⁄2" from the quilt.
Your entry must be free of any text or images that are protected by copyright, unless you have the expressed written permission from the person or institution that holds the copyright and you provide that written permission with your submission. It’s a good idea to steer clear of commercial imagery.
To be considered for the challenge, send two low-res images (each less than 1 MB) of your entry (one of the entire piece and one of a detail) via email by Friday, January 22, to challenges@interweave.com, with the words “Quilting Arts Animal Challenge” in the subject line. Please include your name, email address, phone number, and a brief explanation of your piece in your email.
note: Please do not “zip” your files and be sure to send jpegs. Do not mail your piece to us at this time; we are only requesting two images sent via email.
On Tuesday, January 26, Pokey will post the finalists on her blog at quiltingarts.com and they will also be notified via email.
If accepted as a finalist, your artwork must then be in our offices no later than Tuesday, February 9, along with a flat shipping and handling fee of $15 (U.S. and Canada) or $25 (all other international). This fee, which must be paid in U.S. dollars, covers the shipping costs, packing materials, and handling for the return of your entry.
The entire piece and all of its packaging must weigh less than 5 lbs. and fit into a standard shipping/mailing box (no larger than 12" x 4" x 14") or padded envelope.

Finalists should mail their entries to:

Quilting Arts Magazine
Attn: Animal Reader Challenge
P.O. Box 685
23 Gleasondale Rd.
Stow, MA 01775

note: By submitting your reader challenge entry, you are authorizing Interweave Press LLC to publish your project in upcoming publications and promotional materials, on our website, and in other Interweave e-media, as well as to possibly display it at shows. Interweave Press LLC will not be held responsible for loss or damage due to circumstances beyond our control.

We reserve the right to keep and display your “Let Out Your Inner Animal!” art quilt until the week of November 15, 2010.

If you have questions about the “Let Out Your Inner Animal!” Reader Challenge, contact Pippa Eccles at peccles@interweave.com.

We hope you’ll unleash your creativity and join our challenge!

Take the Quilting Arts Reader Survey!

Pippa E — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:21:00 GMT

As the year begins to wind down (yes, it's happening already!), the editors at Quilting Arts are busy planning for next year's issues. And we want to make sure we know what our readers most want to get out of Quilting Arts. Are you a beginning art quilter or a seasoned pro? What kinds of techniques and articles do you want to see more of? Which ones do you not want to see at all? Do you have a great idea for a Readers Challenge, or any other suggestions?

Let us know all this and more by taking this quick survey.

Your feedback will help ensure that future Quilting Arts issues will contain even more of what you love to see!

She Created an Art Quilt for Spirited Souls

Quilting Daily — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:07:00 GMT

One of my favorite holidays is Halloween, and because International Quilt Festival/Houston was early this year, I'm excited to report that I will be at home and giving out candy to costumed witches, vampires, and assorted Jedi this Saturday.

This weekend also marks the beginning of El Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday whose motifs of Milagros, sugar skulls, flowers, and vivid colors are popular among artists. Day of the Dead motifs can even be found in commercial fabrics. Many quilt and mixed-media artists also pay tribute to Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, famous for her many self-portraits, at this time, and year round.

Mixed-media fiber artist R. Paulette Lancaster chose Frida as the centerpiece of a collage of page-sized quilts made for a El Dia de los Muertos art exhibit. We thought this would be the perfect time to share the story of how she created this piece.

Day of the Dead Art Quilts

By R. Paulette Lancaster

I am always looking for new materials, inspirations, and venues. Two years ago a new venue opened up to me when the Indianapolis Art Center put out a call for artists to participate in their celebration of the traditional Mexican holiday, El Dia de los Muertos. In the spirit of this holiday I chose to honor three important 20^th Century female artists--Frida Kahlo, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Lee Krasner--in a group of page-size quilts that would create a timeline and highlight certain paintings of each artist. My method was similar for each one, so I will focus on the Frida quilts here.

My basic guidelines were to choose three to five coordinating fabrics in a color range that represented each artist. For Frida's quilt, I used fabrics in the bright primary colors of Mexico.

