Binding Tip for a Quick Finish

More and more on the wall hangings or samples for my trunk shows I'm sewing the binding to the front as usual, wrapping it over to the back and gluing it down, and then stitching in the ditch from the front to secure it. Only special quilts are getting hand bound at this point. Stitching in the ditch from the front to finish your binding requires finding a way to secure the binding on the back to hold it in place until it is stitched from the front. Several quilters have shared various techniques or even sewing the binding to the back and wrapping it around to the front to stitch down, sometimes with decorative stitches. I've taken what I like to create a technique that works for me.

My preferred way is to still sew the binding to the front, then use either a glue stick or my Roxanne's Glue Baste-It squeeze bottle to run a bead of glue along the stitching line on the back and then wrap the binding over and set it with a hot iron. It works like a charm!

On this Sashiko FMQ sampler, I will be hand stitching the binding, but I still did the glue technique so I could be sure the binding was even and secure before taking needle and thread to it. I find I can get much better mitered corners this way and my machine stitching from the front always catches the binding as I make sure the binding is slightly overlapped beyond the stitching line that attached the binding to the front. A piped satin flange was added to this sampler, increasing the layers, so I tried to take extra care with it. After the binding is hand sewn, the hanging sleeve will be hand stitched on and the quilted wall hanging will be blocked. 

I love the Roxanne's Glue Baste-It squeeze bottle. Unlike many of our "use it and throw it" supplies, this little bottle is refillable.You can purchase refills of Roxanne's glue or you can do what I do and refill with original white Elmer's Glue.

The white cap that the pink piece is screwed into actually comes out. I use a small pair of pliers to get it loose and re-secure it once the bottle was refilled. It's so easy to hold this little bottle in your hand, squeeze just the right amount out of that small tip, and fold the fabric with my other hand. Finding the right tool that works for you is amazing!

This is the same glue applicator I use when making applique pieces that need to be secured to their templates. For the petals of the Dresden Hearts I glued the templates cut out of Ricky Tims' Stable Stuff Poly, a leave-in stabilizer that washes away, directly to the wrong side of the fabric, and then glued the folded tops of the fabric to the stabilizer to hold them in place until sewn. 

There are many times a dot of glue is helpful and the Roxanne's Glue Baste-It squeeze bottle is what works best for me. 

More snippets from the sewing room soon,

Liz

Hexified Panels & OBWs--Have all panels from same bolt

Cut OBW/Hexified Panel Quilt Panels from the Same Bolt

To make a Hexified Panel Quilt you need seven (7) panels or for a basic One Block Wonder six (6) repeats for hexies or eight (8) for octagons. Having faced this issue myself with a student in a classes and also a project of my own, I've learned it is critical, if at all possible, to have all of the panels that will be cut into strips and triangle sets be from the same bolt. For Hexified Panel Quilts, having the seventh uncut panel to frame come from a different bolt is probably acceptable, but preferably not the six panels to be cut. Some differences may be subtle like variances in color saturation, while others are much more obvious with actual differences in panel or block sizes.

When fabric is produced, each run may come out slightly different. The ink saturation may vary making one run darker or more vibrant than the other. As finished fabric is run through the machine to fold and roll the fabric onto bolts, it may stretch or tweak differently by bolt. If a fabric is popular, a new printing may be done that starts with different greige goods (raw fabric before dyeing or printing) or even a different manufacturing plant. Each of these factors can make the panels or blocks vary from bolt to bolt. These issues can definitely cause problems when trying to line up your layers accurately to cut strips and sub-sets. 

I first came across this problem in 2016 when a quilter in one of my classes had purchased panels over the internet. She got three from one vendor and four from another to make up her seven panels for a Hexified Panel Quilt. What we discovered together was that the panels from the two vendors were printed differently. The width of fabric on one set was over 1" longer than the other, throwing off the alignment of the two sets of panels. The 24" panel width along the straight of grain was pretty close on both sets. We decided together to have her cut the strips across the straight of grain panel width and readjust her pins aligning layers after each cut to keep the WOF print close to the same. It was a tedious process with a fair amount of waste, but together we got all of her strips and triangle sets cut and she did eventually complete the project. 

