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The sewing needle is the fiber artist's pencil: you're simply drawing with thread. When you hand stitch, you can guide the direction of the thread to make a design. And when you lower the feed dogs on your sewing machine, you can stitch in any direction, too. In The Art of Thread Sketching: Free...
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While Vivika is on medical leave, we're revisiting some of her most popular posts and guest bloggers are pitching in, too. Today, we're featuring this post on how Barb Forrister creates lifelike flowers with machine embroidery techniques. ~The Quilting Daily Team Flowers created with machine...
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Vivika_Blog
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10 Apr 2013
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Filed under: Embroidery, Surface Design, Machine Quilting, Quilting Designs, Fabric Art, Hand Sewing, Sewing Techniques, Quilt Patterns, Hand Stitches, Quilting Techniques, Handmade Quilts
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One of the joys and privileges of working on Quilting Arts Magazine is that I get to talk to a wide variety of quilt artists and find out what makes them tick. 'Masked Self-Portrait,' 24½ " x 19", quilt art by Kate Themel. In the April/May issue of Quilting Arts I have an interview...
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Here's a way to practice your free-motion stitching skills and add a mixed-media element to your machine quilting. In honor of Valentine's Day, it's heart art from our sister publication Cloth Paper Scissors, one of my favorite sources of fiber art inspiration. Painted hearts with free-motion...
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Did you know I have a crystal ball? Oh yes! It's heavily embellished and gives me insight into what you can expect to see in creative quilting during the coming year. Detail of "Tranquil Marsh-Wild Iris" by Elena Stokes. (Photo by Elena Stokes) OK, I confess, my "crystal ball"...
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When it comes to quilting and sewing a quilt, you have a lot of options. You can choose to use a free-motion motif, add straight lines for a modern appeal, or even use a digitized pattern if your machine has the option. Likewise, there are many options for piecing a quilt. I usually piece my quilts by...
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Quilting Daily
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Vivika_Blog
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16 Jan 2013
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Filed under: Machine Quilting, How to Quilt, Hand Sewing, Sewing Techniques, Quilt Patterns, Quilting, Hand Stitches, Quilting Stitches, Quilting Techniques, Handmade Quilts, Sewing Machine Techniques
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Our foremothers knew how to make a quilt using only what they had, from scraps of fabric to natural dyes. But, quilt making the frugal and eco-friendly way was easier for them: they didn't have much of a choice. Pioneer women didn't have fabric stores, and even our own mothers didn't have...
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Quilting Daily
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Vivika_Blog
on
9 Jan 2013
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Filed under: Surface Design, Machine Quilting, How to Quilt, Quilting Supplies, Fabric Art, Quilting For Beginners, Hand Sewing, Sewing Techniques, Quilt Patterns, Art Quilts, Quilting Techniques, Dyeing Fabric, Small Quilting Projects
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Clean lines and contemporary versions of traditional quilt patterns are the hallmarks of modern quilting designs . And while many modern-style quilters like to use simple, straight quilting patterns, others like to use the wide-open fields of solid fabric to display a variety of quilting motifs. Tiled...
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I hate to admit it to myself and to others, but I really did just ruin a small pillow top by machine quilting it. You read correctly: I ruined a perfectly nice piece of patchwork. The stitching is crooked, the thread is blah, the quilting takes away from the design rather than enhancing it, and the workmanship...
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If you're looking for some ideas for handmade quilted gifts , I want to remind you of three of my favorites. Two are make-in-day projects. One is a little more involved, but worth the time, I think. My mug rug (top) and calendar tote by Susan Wasinger (above) both make quick quilted gifts. First...
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When I first laid eyes on Dijanne Cevaal's "Blue Travelers' Blanket," a rich example of appliqué quilting , I fell in love with it. 'Travelers' Blanket' (detail), shows the hand appliqué work of artist Dijanne Cevaal. (Photos by Tony Summers) First, I loved...
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Quilting Daily
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Vivika_Blog
on
28 Nov 2012
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Filed under: Embroidery, Surface Design, Machine Quilting, Photo Quilt, Quilting Designs, Embellishment Techniques, Hand Sewing, Sewing Techniques, Quilt Patterns, Applique Quilts, Art Quilts, Hand Stitches, Quilting Stitches, Quilting Techniques
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Last week I blogged about tricks for machine stitching in circles . Today, I thought I'd share how to appliqué a circle. Curved piecing and hand appliqué make this table runner by Brigitte Heitland distinctive. Whether you hand appliqué or machine appliqué, the trick to...
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During almost a year of sharing quilting ideas with you via the Quilting Daily blog, I've noticed something interesting: circles are popular. Whether the circles are sewn with hand stitching or machine quilting doesn't matter. Every time I write about circle motifs, the post gets a big response...
Posted to
Quilting Daily
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Vivika_Blog
on
5 Nov 2012
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Filed under: Embroidery, Machine Quilting, How to Quilt, Patchwork Quilt, Quilt Blocks, Quilting Designs, Fabric Art, Hand Sewing, Sewing Techniques, Quilt Patterns, Hand Stitches, Quilting Techniques, Fabric Painting
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I just love the Fall. If I had my way, it would always be Fall. Perhaps I'm so enamored because I grew up in San Diego, where Fall is more a designation of time than an actual season, and now the beauty of the New England Fall has enchanted me. Maybe it's because I love the feel of the cool,...
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I'd love to tell you that I am already working on my handmade holiday gifts, but honestly, it's not happening. I do like to give gifts with handmade elements like quilting and embroidery , but this year, I'll have to streamline those efforts if I'm going to get it all done. One-point...