Sister's Choice Quilts

Tie Offs Tutorial

Good morning.  I got a lot of queries about tie offs yesterday when I posted about finishing up my Another Year of Schnibbles project.  What are they?  What did I mean, that I needed to do them? 

Here's the deal.  When you do machine quilting, you end up with long threads at the beginning and end of your stitching lines.  You do not want to just clip the dangling threads off flush to the fabric, because over time, your stitching will come out.  Maybe not all the way out, but enough to spoil the look of your quilting design.  So, a secure way to get rid of the long threads  and to secure your stitching is to do "tie offs".

I am by no means an expert on this subject.  I have not been machine quilting very long, and I am not particularly skilled at it.  However, someone who is an expert (Marie at Prairie Queens) showed me her method, and this is how I do tie offs.  I did what I could to take decent photos of the process, but it is tricky to do these close up shots!  Hope you can get the idea.

So, pretend this is the back of your quilting project:

See those arrows pointing to two of the dangling threads?  If you lightly tug on the thread, you should be able to pull through a little loop of thread that is the corresponding top thread that is dangling away on the top side of your project.

See how if you lightly pull on it, the loop starts to appear?  You just need to use a pin or your stiletto or something like that to tease that top thread the rest of the way through to the bottom.

In the photo above you can clearly see that the top thread has been pulled through to the bottom side of the quilt.  Now you have two threads dangling on the bottom side of your quilt!

So, now you must tie off those threads using a square knot.  Don't know how to tie a square knot?  Google it, or ask a Cub Scout.

Not a great image, but trust me, what you see there is me in the process of tying a square knot.

So, now you have two dangling threads tied in a square knot.  Think you can snip those tails of thread off and be done?  Oh no. We are not finished.  We must make that knot disappear.

Get out your needle threader (or you can get an easy threading needle that is slotted at the eye and you can just pull the threads through).

Crummy picture, but the two ends of the thread are through the needle threader, and soon will be through the eye of the needle.  We are going to bury that knot and the threads.

Stick the needle right into the last hole made by your sewing machine needle and poke it through an inch or so through the middle of your quilt sandwich.

Pull the two  threads taut, listen for the little sound of "pop" as the knot gets pulled through, and snip off the end of the threads.

You have just eliminated all evidence of your dangling threads and the little knot too.

And just so you know, if you want to, you can pull these threads through and do this same process on the topside of your quilt.  It does not have to be done on the back side.  The tie offs are completely invisible, so you can do it either side of the quilt.

Hope this was helpful, and not too boring.  But really, tie offs are tedious.... Seriously?  The seventh level of Hell?  That would be having to do tie offs through all of eternity.  You know those nightmare dreams you have when you are sick, where you do some repetitive thing endlessly?  Yup, that would be tie offs.  Sorry, that's just me.  If you love tie offs, God bless you.

 

 

Around the 'Hood, All Finished!

Sherri at A Quilting Life, and Sinta at Pink Pincushion are hosting Another Year of Schnibbles, and I have jumped on the bandwagon.  Lord have mercy, I actually finished the January project, which is "Full House", a marvelous Schnibbles pattern by Carrie Nelson.  Signed, sealed, delivered and actually quilted!

I think this is my favorite ever Schnibbles pattern!  The  pattern is called "Full House", but I did a smaller version, called "Around the 'Hood", or "Tiny Town".  Not sure, technically, which of those two patterns my little quilt is, but is does involve smaller blocks and a different setting than the original pattern.  Check out Carrie's blog post on Nov. 9th  for links to the instructions to make this variation of "Full House".

It fits my round kitchen table perfectly, and was so darn fun to make.  The fabrics I used were two charm packs of Blueberry Crumbcake by Blackbird Designs for Moda.   Love, Love, Love that fabric collection.  The best thing is, it goes perfectly with my blue and white theme for January.

What I am really loving about doing Another Year of Schnibbles, is that A) I get a new table topper every month, and B) I can practice my machine quilting skills.

For the center section, I used my tried and true blue painters tape quilting method, which lends itself wonderfully to a grid of tiny squares, such as the 49 block center section of this project. 

Quilting around the houses was trickier, mainly because I am total bone head about planning the best method of quilting around shapes without having to stop and tie off my threads.  Of course when I got to practically the very last tie off, I remembered that I was supposed to sink my knots and thread tails.  So, on the back of my quilt I have a gazillion little knots.  Oh well, practice makes perfect.

