Quilted Items for Bazaars
|
 |
| Machine Applique Raffle Quilt - finished |
Greetings Quilter -
It's finally finished, and I can say that I'm pleased with the result.
For whatever reason, when I got ready to put the binding on, I realized that it was mis-shapen.
Although I had measured the border accurately, there was some measurement inbetween the border and the center rectangle that wasn't right.
It was most likely the little 4 patches that were slightly different widths, but when I hung it on the wall, it was clear that the bottom was wider than the top - by about 1/2 inch.
It took a while to figure it out, and I finally squared it up by trimming the dark green border. I'm certain that nobody will figure it out.
This quilt also saw a new kind of hanging sleeve added. It's the DVD of the month in TheQuiltingCoach.com, and all members will get a copy of a video showing how to add triangles in the corners of the back of the quilt so you can place a rod for hanging the quilt (or any other quilt or wall hanging).
This was a fun project and it will be interesting to see how much it goes for. I'll let you know.
m. mouse is doing extremely well. It's just amazing! For any of you with kitties who have crummy teeth, I would encourage you to do something about it!
The vet dentist explained how gum disease can affect the entire body, and I have to say I'm convinced it is true.
I jsut wish I had taken care of m. mouse's little teeth years ago - both of us would have been spared a great deal of pain - and my pocketbook would have been way more full.
Fabric Postcards for Penny's Postcard Posse
Take a few minutes to create a small fabric postcard this week for a soldier in the Middle East. A few scraps of fabric is all it takes, and by making one a week - or every few days - you can brighten the life of our troops.
Just a few minutes is all it takes to create one of these small treasures and send it to Diane for shipment abroad. The letters and emails she gets back are remarkable and tell just how much these little treasures mean to the soldiers over there.
You'll find all the information below. This month I'll be sending additional information, including patterns and instructions for making these tiny quilts.
And now for the rest of the news - -
Happy Quilting!
Who Else Wants to Make Memories
by Creating Family Heirlooms Using Actual Photos?
As computers have gotten better, transferring most any kind of photo or image onto a piece of fabric has become really easy. Using a special "solution," you can print onto any type of fabric - including denim - in any size that will fit through your computer printer.
And, because printing on the fabric is so easy, it's even more fun to create special images or change the look of your photos as you print them.
But where do you get the ideas?
If you are anything like I am, sometimes I just sit there, looking at a photograph, not knowing where to begin or how to make it more interesting than just a photo on a quilt.
All I really need are a few ideas to start me to thinking about how a simple photo can become something really unique. And with this quilting resource, we can get a great start on some creative images for our quilts.
Save yourself time, money and aggravation by using this resource!
With More Photo Fun, you will know the very best methods for transferring your photos to fabric. You won’t waste time and fabric experimenting.
More Photo Fun is a complete step-by-step guide that walks you through the entire process. You can print your photos to use as squares in a block or for other craft projects. Nothing is left out.
 |
Creative ideas for using photos and other images in your quilts and other projects. |
Amaze Your Friends with Your Speed!
In Less Than A Weekend, This Quick and Easy Flannel Baby Quilt
Will Be Finished and Ready to Give to a Beloved Baby in Your Life
 |
| Quick & Easy Flannel Baby Quilt |
Quilting daughter, Stephanie, is getting married, and I would imagine that babies aren't far behind.
After all, she'll be almost 30 when she says "I do."
She and her beau, Cam, are doing some traveling, saving money for a house, securing their careers, and planning for their future, which includes babies (or so I'm told!).
I can hardly wait to start making baby quilts for a new baby in my family! I've made scores of them for other people's babies, and a few for my two, but that was ages ago.
If there is a new baby in your life, you know that a handmade flannel baby quilt is the perfect gift. It sends an ongoing message of love and caring.
And it is a practical item as well.
Unlike diapers or clothes, a baby quilt doesn't get used once and thrown away. Nor does it get outgrown! This gift will be cherished for a lifetime or more.
Learn all my shortcuts, secrets and speedy techniques so you can create this wonderful flannel baby quilt in no time at all.
Be among the first 47 to order, and you'll get a handy canvas project bag that you can keep for your quilting projects, or give along with the quilt so "mom" has something to store baby goodies in.
