tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91558415724128264472024-03-14T03:04:20.108-04:00Fancy WorkVintage Applique Quilts ::
Modern Machine TechniquesKarla Menaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08497379207094872476noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9155841572412826447.post-44585297166033874522010-04-19T21:42:00.001-04:002010-04-19T21:52:15.891-04:00Preparation is the point<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">I<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">'m still working on painting all the walls, trim, doors, etc., in my basement. Sometimes I think this project will never end! One thing I've learned is that the key to a good paint job is good preparation. In fact, one of my paint advisors told me that the actual paint is just the final touch. First I have to get the walls and trim to look perfect in primer — even coverage, no unfilled nail holes, no dried-on drips from an overloaded paintbrush. Then, he said, I can add the paint.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So I've spent a lot of time sanding and spackling, priming, then sanding and spackling again. It's definitely taking over my thought processes! This weekend as I sat quietly in our church's theater-style seating, I noticed that the gentleman who was sitting in front of me had a medium-sized "dent" in his scalp. I immediately thought — now will I be able to use the Fast 'n Final lightweight spackle for that, or will I need to break out the two-stage wood filler?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">But preparation is key in the appliqué world, too. It's just more fun to prepare our appliqué pieces, in my opinion! When you stitch with the freezer paper in the appliqué piece, the freezer paper helps hold the shape. Your stitched shape will look exactly the same as it did when you finished gluing under all the edges. So it's important to take special care with this step.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S7Ps0dceSnI/AAAAAAAAAMA/WgQxmcj4Oo8/s1600/Buttonwood+Basket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S7Ps0dceSnI/AAAAAAAAAMA/WgQxmcj4Oo8/s400/Buttonwood+Basket.jpg" width="295" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>In <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Buttonwood Basket,</span> the points of these rounded leaves </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>just touch the vine, so they have to stay sharp </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>to make the design work.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">One of the hardest shapes to prepare is the sharp point. Sharp points are never easy, and they are a little more difficult to achieve with machine applique. Hand appliqué artists often use a 4- or 5-step process to stitch a sharp point. It takes about that many steps to prepare one for machine applique, too. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">If I can get away with it, I sometimes change my quilt design to round out a point. </div><br />
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<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S8z7QPsylaI/AAAAAAAAAM4/UBUoHuHy6sc/s1600/Horse+Play.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S8z7QPsylaI/AAAAAAAAAM4/UBUoHuHy6sc/s320/Horse+Play.jpg" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>The points in </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;"><b>Horse Play's</b></span><b> border stars look sharp. </b></span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>But because they are so large, you could </b></span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>change the design to make the points slightly rounded, </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>and the quilt would still have the same look.</b></span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But if a sharp point is necessary, first glue the point tips under. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S80Cpyc2QfI/AAAAAAAAANA/o9rTLxe8WN4/s1600/509+turn+under+top+edge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S80Cpyc2QfI/AAAAAAAAANA/o9rTLxe8WN4/s320/509+turn+under+top+edge.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Then go back and glue under the sides of the point, trimming away the extra seam allowance as necessary. Use your fingernails to firmly press down on the point, making sure the point is sharp and that the seam allowances are firmly turned under. When you stitch the point, be sure to take a stitch right at the top of the point.<br />
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</div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S80DaKvuCUI/AAAAAAAAANI/RapiHOfM8Jw/s1600/510+turn+under+side+edges.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S80DaKvuCUI/AAAAAAAAANI/RapiHOfM8Jw/s320/510+turn+under+side+edges.jpg" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Turn under one side of the point, then the other. Use</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>a stiletto or other sharp tool to push the seam allowance </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>to fit within the back of the point. If you have to, trim the</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>extra seam allowance to make it fit.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I finish all this painting and I have my sewing room back again, I'm going to do nothing but sew for a month! I can't wait!