To produce the small paintings, I ironed fusible to the backs of papers and then drew or photocopied images onto the papers. Then I used acrylic paints or colored pencils to complete the paintings and embellished them further with fabric and lace, buttons and trims, and beads-some of which were in the shape of skulls and bones. To reproduce the photographs, I printed them on colorfast inkjet printer fabric. After I had arranged and attached the painting in a pleasing composition I added embroidery for texture and interest.

One of the traditional elements for Day of the Dead altars is the use of fresh flowers, known as xempasuchitl, the flower of the dead. I attached various shades of orange silk flowers with rhinestone- and white-topped brads to my quilts to represent these flowers.

When each quilt top was finished I added batting and backing and bound the mini quilts with a unifying single color. I tied them together by punching eyelets in the corners and threading colorful ribbons through the holes.

The completed art quilts--along with the shrine I created--made a bright and colorful display. I truly enjoyed the experience of mixing some Latin American spice into my fiber art.

Thanks, Paulette, for sharing your art quilt story with us.

If you're looking for more inspiration, check out the variety of mixed-media books at the Interweave Store. My current recommendation, Mixed-Media Self-Portraits: Inspiration & Techniques by Cate Prato, features a brief history of self-portrait artists, like Frida Kahlo, and then offers exercises and a variety of mixed-media projects for making your own creative self-portraits.

Lutradur

Pippa E — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:37:00 GMT

This is a polyester fabric-like material that has a wide variety of applications. It can be drawn or painted on to create a colored surface that still filters light. It is quite sturdy and can be cut into without fraying, and heat set up to 400 degrees F. It is strong enough to carry embellishments, but sufficiently lightweight to be sewn.

Batting

Pippa E — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:10:00 GMT

Also referred to as filling or wadding, batting is a layer of material (usually cotton, polyester, and/or wool) that is used as insulation between the top and bottom layers of a quilt. It comes in a variety of weights, from low loft to high loft, and sizes. Most batting is natural (undyed) but it is aslo available in black. The batting is secured to the top and bottom using quilting stitches that go through all three layers of the quilt sandwich. The type of batting used depends on the nature of the project.

International Quilt Festival: QUILT SCENE Newsstands Celebration!

Pokey — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:45:00 GMT

Although International Quilt Festival: Quilt Scene made its red carpet debut at the International Quilt Festival a couple of weeks ago, today it celebrates its World Premier on newsstands around the globe!

Assembling this publication was a labor of love for all involved--both our team here at Quilting Arts and the dedicated staff of Quilts, Inc., who put on the International Quilt Festival. In honor of this magazine's newsstand birthday, I have some behind-the scene pictures...

Louie, my Min Pin (who, by the way, is a total poser) tried to get in on the Quilt Scene action by jumping up and sitting pretty on this haystack alongside Brandon Mably's and Liza Prior Lucy's quilt. (Louie was a little miffed he didn't get a chance to model in this year's Quilting Arts GIFTS issue.) Sorry it didn't work out, Lou, but you're still featured in the digital subscription ad!

Dickens (my Maine Coon mix who weighs nearly 30 lbs.) notices how the quilt creates a little nook for him to hide inside the bales. (Don't even think about it buddy!) Side note: In the end, we didn't use any of the hay shots for this quilt as we felt they were a little too country for the look we were trying to achieve for this publication.

Above: We hauled an antique brass bed down the stairs to our living room, moved some furniture and folded up the rug, and got some really nice shots of Sarah Fielke's "Dotty Garden" quilt, the main cover image:

But one of the best parts of the shoot was having a visiting baby! Above baby Violet Rose Hudson poses for our amazing photographer, Larry Stein. Violet was such a happy, delightful baby and she did a great job posing for Patricia Bravo's "My First Play Mart" article. Many thanks to her mother, Briana Flemig, and Violet's aunt for taking the trek down to the Boston area for this photo shoot.

And one of the funniest moments of the shoot was getting the alpacas to stand still for Terry Grant's fabric birds article...

This video tells the story...

(Please visit the site to view this media)

We really hope you enjoy our new publication!

Encaustic

Pippa E — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:39:00 GMT

This refers to the process of adding heated pigmented wax (usually beeswax) to a surface. The wax/paint can be shaped before it sets using special metal tools. Though traditionally a form of painting, encaustic can also be used as a collage-like technique that incorporates fabric, fibers, and other materials.

