Vivika's Blog

Fabric Painting Advice From The Kemshalls

Vivika_Blog — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:12:00 GMT

Note from Vivika: Today I've asked mixed-media fiber artist Jane Dávila, who is also editor of the eMags Quilting Arts In Stitches and the new Surface Explorations to share fabric painting tips she learned from Linda and Laura Kemshall. Take it away, Jane!

Detail of 'Golden Tulips' by Linda Kemshall, in Surface Explorations.

The mother and daughter team of Linda and Laura Kemshall are two of my favorite rock stars of the surface design world! I consider their book, The Painted Quilt, to be essential to anyone who is interested in applying paint to fabric.

Their creative style and sense of design shows through everything they create, whether it's a collaborative or solo effort. In Surface Explorations I, they share with us thoughts on their working processes, collaborations, favorite techniques and much more.

Here are some fabric painting tips from this dynamic duo.

Linda and Laura's Tips for Painting on Fabric

Linda's tips:

1. Sample on a scrap of the fabric you intend to use before launching into a major project.

2. Use a decent paintbrush and look after it―you need one that will hold a good point and it is better to have one good paintbrush than any number of poor ones!

3. Test the fabric paint to see how much it spreads on the surface of the cloth. You need to have control of the edges of the wet paint―if it is too thick and dry it will drag and if it is too thin and fluid it will bleed.

4. After testing, you may decide you need to add a little water or perhaps none at all.

Laura's tips:

'Sound of Your Guitar,' detail,
by Laura Kemshall.

In order to successfully use a rolling of paint to pick up on stitched surface texture, there are a couple of key points to bear in mind.

1. The first, and probably the most important, is not to be heavy handed. Once the paint has been applied it is there for good.

2. It is best to build up the layers gradually until you get a feel for it. Rolled paint effects work much better on densely quilted surfaces, so don't skimp on the stitch!

3. Be sure to load the roller evenly with paint before applying to the quilt surface. After you've invested all that time in the stitching you don't want to go spoiling things with a big blob of paint.

4. I have found that as a general rule this type of effect works best with pale colors applied to a dark fabric base. The light paint will add a frosted feel whereas a dark paint applied to a pale fabric can just look dirty.

For more surface design tips from Linda and Laura, plus insight into their creative process, download the interactive digital eMag Surface Explorations I for your PC or for your Mac.

P.S. What's your favorite fabric painting tip? Or, if you haven't tried fabric painting, what's holding you back? Share your experiences in the comments section below.

Embellish on the Fly: Tips for Sewing Beads on the Go

Vivika_Blog — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 04:11:00 GMT

I am absolutely loving my still-new job as editor of Quilting Arts Magazine. But even a dream job requires some trade-offs, right? In my case, I've had to sacrifice some studio time.

'Sol' art quilt with beaded embellishment
by Lyric Kinard.

I'm not complaining! I have just realized—like so many others with busy lives—that if I'm going to get any of my own artwork done, I'm going to have to squeeze it in on the fly, embroidering by hand here and sewing embellishments there.

I find one of the keys to making creating-on-the-go work is to prepare a variety of kits you can take along with you, whether you're on the sidelines cheering at your kids' soccer games or flying across the country on a business trip.

One of the most productive fiber artists I know, Lyric Kinard, put together a list of tips and supplies to make it easier to create on the go that appeared in the February/March 2011 issue of Quilting Arts Magazine.

Fabric embellishment, especially sewing beads on fabric, is one of the easiest creative tasks to do outside the studio. Lyric suggests you make a travel embellishment kit using a tin box, like the kind used for holding mints.

A travel tin for sewing
embellishments on the go.

Stocking your travel tins:

Cut a little square of felt to stick your needles in.
Glue a magnet to the lid to hold your needles and scissors.
Nymo Thread ® and C-Lon® beading threads are great and come in many colors.
Try #11 applique needles for beading on cloth; they don't bend as easily as a beading needle.
Use a rubber finger to pull the needle rather than using a thimble to push it.

Lyric's tips for taking your fabric embellishing kit on the road:

Take a needle threader that has a thread cutter attached if you are worried about flying with scissors. (But don't rule out carrying a small pair of scissors; my fold-up pair has never been questioned at an airport.)
Use shorter lengths of thread and learn to pull your needle with the point facing you. Your seatmate will appreciate it.
Thread a bunch of needles ahead of time if you have trouble threading in a bouncy car or plane.
Close the tin after picking up beads on your needle when you are in a moving vehicle. (Seed beads could fly everywhere on a bumpy road or when a plane hits turbulence.)
Wrap a bit of tape, sticky side out, around your finger and dip it in your beads so you won't have to open and close the tin as often.