I think I may add some additional quilting around the outer border, but for now, all my stencils are still packed, so I decided to leave it undone.  It is just two inches of unquilted border, so that should not be the end of the world even if I never get to it.

This little quilt will be enjoyed for years, and I am so happy to have finished it.

Be sure to check out Sherri and Sinta's blogs on February 1st for many other versions of the January "Another Year of Schibbles".  It isn't too late to join in and make February's project!

 

Barn Quilts for Your Home

When I was tearing through the Road to California quilt show in Ontario last week, my heart nearly stopped when I came upon something I have wanted my entire grown up life.  A barn quilt.

There was a booth,hosted by "Classic Metal Company", who had displayed heavy weight steel "barn quilt" blocks to use as display on your house or on your walls.  These "barn quilts" are part of our heritage, and are a real symbol of Americana.  Quilt patterns on barns date back to colonial America. After the colonists became established and had spare income, they painted small patterns on the ends of the barns as a way to celebrate their heritage.

When you travel through the midwest and east coast and get out into the countryside, you do see these lovely works of art. 

When I was at Life's A Stitch in Janesville, WI in September 2010, I took the picture above, of a terrific example of a barn quilt.  I cherish the memory of that trip, as I was with two of the lovliest friends a person could ever wish for, and we were doing what we love best:  shopping for quilt fabric!  There is nothing that would forever symbolize and remind me of that amazing experience than having my own barn quilt.

So, with that being said, the reason my heart stopped, was because right there at the quilt show, Classic Metal Co.  had this block for sale:

Anybody recognize that block?  Yup, it is Sister's Choice!!!

I bought the small size, but will be ordering the large size (24" square) as well.  It is going to be the perfect touch to my quilting studio, inside and out.  The small one (shown below) will go inside the studio and the larger one outside the entrance under the lamp.   I played around with the smaller one today, but clearly I need to Go Big.  What a wonderful herald for my studio!  I am so excited to have found this.  They also had a fun sign that matched that I want to hang underneath that said "Welcome".  Think I need that too, don't you?

By all means, check out the website for Classic Metal Co., they had all sorts of quilt blocks represented:  Mariner's Compass, Blazing Star, Bear's Paw, Broken Dishes, Dutch Rose, LeMoyne Star...  You could have a barn quilt too!

Birdie Stitches March Block & Info on the Red and White Quilt

Thanks for all your supportive comments regarding my experience taking Grandpa with me to the quilt show.  I sure did think of a lot of things I might have said to that horrid woman who swiped his chair as he was preparing to sit in it--unfortunately I had a delayed reaction and stood stunned with my jaw dropped to my chest when it happened!  I will say that the expression on the face of the woman who had offered him the chair next to her was priceless.  "What just happened here?"

I did find out (though my readers' helpful and knowledgeable comments) that the red and white quilt in yesterday's post is called "Nearly Insane".  There is a book by the same name written by Liz Lois that is for sale on amazon.com.  It has one review, which is pretty bad.  I have not seen the book, but the reviewer had plenty to criticize.  Check it out.   Evidently, (according to the reviewer), the author gives no instruction on how to construct the blocks, nor does she name the blocks!  Now, that is a problem!  It does sound like if you buy the book, you had better get one of those block encyclopedias that tell you how to make 100 blocks in various sizes! If any of you have bought this book, or made the quilt, please comment on your experience.  We would all love to know how you fared. 

UPDATE:  Please read the comments below for a link to another red and white Nearly Insane quilt and some dissenting opinions on the book.  Check out Ranette's quilt.    Good gravy, go to Tazzie's blog and look at her Nearly Insane quilt!  And Floribunda's NI quilt.  Thanks to you readers who responded!  What awesome quilts.

Several people commented that the Farmer's Wife quilt would be incredible if done in a two color scheme.  Can you imagine it in red and white?  Now why didn't I think to do that?

I finished the third block in the Birdie Stitches project while I was away last week.  I felt there should be a little something the end of the rainbow, and copied an idea I found on the Birdie Stitches Flickr Group.  My shamrocks are a little wonky, but so is everything else in my block, so I guess they can stay.

When I was tearing through the Road to California quilt show last week, I stopped briefly at the Bird Brain Designs booth and purchased a pattern.  And took a minute to look at the amazing work on their samples.  They seem to favor using perle cotton thread, which gives a nice bold look, without the bulk of using more than three strands of regular embroidery thread.  One of my readers, Connie H. suggested that I might like to do this with my Birdie Stitches blocks. 

