Check out Beth’s Meandering Threads New Quilt post to get a look at this very interesting piece of fiber art.  In Circle Doodads, she answers a viewer’s question concerning some of the embellishments.  This may give you an idea of a simple, ordinary object you can use to enhance your projects.

Post from: Blisstree

Fiber Divas’ Round Robin Quilting Project – New View

Since my grandmother, my aunt and their friend Susie tied their quilts, that’s what I knew.  When I helped them make quilts, you might say I attended a “tying bee,” when they spread the layers out on the large dining table and tied and chatted.

When I began making quilts during the Bicentennial Years of 1975-76, I naturally tied them.  I continued to do so to make the quilts affordable.  Because it doesn’t take so long to tie, I could sell the quilts at prices within the budget  of more people than if they had been quilted.

However, I did quilt several quilts.  These were old family tops that customers wanted me to finish for them.  I enjoyed this, but I had to charge much more than when I tied quilts.  Admittedly, with the old quilt tops, that were hand stitched to begin with, quilting was a better finish.

Penny Halgren has a great tutorial on tying quilts if you want to learn more about this and how to do it.  Check out Tying Your Quilt.  She also had a very informative article on quilt tying in her free monthly e-mail newsletter.

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Do You Prefer Tying Your Quilts?

Today they’re offering crafty ideas and business suggestions to inspire you.

Angels can be tiny
Noreen has designed some tiny spool knitted angels that are easy and charming.

Layers Upon Layers
Cyndi explores making small quilts from rusted fabric. 

Painted Hearts Champagne Flutes
Make two of these romantic flutes for a special couple. Add a bottle of bubbly for a complete gift!

Photo Phun!
Some photos to use for your journals any way you choose.

Should We Brand or Not Brand Our Quilting?
Mary Emma at Quilting and Patchwork discusses the latest buzz word in business…branding.

What to Do With Used Disposable Pens
Don’t send your old pens to the landfill. The Pen Guy wants them for his art cars and pentings!

What to do when your sewing machine says “no!”
Is your sewing machine acting up? Here are a few basic trouble-shooting tips to that can get you back sewing.

ENJOY!

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Crafty Ideas and Business Suggestions from the Arts Bloggers

Beth has described the Round Robin project at her Meandering Threads blog.  Each member chooses a shape and theme.  She cuts the shape into six portions, one for each member.  Eventually, when the quilters gets all her pieces back, including the one she’s doing, she puts them together.

On this same post, Beth also shows a picture of an ATC she recently exchanged in an online project.  Are any of you still making ATCs?

(Amazon image)

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Round Robin Time Again for the Fiber Divas

Here Cyndi has a “how-to” complete with photos.  You’ll also find the link to her tutorial for making rusted fabric.  Rusted fabric, quilted batting, stamping materials, beads and other embellishments result in creativity.  You also can make the quilt without using rusted fabric.

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Cyndi’s Rusted Fabric Art Quilt

I bought a pre-printed baby panel. I want to machine quilt through all 3 layers of material….my question is how do you stitch around all of the designs? Do you have to use a free motion foot? Thanks.

 Does anyone have suggestions about how Sandy could do this?

I’d say she’d have best results with a free motion foot.  However, when I made baby quilts, in days before I could get a free motion foot, I did manage to stitch around designs with a regular presser foot.  You needed time and patience and space to maneuver, but it could be done.  However, there obviously are methods today that are much easier.

What are your suggestions?

Post from: Blisstree

Machine Quilting & Baby Quilts

Quilters and fabric artists have discovered all types of new techniques to produce projects they might never have imagined years ago.  Fiber and fabric art, that has evolved from quiltmaking, offers fascinating options for one’s talents.

Felting is one of these my daughter is exploring.  You can use a felting machine or do it by a handfelter.  At this point Beth is using the hand method, but has created some very interesting items in her explorations.

She has experimented with yarn, recycled wool, roving and cheesecloth.  Her latest projects involve recycled wool sweaters and recycled wool fabric (like from a skirt or jacket). 

Here are some of her results at her Meandering Threads blog.

This one I call Felting Sampler.

Here’s Felting.
These are More Felted Balls.

(Felted balls image Hobby Warehouse 1 & Felted Purse image eSticker-Simply Fun, both at Amazon)

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Exploring the World of Felting in the Realm of Fiber Arts

What are some of the uses?

• Print off your photos and “new” photos on fabric for your projects.
• Use the Photoshop results as inspiration for your fabric art.
• Trying “What If?” with your photos.  What if I made this black and white?  What if I swirled the colors?  What if I changed the colors completely?  What if I combined these photos?  What if I took the best from both photos and made a new one for my quilt?

Beth has some actual photo examples at her Meandering Threads bog.

What have been your experiences with photo print programs.  There are a number out there that aid quilters and fabric artists in today’s quilting world.

(Amazon image)

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Photoshop for Quilters…a Fascinating New World

As I browsed through one of the books my daughter received for Christmas, The Uncommon Quilter (Small Art Quilts Created with Paper, Plastic, Fiber, and Surface Design) by Jeanne Williamson I was intrigued by some involving rubbings.

One is very simple and can be done quickly at home.  It involves crayon rubbing, which my daughter has tried successfully for interesting projects.

Then Jeanne introduces one called “Cemetery Visit,” in which she uses an actual gravestone rubbing on fabric, as well as a photo of the stone (p. 104-105).  You could expand upon something like this for a larger quilt, a memory quilt of a particular person.  Think of all the family history you could incorporate.

Also, with a bed sized quilt or large hanging, you might include rubbings from a number of family stones.  Simily let your imagination run wild and creatively!

(Incidentally, Jeanne Williamson is the quilter who made a journal quilt a week for seven years, for a total of 365 pieces.)

(Amazon image)

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Gravestone Rubbings for Fabric Art

The machine or hand quilting creates the design on the white background.  These were popular in days ago and sometimes were given as wedding gifts.  Thus I’ve heard them referred to as bridal or wedding quilts, too.

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Quilting Word of the Week – White Work