Sewing beads and thread fit
in a small tin.

When I look back at Lyric's article and the other issues from 2011, I realize there are many parts of a fiber art composition you can work on when you're on the go, in addition to quilting embellishments.

If you missed it, you can get Lyric's article and the entire set of 2011's issues on the new Quilting Arts CD Collection. Just think, you could take an entire year's worth of Quilting Arts inspiration and techniques with you when you travel and pop it into your laptop any time. Or, save even more space by downloading the Collection directly to your computer.

P.S. What are your tips for creating on the go? I'm sure we can all use more. Leave a comment below.

Free Modern Patchwork Quilt Pattern: Nine Patch Rearranged

Vivika_Blog — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 04:13:00 GMT

Whenever I visit my local quilt shop, I delight in the displays of fresh new fabrics, all cut and folded in beautiful and unique ways. Jelly rolls? I have them at the ready for strip quilting and quick patchwork projects. Fat quarters? They are tucked into baskets in my studio.

'Nine Patch Rearranged' by Vivika Hansen DeNegre

But what about the 10" squares from Moda's Layer Cake packs? I used one package for this modern patchwork quilt, featured in our new special issue, Modern Patchwork: 37 Contemporary Projects to Make Now.

The blocks for this handmade patchwork quilt are made using a really fun and simple piecing technique. Starting with 10" squares I made huge nine-patch blocks, each with a solid pink center square. Then I cut each nine patch into quarters.

The resulting blocks were rearranged into a 4 x 5 grid and sewn together to make the quilt top, hence the title "Nine-Patch Rearranged."

I learned this technique for how to make a patchwork quilt from a quilting friend, using much smaller nine patches. I have heard it referred to as "Disappearing Nine Patch" and "Split Nine Patch."

Nine Patch Rearranged

Materials

Finished size 57" x 71"

Coordinating print fabrics, 40 squares 10" x 10"
Solid fabric, 5 squares 10" x 10" (I used 3/4 yd. of a bright pink solid.)
Backing fabric, 3-3/4 yds.
Binding fabric, 3/4 yd.
Batting, 62" x 76" (or twin size)

Directions

1. For the first oversized nine-patch block, select (9) 10" squares (you'll need 8 print squares and 1 solid square). On a design wall or other flat surface, arrange the squares into 3 rows of 3, with the solid square in the middle.

Tip: Place the fabrics you want to dominate your quilt in the 4 corner positions, and those that will be less dominant in the middle row positions.

2. To piece the oversized nine-patch block, first sew the squares into 3 rows. Press the seams to 1 side, pressing in the opposite direction for the center row. Sew the 3 rows together. Press these seams toward the center, then press the block and set it aside.

3. Repeat the process, making a total of 5 blocks.

4. Cut the blocks into quarters by cutting in half from top to bottom, then side to side.

Detail of this modern nine-patch
quilt project.

Tip: Because of the large size of the nine-patch blocks, it is easiest to locate the center by measuring 4-3/4" from the side seams of the middle row.

5. Using a design wall, arrange the blocks into 5 rows of 4 blocks each. Play with the placement of the colors, and rearrange the blocks to your heart's content.

6. Sew the rows, pressing the seams in opposite directions, and then sew the rows together, nesting the seams for matching corners. Press the entire quilt top.

7. To prepare the backing, cut the backing fabric in half from selvedge to selvedge to get 2 pieces approximately 67" x WOF (width of fabric). Sew these pieces together along a 67" edge.

8. Layer the quilt top with the batting and backing. Quilt and bind as desired. The featured quilt was quilted with an overall spiral design by the talented Saima Davis.

Working on this quilt was so much fun. But I'm already prioritizing my list of the other contemporary patchwork projects I plan to make from Modern Patchwork. It's a long one!

P.S. What do you think of the "modern quilting" trend? Leave your comment below.

An Easy Quilt Binding Technique for Small Quilts

Vivika_Blog — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 04:38:00 GMT

I will be the first to admit that quilt binding is not my favorite part of the quilt-making process. I understand that binding a quilt frames it and, done correctly, enhances the design of the body of the fiber art piece. And of course, if you're going to use a quilt (rather than hang it on a wall), binding a quilt is necessary.