After seeing these gorgeous Elizabeth's Studio Hummingbirds & Flowers block panels at the 2019 Spring Quilt Market in Kansas City, I ordered two bolts to cut into kits for my classes and workshops. A few weeks after Market, I received a call from the warehouse manager saying they had several partial bolts and asked if that would be okay. Not giving it a lot of thought and not remembering my experience in the 2016 class, I said I'd take them all. I soon received three bolts--one 7 yard bolt with ~10 repeats, one 11 yard bolt with ~16 repeats, and one full 15 yard bolt with ~22 repeats. I hoped there would be enough repeats to make multiple kits for future workshops.  

I pulled the two partial bolts down from the stash closet and began cutting the panels apart into four kits each--two blocks half width of fabric by one block wide. For the sample I was going to use the odd number of blocks from each bolt, making sure I didn't give anyone else the possibly difficult blocks to match up. I soon discovered that while they appeared the same, they were printed very differently. After cutting the blocks apart and starting to line up one set of six with pins, I noticed they weren't matching up at all. As a test, I folded one set of blocks in half and laid it over the same set of blocks from the other bolt and you can see the clear difference.

The light blue border surrounding the blocks was a different width between the blocks. Even the blocks were not the same size. Looking closer, the selvedge on one bolt had the light blue background going right to the edge of the fabric, whereas the other bolt had a white selvedge with the blue starting half inch from the edge. Still, the information printed on the selvedges was the same. I separated the blocks back into separate piles by bolt and had to rethink my plan. I then took down the third bolt to check it against the other two.

 

Even on the two bolts that were printed the same, the color saturation was definitely darker on one bolt than the other as you can see between the blocks on the left and those on the right. Mixing those two sets to make hexies would make interesting hexies with uneven color saturation.

There are so many ways to adapt and tweak the One Block Wonder technique and its variations. I've used repeats across the width of fabric in order to get six repeats when I only had yardage enough for three or four of the six. I've seen others use mirror image blocks, lining up right and wrong sides of fabric to match up the print, to create very unique hexies when all six layers are then laid out with all right sides up. Regardless, in my opinion, if you have two bolts that are so different as the two I received, there may be no way to accommodate this much variance. With a full size panel it can possibly be done with care as my student and I learned back in 2016; however, with the smaller blocks especially, the variance between the two bolts I received was too great to bridge. 

More snippets from the sewing room soon,

Liz

Sit-Down Quilting with Rulers--Curves

My favorite way to quilt a Hexified Panel Quilt or One Block Wonder is with gentle curves or orange peels that curve from seam-intersection to seam-intersection. Since I press the seams all open when making these quilts, stitching all those seams in the ditch would be stitching only on thread. By using the curves, I secure every seam and create a lovely quilting design that is easy to do. I've done dozens of quilts this way completely free motion where the overall quilting is perfect in its imperfections. However, my sweet husband decided he wanted his Wolves Hexified Panel Quilt quilted with a ruler so the curves would be more uniform and fill more of each triangle. So, the adventure shifted early in 2019 to using a ruler on these quilts.

I've been teaching free-motion quilting on domestic and mid-arm sit-down machines for a number of years now. As my students have improved, they've asked for advanced classes using rulers. The plan was to teach several classes this year at area shops to demonstrate and teach quilting with rulers on domestic machines or sit-down midarm quilters. The COVID-19 pandemic changed all that as I cancelled all of my classes and workshops for the foreseeable future until we see how this all unfolds. I've considered doing an online class or Facebook Live, but haven't managed to make that happen yet. We shall see what the future holds in the way of classes--either live or online, but in the meantime we are playing with short videos taken with my camera to share.

I quilt on a HandiQuilter Sweet Sixteen sit-down midarm. The machine slides into a custom table that, with the extensions, is 6 feet long by ~30" deep. I have craft tables set on either side of my chair, tucked just under the edges of the table that carry the weight of the quilt as I shift it around. This allows me to keep the quilt "pooled" on the U-shaped nest and prevents the quilt from falling off the table and creating drag. I have quilted everything on this machine for the last almost 8 years from little 6x8" mug rugs to a huge 112x121" king size quilt with no problems. It just takes getting used to and focusing on the section you are quilting at the moment so as to not get overwhelmed by the larger projects.

Here's a link to a video (that Blogger says is too big to upload) that Les took today of me in action on my machine, quilting curves on a Hexified Panel Quilt using a ruler. I talked through some of the steps I take in holding the ruler, creating tension with my hands to keep the quilt layers flat, and more. It's linked to my Facebook page which I hope everyone can access. Be sure to follow me while you're there!

Sit Down Quilting with Rulers--Curves

Now to add some additional illustrations and tips to expand on the information in the video.

