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View Full Version : Calling all quilter's - basic quilting books and websites?



darby24
06-20-2005, 09:18 PM
Anyone have any quilting, appliqué or patchwork favourites?

I need to make a quilt block 8" x 8" finished sized by August for a cousin's baby shower. My sister and mom also need to make blocks and we all can barely sew, don't have a machine and are at a loss for ideas!

Any help and tips at all would be very, very appreciated!

pritchettzoo
06-20-2005, 10:37 PM
I'm not a quilter, just brainstorming here--can any of you paint or draw? You could always do a plain square and write/draw on it with fabric paint. They even make fabric paint pens.

You can also transfer pictures to fabric with iron-on-transfers. I think places like Kinkos will copy onto the special transfer paper for you.

You can also buy cute patches and sew/iron those onto a square.

It's a very sweet idea but very difficult for non-sewers! x( Is there a color scheme or theme? This may be a little quilt of horrors! ;) Neons with pastels with country colors with...

Anna
Mama to Gracie (Sept '03)
and a BOY! (coming July '05)

darby24
06-20-2005, 11:47 PM
Thanks so much Anna!

My actual plan was to get a photo transfer done of their two dogs (current children :P ) but would like other "stuff" around it. I didn't know that Kinko's could possibly do it, thanks for the tip. I had looked at a office supply store and 12 sheets of this stuff was $35! My mom and sister are still at a loss, but I like the patches idea.

there is a colour scheme and there is a talented sewer putting it together, maybe she can fix our mistakes! :D

edit for typos

tarabenet
06-21-2005, 04:59 PM
I think what you've planned will work great.

Make sure your final piece really is the size requested, and make sure there is at least 1/4 inch (1/2 or more is better) of "open space" on all sides of the design before the fabric edge, or your pic will get cut off by the seams. If you don't have a machine, then just do the print-out you want, cut the block to size (or just hand it in and let the quilter cut it so she can square it correctly!). If you do any piecing after all, any seams you sew in putting pieces together should be 1/4 inch, and pressed to one side or the other, not open. If you decide you want to applique, use a fusible web (Steam-a-Seam 2 will be the easiest). Then, if the quilter wants to sew the edges to secure, she can, but if not, your design should still stay in place pretty well.

Do include signatures! This makes for a better memory quilt! Use a Jelly Roll pen or a Micron pen, or use crayon and heat-set it. Don't use a Sharpie as they tend to bleed into the fibers and the writing goes all fuzzy.

Have fun!

darby24
06-21-2005, 11:27 PM
Thanks so much for your tips! Really handy stuff.

I know we need to make our square 9x9 with the finished square inside being 8x8, so at least I don't need to worry about that. Thinking of cutting a tree out for my moms square (sort of like a family tree) and then we can get embroidered names or something on the bottom. I had thought of trying to find someone to stitch around the tree, but you reminded me that the lady putting it together could quickly do it! Duh!

I realize the pens won't last and the hint I got from the person coordinating this was that it wasn't suppose to look too childlike (I had suggested using fabric pens and got shot down.) Too much to remember I tell you!

Thanks again for all your help. :-)