Aviation Day - August 19
"May all of your ups and downs in life be with a needle and thread."
Greetings Quilter - Included in this month's free quilt block patterns is the Aircraft quilt block to celebrate Aviation Day on August 19. Scroll down to see a video demonstrating how to sew this block together. Penny's Postcard Posse is ramping up for the Halloween Roundup. You'll find free fabric postcard patterns on our sister site, www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com. Scroll down to find more information about Penny's Postcard Posse and where to send your completed cards. The kids here are heading back to school, so it's time to begin quilting again. If you like applique or are interested in trying it, you'll find a couple of great tools below that will help make your applique easy and beautiful, while keeping your fingers out of the way of a hot iron. The video shows how to use Pearl's Applique and Pressing Tool, which is a fantastic time and finger saver and easy to use. In addition, you'll find information about Alex Anderson's new 4-in-1 Essential Sewing Tool. This was offered earlier in the month, and because delivery has been delayed by the manufacturer, we are again featuring the tool and Alex's new applique book. We've extended the deadline until August 23 at midnight Pacific Time. This week, I'll put the finishing touches on the latest Binding DVD - about how to add Prairie Points that face into your quilt. Members of www.TheQuiltingCoach.com will receive this DVD later this month for free. And this week cutting fabric for my fat quarter quilt will begin. I'll be updating progress in www.TheQuiltingCoach.com and may add some video. Cutting fat quarters can be tricky, especially if your fabric is just enough to make the quilt you need. For those who watched the Fat Quarter Quilt webinar, I ended up getting new and different fabric to replace the fabric I didn't have enough of. That seemed like a better plan for the overall design of the quilt than to use other fat quarters that didn't match. Until later - - - Happy Quilting!
Quilting Tool - Applique and Pressing Tool
Years ago when I learned to applique, a freezer paper technique was the method of choice. Very simply, you take freezer paper and cut the shape you want - finished size.
Then you place the freezer paper, shiny side up, on the fabric shape you will applique. Once you have the freezer paper centered in your fabric, you fold the seam allowance down and iron it to the freezer paper. Once the fabric is secured to the freezer paper, place the piece on the background and then stitch the applique piece into place - either by hand or machine. There was always a point during the "folding down the seam allowance process" where I had to watch my fingers so they didn't get burned by the iron. Many times I would take a pair of scissors to hold the seam allowance while I pressed it onto the freezer paper. Other times, I used an awl. But I was pretty happy to discover this handy tool - Pearl's Applique and Pressing Tool. It is a pointed, wooden tool you can use to hold the fabric down while you press. You can also use it for needle-turn applique. In the video below, you will see how it works. Another Cool Applique Tool Pearl's tool works very well, and I am happy to have added this to my quilting tool drawer, but Alex Anderson just came out with a multi-purpose tool that does even more. I've got a collection of different tools in my drawer - an awl to turn under seam allowances and pull fabric through my bias tape maker; a seam ripper that spends most of its time hiding from me; a flat-end wooden goodie for "finger" pressing; and more - but I can't wait to retire all of those and replace it with this one handy tool that will do everything - and won't get lost in my drawer! Right there, in one place, you'll have everything you need for those pesky sewing tasks:
It turns out that the tools were delayed coming from the manufacturer. And there is a "good news, bad news" story here. The bad news is that all of the orders will be delayed until September. Rest assured we will deliver them the minute they arrive in Kansas. The good news is that since they have been delayed, we decided to extend the deadline. We think they will be ready to ship the week of August 24, so the new deadline is Sunday, August 23 at midnight Pacific Time. If you missed this, reserve yours today! This also includes Alex's new book, Hand and Machine Applique
Aircraft Quilt Block - Video
Postcard Quilts for the Troops – Halloween Roundup!
It's time once again for our Annual Halloween Postcard Roundup. This has been one of our most popular Roundups because it is just a fun holiday that even kids have a great time decorating fabric postcards for. The deadline is September 22. Send your cards to: Diane Malaznik Diane will send a box of our postcards to be distributed to soldiers on Halloween. Remember, if you have sent a postcard already, you can see pictures of it at www.Fabric-Postcards.com. And, as always, free postcard patterns are available at www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com. Make your holiday card list to see how many you will need to create, then have fun with the free patterns at www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com. Be sure to make a few extras to send as last minute gifts or just to be a step ahead for next year! Fabric postcards are also a very special way to say “thank you” for the holiday gifts you receive.
Featured Block in Video Spool Quilt Block
With this week including Sewing Machine Day, I thought it would be fun to demonstrate the Spool quilt block. This block is an old and well-loved block - probably because it is very easy to sew and makes some fun designs. In this block, I have used a brown fabric that has a wood grain for the spool portion and a white fabric with a kind of strip for the center square - making it look like thread on the spool. These blocks can be lined up so the spools all face the same direction - like soldiers standing at attention. Or, often the blocks are rotated so that some of the spools are standing and some laying down. Get a free download of this pattern at www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com and check out the other patterns there, too!
Enjoy!
August Quilt Block Patterns The August selection of free quilt block patterns includes
Click here to download your August FREE quilt block patterns |
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