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Karla</div></div>Karla Menaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08497379207094872476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9155841572412826447.post-64945670096710539562010-04-01T07:56:00.000-04:002010-04-01T07:56:14.005-04:00Happy April Fool's Day<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">Here's hoping all of you have non-eventful April Fool's Days today! </span></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px;">I looked for a quilt that could represent the day, and I think this one is fitting. First of all, the subject -- the joke was certainly on this little cowboy when his pet dog caused his horse to throw him.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S7PwVobDlWI/AAAAAAAAAMo/7YrE6lQZwtA/s1600/Ride+%27Em+Cowboy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S7PwVobDlWI/AAAAAAAAAMo/7YrE6lQZwtA/s400/Ride+%27Em+Cowboy.jpg" width="352" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Ride 'Em Cowboy</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">And I think the joke was on me when I was choosing fabrics for this one! What do you see when you look at all the black figures on the red plaid background in this border? Those are supposed to be horses, peeking over a corral fence. I loved the idea of a group of horses watching as their friend bucks off his cowboy. The silhouetted horse heads peeking over the fence was inspired by a painted motif on a chest of drawers designed by famed Western artist Thomas Canada Molesworth (1890-1977).</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">In the furniture version, the image was easy to read even though the fence was implied instead of being painted into the design. I tried to interpret the design for my quilt in the same way, using the darker red plaid line as my "fence," with the horses' noses poking over the edge. If I concentrate on the top border of the quilt, I can see a line of horses, some in pairs, watching the action. But I think the image got too hard to read when I arranged the horse heads around the other three borders, even though I carefully cut the border fabric so that I could use that dark red plaid line as the fence. You have to kind of cock your head and squint....</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">I'm thinking that I should have appliquéd a fence and some fence posts in the border. Live and learn!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
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</span></span></div>Karla Menaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08497379207094872476noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9155841572412826447.post-91071924447894638522010-03-18T17:45:00.000-04:002010-03-18T17:45:34.014-04:00My Tessellating Quilt in William Morris Fabrics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've always thought tessellations are interesting – I love the look of interlocking, repeating geometric shapes. But I had stayed away from making a tessellating quilt because I didn't want to deal with all those odd-sized pieces and the mental stress of keeping the intricate color placement in order. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So I was intrigued a few months ago when my local quilt shop owner, Michelle Klein, showed me all the tessellation projects she was working on. She had made large quilts, mini-quilts, holiday table runners, and all kinds of projects using a new acrylic ruler called the Twister tool.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The ruler comes in 2 sizes, one that starts with 10" fabric squares and one that starts with 5" squares. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Each square is marked with 2 intersecting lines which divide the square into 4 identical odd-shaped pieces. If you cut these 4 pieces out individually, you could place them back together in a pinwheel pattern. And if you cut out a lot of these identical pieces, you could make a pinwheel tessellating quilt. A lot of cutting, and lot of keeping track of fabric placement! But....you don't have to do that. Here's what you do instead:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For a quilt made with the large Twister tool, choose the fabrics for your quilt and cut a 10" square of each. Arrange the blocks in a color pattern that you like, sew them together, then add a 6 1/2" (6" finished) contrasting border. Here's my version, made with a 10" Layer Cake set that Barbara Brackman had given me from her Morris Workshop Fabrics line from Moda.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S6JRGEJzcfI/AAAAAAAAAKg/yCqEPwKSsX0/s1600-h/tesselation+1st+quilt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S6JRGEJzcfI/AAAAAAAAAKg/yCqEPwKSsX0/s400/tesselation+1st+quilt.JPG" width="330" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Note: Since I was working with a charm pack, I decided to try this shaded color placement. I made a mistake, though, in choosing the border fabric. My border is the same fabric as the square in the lower left corner, and it's the same value as many of my dark squares in the outer rows of the quilt. For contrast, I should have used a border fabric from a square that didn't touch the border. Any of the inner-square fabrics would have worked.</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next, cut this quilt up!! to make the real quilt. Place the Twister tool so that the intersecting lines correspond to the seams in your first quilt. Cut all the way around the ruler. The result will be an 8" square comprising four tessellating segments, each in a different fabric. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S2MDPUaD-VI/AAAAAAAAAG4/TEv8MzUReLc/s1600-h/tesselation+square.