Well it’s easy… I get up super early so I can stitch with no distractions!!!! Always schedule time in your day to sew…and you will get those quilts done!
Month: February 2015
10th anniversary stitch along
Starch/Size questions…
There were a lot of questions regarding the use of Starch/Size when piecing. Starching/Sizing fabric helps aide in better piecing.
Starching obviously makes a stiffer fabric…I love to use starch with the flannel…for sure…Some people are afraid of the starch…saying the bugs love starch and they will eat your fabrics…if this is something that you are concerned about…it all can be eliminated with washing your quilt after it is quilted. Sizing is not as stiff as starch but it still works adding a little more body than nothing at all…
Here is the step by step.. I buy starch by the can…Yes lots of it..its cheap. I know that it would be cheaper to make my own…but I have not had time to do that yet…the cans work great with the spray paint can handles. I will try to make my own someday as I hate all those cans in the garbage…
Completely saturate your fabric from the wrong side..it will soak through to the other side. It will be very wet. (I used to iron them dry at this point with a hot dry iron…this takes LOTS of time and the fabrics shrink up a lot because of the high heat.)
Hang the fabrics to dry several hours or over-night.
Iron the fabrics they will be very stiff use a little steam if needed. (There was no shrinkage with the jelly rolls at all they are still 2 1/2″…if I would have ironed them dry they have shrunk. To be honest this was the reason why I didn’t use a lot of precuts before…now with hanging them to dry…I’m using them!!!)
Now cut your fabrics as your pattern states…
If concerned about all the starch in your quilt…wash it after it is quilted and bound.
I hope this answers all your questions…
Love from the Lake..LB
Working on some quilts from jelly rolls…
Just thought I would share how we starch now…,I used to spray and iron all my fabrics dry… Now we starch…,and hang them to dry…press them when dry and then proceed to cut out the quilt… They become nice little stiff pieces to stitch with… For much more accurate piecing… Two jelly rolls starched and drying in my the work studio…
I’m stitching at the Lakehouse today… Nick caught his first fish through the ice here today after two winters of never getting anything!
for all the cool Grandmas…
A visit with “little man”…and a finished quilt…
OK….I’m crazy “In Love” and I have to introduce you to my first grand baby…Jace James Neubauer…Born Feb, 3rd…6lbs 11 ozs and 19″ long…He is so perfect…a little man…who I just want to snuggle with…I finished his 2nd quilt and brought it over to him on Sunday to try out…I brought Great-Grandma Teri with and I didn’t like sharing!!! But “little man” seems to love his new snowman quilt…hopefully he will be snuggling on Sunday mornings at Grandmas house with it for years to come!!! He may have to grow into it…while it sells some kits and fabric for my newest line of fabrics from Moda…Snowman Gatherings II!!!
Quilt is called Mr. Snowman…will be coming out in May 2015, quilted by Valerie Krueger LVegas, NV, who has a quilt in the current APQ magazine!!! Made from Homestead Gatherings YAY!!!…other quilt on the couch is Prairie Bride…Jake and Lauren’s wedding quilt. Jace’s little Buddie Romie…was very protective of his little brother…I’m sure you will be seeing lots of LM as he grows up!!!
Last Pic…is my next flannel quilt…all 30 blocks cut packaged… test block done…now to piece away!!!