Double Anchor Quilt Block and December Free Quilt Block Patterns
"Good friends are like Quilts. They age with you, yet never lose their warmth."
Greetings Quilter -
With the Stack'n'Whack quilt blocks pieced and layered, it is time to machine quilt each one. The idea behind a Quilt as You Go project is that each block is finished completely, and then the blocks are sewn together. This is a quick way to finish a quilt, and much easier than machine quilting a large quilt, considering handling the bulk of your quilt. I have tried out two different quilting designs - one is a series of circles, beginning in the center of each square, and the other is a flower-type design. Once all of the blocks have been quilted, it will be time to sew the blocks together. Stay tuned! Rosie has set aside some of the same Layer Cake Fabric for us, so if you are interested in using the same fabric, please contact her: Rosie at Rosie's Calico Cupboard - rozgonzalez@cox.net We'd love to see you in www.TheQuiltingCoach.com for this project - it's really fun!
And now for the rest of the news - - Happy Quilting!
Featured Product of the Month - Creative Binding Techniques DVD
Are you secretly looking for some out of the ordinary way to finish your quilt that will impress your family and friends so they will finally know that you really have some quilting skills - and that this isn't some trial and error thing that you are still trying to figure out? For some quilters, binding is even more difficult that choosing the fabrics for your quilts – and we all know how hard that can be!But, creating binding just got easier.Last year, we introduced The Ultimate How to Bind a Quilt DVD Mentor, and since then binding quilts got much easier for thousands of quilters. Quilters were so pleased with their new-found binding skills that they began asking for other techniques for binding quilts. We are pleased to formally announce The Creative Binding Techniques DVD Quilting Mentor. In this fabulous How-to-Quilt.com video, you’ll see how to bind a quilt using:
For a limited time, we are paying shipping for this fantastic product. But, time will run out - so Get all of the details about the Creative Binding Techniques DVD Quilting Mentor.
Quilting Tool - Gloves for Machine Quilting You might have seen photos or videos of quilters at work wearing some strange looking gloves. Why would a quilter wear a glove? They won’t protect your fingers from a quick moving sewing machine needle, so what is their purpose? Quilters’ gloves are actually used to help effectively move fabric through their sewing or quilting machines. Instead of holding a corner or area of your fabric as you are quilting, the quilter can simply lie his or her hands flat to help feed the fabric. This might not sound like a huge help, but if you quilt for many years repetitious movements like cutting with scissors or grasping fabric, you could develop an injury like carpal tunnel syndrome. Being able to keep your hand flat will actually help relieve wrist pressure. You don’t have to wear a full glove to get some assistance with your quilting. Some coverings are made for just fingers. Pick the one that is most comfortable for you. No matter which you choose, you should have some relief as you sew. Some quilters prefer to use rubber gloves they already have in the house, like the kind you wear while washing dishes. Some don’t like the bulky feel of those gloves, so they cut off the fingertips and just wear those. Other helpful gloves are the canvas ones like you might wear for gardening -- but these have little rubber gripping dots on them. The only way to find a glove that works for you is to experiment with different types. Be sure to get a size that fits. Gloves that are too big will be awkward and get in your way as you work. Gloves that are too big can get under your sewing machine needle as you sew. In addition to the possibility of sewing your glove into your quilt design, you might also get your finger caught under it. Nobody wants that! Gloves that are too small will make your hands cramp and be uncomfortable. Keeping a good grip on your quilt projects is important when you machine quilt, especially since your hands guide the quilt through the sewing machine. Again, the gloves do not protect your fingers. Moving the quilt around so that it stays flat means you won’t get puckers in your project. Gloves (or finger tips) allow the quilter to maintain control of the quilt sandwich as it passes under the quilting or sewing machine. Hand quilters need not be concerned about wearing quilting gloves or rubber fingertips. As hand quilters, they already maintain control and manipulation of their quilt projects.
Postcard Quilts for the Troops Valentines' Day Roundup Next - Deadline January 21!
If you missed the deadline to send Christmas fabric postcards to Penny’s Postcard Posse, you can still participate in the next roundup. Our next big holiday is Valentine’s Day 2010. The deadline for submitting them is January 21, 2010. That means you have more than a month to work on them and get them sent in! If you have never participated in Penny’s Postcard Posse, here’s what we do. We collect the fabric postcards you make and send in and distribute them to the men and women protecting our countries in the military. It’s admittedly a small contribution in comparison to the time they spend away from their families to protect the quality of life we enjoy. It’s a way quilters can share their love of the craft to brighten a soldier’s day. For Valentine's Day 2007, the Postcard Posse sent 217 postcards to Canadian troops stationed in Afghanistan. By Christmas 2008 quilters sent in more than 2,200 postcards that were forwarded troups to the Middle East. All in all, more than7,300 postcard sized quilts have been sent to soldiers abroad. During the year end holidays, take a few minutes to make a card or two. And to get you started, download a package of free Heart Quilt Block patterns. These are full size patterns that can easily be made into small fabric postcards. The directions are very easy. You’ll find free designs to get you started at www.fabric-postcards.com. You'll find tons of free fabric postcard patterns at: www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com Please send your cards to:
Diane is doing a fabulous job keeping the pictures updated, and if you have sent cards in, let your friends and family know that they can see pictures of them here: www.Fabric-Postcards.com Remember you can get FREE postcard patterns at: www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com Special Note - we are in the process of changing the Picture Gallery on the Fabric-Postcards.com site. It may take a few days, so bear with us. Not to worry - We have all of the pictures and will get everything squared away soon.
Featured Block in Video - Double Anchor Quilt Block
This Double Anchor quilt block would make a fabulous Friendship Block, and could easily contain more than one signature. It is easy to sew together, and can be made in any color. Visit www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com to see other quilt block videos and get free patterns, including free fabric postcard patterns for Penny's Postcard Posse. Enjoy!
Download the Double Anchor Quilt Block Pattern
December Quilt Block Patterns The December selection of free quilt block patterns includes a variety of 4 patch quilt blocks, ranging from the easy to make to some that are a little more complex. Click here to download your December FREE quilt block patterns
Click here to download your December FREE quilt block patterns |
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The Nitril Touch Quilting Glove by Atlas is a lightweight glove has a 100 percent nylon liner. The liner is seamless and produces minimal lint. The nitril coating on the palm gives the quilter full control and flexibility, almost like not wearing a glove at all. The gloves can be found in quilting shops and garden shops. If they are not available in your area, check your local fabric and garden shops for similar gloves. 