Terry Grant shows how to bind a quilt
when it's small (and get a neat result)
on "QATV" Series 600.

But to me, binding a quilt is more tedious than creative--and I have a lot of UFOs to prove it!

Fortunately, my smaller art quilt projects can be finished off with a fused binding, zigzag stitching, or no binding at all.

Very small quilt projects pose their own binding issues. A wide binding can overwhelm a small project. But it can be difficult to create an even zigzag or satin stitch that doesn't get wonky somewhere (especially at the corners).

Quilter Terry Grant has a clever way to bind a small quilt that is easy, neat, and not tedious. You'll need perle cotton floss and matching machine thread, a handsewing needle and heavy-duty thread, a ruler, and a permanent marker, plus your sewing machine.

How to Bind a Small Quilt (adapted from "QATV" Series 600)

1. Start by making the piece larger than you intend the finished size to be. I like to start with a piece that is 1⁄2"-1" bigger in each direction than the finished size.

2. After the piece is quilted, use a ruler and a permanent marker to mark the final size on the top of the quilt.

3. Leaving approximately a 1⁄2" of floss loose at the beginning, lay a piece of perle cotton on the marked line and zigzag over it. Use a narrow zigzag that just covers the width of the perle cotton. By doing this before you cut the edges off, you can get it nice and smooth, with neat corners. TIP: It's best not to start and end at a corner. The start and stop are less noticeable along one of the sides.

4. When you get back around to the start of the stitching, cut the perle cotton so the end butts right up to the start and then stitch over it, taking a few extra stitches beyond the start. The raw ends will be virtually invisible.

'Green Beans' quilt by Terry Grant.

5. Next, carefully trim the excess fabric off, as close to the stitched perle cotton as you can get without cutting the stitching. If you happen to snip 1 or 2 stitches, don't worry. Small errors will be covered later.

6. Using a hand-sewing needle threaded with a heavy-weight thread (I use buttonhole thread), take just one stitch through each corner of your piece. Cut the thread off, leaving 2 long tails at each corner (each about 3" long). These thread tails are going to prevent the problems that often occur when you stitch around corners.

7. Zigzag over the perle cotton and the edge again. As you approach a corner, grab the thread tails and use them to guide the stitching up to the corner. Stop, with your needle down at the corner, pivot, and use the thread tails to pull the corner gently toward the back, under the foot, while you smoothly stitch into the next straight side. When you are finished, you can just pull the thread tails out and discard them.

Terry demonstrates her technique for how to bind a quilt on the 600 series of "Quilting Arts TV." If you're looking for advice and ideas for how to bind a quilt, create surface designs, improve your stitching techniques, designing a quilt, and more, "QATV" series downloads will solve your problems and inspire you.

P.S. Do you enjoy adding a quilt binding or do you see it as a chore? What is your favorite way to bind a quilt? Leave your comments below.

Create a Portable Wall for Quilt Designs

Vivika_Blog — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 04:09:00 GMT

When it comes to creating quilting designs, one of the most useful tools to have is a design wall. I know I'd be lost without mine (or at least, I would make good design decisions less consistently). There is something about taking your fabric pieces and other elements off the table, putting them on a wall, and stepping back from them that helps you see color and pattern combinations in a new way.

When creating modern quilt designs with lots of white space like this 'Seaglass' quilt from Quilting Modern, it's helpful to work with a design wall.

Unfortunately, not everyone has a studio, let alone space for a dedicated quilt design wall. But there are ways to create a portable design wall, inexpensively, so you need not go without this vital quilt design tool.

All you need is a 20" × 30" piece of foam core board, flannel in a neutral color, such as white or beige (enough to cover the board and 6" extra all around to wrap around the back), and duct tape or heavy packing tape. You could even use a flannel-backed vinyl tablecloth, provided any design on the vinyl side doesn't show through to the back.

These directions are adapted from Quilting Modern: Techniques and Projects for Improvisational Quilts.

1. Place the flannel right side down on a flat surface. Center the board on top of the flannel. Make sure any markings or labels on the board are facing you so they won't show through the flannel when the board is covered.

2. Fold the corner of the flannel in as shown in fig. 1 and secure with a piece of tape. Fold in and tape all four corners.

Fold the corner of the flannel to
the back of the board and secure
with tape.

