-
Echo quilting is a sewing technique that can add lush texture to art quilts. It is one of those quilting techniques that can take some practice and patience to learn, but it's well worth the effort. And a bit easier to do if you know a few tricks of the trade. Nancy G. Cook uses a dense echo quilting...
Posted to
Vivika's Blog
by
Vivika_Blog
on
22 Feb 2012
Filed under:
Filed under: Embroidery, Quilt Patterns, Quilting Designs, Hand Sewing, Sewing Techniques, Machine Quilting, How to Quilt, Quilting Techniques, Art Quilts, Hand Stitches, Quilting Stitches
-
I admire quilt artists who paint pictures with thread. The best ones remind me of Georges Seurat's pointillist paintings with their ability to make variations of little stitches in different colors come together to create a whole image full of light and texture through free-motion machine quilting...
-
Last week, I asked for advice on exploring surface design techniques . A lot of you said I should just relax, have fun, and play with different materials and techniques for designing fabrics. I agree! Lisa Kerpoe's prayer flags designed with fabric paints and dyes. From "QATV" Series 800...
Posted to
Vivika's Blog
by
Vivika_Blog
on
1 Feb 2012
Filed under:
Filed under: Embroidery, Fabric Art, Surface Design, Hand Sewing, Sewing Techniques, Machine Quilting, How to Quilt, Embellishment Techniques, Quilting Techniques, Hand Stitches, Fabric Painting
-
It's a new year: have you made any fiber art-related resolutions? One of my goals for 2012 is to complete — or repurpose — at least one UFO (unfinished object) in my stash, and I'll bet that might be on your list, too. Can you find the peppers in this chameleon by Jane Haworth? We...
-
Hello! I am so enjoying my new role as Quilting Arts Magazine editor and am excited to be joining the Quilting Daily team. There are so many tips, tricks, and techniques I'm looking forward to sharing with you, and I hope you'll share back on my blog. I thought I'd start off today with a...
-
Guess what? Santa came a bit early to me this year, dropping a box of freshly printed copies of The Best of Quilting Arts: Your Ultimate Resource for Art Quilt Techniques and Inspiration on my doorstep. Inside this book I've gathered Quilting Arts' best information on surface design trends, embellishment...
-
Detail of hand-stitched quilt by Victoria Gertenbach. Sometimes I think I'm finished with a quilt. I've surface designed it, free-motion stitched it, maybe even appliquéd it. But it still looks a little flat. It needs a little . . . something. That's when I take out my needle and hand...
-
Strategically placed embellishments can cover machine embroidery imperfections. Art by Terry White. We often advise artists to practice, practice, practice if they want to improve their machine embroidery skills. But practice doesn't have to make perfect. In fact, I recently spent time with two artists...
-
Helen and I joke around on the "QATV" while tech guru Alan tries to adjust her microphone. Last week, my colleague, friend, and co-conspirator Helen Gregory took over the reins as Editorial Director for Interweave's Quilt, Paper, and Sewing Group. Many of you know Helen from working the...
-
Ana's sketchbook collage of color schemes for quilting designs. I usually have a variety of quilting designs kicking around in my head at any given time. But often, when I finally get around to actually designing a quilt, I draw a blank. Sometimes I'm overwhelmed by fabric and surface design...
-
Free-motion machine stitched art quilt by Terry Grant. Choosing the right machine quilting pattern for your piece is as important as the thread and fabric selections. The right pattern in the right places will enhance the design and bring out the details. A poor choice will detract and even distract...
-
My frog quilt design started as a digital photo. I've been using digital photos as a basis for my quilt designs for quite some time now. Digital technology has improved so much, too. It's easier than ever to turn a photo into a quilt design, from a basic cotton quilt with a geometric quilting...
-
'Dancing Trees' (detail) by Frieda Anderson. We choose to make art quilts (rather than traditional quilts) because we want to express our point of view with fabric and thread. With so many methods, tools, and techniques at our disposal, sometimes it's difficult to choose the best approach...
-
If I had to create a basic lesson plan for how to make a quilt it would be broken down into these three basic steps: Step 1: Design. Step 2: Stitch. Step 3: Finish. Of course a lot more goes on within those essential steps. But if you're new to art quilting or want to know more about these topics...
-
Swirling machine quilting lines dance around the fish in this quilt by Elin Waterston. We art quilters march to a different drummer and dance to our own tune. If we follow rules at all, we see them more as guidelines, jumping off points for improvisation. No one I know embodies this philosophy more than...