Quilters World

Marking Quilting Designs

 
When choosing a design for your quilt think about what finished texture you wish to create.  Ditch stitching is fine to anchor all the layers together but it does nothing to enhance your quilt.

Featuring designs across the surface of the quilt really adds to the look and creates more beauty to the overall effect. Keryn Emmerson pattern packs provide many different designs - from the simple to the elaborate.

 
Marking Your Quilt Top
When you have your quilt basted and ditch stitched you can then add your quilting design.  We find the Clover mesh transfer mat a handy tool for transferring the designs. With tiny holes it works like the old-fashioned method of using netting, but unlike net it does not stretch or distort. Firstly lay your chosen design out flat, place the mat over the top and trace design onto the mat with a soft lead pencil.

Next lay mesh mat over quilt where you want the design to feature, trace the design onto your quilt top using a water soluble marking tool. The design has now been transferred to your quilt in the form of small dots.

Our favourite marking tool is the Karisma pencil. With the black or yellow leads you can mark just about any colour of fabric. You may prefer the Clover Chaco Marker or Clover Chalk Pencils.

After you have marked your quilt you simply wipe the mesh mat clean, roll up and store in the cardboard cylinder in which it came.

No Mark Technique for Machine Quilting

You may also choose to use the no mark technique that eliminates the need (and worry) of removing the marks from your quilt. Trace the design onto Quilt and Tear Paper, which you then pin directly to your project, stitch following the design and then just tear away. It really simplifies the process.

To make it even easier you can use either the Needle Punch Method or the Photocopy method for making multiple templates of your choosen design.

Needle Punch Method

1. Trace quilting pattern onto the Quilt & Tear Paper. You can layer up to 15 pieces of paper with traced copy on top and pin corners to secure.
2. Stitch (needle punch) on machine through the stack with a large unthreaded needle.
3. Pin paper patterns to project with bumpy side up and quilt following the design.
4. To remove paper after quilting, gently tug fabric on the bias. Paper will break away from stitches making it easy to tear away.

Photocopy Method

1. Choose a quilting pattern.
2. Take the original pattern to a photocopy machine. Adjust the size up or down to fit your project and copy on a very dark setting. Do not worry about smudges. One photocopy is good for 5-6 transfers.
3. Place the photocopy of pattern on a flat, firm surface. Lay Quilt & Tear paper on top of the copy and press with a hot dry iron. Let cool. Carefully peel the Quilt & Tear Paper from the photocopy.
4. To keep the transfer pattern in place, pin the pattern liberally to the quilt using Clover Flower Head Pins.
5. Sew through the paper, following the quilting design.Tear the paper away.

Our Easter Parade

On the last evening of our New Zealand tour the ladies came to dinner decked out in their finest, having made their own Easter bonnets. It was an opportunity for a few last laughs.

We had a special guest join us. Some of you may remember Val who use to work at Quilters World when she lived in Toowoomba. Now living in New Zealand it was wonderful to catch up with her.  

After a busy 18 days touring New Zealand the ladies are looking forward to arriving back home in time for Easter and a long weekend!

Quiltmobile

While in Picton, New Zealand we came across a wonderful car quilt. In case you're picturing a boys quilt with applique cars we better show you a picture!

Drunkards Path Quilt Block

Not for the superstitious, as some believe piecing a Drunkard's Path quilt could lead to drink and wandering far from home!

Also called 'Solomans Puzzle', 'Wanderer in the Wilderness', 'Old Maids Dilemma', and 'Endless Trails' the Drunkard's Path quilt block with many twists and turns. It's a great block for learning to sew curves, as you'll get lots of practice.

Level: Intermediate
Size: 12 1/2" unfinished

Fabric Requirements:
In our photo we've used five different fabrics - one background and four prints for the paths.

TOOLS
To make this block you will need the usual tools - rotary cutter, mat, acrylic ruler and sewing machine. You will also require material to use for making templates. There are various types of plastic available for this purpose. Also needed are a marking pencil and pins. Cutting curves is quick work with an 18mm rotary cutter and sewing curves is easier with a tapered tailors awl.

INSTRUCTIONS

Download the template pattern. Make a template A and B. Also make an extra template A and on the curved side only cut away the ¼” seam allowance. This will be used as a guide for marking the sewing line.

