Top 7 Articles of 2016

#7 – The Gift to Give

....Instead of asking her [my sister] last Christmas, I simply prepared and gave her “Blessing Bags” for her to pass along to those in need. I don’t think I’ve ever given her anything she liked and appreciated better – ever!

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#6 - Introducing the Wings Quilt Block!

...Have you ever created a quilt block and didn’t like the way it looked? Maybe the color scheme used or the size of individual pieces within the block just didn’t look like the way you envisioned?

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#5 – Just Shy of a full blown addiction

…finding free “Block of the Month” (or bi-weekly) (BOM) websites and the Facebook support groups that go along with them! I’m a happy camper that they are out there by the droves!

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#4 – Crumb Quilts

...Those itty bitty tiny scraps are not just for stuffing pillows or pet beds any longer!

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#3 – When Sisters Work Together

…a story I want to share…

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#2 – Whispers in the Wind

 …each time I feel the wind on my face, I will be absorbing the prayer from a Prayer Flag someone, somewhere in this world, has made. Because, now I know about the whispers in the wind!

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And, the Number One article for 2016:

#1 - Labor Day - Labor of Love

 …There are a multitude of those giving from the heart ~ a labor of love ~ their creativeness, expertise, and devotion through making quilts, dresses, shorts, pillowcases, bags, and on and on for whatever the need may be! 

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Which is your favorite?

Crumb Quilts

Those itty bitty tiny scraps are not just for stuffing pillows or pet beds any longer! Thanks to Megan Null showing us how to get another quilt out of scraps, we don’t have to throw ANYTHING away! It’s also a clever/frugal use of those “leaders” and “enders” I’ve written about before, and you’re making another quilt at the same time! Win-Win!

This is photo of a lovely Crumb Quilt I found on Quilting Digest…

Megan Null’s video:

I love the name Ami Simms, Throughthe Eyes of a Quilter, calls her crumbs:

O.T.F. Patchwork (Off The Floor Patchwork)! Isn’t that clever!

For more inspiration take a look over on Pinterest for all the brilliant creations people have done with their crumb blocks!

Ludlow Quilt and Sew offers a step-by-step photo tutorial (and her own video) on how she puts the crumb quilt together. Between the crumb blocks, she created and inserted a 4 patch block! One of the instructions she gives us, and it is critical (emphasis mine):

…pressing after each addition and then trimming to make a straight edge.

This reminds me of what I’ve shared many times… never ever stitch over a seam that’s not been pressed! Adding a spritz of spray starch also makes the piece lay nice and flat.

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve quilted someone else’s quilt and discover the seams were not pressed out nicely. What happens when quilting… the fabric is folded back and it looks HORRIBLE!

Pressing after EACH seam is sewn catches mistakes as well! It’s a good way/time to tell when the seam is not the 1/4” seam, but rather 1/8” (or less!). “Making it fit” when adding the adjoining block, by folding it to where it needs to be, doesn’t go through the longarm quilting process very nicely.

If you hate to get up and press each time, Patti, at Quilting is Still my Passion, shares a clever way to sew bunches of scraps together before needing to press!

I’m excited to try this technique! Will you try it as well?