3. Fold one side of the flannel smoothly over the edge of the board to the back and secure with a piece of tape at the center. Fold the flannel over the opposite side, pulling the flannel taut, and again secure at the center with a piece of tape. Return to the first edge you taped and pull the flannel smoothly and tautly over the edge of the board, adding pieces of tape between the center and corners until the entire side is secured. Fold and tape the flannel on the opposite side, keeping the flannel taut as you tape.

4. Repeat Step 3 for the other two sides of the board.

5. Reinforce the taped edges of the flannel by placing long pieces of tape across each side of the board.

6. Flip the board over and your design board is complete.

Place your design wall where you will have at least 6' to 8' (1.8 to 2.5 m) between you and your design wall. Distance is important to be able to get a good perspective on your design and to see differences in value.

There are many more ideas for design boards as well modern quilting designs, piecing, and projects in Quilting Modern, now available.

P.S. What is your design wall like? Do you have tips for making a portable one? Share your tips with your community members in the comments section below.

Patchwork Sewing Patterns You Can Make Your Own

Vivika_Blog — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 04:25:00 GMT

I'm so inspired by fabrics and the endless combinations you can create. Maybe that's why I'm particularly drawn to patchwork sewing patterns. Once you start working with them, you can easily change out the fabrics and alter the arrangement.

'Mini Patchwork Quilt I,'
from Quilting Line + Color.

This concept is so well illustrated in Yoshiko Jinzenji's book Quilting Line + Color: Techniques and Designs for Abstract Quilts. Yoshiko's patchwork sewing patterns are almost all based on simple geometric shapes: square, hexagon, triangle, and rectangle. But by rearranging the shapes and using color sparingly, each quilted piece has a different look.

Take, for example, Yoshiko's Mini Patchwork Quilts I and II. These quilts have almost the identical pattern. Though they have slightly different finished sizes, each is made up of 36 blocks framed in a white border.

The main difference between the two is the choice of colors and fabrics. Mini Patchwork Quilt I is characterized by the deeply colored blocks of cotton prints.

Mini Patchwork Quilt II, on the other hand, is distinguished by the predominance of solid white squares and light-colored cotton prints, some of which are sheer.

One quilt makes a colorful statement while the other seems to float ethereally.

'Mini Patchwork Quilt II,'
from Quilting Line + Color.

Quilt projects with sewing patterns like these are so useful to have in your repertoire. You can use them with commercial fabrics, hand dyes, screen-printed fabrics, or vintage scraps.

I can envision version one of these mini quilts with a variety of indigo fabrics in the center and version two with segments from vintage handkerchiefs. I could also change the white border to a bright color or a pastel and achieve a completely different result.

And that's just what Yoshiko Jenzenji wants you to do: take the patterns in Quilting Line + Color and make them your own.

P.S. Do you have a favorite go-to pattern or do you start from scratch every time? What are the advantages or disadvantages? Leave your comment below!

Fabric Painting on the Wild Side

Vivika_Blog — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 04:09:00 GMT

When I think of fabric painting, Mickey Lawler's Skydyes and the wholecloth quilts of Hollis Chatelain and Judy Coates Perez come to mind.

Mixed-media fabric painting by Sue Pelletier.

But now that I work in the same office as the Cloth Paper Scissors magazine editors, I've been exposed to more mixed-media fabric art than ever before. And my definition of how paint and fabric can come together has broadened.

Some artists are positively fearless when it comes to painting on fabric. One who comes to mind immediately is Sue Pelletier. Sue will try just about anything. She uses chalkboard paint on doll dresses (an unusual way of putting writing on fabric, to say the least) and holds her fabric collages together with gesso or gel medium thinned with a little water, rather than with stitching.

Here's an example of one of her techniques.

1. Start with a piece of raw canvas or other heavy fabric. Coat the canvas with a wash of gel medium thinned a bit with water.

2. Place a piece of tissue paper, such as sewing pattern tissue, over the gel medium.

Sue applies stitched crinoline with gel medium
to layers of fabric, paint, and paper.

3. Lay on another wash of gel medium and apply a piece of painted and stitched crinoline on top. (Sue loves crinoline because it is cheap, paintable, stitchable, and adds interesting texture.)

4. Draw on top of this fabric and gel medium sandwich with water-soluble oil pastels. You can blend the colors by applying water with your finger or a paintbrush.

You could add more marks or paint to the piece or attach it as-is to a stretched canvas or background fabric.

I'm not saying I would necessarily use all of these techniques on a quilt; non-fabric paint, especially when mixed with gel medium, is definitely going to change the hand of the fabric. But I like the idea of experimenting with paint, mediums, and fabric collage techniques. You never know where it might lead.

If you're looking to experiment with paint, fabric, and texture in a free-wheeling, mixed-media kind of way, I recommend Sue's new Workshop^TM video, "Preparing to Paint: How to Add Texture, Depth, and Personality to your Art."

P.S. Do you mix fabric and paint or gel medium in your fabric art? Does gel medium have a place in the contemporary quilting world? Add to the discussion in the comments section below, or on our new Facebook page.

Incredible Ideas for Shrinking Fiber Art

Vivika_Blog — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 04:04:00 GMT

From the moment we start learning to work with fabric, we're taught that shrinking means disaster. But when it comes to fabric art, shrinking—before or after you stitch—can be a friend to your design. Shrunken and puckered fabric adds dimension and texture to a fiber art design.

Detail of untitled piece with shrunken
felt circles, by C. June Barnes.

In her book Exploring Dimensional Quilt Art, quilt artist C. June Barnes explores various folding, gathering, pleating, shrinking, padding, and layering techniques. Her ideas for textile art are definitely off the wall, taking quilters above and beyond the surface with innovative techniques for raising surfaces and creating three-dimensional fabric structures.

Here is her description of how she created this untitled piece using acrylic felt circles.

"I used the amazing shrinking properties of wool/viscose felt to manipulate stitched shapes added to a background. The trick with this sort of technique is to leave areas of the work unstitched, allowing the felt to shrink to its maximum extent. In some areas the top layer is not attached to the felt, leaving the fabric free to expand outward into dimensional shapes.

"Circles of the same size were cut out of colored fabric and acrylic felt. Lengths of 'scoubidou' plastic laces were stitched to the underside of the fabric circles with water-soluble thread, radiating outward from the center, and a button was attached in the middle (see diagram).

Sketch for the felt circle design, from Exploring Dimensional Quilt Art.

"The fabric circles were then attached to the acrylic-felt circles, with the scoubidou laces sandwiched between the fabric and the felt. The layers were quilted together. The assembled units were then stitched to a grid made from contrasting fabric and backed with black wool-viscose felt. Only the centers (the area around the button) and the circumferences of the circles were attached to the background.

"When the work was washed, the wool-viscose felt shrank most where it was not attached to the fabric circles, forcing the circles to extend outward."

I found the ideas and techniques in Exploring Dimensional Quilt Art fascinating and exciting. I'm sure it will inspire many ideas for your own quilting and fiber art.

P.S. Have you used shrinking or puckering to your advantage in fiber art? Tell me about it in the comments section below.

Share Your Sewing Story with Coats & Clark

Vivika_Blog — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 12:12:00 GMT

Note from Vivika: I'll bet almost everyone reading this remembers opening the sewing box of your mother or grandmother and spying spools of Coats & Clark thread along with a tomato pincushion, measuring tape, and other notions. Would you believe Coats & Clark is celebrating it's 200th anniversary this year? Read on to find out how you can learn more about the history of Coats & Clark, add your own stories, and win prizes.

The Coats & Clark Story
Coats & Clark is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year.

We invite you to join us as we celebrate our 200th anniversary by visiting our virtual history museum.

Read how our story began in Paisley, Scotland, when the shawl making industry could no longer get silk because Napoleon blockaded the trade routes to Great Britain. It was here that Patrick Clark with his brother James opened the first factory for making cotton sewing thread in 1812.

A few years later another cotton thread mill was opened by James Coats and his sons, James & Peter, who made thread under the name J & P Coats.

Do you have a collection of wooden spools? Look at the labels and see how many have the O.N.T. label. George Clark coined this famous trademark to describe the 6-cord soft finished thread he created for use on the sewing machine.

Visit the museum to see what O.N.T. stands for!

During the late 1800s, thousands of beautiful wooden thread cabinets were distributed to dry goods stores throughout the country.

It was also during this time that trade cards featuring children, flowers, and other popular art subjects of the day were used as advertising.

These items have become popular with collectors today. See more cards in the gallery on CoatsandClark200years.com.

Coats & Clark has been a part of your sewing story—from your first garment, to your wedding dress to the quilt you made for your first grandchild.