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S2MDPUaD-VI/AAAAAAAAAG4/TEv8MzUReLc/s320/tesselation+square.JPG" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You'll have a small square and a "tail" leftover from each fabric. Save them for another project! For ideas, see Deb Rowden's Thrift Shop Quilts, </span><a href="http://debrowden.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">http://debrowden.blogspot.com</span></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After you cut, twist each block to the right so that it is straight, and sew the blocks together. Do this in an orderly fashion, so you don't get mixed up. I started at the upper left corner. At first, I cut only 2 or 4 blocks at a time and sewed them together before cutting again. As I gained confidence, I cut whole rows at a time. But I sewed each row together as soon as I cut it. When I finished 2 rows, I sewed them together, then I kept adding each row as I finished it. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The result, a tessellating quilt with a consistent inner border all around! And made from squares with no diagonal seams to sew. (Well, the entire outer edge is on the bias. I almost forgot about that. I sewed a straight stitch all around the quilt to keep it from stretching.) I'm going to add a narrow red border and outer brown border to my quilt. It was a quick and fun project, and I think it has the potential to be a good stash buster. Sometime, I'm going to make a larger, two-color Twister quilt from my stash.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S6JRN6cSpUI/AAAAAAAAAKw/3xvu8r-Dsew/s1600-h/karla1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S6JRN6cSpUI/AAAAAAAAAKw/3xvu8r-Dsew/s400/karla1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This snap didn't get the entire quilt top, but it does contain a cute back view </span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">of Barbara's daschund, Dottie, who seems to really like quilts.</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Here's what a border block and a regular block looks like:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S6J1lJMD8TI/AAAAAAAAALI/-Pe43XEy1Ds/s1600-h/tessellation+side+block.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S6J1lJMD8TI/AAAAAAAAALI/-Pe43XEy1Ds/s320/tessellation+side+block.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A side border block, above, will be half border fabric with </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2 block segments. A corner block (not shown) will be 3/4 </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">border fabric and 1 block segmen</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">t. All the inner blocks, </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">shown below, will contain 4 fabrics.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S6J1pKtMlPI/AAAAAAAAALQ/Yo1M5P2yxmQ/s1600-h/tessellation+block1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S6J1pKtMlPI/AAAAAAAAALQ/Yo1M5P2yxmQ/s320/tessellation+block1.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><br />
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Here are a couple of links for more information:<br />
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First, the publisher of the ruler set, the Country Schoolhouse in Superior, Wisconsin. Their website has some wonderful project photos and they are an on-line source for buying the ruler, too. <i>Note: today's blog is just an unsolicited testimonial; I had nothing to do with the creation or publication of these rulers. </i><br />
<a href="http://www.country-schoolhouse.com/kits/090209/twister_tool.htm">http://www.country-schoolhouse.com/kits/090209/twister_tool.htm</a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And a great blog on tesselations by Creative Chick sisters Leslie and Emily at <a href="http://creativechicksatplay.blogspot.com/2009/02/black-and-white-tessellation-quilt.html">http://creativechicksatplay.blogspot.com/2009/02/black-and-white-tessellation-quilt.html</a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">And my local quilt shop, The Gathering Room in LaGrange, Kentucky. If you are in the Louisville area and love reproduction fabrics, this is a great place to shop.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.gatheringroomquiltshop.com/index.html">http://www.gatheringroomquiltshop.com</a></div>Karla Menaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08497379207094872476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9155841572412826447.post-47377394824350705222010-03-15T13:00:00.000-04:002010-03-15T13:00:09.410-04:00Empty Nest, or New Opportunity for a Sewing Room?Several years ago, our youngest son left for his freshman year at a college about 2 hours away. Maybe something is wrong with my maternal instincts.... Even though I did have a few teary-eyed moments when I left him at the dorms, my tears soon faded as my mind shifted to plans for turning his very large room in our basement into my new and improved sewing room.<br />
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Really, those kids don't need to have their childhood rooms preserved forever just so they can stay in them a few minutes when they come home to visit. Isn't it better for their long-term mental health if their parents set good examples by living happy and productive lives? And if changing Kyle's teenage man-cave to a sewing room would help me live a happy and productive life, then I think it was the right step to take.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S55kGIUPi6I/AAAAAAAAAKY/bblQlvlivG4/s1600-h/sewing+room+closet2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S55kGIUPi6I/AAAAAAAAAKY/bblQlvlivG4/s320/sewing+room+closet2.jpg" /></a>So I cleared his stuff out of there, installed adjustable wire shelving in the closet all by myself, and moved my fabric stash in. Then I went to Lowes to buy three 4' x 8' sheets of insulation board. I covered the insulation boards with white batting and tacked them together along one wall to create a 12' x 8' design board that I could stick pins in. Perfect! I could put all the pieces for one or more projects on the wall with enough room to stand back, preview, and rearrange before I sewed.<br />