Quilted Gift Items - Gift Card Holder
Ever feel guilty about resorting to a gift card as a last minute gift? Everyone who knows you quilt probably expects (and longs for) a quilted gift from you. But if you are like everyone else, you get busy and just don’t have enough time to get things done. Here’s a way you can gift a gift card, plus something quilted, to ease your guilty conscience and to use your creativity.
Present your gift card (or cash or check) in a gift card “wallet.” There’s a great pattern at BOMquilts.com. This small gift card holder actually has a place to hold a card and a clear vinyl pocket that can also carry something.
When you give the gift initially, why not slip in a business card sized note to the recipient in the vinyl pocket and slide the gift card itself into the adjacent pocket. (By the way, you can buy various thicknesses of clear vinyl at most fabric stores.)
With more than one pocket, it is easy to see that this unique, quilted gift card holder will very likely become a favorite gift itself.
Take a day and do nothing but make quilted gift card wallets. Make ahead enough so you won’t be caught off guard when it comes time to give a gift. Check your stash. This is a great way to use up some of your extra fabric. Make several quilted gift card wallets with fabrics that have a sports theme, baby theme (boy, girl and neutrals), birthday festive, and holidays.
Experiment with mixing and matching. The quilted gift card wallet is a wonderful project for experimenting with your fabrics. If you just haven’t gotten comfortable pairing stripes and dots, this is the perfect sized project to get you started.
To make a really unique present out of your quilted gift card wallet, appliqué an initial on the front or embroider initials for a classy monogram. Don’t be afraid to add jewels, beads or charms for embellishments, too! Speaking of embellishments, why not create a crazy quilt fabric to use for the outside of your quilted gift card wallet?
Using the pattern linked above, why not add a loop and a small key ring to the quilted wallet. That would make it super easy to slip onto a keychain. Don’t forget to add a Velcro dot, snap, ribbon tie, or some other type of item that will keep the wallet closed.
You can certainly give your quilted gift card wallet as is or simply tie a bow around it. Another easy gift giving solution is to drop it in a small sack and cover with colored tissue paper. To make a really special presentation, cover a small jewelry sized box with coordinating fabric and tuck the quilted wallet inside. Make a fabric bow from coordinating material (or make a ribbon bow) and your little gift is dressed up big time!
These wallets are small and you can zip out several in a day’s time. If you do this, you’ll never be caught off guard when a gift occasion arises, plus your recipient will be getting a very thoughtful and unique quilted gift from you too boot!
An added note: if you are looking for small items that are big sellers at craft bazaars, consider these quilted gift card wallets. They don’t require a lot of time or supplies to make and they really are a nice way to make a last minute gift card seem more thoughtful. At your bazaar, use one to show as a display with and old gift card sticking inside the wallet pocket and a note that says “great for gift cards!” in the clear vinyl pocket!
Quilt Design Software
 |
| EQ7 Quilt Design Software |
If you are new to quilting (or new to using today’s technology in your quilting) you are probably hearing a lot about EQ7. This EQ (Electric Quilt) product is a computer program that allows you to design your quilts on your personal computer.
Why would you want to design a quilt on your computer?
There are several reasons, actually.
Designing your quilt on your personal computer allows you the opportunity to lay out the quilt, determine how many blocks you will need, how many of each piece you will have to cut, etc. You can determine the width of your sashing, borders, etc.
Designing your quilt on your personal computer can save you time. Programs like EQ7 do all the calculating for you.
Once your quilt is designed, you know exactly what you need yardage wise and you can print your templates from it.
Quilts designed with programs like EQ7 have another advantage. EQ7 comes complete with a “stash.” It’s a virtual, digital stash, but it is a stash indeed. The company includes the popular fabrics you’ll find in your own fabric shops. So, you can import the fabrics into your design to get a full color view of how your quilt will look when finished!
One of the neat things about this quilting software is that you can increase your stash collection – just like real, traditional quilting! It’s an additional feature you can buy that increases the fabrics you can import into your designs. And - you can scan in your own fabric, so you can see exactly what your quilt will look like.
A nice feature of EQ7 is its library of quilt blocks. In addition of having more than 5000 blocks to choose from, this software gives you the option of creating your own. You can create your own pieced quilts or appliqué quilts – all with the same software!
If you had EQ6, you know those features are pretty standard. Some of the new updates in the 7th edition include photo printing options to help eliminate waste of printable fabric and additional training videos. If you are just starting out with a software program, you will find its 10 videos targeted to beginners extremely helpful!
A nice part about EQ7 for teachers and quilt designers who sell patterns is that it allows you to export your patterns to use as handouts or in forms acceptable for professional printers and magazines!
EQ7 is not the only software on the market for quilters. Take a look at 1-2-3 Quilt for beginners and Quilt Pro, both made by Quilt-Pro Systems. The number of quilt blocks included with this software is less than EQ’s, but the price reflects it. Quilt Pro sells for about $100 to $150. The beginner version, 1-2-3 Quilt, is available as a down load for $40 to $50. Again, the main difference in price is the amount of quilt blocks and scanned fabrics that are part of the program.
There are plenty of other quilt software programs out there, too. EQ7 and Quilt Pro Systems are just a couple!
If you are interested in using your PC for quilt designing, search to see what software is available and determine which will be best suited for you. Contact the companies and ask for brochures. Ask if they have a free trial download, too. There’s no better way to determine which program is best than by actually getting some hands on exposure to it!
Who won’t like quilting software? People who don’t like computers. If you are not afraid of computers, however, and if you would love to take the guess work out of designing them yourself, you owe it to yourself to give computer quilt designing a try!
Another Cool Quilting Website
Not long ago a gal in Australia contacted me saying that she was putting together an online quilting magazine. She wanted to know if I would contribute articles to her magazine.
I was more than excited about this new avenue for great quilting information, and have contributed articles to each issue of the magazine.
Because she has gathered quilting resources on many different topics, you may find her information valuable in your quilting.
The great thing is that the information is free and it is in the form of a document that you can download and save to your computer or print and keep in a notebook.
Enjoy!
TheQuiltingCoach.com provides answers to your quilting questions; tips, techniques and shortcuts to make your quilting fun and easy; quilt block patterns with step-by-step instructions (including photographs of what to do); quilting projects; and tons more.
Beginning Quilters or more experienced quilters, we're anxious to have you join our community!
For this month, you can join for a special rate that will give you access to everything online in TheQuiltingCoach. You'll find hundreds of free quilt block patterns as well as quilt projects - including the new Jelly Roll / Bali Pop Quilt.
Visit: www.TheQuiltingCoach.com for more information. Click on this link for the special rate: Special Deal for TheQuiltingCoach.com
Postcard Quilts for the Troops
Halloween Roundup Next - Deadline September 29!
Wow! We sent more than 1,900 fabric postcards to the Middle East for the 4th of July!
Thanks to everyone who participated in this worthy event. I know it will mean a lot to the soldiers who receive those greetings of thanks on the 4th of July.
This year, we've decided not to do the Birthday Roundup, and focus our efforts on Halloween and the end of the year holidays.
So the next Roundup is Halloween -
Halloween, like the 4th of July, in Iraq or Afghanistan is just another day unless it becomes something different by virtue of quilters' intervention!
Now you can send postcards for our Halloween Roundup. This is just a fun time of the year - with Trick or Treat fabric, memories of Halloween costumes and marching around the neighborhood begging for candy.
You can bring those memories back for the soldiers stationed abroad by sending them tiny quilts - fabric postcards decorated for Halloween.
We want to keep Diane doing the Penny's Postcard Posse project, but she is terribly allergic to smoke. So, if you can be sure that your fabric postcards are smoke-free, it will be much appreciated!
Check out the postcard patterns on www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com I will continue to add designs, and patterns for the fabric postcards are always free.
To make the Halloween deadline, get your cards to Diane by September 29
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
Remember you can get FREE postcard patterns at: www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com
These free July quilt block patterns will make your summer quilting fun. These quilt blocks include easy blocks as well as some that are a little more difficult.
Click here to download your July FREE quilt block patterns
 |
 |
 |
 |
Broken Paths |
Checkerboard Quilt |
Dolly Madison's Star |
Fancy Stripe |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Hand Weave | Linking Blocks | Red, White and Blue | Shooting Squares |
 |
 |
||
| Star Diamond | Uncle Sam's Favorite |
Click here to download your July FREE quilt block patterns
Hundreds of quilt block patterns to choose from. Patterns include full size templates and rotary cutting layouts. Click Here
|