Silk Rods

Pippa E — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:55:00 GMT

These are byproducts of reeling silk from the cocoon; silk accumulates on these rods and remnants of it remain. The resulting rods can be dyed or separated into layers, and used in paper making, stitching and silk fusion.

Silk Cocoons

Pippa E — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:44:00 GMT

Cocoons, the purest form of silk, can be stretched and spun into yarn or left whole for collage and other fiber art projects. They can be bought pre-dyed or ready for dyeing and/or hand painting.

Photo Transfer

Pippa E — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:27:00 GMT

Photographic images can easily be transferred onto fabric using photo transfer paper. First, the photograph is printed onto the paper, which is then ironed onto the fabric, transferring the image.

Straight Strip Binding

Pippa E — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:19:00 GMT

This method of binding is most suitable for rectangular quilts that don’t have curved or complicated edges. The binding can be cut crosswise from the fabric, and is not sewn together into one continuous strip as in bias binding. It is attached to the quilt by aligning the raw edge of the binding material with the raw edge of the quilt sandwich, right sides facing, and sewing through all three layers of the quilt, usually using a ¼" seam allowance. To finish, the binding is folded over to the front of the quilt and slip stitched in place, similar to bias binding.

Self Binding

Pippa E — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:17:00 GMT

This is one of the quickest and easiest ways to finish a quilt, though it is slightly less sturdy than other methods. To self-bind, trim the excess backing fabric so that it is even along each edge of the quilt, then fold it over and onto the front of the quilt. Slip stitch the backing fabric in place to finish.

Bias Binding

Pippa E — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:15:00 GMT

This method of binding is best for quilts with curved edges since it uses strips that are cut along the bias (diagonally across the fabric), and are therefore stretchier. To join the strips of fabric, lay one strip on top of the other at a right angle, with right sides facing, and stitch across the diagonal so that when you open the two strips, they lie straight. The binding is then attached by aligning the raw edge of the binding material with the raw edge of the quilt sandwich, right sides facing, and sewing through all three layers of the quilt, usually using a ¼" seam allowance. To finish, the binding is folded over and attached to the front of the quilt using a slip stitch, similar to straight strip binding.

Betweens

Pippa E — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:05:00 GMT

These very short needles are needed to produce the small quilting stitches. The higher the needle number, the shorter the needle. Sizes 7, 8, and 9 are most often used as quilting needles.

Bias

Pippa E — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:56:00 GMT

This is the grain that runs at a 45 degree angle to the straight grains, or the warp (lengthwise) and weft (crosswise) grains. Cutting along the bias results in a fabric that is slightly stretchier than the warp or weft, and is often used for binding a quilt.

Weft

Pippa E — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:50:00 GMT

Also known as the crosswise grain, this is the thread that runs perpendicular to the selvedge of the fabric. The weft and the warp are straight grains (as opposed to the bias) so cutting along these grains will result in fabric pieces that don’t stretch.

Outline Quilting

Pippa E — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:48:00 GMT

Quilting stitches that follow the edge of each fabric piece, and are either next to the seam or in it (known as quilting “in-the-ditch”).

Abaca Tissue

Pippa E — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:46:00 GMT

This tissue is composed of long, abaca fibers, and is semi-transparent, resembling Japanese papers in its appearance and construction. It can be treated like a lightweight fabric and used for a variety of different purposes and projects.

Silk Hanky

Pippa E — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:43:00 GMT

These dyed silk fibers are harvested from the silk cocoon and stretched over a frame to form 10" squares. The layers can be separated and are wonderful for applying to the surface of felted projects.

Needle Felting

Pippa E — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:28:00 GMT

Needle felting fuses an additional layer of fiber onto a base fiber or felted fabric. This can be done by hand with a needle felting brush or piece of foam and felting needle(s), or using a needle felting machine. In both cases, the fabrics/fibers are layered one on top of the other, and the needle punctures through them continuously and quickly until they are fused together.

Screen Printing

Pippa E — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:19:00 GMT

Also referred to as serigraphy and silk screening, this is a printing technique that uses a woven mesh screen to print onto fabric. A stencil is attached to the screen and only the areas left exposed allow the ink to transfer through as a roller or squeegee is used to apply the ink across the surface of the screen and onto the fabric underneath.