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I moved my cutting table, sewing table, and few other pieces of furniture in and started working. The room wasn't nearly as pretty as the quilt studios you see in magazines because of my mish-mash of furniture, but it was very user-friendly. And we have a very comfortable guest bed for Kyle to use when he comes home to visit. If it's already being used, there's a futon couch in another room. OK, no closet space in either of those rooms; they're filled with quilts. But this college boy leaves most of his clothes on the floor anyway.<br />
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So I encourage you — when those children finish high school, validate their wishes for independence by giving them a gentle shove out of the nest. When you remove their <i>Sports Illustrated</i> swimsuit clippings from the walls and replace them with mini-quilts, or give away the clothes they won't wear anymore so you can use the closet space for your fabric, you are showing them that you have full confidence in their new roles as responsible young adults who are learning how to live on their own.<br />
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A footnote: I wish I had a picture of my new room to show you. Well, I do, but it's not a happy one....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S55kCUFq4jI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/FQ1W9iqKkkU/s1600-h/sew+room+overall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S55kCUFq4jI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/FQ1W9iqKkkU/s320/sew+room+overall.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Two years ago, our basement's sump pump failed during one of our week-long Kentucky rainstorms. It could have been much worse, and was for many families, so I'm grateful to get off relatively easy. But it's taken a long time to deal with the damage. The resulting 3" of water ruined all the carpeting and seeped up the drywall and insulation, forcing us to remove and replace the bottom 2 feet of drywall everywhere. My fabric stash was safe because it was all up on shelves, but a few of my in-progress projects were in tote bags on the floor, and they were ruined. When the insurance money ran out soon after we paid the company that removed all the water and carpeting, plans for fixing the damage went on hold.<br />
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So, my lovely sewing room has gone unused for awhile. Except for a few little projects sewn at my dining room table, my quilting projects have been pushed to the back burner while other parts of life have taken over. Dealing with the happy and sad events that often occur in the lives of women in their 50s — family weddings, deaths, births, illnesses — has taken up much of my time and mental energy in the last two years.<br />
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And no, I don't think this is karma for taking over Kyle's room! But it is why I have been so erratic with the blogging lately. We're finally reclaiming our basement. I am so excited! But to save money I am doing all the wall preparation and painting myself. So I haven't had time to blog recently. Why is today's blog so long then, you ask? Well, because it's easier to write long than to write short. No extra time spent editing today!<br />
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Back to a happy note: Recently I made a little quilt with a new cutting tool. In my opinion, the new tool provided an easy way to make a somewhat complicated design. No appliqué involved, but I think it looks like a little fancy piecing. In a day or 2, I'll show you what I mean!<br />
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Happy trails for now,<br />
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KarlaKarla Menaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08497379207094872476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9155841572412826447.post-59539799218795136862010-03-04T15:17:00.001-05:002010-03-04T22:17:32.586-05:00Split Images<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S4_lad9bwBI/AAAAAAAAAJg/gsy-bhjbZ_w/s1600-h/IBC_vase+of+flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S4_lad9bwBI/AAAAAAAAAJg/gsy-bhjbZ_w/s200/IBC_vase+of+flowers.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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One of my favorite design elements in classic floral appliqué quilts is the split leaf. Adding just a pair of split leaves to a floral arrangement adds sparkle and movement, complementing the flowers without overpowering them.