Enter for your chance to win the following:

50-spool assortment of Dual Duty XP General Purpose thread
24-spool assortment of Coats Rayon Embroidery thread
18-spool assortment of Dual Duty Plus Hand Quilting thread
Collectible 200th Anniversary Tin
Collectible Spoon and Thimble from the archives of Coats and Clark

Share your sewing stories through the online museum. Ten lucky entries will win 200th anniversary commemorative gift baskets.

New Free eBook on Quilting for Beginners

Vivika_Blog — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 04:44:00 GMT

If you've wanted to learn how to quilt but didn't know where to begin or didn't want to take on a big project, our new free downloadable eBook, Quilting for Beginners: 5 Easy Quilt Patterns Plus Lessons on How to Quilt for Beginners, is for you!

This eBook offers you basic quilting techniques and advice from some of the most experienced quilt artists and teachers around. Each of the projects is small and manageable, just right for beginning quilting, and the quilting how-to information is easy to follow.

Branch and Bird Mini Quilts
by Candy Glendening.

In "Branch and Bird Mini Quilt Series," Candy Glendening shows you how to make small, simple, yet adorable quiltlets. These easy quilts offer a perfect way to try your hand at simple construction, composition, and free-motion stitching.

Morna Crites-Moore's "Small Felted Wool Quilts" make an easy beginning quilting project because you use small scraps of felted wool to make a patchwork design and sew it by hand. It's a fun, low-stress way to learn to quilt.

In "Art Quilting Made Easy," Lesley Riley shows you how to make a simple quilt with two easy quilt patterns and directions for making it your own.

Silhouette Quilts
by Maria Elkins.

Maria Elkins, famous for her portrait quilts, shows how to make "Quick and Easy Silhouette Quilts." This easy quilt pattern is one that you can make and show off to family and friends with pride.

Finally, you will learn to quilt pretty quilt stitching patterns from Heather Thomas in "Stitch This: Free-motion Quilting Motifs to Try."

With Quilting for Beginners: 5 Easy Quilt Patterns Plus Lessons on How to Quilt for Beginners, you don't have to wait to quilt any longer. It's time to begin!

P.S. Do you have friends who are looking for beginning quilting lessons? Forward this link to them so they can download Quilting for Beginners: 5 Easy Quilt Patterns Plus Lessons on How to Quilt for Beginners, too.

Pass On Your Passion Winners Announced

Vivika_Blog — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 19:39:00 GMT

We so enjioyed reading all your Pass On Your Passion stories. And now, here's you reward: the winners announced.

Winner of The Best of Quilting Arts and QATV Series 900 DVD set (One gift for the winner, one to pass on to a friend):

ErinF@3 who wrote:

We have two granddaughters who both love the arts, but in different ways. The oldest (14) loves mixed media so I enjoy my time with her, painting using various techniques and teaching her lettering/doodling. The youngest (10) loves to sew. We haven given her a machine of her own and presently teaching her to know and love that machine. Right now we are working on creating a doll and a pillow for her room. I love that both girls enjoy spending time with me doing something that I am passionate about - and I am passing on the love and enjoyment of the arts.

Winner of 10 back issues of Quilting Arts Magazine (5 for the winner and 5 for a friend):

Mjr4 who wrote:

As retired teacher, I still enjoy the thrill of helping others become excited about learning, so I teach workshops at the local museum and library; give programs for several quilt guilds and art associations, and teach some of my younger friends who express an interest in quilting and other fiber arts.

Congratulations! Please send your street address to our online editor at cprato@interweave.com so we can send you your goodies.

P.S. Don't forget you can still download free instructional eBooks on quilting, mixed media, needlework, beading, and more from Interweave.

Pass On Your Passion: Stitched and Quilted Bag Patterns

Vivika_Blog — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:24:00 GMT

We're nearing the end of our Pass On Your Passion celebration of National Craft Month and Giveaway Extravaganza, so I thought I'd sneak in a few more treats for you to enjoy and pass on to others.

Today I'm sharing three easy quilted bag patterns for you to make and share. Each uses a patchwork-style construction. You can sew them up with one layer of fabric in an afternoon or less or add backing, batting, and machine stitching to make them truly quilted.

Birdseed Bag Tote by
Lynette Walther.

The first one is near and dear to my heart because it is related to one of my favorite motifs: birds. On her blog Gardeningonthego, Lynette L. Walther shows how to turn a birdseed bag into a stylish tote just by cutting up and rearranging the fabric sack.

