Finishing Spree – Quilting with Decorative Stitches
Now that I’m participating in at least four new sew-alongs over the next few months, my finishing-spree is more important that ever! This time, I’d like to share yet another machine quilting option – quilting with the decorative stitches that are built into your sewing machine. My observations & recommendations:
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A Comfy & Easy-to-Make Pillow Lounger
I love to sit on the floor with William (age 3) and Emilia (age 1) and play, but I sure don’t love trying to get up again. Nor am I impressed with how hard the floor feels after a while. Given that and also knowing how much fun the little ones have falling/jumping/snuggling into pillows, […]
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Experiments in Binding – Changing the Width
In a previous post, I started experimenting with sewing quilt binding on the back of the quilt and then bringing it around to the front and appliquéing it down by machine (instead of sewing it to the front of the quilt, wrapping it around, and hand-stitching it on the back of the quilt). I felt […]
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How to Sew a Decorative Pillow Cover with an Invisible Zipper
I’m planning to put my new Baby Lock Jazz through its paces by testing how it performs while making a series of different projects. I’m starting with decorative pillow covers with invisible zippers. If you’d like to make a pillow cover of your own, here is what you’ll need: square pillow form to cover (or […]
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Experiments in Binding – Sewing the Binding to the Back of the Quilt First
I’m ready to bind my newest incarnation of Cascade from Colorwash Bargello Quilts. I’ve always bound my quilts by sewing the binding to the front of the quilt by machine, and then wrapping the binding around to the back of the quilt and sewing it down my hand. I love the look; but unfortunately, it is […]
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A No Hand-Sewing Method for Adding a Hanging Sleeve to a Quilt
The quilting on my newest Colorwash Bargello quilt is finished! It actually only took me about 2 1/2 hours cumulatively to complete the all-over free-motion quilting, but I had to break the time up into smaller increments so as to not overtax my body – taking into account MS, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, chronic […]
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Colorwash Bargello – Free-Motion Quilting!
This is the eleventh in a series of sew/quilt-along posts about making a bargello quilt. I am following the pattern for Cascade, the most beginner-friendly pattern from Colorwash Bargello Quilts. I’ve layered my quilt top, Hobb’s Heirloom Fusible Batting, and backing fabric, and fused the layers together. It’s a little unusual, but when I use fusible batting, I […]
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Colorwash Bargello – Choosing Thread for Free-Motion Quilting
This is the tenth in a series of sew/quilt-along posts about making a bargello quilt. I am following the pattern for Cascade, the most beginner-friendly pattern from Colorwash Bargello Quilts. The quilt top is complete, and as I discussed in my previous post, I’ve decided to free-motion quilt this project. I’m raring to get started! I’m leaning […]
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Colorwash Bargello – Machine Quilting Options
This is the ninth in a series of sew/quilt-along posts about making a bargello quilt. I am following the pattern for Cascade, the most beginner-friendly pattern from Colorwash Bargello Quilts. The quilt top is complete, and I’m considering my options for machine quilting the quilt top, batting, and backing together. There are no rules about how best […]
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Colorwash Bargello – Measuring & Sewing the Borders
This is the eighth in a series of sew/quilt-along posts about making a bargello quilt. I am following the pattern for Cascade, the most beginner-friendly pattern from Colorwash Bargello Quilts. I’ve picked out my border and am ready to sew it on. When I first started quilting many, many years ago, I would just lay my border strip […]
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