Position the templates on the fabric paying attention to the grain lines.  Cut the straight edges using your ruler and rotary cutter.  Draw a line and cut out using scissors or an 18mm rotary cutter.
Cut 8 each of A and B from the background fabric. Cut 2 each of A and B from each of the other four fabrics.  

Mark sewing lines by lining the template A (the one you created as a guide for the seam allowance) with the straight edges of the A shapes and draw the sewing line.

Clip the curved edge of template A fabrics. Make sure that you don’t cut through the marked sewing line. 

Shape A (CONCAVE) goes on top of shape B (CONVEX). Find the centre of the curved edges for both shapes. Match and pin these points together.

Align the straight edge and pin the clipped edge around the curved edge of the smaller piece.  I like to pin these edges together but if you are confident you can stitch without pinning. Use an awl to hold the edges together as you sew.

Press towards the corner of piece A.

Make all 16 units and square them up if need be.

Lay out following the photo as your guide.

Join into four units of four squares. Press seams open

Join these units in two and then two again to complete the block.

On Tour in New Zealand

 
Getting a group of quilters together is a sure way of having a good time. Sending them all on a holiday guarantees plenty of laughs and even a few escapades. 

The New Zealand tour has 24 quilters socialising while seeing the stunning sights, visiting some fantastic quilts shops, and applying their talents in workshops.

 

Pauline's Annual Western Qld Tour

For the past 25 years I’ve travelled to western Queensland to teach patchwork and quilting. I didn’t grow up in the region (nor do I have any family connections) but every year when I return it’s like going home!

In all those years I’ve never seen it look like it did this year. The grass was so high in places it was difficult to see some of the road signs. The cattle we saw had a look of total contentment on their faces.

With all the recent rain out west I was sure most classes would have to be cancelled. It has always impressed me the distance the country women will go to attend classes.  Some drive for three to four hours over dirt roads. Flooding would make it impossible for them to come.
 

In Isisford I was delighted to discover that all but four participants had made it to the workshop. Some had encountered patches of water on their drive but had managed to arrive safely. 

If there was an award for 'most determined effort to get to class' it would have to go to Helen. At 2am on Sunday morning her husband woke her up with the news that it had started to rain once again. He advised her to pack up and go if she wanted to get to the patchwork classes scheduled for Tuesday. Helen was apprehensive about driving by herself at night, but her husband assured her she could do it. With the car loaded with her sewing gear and assorted paraphenalia she set off into the night. Travelling along the slippery, very muddy track required lots of circle work but she reached town successfully. She also did a superb job on the wall-hanging she made in the workshop.    

The dedication the ladies show is what makes teaching classes in small country towns so fulfilling.  It’s not just the commitment to their craft but the devotion to community and friendships.  Everyone arrives with cars loaded with sewing supplies, loads of yummy home baking and all their sleeping gear.  There’s something very exciting about watching them unload, set up their sewing machines and roll out their swags around the walls of the hall.  I’m so pleased to be a part of it all.

On the first night there was a horrific storm with trees blown over and rain pelting down. We lost power, so over to the pub we went. It just happened that it was also Rob’s birthday. He was in his glory, seated at a candle lit dinner table with 12 women and not another man in sight.   

After the second day it was time for Rob and me to pack up and move on to Ilfracombe.  It’s always sad to say farewell to the ladies, but with all but two following us to continue working on their projects we didn’t have to say all our goodbyes for a few days yet. 
 

www.flickr.com

The final stop on our western tour was to be Quilpie and we were so disappointed as the floods had cut off our route making it impossible to get there. Rest assured ladies we’ll be there later in the year!

We do hope you all managed to stay dry and safe, so you can enjoy all the joy the rain has bought. Pauline

Colorado Beauty Quilt Block

This four patch quilt block is called "Colorado Beauty". The real beauty of this pieced block is its simplicity! We've used five different prints in our example which is comprised of half square triangles and flying geese units.

Level: Beginner

Size: 12 1/2" unfinished

FABRIC REQUIREMENTS
Colour One 12" x 16"
Colours Two, Three, Four & Five  7" x 8"