If you don't buy your birdseed (or grass seed, etc.) by the 50-lb. bag, you could turn a smaller sack into an art journal cover or small quilted handbags. These recycled projects would make lovely handmade gifts for the nature lover.

Vintage Calendar Tote

Another patchwork quilted bag pattern I like is the Vintage Calendar Tote, using pieces from a vintage calendar tea towel. This one is made from a mix of vintage textiles and new fabric. I whipped it up in an hour from the simple but clever pattern by Susan Wasinger.

The warm weather we've been having here in New England reminds me that beach season is just around the corner. We live close to the ocean, so it's easy for us to pack up our gear and make the 10-minute drive to the town beach. Maybe this will be the year I'll stitch up Beach Towel Totes for my kids using Alisa Burke's tutorial.

Alisa Burke Beach Towel Tote

Alisa cuts up new beach towels into squares or rectangles, pieces them together, adds a strap (also from the beach towel), and away she goes. The best part is, these stylish quilted tote bags go right into the wash with the other swim gear.

There. Now I've passed along my passion for easy totes to you, and you can pass them on to someone else who likes to make quilted bags.

But before you head off to the sewing machine, be sure to leave a comment here or on the original post telling me how you plan to pass on your passion for quilting this month. Check out the rules, leave your comment, and then check back Friday, March 23, to see if you won.

P.S. Don't forget to visit Candy Glendening's website where she's passing on her passion for dyeing with some sweet giveaways, too.

Use An Art Journal to Inspire Quilt Designs

Vivika_Blog — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 03:57:00 GMT

Over and over I've heard fiber artists talk about the power of keeping a sketchbook or art journal. Keeping a sketchbook can help you develop quilt designs and quilting motifs, record patterns and textures you see on your travels, and jumpstart your creativity when your muse is on vacation.

In Art Journaling Exposed you can see a slideshow of several different kinds of journals with close-ups on the details.
Embellished 'Dye Works' journal by Jen Osborn

Most artists use their journals to keep drawings and watercolor sketches. But quilt and mixed-media fiber artists I know—focus on texture and pattern as well as line and color—keep a more varied sketchbook.

Many artists I know sew or clip textile swatches to their sketchbook pages and always carry a glue stick so they can affix photos and ephemera. Some keep journals that have pockets so they can stash small found objects in them.

I love looking at these artist sketchbooks, because they are often works of art in themselves. Sometimes, I can see the quilt design process developing before my eyes. Other times, the journals have a more stream-of-consciousness quality that I also admire.

However, as beneficial as keeping a sketchbook can be, many artists I know are hesitant to start. Some don't think they draw well. Others worry about making a pretty picture on the page rather than focusing on the spirit of developing or recording ideas. Many just don't know where to begin.

If you want to keep an art journal but are hesitant to start, I discovered some helpful prompts from artists who participated in the new interactive eMag Art Journaling Exposed, from our friends at Cloth Paper Scissors.

Here are some of the prompts offered for sketching. They're particularly useful for fiber artists who don't normally draw:

Place a few interestingly shaped jars in a sunny window. Do a sketch of the jars, taking notice of the shadows that are cast by the jars. Jacqueline Newbold
When you are feeling stumped, or convinced you can't draw, try contour drawing: Put the point of your pencil down on the paper; do not look at your drawing or lift your pencil from the paper until the drawing is finished. ~ Dea Fischer
Look at the object you intend to draw for one full minute. Turn away for 10 seconds and draw the object from memory for one minute. During the next rest turn the page and face the object again. Draw the object while looking at it. Rest. Turn the page, place your pen tip on the page, and draw the object without looking at your journal. ~ Melanie Testa
Look around you. What shape jumps out at you? Use only that shape to draw a pattern on your page. ~ Dawn Sokol
Take a photo of tree branches or leaves and look at the lines and shapes in the photo. Use the photo to inspire your doodle or sketch. ~ Traci Bautista

Keep in mind that an art journal or sketchbook is really just for you and your personal growth as an artist. No one else needs to see it.

That's the spirit that Art Journaling Exposed captures in video, music, images, and text. Take risks, make mistakes, try new things. Be free and have fun.

P.S. Do you keep a sketchbook or art journal? How do you use it? Leave a comment below.