While quilting curves on one of our Hexified Panel Quilts today, I was using the little 4" Arc by Westalee/Sew Steady. The triangles I was filling measure 2" from point to flat side within each machine pieced kaleidoscopic hexie. The 4" arc curve is acute enough to fill these triangles nicely. On some of my earlier Hexified Panel Quilts that had larger triangles, I preferred the Kelly Bean ruler by Kelly Cline Quilting that has a somewhat gentler curve. There are many options out there, so find the one you like for the project you're quilting. Be sure to have some sort of non-slip sticker or adhesive product on the back of your rulers. You don't want them to slip and slide while quilting, as they should be moving with the quilt as you move them together along the quilting foot. These have True Grip self-adhesive circles or leftover pieces from the sheet of circles that are designed for quilting rulers. The rings are die-cut on a full sheet of the self-adhesive rubber, so when the rings are all used, be sure to cut up the leftovers! There's enough extra to use on several more rulers. Also, always set your needle stop in the DOWN position when quilting so when you stop, the needle stays down in your quilt to hold it in place. If you leave it in the UP position, when you let go of the quilt after you stop, the quilt will likely shift and create a jump-stitch when you are ready to begin stitching again.

Before you start on a project, do enough practice with your ruler to know what speed you like to work at. I prefer to work at about 40% speed on my HQ Sweet Sixteen. As you can see from this picture, I have my presets on my machine set at 25%, 35%, and 45%. Depending on what I'm quilting, I can adjust up or down from there, but only on very rare occasions do I go beyond that 45%. I've found the speed that I'm comfortable with and stick with it. I find that when I set a specific speed, I can quilt "pedal to the metal" and not have to keep my leg/ankle in a constant state of tension trying to find and hold a specific speed. For those with midarms or even modern domestics that have a speed control, set it to a speed you're comfortable with so you can just put your foot down and go. 

Yes, there's a little 2" thick photo album under my heel. I have found that even when quilting flat out, having my ankle flexed causes a lot of tension and strain in my leg by the end of the day. By elevating my heel I'm pressing down with my foot, letting my calf/leg stay more relaxed. It's definitely easier on me than having my heel on the floor and my foot angled up to press down. It's a little thing, but whatever you can do to make yourself comfortable for hours of quilting will help you enjoy the process more in the long run.

Here you can see me holding the ruler snugged up close to the closed quilting foot, spaced about 1/4" from the intersections I want to intersect with my stitching. You have to remember that the space between the edge of your ruler and the needle centered in that foot is 1/4", so you have to take that into account when placing your ruler to get the stitching where you want it. When you turn the ruler around to stitch along the next seam, be sure you stop at the intersection, keeping your hands and the ruler firmly in place, until you have completely stopped and taken your foot off the pedal. The needle may take one more stitch in place as it resets to the needle DOWN position, so don't be in a hurry to move your hands. Once you've repositioned the ruler, you are ready to go again, holding the ruler firmly in place and giving a little tension to the quilt around where you're stitching with your hands to prevent any ripples on the back and to ease the layers into the space you're quilting.

When quilting gentle curves/orange peels, I prefer to stitch long rows of curves that alternate direction. I will follow those long straight seams, alternating my curves from point to point, for as long as I can across or around the quilt. These rows can be done in such a way as to quilt an entire quilt with as few as 3 or 4 starts and stops. Along each seam there will be a curve on each side of it creating the melon shape. Three long rows of curves create all of the quilting, with two runs along each line--quilting S-curves in one direction and back the other way to complete the melons. Once all three rows have been quilted along the seams, they create these stars or flowers within each pieced hexie.

This view lets you see the same quilting design from both sides. The front of the quilt shows the stitching, pausing at each intersection along the seams to move the ruler back and forth to create the long S-curves, ultimately creating the 6 melon shapes that create the star. From the back, you only see the stars or flowers as an all-over design. Can you pick out the row(s) that still needs to be quilted? Yes, it's not completely done. There are a variety of ways to quilt orange peels, but after trying several, this is my favorite.

I hope this has been helpful for those who want to learn to quilt the orange peel/gentle curves on their OBWs or Hexified Panel Quilts. Please don't hesitate to message me or post questions if you'd like more information!

