January is National Hot Tea Month - Make a Tea Party Quilt Block
Tips for Beautiful Hand Quilting
"Friends are threads of gold in the quilt of life."
Greetings Quilter -
Thursday, quilter Karen Combs will join us for our -
Eavesdrop on a Telephone Conversation
January 22 – Karen Combs - Karen Combs is an internationally known quilt teacher, author and fabric designer who will be our guest for our Eavesdrop on a Telephone Conversation. Karen specializes in optical illusion quilts – quilts that create a 3 dimensional design.
This promises to be a great call with information all quilters can use to make their quilts more intriguing.
If you can't make the call, you can order a CD recording of the call.
Happy Quilting!
Tips for Hand Quilting
Hand quilting is sewing the three layers of a quilt with a running stitch. Shorter hand quilting stitches are deemed to be better. Not to worry - even though your stitches may start out fairly long, with practice and the right needles, thread and thimble, your stitches will get shorter.
To prepare your quilt, the backing, batting and top must be layered and secured. Basting the layers can be done by:
hand basting with extremely long stitches
pinning with safety pins
plastic tabs like stores use to attach price tags to clothes
basting spray - like a glue
Hand basting takes somewhat longer to do than the other methods, and if you are hand quilting, all of the methods are comparable. With any of these methods, the layers should be secured at least every 6.” Once you have quilted in a particular area, the basting can be removed. I usually remove it along the way, before I quilt in a particular area. If you baste with spray glue, it will wash out when you wash your quilt.
You will need good thread, preferably 100% cotton hand quilting thread. Quilting thread is stronger, and often has a wax-type coating to make the stitches go through the fabric easier. Quilting needles are called “Betweens” and most quilters use size 9, 10 or 12. The smaller needles have the higher numbers. Not all brands are the same size, either, so you may want to look at the actual needle rather than just the size marked on the package. And, now you can get needles with large eyes to make threading the needle much easier!
Good, sharp scissors are a must for clipping threads close to the fabric of the quilt without cutting the fabric. Generally I use embroidery scissors, since they are smaller than other sewing scissors and have pointed tips.
A good, protective thimble is probably a must for keeping your finger whole. There are many different styles of thimbles – ranging from metal, fully enclosed thimbles, to metal thimbles with a hole on the tip to allow your finger to breathe; and leather thimbles, both sized and adjustable. A leather thimble usually has a metal piece to add further protection. The kind of thimble you use is completely personal preference.
And you will want a good hand quilt frame or hoop. For larger quilts, especially if there will be several quilters working at the same time, a quilt frame is ideal. I use a small (well 12” in diameter or square) hand quilting hoop so I can turn the quilt around as I sew. The hoop serves to stretch the layers equally so your quilt will not have any major puckers when it is complete.
It seems that there is a renewed interest in handquilting. During the past few weeks, I have received several emails from quilters asking for more information about whether to use a hoop or a quilting frame, which needles are best for hand quilting, what kind of thread to use, and how to choose a thimble.
Just last week, I completed a video demonstration showing:
how to hand quilt - how to move the needle through the layers of your quilt to create those small quilting stitches
how to place your quilt in a hoop, something I did wrong for years!
the types of quilting hoops available, which I use and why it makes my quilting easier
different types of quilting needles, which brands are better and how using the right brand can keep you safe
what types of thimbles you may find in your quilt shop or store, and why some protect your fingers better than others
how to hide your beginning and ending knot inside your quilt - so your quilt looks like it was quilted by a professional, not like a first-time quilter
This DVD is normally included in the newly updated Beginner's Guide to Quilting Diamond Package. But, because this information is so much in demand, for this week only, we are making it available to every newsletter subscriber.
That's right - you don't have to invest in the entire Beginner's Guide to Quilting Diamond Package, you can get just this DVD showing you how to hand quilt - but only this week.
The order goes in bright and early Monday morning, January 26, so you need to let me know before Monday, January 26 at 6am Pacific Time.
Postcard Quilts for the Troops – All aboard for Spring!
Penny’s Postcard Posse is Roundin’ ‘em up for Spring. And because of the time it takes to get them to Iraq, the deadline is fast approaching.
To make the Spring deadline, get your cards to Diane by March 8.
Please send your cards to:
Diane Malaznik
14215 Westmore St.
Livonia, MI 48154-4149
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
January is National Hot Tea Month, so this week we are showing how to sew the Tea Party quilt block together.
Get a free download of this pattern at www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com While you're there, invest in Pattern Credits (minimum $54) and get a FREE DVD showing 6 different ways to sew Half-Square Triangles together. We've only go 35 of these left, so get yours quick.
Enjoy!
January Quilt Block Patterns
The January selection of free quilt block patterns includes some especially for the yet-to-be-celebrated Chinese New Year as well as some great quilt patterns for any time of the year.
These are the same patterns that were included in the Week 1 newsletter. Our patterns are so popular, we want to be sure that everyone receives them, whether you are new to the list or missed one of the emails. Each week we will include tht quilt patterns for the month.
We now have a new special level of membership in TheQuiltingCoach.com for the Official Eavesdropping Quilters Club.
This level of membership gives you access to all of the same information Eavesdropping Quilters have gotten in the past – the Telephone Worksheet, the Transcript of each call and a copy of the CD recording delivered right to your snail mailbox.
Now, with membership in TheQuiltingCoach.com, in addition to the special notices of telephone calls, telephone worksheets and transcripts, you will get the full unedited recording of the call online. This is the from-start-to-finish call and includes all of the questions from quilters.
This recording is posted a few days after the call, so you can listen to it on your computer immediately and not have to wait until the CD recording comes in the mail.
Members will still get the CD in the mail just has before.
In addition, you will have access to everything in a special download area on TheQuiltingCoach.com.
That is where the transcripts and telephone worksheets are posted, and in addition, there are hundreds of quilt block patterns and step by step instructions for quilts and other projects.
Plus, there is a search engine on the site that makes it really easy to find things you are looking for.
I'm sure you will agree that this is a great deal - you are getting more information for the same price, and still getting the CD recording in your snail mailbox.
And, the first 30 days are free, so you can test it out.
Because I want you to see for yourself how good this is, by signing up for membership in TheQuiltingCoach.com at this new membership level during November, you get the first 30 days to give it a try on our nickel.
And, the current rate for membership in the Eavesdropping Quilters Club remains the same as it is right now - $24 per month. And you get the Telephone Worksheet, transcript of each of the calls, and the CD recording in the mail.
But this deal is only for a limited time.
After the first of the year, new members in the Official Eavesdropping Quilters Club will not get the first 30 days free and will be paying a higher rate.
And, once you sign up, the $24 rate will be yours as long as you remain a member. It can never be increased.
So, you'll want to take care of this soon, otherwise you will miss out on this deal, and end up paying more to get access to this information.
When the Official Eavesdropping Quilters Club began, the plan was to have one interview a month. Because there is so much information and so many quilters to interview, scheduling them has resulted in having 2 interviews for most months.
I love providing all of this information for you. But, as you can imagine, this means that the cost per month is double! And I have continued to maintain the cost to my loyal Official Eavesdropping Quilters the same low $24.
By joining TheQuiltingCoach.com as an Official Eavesdropping Quilter today, you will guarantee that same low $24 with all of the extra benefits of membership in TheQuiltingCoach.com.
Here is the special link to use for your Official Eavesdropping Quilters Club membership. Take care of this today, and you will be sure to hear every word Rosie says on November 19:
