Another great idea

Do you ever struggle with shifting rulers as you try to align your quilts edges on those rare occasions when they don't end up just perfectly square?

 Here is an ingenious technique, using an inexpensive non-quilting tool - a 'why didn't I think if that?' idea, from Sew Bitter Sweet Designs:

• Laser Level Trimming Tutorial

Off to Bunnings' quilting department ...

Storage bargain

The current Aldi catalogue includes this three tier metal trolley on special from Saturday19th December, for $39.99.

Similar trolleys available elsewhere are popular with quilters and other crafters because they are relatively compact, and can be easily wheeled to where you are working or stored away. The drawers are a good depth to hold a lot of supplies, but not so deep that you lose sight of everything. All dimensions are in both the print and online catalogues.

Iron caddy pattern

One of the most popular posts in the life of this blog is about an iron caddy.

Jo who made it didn't have a pattern that we could share, but Kaaren at The Painted Quilt wrote just last month about the caddy she made, and gives a link to the  online pattern. Very similar.

One of the commenters tells about a woman she did a workshop with, who used an oven mitt as her iron caddy!

Iron Cozy: Elizabeth Hartman

© Oleksandr Melnyk | Dreamstime.com

Carrying still-warm irons around might be a problem peculiar to quilters, who often gather to sew and press in all sorts of places - most other people just leave their irons at home ...

This blog post, about a Fairholme member's very practical iron carrier is one of the most popular of all time on this blog. Here is another nifty idea for an 'iron cozy' from Elizabeth Hartman's blog, Oh Fransson!

Cleaned your machine lately, or had it serviced?

Mined from other people's blogs:

This post from Bear Hugs All Round will discourage you from using compressed 'canned' air (or anything else to blow sewing machine lint out of sight (and into the inside of your machine), should you ever be tempted. The photos will have reaching for the lint brush ...

A Dog Named Banjo has an excellent series of tutorials on the basics of the Bernina 440 QE (Aurora), with very clear and detailed photos for some processes (cleaning, attaching the walking foot and using the BSR, for example).  Recipes such as vanilla extract made with a vodka base, and soft pretzels are just a nice extra, really.

Speaking of apps ...

... (as we were),  there is as yet a small number of apps that come up on a search of the Apple App Store (part of iTunes) for 'quilting' - but that will change.

The Robert Kaufman Fabrics 'QuiltingCalc' app ('The Quilter's Little Helper') looks like a useful place to start.  It allows you to calculate fabric requirements for eight steps of the quilt-making process, including top fabric, batting, backing fabric and binding yardage, converting between imperial and metric measurements, and calculating setting triangle sizes. It is free for both iPhone and iPad from the App Store, so definitely worth a look if you use an honeod or iPad.  Preview here.

Pens for marking quilts

A couple of our members have recently used these pens for marking quilting patterns on finished tops, and were pleased with the results.  The brand is Pilot FriXion Ball, and they have the words “remove by friction” on them. After making marks on fabric and sewing you just hold the steam iron about an inch away and shoot steam on them to make them disappear. Available in a range of colours, and cost about $5.50 each.

Pilot Pens Australia says they are available from Woolworths, Coles, Officeworks, Newsagent or through your corporate stationery supplier.  There is even one that supports breast cancer research.

The website includes a warning not to use the pens for signing cheques and other important documents ...

(Thanks Elaine and Dina for the information)

Dina's BIG quilts

Dina is off to the US in a few weeks, to visit her sister, a fellow quilter, and to visit the odd quilt exhibition (like Paducah!) and possibly to shop (and shop, and shop) for fabric. She's been getting some projects finished before she goes, so that Cindy can see what she has been up to (she's taking photos, not all of the quilts!)

This butterfly, like Jane's, is made with the aid of the wedge ruler. The wing fabric is stunning!

The "1778 Quilt" was a picture in a magazine, and Dina has drafted her own version, made with Japanese prints. It was quilted by Ellie Harrison, in a pattern called Carolina Rose, to reflect the provenance of the original quilt. The main motif of the quilting pattern is clearly visible in the detail below:

Several Tuesday Nighters made a version of Jane's "woven pattern - this is Dina's indigos woven into a square spiral, and quilted, again by Ellie Harrison, with butterfly pattern.

Another intriguing large quilt from Dina, made with just two fabrics - the light one has enough variation in colour and tone to give it great interest. A lot of triangles and bias edges went into the making of these blocks. The graphic patterns, including the "star-in-a-star-in-a-star" and the chain effect of the dark squares lined up on the diagonals are a lot more visible from a distance or in the photo, than at real size.

We look forward to what Dina brings back from her trip!

What's in the bag?

A travel iron! The bag is its carrier, and becomes an ironing mat when opened out. Ingeniously designed and made by Jo S, from a fat quarter, a $12 ironing board cover (provides enough material for two), some binding and two buttons with loops.

The bag is formed by folding the mat around the iron.

The X block files ......

This simply elegant quilt top was made by Dina from strip sets sewn from just three coordinating fabrics, cross-cut into squares - it has no angled seams.


Using the same technique, Lynette's black and white strip sets became these blocks (displayed on a design wall consisting of the underside of a flannel-backed vinyl tablecloth):

And Pam's tan and cream blocks (note there are two sets) became the complex woven design below:

How can this be?

On Tuesday evening, Dina showed us how to use an X-block ruler:

Bev produced these classic blue and yellow combinations, and is deciding which way she wants the lines to run in the finished quilt.

Marijke chose pretty pink and cream:

Heather made a variation, with a narrow centre strip in earthy tones:

And Noelle began with true nine patches, with a subtle pattern in the centre, and a jade "zinger". The blocks are set in the same arrangement as Lynette's black and whites above, and Dina's finished top (first picture):

Very intriguing .......

Show and tell

Susan's autumn leaves are another classic beauty - gorgeous colours. The nine-patch border is a great finish - the gold blocks just "pop"

Marijke's alphabet quilt is made from a panel, and will be going to Canada for one of her grandchildren. The alphabet fabric on the back is a nice complement to the front.

These hands are Dina's and Jane's - they are cutting wedges from strip sets, with a wedge ruler = the wedges are then slightly off-set to produce the pattern. The strip sets need to include several value contrasts to work. Love those earthy tones.

Jo 's curved table runner from a recent class, and the sofa cushions she made from the left-over fabric, putting her wedge ruler back to work.

Jo took a short break from quilting to make this doll for her little niece - note the little dolly she has in her pocket.

Dawn has put her butterflies from the Margaret Cormack folded flying geese workshop into this rather gorgeous table runner. Their antennae are stitched with a fancy machine stitch.

Dina's Moses Basket is made with the X-block ruler, starting with a simple nine-patch. The pieced border uses the off-cuts , so there is no waste. In a couple of Tuesdays, a number of us have signed up for a demonstration by Dina, of the X-Block rulers' ability to produce a number of complex designs from simple blocks.

Heather finished this community effort, of fun bugs in bottles. It will keep a little kids amused for hours.