More snippets from the sewing room soon,

Liz

Watermarking your images to help preserve ownership of your work

There has been some serious discussion lately on a couple of closed groups on Facebook where members have "stolen" images posted by members and shared those images on other platforms (Pinterest in particular) as their own work. The groups are closed intentionally to make it a safe place to share our work with others. These images were not intended to be shared elsewhere without our specific permission and certainly not to be shared with other groups or on other social media sites by people claiming to have made the items! Members have been blocked and banned from re-entering Facebook groups when reported or caught because of this misbehavior. 

As quilters/artists, we need to be proactive in this situation. One way we can combat this behavior is to watermark our photos either with free apps in our phones, internet sites that offer free watermarking, or in programs on our computers before posting them. There are dozens of free apps available for both iPhone and android phones, internet sites online where you can add a watermark for free, as well as a variety of programs for your computer. It doesn't take long, and in the end we will hopefully find fewer people taking photos of our work and passing it off as their own. 

If you search for "watermark" in your app store, you'll find dozens of options. Similarly, if you Google search "add watermark to photos for free" there are numerous sites where you can mark your photos online from your computer. I'm sure each app/site has its quirks, pros, and cons. If they're free, try one and if it works for you, keep it. If not, uninstall and try another.

There are a variety of ways to add text to your photos using programs on your computer. Some people have access to Photoshop which is a powerful photo editing program that allows you to add text to your images. There are other photo editing software programs available--check what you have to see if you can add text/watermarks to your images before sharing them.

I use Roxio PhotoSuite, which I purchased several years ago. Among many other features, I can add text to any image and then "flatten canvas" after adding text to the image, which merges the layers together and makes it difficult to remove a watermark/text. 

Whatever you use, if you don't want to see your quilts/artwork on Pinterest with someone else taking credit for making your masterpiece, please take a few minutes and add a watermark to your images before you post them! 

A free online site is Watermarkly.com. It offers free watermarking of up to 50 photos at a time in batches online. It has an easy "Upload" or Drag/Drop function to add photos for watermarking. I used it to add a watermark to this piano mini hexified panel quilt in just seconds. It does add a Watermarkly logo (visible in the lower left corner of the image) for each image marked with the free version. You can upload images from your computer, Google Drive or Dropbox for quick watermarking of multiple photos. There are reasonable offers to purchase a one-time life time license for Watermarkly for professional use that includes a desktop companion, which does not add their logo. Regardless which version you use, there are hundreds of fonts available and your watermark is completely customizable. It was very quick and easy the first time I used it!

Since many of the photos I watermark are done from my phone, I have found AddWatermark, a free app by Androidvilla, to be more than satisfactory. I've been using the free version on my android Galaxy 6 phone for several years. I've recently purchased the full version so I can add my own image/logo to my photos and will be experimenting with it soon! 

When you first launch AddWatermark, you have to set up your preferences by clicking on the little gear at the bottom of the opening screen. 

I chose to add text to each image; saved the default to add "_wm" to the file name so I'd know it was watermarked; chose to create a custom folder named "addwatermark" that is easy to find in my gallery list of folders; and selected to save the images as JPG format. After completing the items on this screen, I clicked on the pencil icon next to "Text" to take me to the screen where I could customize my watermark. I first entered the text I wanted to appear on each photo; chose the font I wanted it to be in; selected a color; and the initial font size.

Next I went back to the opening screen and clicked on the + at the top of the screen to add a photo from my gallery. The text I initially entered automatically appears on the photo I load. I then have the choice of moving it around, making the text larger or smaller, or changing the transparency or angle of the text using the slides at the bottom of the screen.

Once I'm happy with the watermark, I click the right-arrow in the upper right corner. This takes you to the "Save watermarked image" screen. You can choose to set up a specific folder for those images so they are easy to find or have it save in a default folder. I chose to create an "addwatermark" folder so these images would be easy to locate. 

Once saved, when you are ready to upload an image, you just open your Gallery, select the "addwatermark" folder, select the image you want to share that is watermarked specifically for you, and upload to Facebook, Instagram, or other social media site. Easy peasy!

As a reminder, you control who sees your photos on Facebook. On your own page, when you initially add photos, you can select whether to have them visible to only you, your friends, friends of friends, or public. Choose wisely, especially if they are not watermarked.

I hope this information has been helpful to you! The internet is a large space occupied by many, many people, some of whom don't have your best interests in mind. Keep your work safe by taking the steps listed above and adding a watermark of text or logo to your images before uploading them for the world to see, even if it's in a supposedly safe, closed group! 

More snippets from the sewing room soon...

Liz