These little stitchery designs were impossible to pass up!  I see them in the centers of some red and white quilt blocks....  Hopefully I will be proficient enough to make these after finishing 12 Birdie blocks.

Tomorrow I will share with you my major purchase at the show.  I scored Big Time!  Something I never thought I would find in a million years.

 

Where in the World Was I?

Palm Desert, California, is where I spent the past week. The photos I posted were all taken at the Living Desert Zoo and Botanical Garden.  Thanks to all of you who played along and guessed where I was.

Barbara L. was the first person to guess correctly.  She and I have been in touch and I will be sending this little prize off to her today.

A publication called "Inspiration for Precuts" put out by Quilter's World, a Schnibble pattern for "Darcy", and a charm pack by American Jane called "Fairy Tale Friends".    Hope you will enjoy this Barbara!

 

Cozy Mystery Recommendation

An author has come to my attention and I am just thrilled to share her books with you.  Louise Penny is an award winning Canadian author who has a series of cozy mystery books about a storybook beautiful village called Three Pines.  The first book in the series, "Still Life", introduces us to the residents of Three Pines, and to Inspector Armand Gamache.  An amazon.com review describes Inspector Gamache as "an elegant, well spoken man who commands his forces with integrity and courage".  Once you meet him, you will be wanting more!  And be warned, you will want to travel to Canada immediately and stay at a B&B full of antiques and be served mouth watering food.

The author, Louise Penny, is an excellent writer.  As lovers of mystery know, a good who-done-it features a good plot, interesting characters and really good writing.  She has that down in spades.  I would say her books will appeal to those who enjoy Ruth Rendell and Elizabeth George.  Penny's books are in the "cozy" genre, but are written to appeal to the intelligent reader who appreciates sophisticated literary mysteries.  Her plots are complex and always involve human emotion and meditations on behaviorial motivation.

In the first book, Still Life, we are introduced to Three Pines and those who live there--recurring personalities who will continue to appear in future books.  You will begin to feel as if you know these characters and that some of them are your friends.  I could hardly put the first in the series down, and am now on the second book "A Fatal Grace".  I believe Ms. Penny has written six books in the Three Pines series to date, and I plan to read them all.

Don't laugh--the plot of "A Fatal Grace" concerns a universally disliked woman who is murdered at a local curling match!  I am completely hooked.

So, pick up one of Louise Penny's books and settle yourself in for a cozy reading experience.

 

 

Birdie Stitches February Block

I am making good progress with my Birdie Stitches project, and have completed the second block.  This is the block for February--Kissing Birds.  (Sounds like "Kicking Bird" from Dances With Wolves).

The stitching with fewer strands of thread (the flowers, stems and floating hearts) are definitely more forgiving than the thicker six strand stitching for the birdies themselves.  I like the strong outline the six strands give, but the stitching with three strands just seems more refined somehow.  After another block or so, when I get more practice, I will show you all what the back looks like. 

Am I ever being brave--it is like when Kirstie Alley wore a bikini on the Oprah show. lol  I will be setting myself up for all sorts of comments like old Kirstie got.  "No WAY is she 150 pounds".  "Look at the cellulite, will ya'".  "What is she THINKING, going out in public like that?" What is the embroidery equivalent of that?  "Oh my.  Look at those lumpy stitching lines".  "Doesn't look like she can sew straight to save her life".  No, I know you all are kinder than that!!

I am learning all sorts of embroidery lingo.  "Traveling".  That is when you jump your needle across your stitchery and leave a big line of thread on the underside that is visable through the top of the finished project. A big no-no.  "Orts".  Those teensy snipped threads that pile up next to your sewing chair.  Or if you are like me, they pile up on the arm of the couch, on the floor where I am sitting, on the end table...

Busy week, this week. I am finding myself quite on the go.  And man, is it ever slow going with 90 year Grandpa in tow!  He is a good sport though, as long as I keep him in snacks and newspapers to read.  He also likes to stop now and then and buy me lunch!

 

Tiny Town

Some construction progress here, on my little housing development. This Blueberry Crumbcake collection is so darn pretty. I love making my little color combinations for these blocks.

These houses are being built for the Another Year of Schnibbles January project. The Schnibbles pattern for the month is called Full House (Carrie Nelson, designer). While reading Carrie's blog La Vie en Rose awhile back, I saw a pillow she had made using a version of the Full House pattern. She called her pillow Around the Pink Hood, since she made it using reds and pinks from Bonnie and Camille's recent group "Ruby".