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Little Betty's Garden block, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">New </span></span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Century Sampler</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, by Karla Menaugh</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S4_5a8LaUYI/AAAAAAAAAJo/L9mOJtdVrZM/s1600-h/McCordsville+fpo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S4_5a8LaUYI/AAAAAAAAAJo/L9mOJtdVrZM/s640/McCordsville+fpo.jpg" width="624" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">McCordsville</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> by Barbara Brackman</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S4_lTRV-ufI/AAAAAAAAAJY/0wvQvoE4q2Y/s1600-h/Shade+Garden+center+basket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S4_lTRV-ufI/AAAAAAAAAJY/0wvQvoE4q2Y/s320/Shade+Garden+center+basket.jpg" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Cut Glass Dish block in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Shade Garden Sampler</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> by Shauna Christensen</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Adding a split leaf to your quilt block is easy. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. First, draw the entire leaf onto freezer paper. Add a line down the center.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. Cut out the entire leaf, then cut it apart on the center line.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. Iron each side of the leaf to the back of your fabric choice, and cut out with a scant 1/4" seam allowance. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4. Fold and glue under the seam allowance all around one half of the leaf. On the other half, leave the inside seam allowance open so it can be tucked under the first half. How do you decide which side of the leaf will tucked under the other? Look for sharp points:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S5AMOXD8EEI/AAAAAAAAAJw/eW5sDo9x_5A/s1600-h/split+leaf+drawingtext.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S5AMOXD8EEI/AAAAAAAAAJw/eW5sDo9x_5A/s320/split+leaf+drawingtext.bmp" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sharp points are challenging in any kind of appliqué. When I have a chance to avoid folding under all the edges on a sharp point, I take it. In the case of the drawing above, Side B has a sharp point near the stem of the leaf. So I would choose to fold under the seam allowance all around Side A (except the very end of the stem, which will be tucked under the top of a flower pot), but leave the center seam allowance open on Side B. Then my sharp point would be formed by tucking the seam allowance behind Side A, instead of by folding all the fabric behind that little point.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's what the the leaf looks like when the edges have been folded under:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S5AMWCnUMUI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/bVTdQ7nbEtI/s1600-h/split+leaf+glued.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S5AMWCnUMUI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/bVTdQ7nbEtI/s320/split+leaf+glued.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5. Use a glue stick to glue the leaf together. It will be easier to place on the background fabric if it's in one piece.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">6. When you sew the leaf to the background, sew around the folded edges. In the above leaf, I would sew all around Side A but only around the outer edge of Side B.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Karla Menaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08497379207094872476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9155841572412826447.post-8485117682534988312010-02-23T13:27:00.001-05:002010-02-23T15:44:59.215-05:00Clipping inner curves<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After my last post, Lorraine wrote "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I would like to see a post with how you cut the inside curve BEFORE it is glued down. I can't picture it."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">Well, Lorraine, you were right to call me on that! I thought about showing that part of the process when I wrote the last post, but it's impossible to show the clipping in a photograph. And my illustration skills are nil!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">How you clip an inner curve is important, though, because you need to make the fewest cuts possible. So I made up a couple of little illustrations in Photoshop Elements. As you can see, I'm not lying about my drawing skills! But I hope this helps. Please feel free to write in with more questions.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">If you compare the two illustrations at left showing how to make a Y-shaped cut in the seam allowance of a narrow curve to the photo at right showing the seam allowance after it's turned under, you can see that the top of the clipped "Y" turns into a vee-shape when the seam allowance is folded and glued to the back of the fabric. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
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</span></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S4Q-IbSiKAI/AAAAAAAAAJA/7-DG-e8ChX4/s1600-h/clipping+sharp+inner+curves+copy+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S4Q-IbSiKAI/AAAAAAAAAJA/7-DG-e8ChX4/s320/clipping+sharp+inner+curves+copy+copy.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S4QMPGKZyAI/AAAAAAAAAIg/Du6uLc-nvQY/s1600-h/clipping+narrow+inner+curve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S4QMPGKZyAI/AAAAAAAAAIg/Du6uLc-nvQY/s320/clipping+narrow+inner+curve.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