More Pass On Your Passion Giveaway Prizes Added

Vivika_Blog — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 21:04:00 GMT

In the spirit of Interweave's Pass On Your Passion celebration during National Craft Month, I am announcing an additional prize package for our giveaway, plus a giveaway from Candy Glendening.

I'm giving away two packages of Quilting Arts back issues, one that contains issues 47-56 and another with issues 46 and 48-56. That's 5 for you and 5 for a friend!

Plus, Candy Glendening is giving away a copy of her Quilting Arts Workshop video Dyeing to Stitch and some of her yummy hand-dyed fabric.

All you have to do is leave a comment below or on the original Quilting Daily post telling how you will pass on your passion for your art or craft to someone else.

You have until midnight, EDT, on March 22 to submit your comment. The drawing for the giveaways will be held March 23. Details on the official rules are listed here.

And don't forget: the Interweave editors are passing on their passion for crafting by offering free eBooks you can download to learn more about mixed-media, quilting, sewing, beading and jewelry making, knitting and crocheting, and more.

So tell me, how are you passing on your passion for quilting, dyeing, embellishing . . .?

Sew Many Fresh Ideas for Quilt Blocks

Vivika_Blog — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 06:23:00 GMT

I'm so looking forward to meeting with the fiber art group I belong to, Sisters in Cloth, this coming weekend for our annual extravaganza. It is a sort of party where we get together on a Saturday, have a great lunch, do a lively show and tell, have a speaker or technique demonstration, and sew together a charity quilt.

Free-motion stitch quilt squares into stylish place mats.

This year, we'll be bringing completed nine-patch quilt blocks for the charity quilt. In honor of the day we're meeting, St. Patrick's Day, each quilt block with have a green square in the center.

Once I start cutting fabric for quilt blocks, it's hard to stop. After I've finished my charity quilt block, I'll be looking for inspiration to make more patchwork inspiration.

Fortunately, I won't have to go far. I've had a sneak peek at our new Modern Patchwork bookazine, and I can't wait to make the quilts and projects inside.

Because I love to share, here is a sneak peek for you, too. It's a free-motion stitched place mat set made up of quilt squares.

Free-motion Stitched Place Mats
by Helen Gregory

Materials

For 4 place mats, finished size 13½" x 18"

Assorted prints for the background squares and circles, 3 yds. total
Fusible web, 2 yds.
Backing fabric, 1 yd.
Low-loft batting, craft size
Rotary cutting supplies
Thread
Sewing machine with free-motion capabilities
3" Circle template
Stabilizer (optional)

Directions

1. From the assorted print fabrics, cut 96 squares 5" x 5" (half of these will be used for the circles).

2. From the backing fabric, cut 4 rectangles 14" x 18½". Also cut 4 rectangles 14" x 18½" from the batting. Set aside the batting and backing rectangles.

3. Using the circle pattern, trace 48 circles onto the paper side of the fusible web. Cut out the circles roughly, cutting outside the marked line.

4. Plan your fabric arrangement for each place mat, determining which fabrics will be the circles and which will be the backgrounds.

5. Following the manufacturer's instructions, iron a fusible web circle to the wrong side of each of the selected circle fabrics. Cut out the circles and remove the fusible backing.

Tip: Score the paper backing with a pin to be able to tear it and remove it from the fabric.

6. Center each circle on the right side of a background square and fuse.

7. Free-motion stitch around the outer edge of each circle. Depending on the type of fabric and fusible web you're using, you may wish to use a layer of stabilizer for this step. You can use a tear-away stabilizer or a lightweight fusible stabilizer.

8. For each place mat, arrange the stitched squares into 3 rows of 4 squares each. Piece each row and press the seams in one direction. Sew the rows together.

9. Layer each place mat as follows: batting rectangle, place mat top (right side up), backing rectangle (right side down). Using a 1/4" seam allowance, stitch around the outside edge, leaving a 6" opening along 1 of the long sides.

10. Clip the corners, turn the place mat right-side out, and press. Turn the raw edges of the opening to the inside and press. Topstitch 1/8" from the edge around the entire place mat. Complete the remaining place mats in the same manner.

11. To finish, quilt in the ditch (or as desired).

There are so many beautiful free quilt block patterns, quilt patterns, and project instructions in Modern Patchwork, I just know you'll find something to make and share.

P.S. How do you Pass On Your Passion for quilting and fiber art? You have until March 22, 2012, midnight, EDT to tell us about it and be eligible for some wonderful prizes.