Carrie made some changes to the Full House pattern for her pillow, mainly reducing the size of her houses to 3 1/2" x 4 3/4". For the pillow, you make fewer blocks, and of course the layout is different, producing a square result rather than the rectangle of Full House. I liked this idea so much, because I like to put a square table topper in the center of my round kitchen table and the 22" square pillow size is just perfect for that. Scroll down to my post from last Friday to see a picture of the version I am doing.

Carrie provides links to pdf files for both the Tiny Town and Around the Pink Hood patterns on her blog post for November 9.

It didn't take me long at all to get these eight little houses made, and that means I just have four more to go. The version I am doing also calls for a center checkerboard design of 49 1 1/2" squares and four star blocks for the outer corners. With luck, I will get my neighborhood constructed by the end of the month in time for the Schibbles deadline.

 

More Fabric Dreaminess

In my post yesterday, I neglected to link to Another Year of Schnibbles! 

Sherri at A Quilting Life:  http://www.aquiltinglife.com/
and Sinta at Pink Pincushion:  http://www.pinkpincushion.blogspot.com/
are the hosting this terrific sew along.

************************************************************************************************

Since I haven't been doing much sewing over the past few months, I haven't been doing much fabric purchasing either.  I got a little surprise check recently and decided that acquiring some of the newly released fabric collections would be just the boost I needed to get myself re-inspired to do some sewing.  Green Fairy  (awesome prices) was having a sale on fat eighths bundles and I bought myself a couple with my wind fall.  I find the fat eighths bundles are quite useful.  So often when I make a project and use an entire fat quarter bundle, I end up with half of it left over.  Not always, but quite often.  Since I couldn't decide between two of these yummy collections, I got the smaller amount so I didn't have to leave one out!

I usually love anything by Urban Chiks, and this collection called Urban Cowgirl is no exception.  It is full of blowsy prints and plaids and is a colorway I find really unique.  How about that yellow with the green and aqua?  With a dose of brown to even things out.  So pretty. 

Another favorite design team of mine is Brannock and Patek.  Last year they came out with Lilac Hill, one of my favorite fabric lines ever.  Their latest offering makes my heart sing too.  This is Farmer's Market.

I really like the pink and the green and the yellow and the red.  I always like it when there is a black color way tossed in a group, as it adds a sparkle that I enjoy in my quilts.  Not sure how the purple will play with the others, but other than that I think this group is refreshing and fun.  And look how many lights are included!

Last, I had to have this red and white group called Redwork Renaissance (Chloe's Closet for Moda), because February is almost upon us, and after all, who doesn't love red and white?  (Thelma, you need this...)

This is just so usable.  It was a smaller collection, so I sprang for the full fat quarter bundle.

So, have any of you done any fabric with your Christmas money?  Or if you plan to buy anything, what would you choose?  Share, share, so we can all dream along with you!

My Full House Schnibble

I think I have nearly every Schnibbles pattern that there is.  But could I find any of them?  Noooo, I could not.  That is, not until a couple of weeks ago!  Since my studio is not complete, all my materials are still packed up from the move last summer.  In desperation, I tackled the garage and shifted around some boxes and low and behold, I found my Schnibbles.  The reason I was so anxious to find them is because I need to get going on the January project for Another Year of Schnibbles, which is called Full House.  Now I know I have that pattern, because Carrie Nelson herself sent it to me.  Do you think it was in that big stash of patterns?  Noooo, it was not.  So I ordered a new one, which came in the mail this week.  I know it will turn up, and when it does I will do a little give away.

I was also inspired to order two charm packs of Blueberry Crumbcake (Blackbird Designs for Moda), one the dreamiest collections of blues in ages.  My thinking was, since I am doing this blue and white thing for the month of January, how cute would a blue and white table topper be?

My plan is to make a smaller version of the full size Schnibble.  Carrie has a version for a pillow that will be the perfect size for the center of my kitchen table.  Do check out her blog La Vie en Rose for several other versions of this pattern with links to instructions for the variations.

image borrowed from lavienrose.typepad.com

How cute is this going to be with my blue and white fabrics?  Depending on the finished size, I may add a little piano key border to mine.  I'd better get cracking if I want this finished before the end of the month.

Added later:  Darn, I should have linked to Another Year of Schnibbles!  Sherri at A Quilting Life:  http://www.aquiltinglife.com/
and Sinta at Pink Pincushion:  http://www.pinkpincushion.blogspot.com/
are the hosts.  So sorry about that!