</span></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S4QMdFlLLHI/AAAAAAAAAIo/FQeeD51H3is/s1600-h/narrow+inner+curves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S4QMdFlLLHI/AAAAAAAAAIo/FQeeD51H3is/s320/narrow+inner+curves.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">If you are working with a wider curve, then you can dispense with making that first clip into the center of the curve and just make 2 angled cuts into the corners of the curve:</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S4QOPV1rViI/AAAAAAAAAIw/W2tnKcfK-fA/s1600-h/Clipping+inner+curve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S4QOPV1rViI/AAAAAAAAAIw/W2tnKcfK-fA/s400/Clipping+inner+curve.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When you're making the clips into the corners of the curve, stop clipping just a thread or 2 from the freezer paper. While you're turning under the seam allowance, watch for little threads at those clipped points, and be sure to fold and glue all stray threads to the back of the freezer paper. You should sew extra stitches at the clipped curves.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I hope this helps! Thanks for asking questions!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Karla</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Karla Menaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08497379207094872476noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9155841572412826447.post-91634936385336875482010-02-14T15:10:00.001-05:002010-02-15T14:26:06.365-05:00Feathers and Hearts for Valentine's Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S3hQ6yV1kAI/AAAAAAAAAH4/5aoEAA0GXNs/s1600-h/Fat-Quarter+Folk+Dance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S3hQ6yV1kAI/AAAAAAAAAH4/5aoEAA0GXNs/s400/Fat-Quarter+Folk+Dance.jpg" width="396" /></a></div><br />
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In honor of Valentine's Day, here's a picture of one of my favorite heart quilts. One thing I loved about learning to machine appliqué was that I could make any design I wanted. Making <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Fat-Quarter Folk Dance</span> gave me a chance to indulge my love for those beautiful, fussy feathered hearts found in many antique quilts.<br />
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These hearts still took some time, even with machine appliqué. I had to take care in cutting all those curves, first in freezer paper, then in fabric. Then there's gluing all the edges in place and stitching around each curve. But I think it was worth it!<br />
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This quilt offered some challenges in preparing and stitching all those inside curves. Here are a few of my tips:<br />
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To make working with inside curves a little easier, I usually change the sharp inside corners of the original designs to rounded inside curves. As you can see on these hearts, all the inside curves are rounded scoops rather than sharp points.<br />
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If the space inside the curve is small, I have to use smaller-than-usual seam allowances in tight spots.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S3hV0RauexI/AAAAAAAAAIA/OmXRIUTMeAQ/s1600-h/narrow+inner+curves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S3hV0RauexI/AAAAAAAAAIA/OmXRIUTMeAQ/s200/narrow+inner+curves.jpg" width="165" /></a></div>The inside curves will be more stable if you make a “Y”-shaped clip at each inside corner. To do this, start at the center of the curve. Clip straight in, just a few threads deep. Then make two cuts, each angled toward a "corner" of the curve. This will relieve the strain on the inside curve with the least number of cuts in the fabric.<br />
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When you've turned the edge under, the back of the curve will have a vee-shaped piece of fabric covering the center curve and just a thread or two of seam allowance at the clipped points. Put plenty of glue in those spots and use the tip of your finger to firmly roll those threads over to the back of the freezer paper. Be sure to glue under even the smallest threads that may be turned to the back of the piece.<br />
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To further stabilize the curve, sew extra stitches at each inside point, especially where you have made the clips in the seam allowance.<br />
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</div>Karla Menaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08497379207094872476noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9155841572412826447.post-37935924929052833742010-02-06T18:18:00.000-05:002010-02-06T18:18:42.072-05:00Removing the freezer paper<div style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S233QSjoRlI/AAAAAAAAAHg/H6R_FrOgZjI/s1600-h/Heart+Neuveau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a>Here's another set of quilts where we gained new appliqué shapes when we cut the background out from behind the appliqué in our first quilt. When we made <span style="color: #990000;">Heart to Heart</span>, we appliqued the reverse appliqué detail onto the plain hearts, then stitched the heart shape onto the intersections of background squares. When we removed the freezer paper and background fabric, we had these cute little four-patch hearts left over. We made <span style="color: #990000;">Heart Neuveau</span>, a doll quilt, with some of the leftovers.<br />
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After last week's post about the "bonus stars" I found when I removed the background and freezer paper from <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Cactus and Cottonwood</span>, I realized that perhaps I should explain about removing the freezer paper from your machine-appliquéd project.<br />
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When I teach classes, most of my students tell me that this is the step they dread the most. I think that many of us started to learn appliqué when the general wisdom was to leave all the background fabric intact behind appliqué shapes in order to help stabilize the quilt top. But, if you think about it, leaving a 1/4" seam around an appliqué shape isn't a lot different from leaving 1/4" seams around pieced blocks, so I think it's OK to cut the background out from behind each appliqué shape. If you are hand quilting your project, having only one layer to quilt through instead of 2 or 3 will be a bonus, as well.<br />
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I love leaving the freezer paper in the project while I'm sewing because the paper holds the edges of each piece in place. Even if I wiggle around a bit while I'm sewing, the edge of the shape stays as perfect as I have prepared it.<br />
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Removing the freezer paper is easier than you would think. Here's the technique that works for me:<br />
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1. First of all, I wash all my fabrics in hot water and dry them in the dryer before I use them. This pre-shrinks the fabric and removes the sizing, making the fabric softer and easier to work with.<br />
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2. I try to make my block backgrounds over-sized whenever possible.<br />
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3. After I've finished all the stitching, I wash my block in cold water and a gentle, short cycle in the washing machine and dry it in the dryer.<br />
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4. When I take it out of the dryer, I DON’T iron it. The water has washed away most of the glue and released the freezer paper, but the freezer paper still has a little bit of “stick” left that would adhere to the block again if I ironed it.<br />
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5. I wait until this stage to cut away the background fabric behind the applique pieces. This way, none of seams ravel as they are going through the washing machine and dryer. I cut around each shape, leaving a 1/4" seam allowance.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S23rTR24CMI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/rfCmsW8zpqI/s1600-h/tugging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S23rTR24CMI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/rfCmsW8zpqI/s200/tugging.jpg" width="188" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;">6. </span>After the background fabric is cut away, I gently tug on the bias around each applique shape. The paper usually just pops right out. Occasionally, I have to use tweezers to pull away any remaining paper that likes to stay in corners or tight spots.<br />
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</div>Karla Menaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08497379207094872476noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9155841572412826447.post-63894122127126023012010-01-28T18:13:00.000-05:002010-01-28T18:13:40.151-05:00A Bonus Feature!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S2IL-XxWnKI/AAAAAAAAAEw/n7Aha1KLh3A/s1600-h/sougan.JPG.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S2IL-XxWnKI/AAAAAAAAAEw/n7Aha1KLh3A/s320/sougan.JPG.jpeg" /></a><br />
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</div>Awhile back, my friend Deb Rowden put a picture of this lovely sougan in her blog, <a href="http://debrowden.blogspot.com/">Deb Rowden's Thrift Shop Quilts.</a> I love Deb's quilt — the colors are beautiful, and it has a funky and playful charm. And, it's one of our Sunflower Pattern Co-operative's designs from the book <i>Calico Cowboys</i>. While this isn't technically a thrift shop quilt (Deb used purchased quilt-store fabrics for her version), this pattern <i>was</i> created from a "waste not, want not" philosophy.<br />
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Sougans, also spelled suggins or soogins, were utilitarian quilts made throughout the southwest for cowboys camping on the range. Often they were pieced of rectangles of rough wools or denims. For our take on a sougan, we used large rectangles of varying plaids set in a brick pattern. The stars were a playful addition, probably not seen in most sougans.<br />
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An unexpected bonus led to our two-for-one thriftiness. Our sougan actually started with this quilt, <span style="color: #990000;">Cactus and Cottonwood</span>, from the same book.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S2IMHYiVRfI/AAAAAAAAAFA/yT1dUku9YP8/s1600-h/Cactus+%26+Cottonwood+full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S2IMHYiVRfI/AAAAAAAAAFA/yT1dUku9YP8/s320/Cactus+%26+Cottonwood+full.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div>These 24" blocks featured approximately 18" stars that were appliquéd to the backgrounds. When we cut the background fabric away from the back of those stars, we found the bonus — 9 large stars made of the background fabric. We couldn't let those go to waste! So we made <span style="color: #990000;">Sougan Under the Stars</span> with background plaids in blue-jean colors.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S2IMEZMImxI/AAAAAAAAAE4/dYd9nRjjxeU/s1600-h/Sougan+Under+the+Stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S2IMEZMImxI/AAAAAAAAAE4/dYd9nRjjxeU/s320/Sougan+Under+the+Stars.jpg" /></a><br />
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The best part of making this quilt is that the large rectangles sew together very quickly, and most of the stars are placed so that you can appliqué them onto two-row sections of the quilt. No hassles trying to get a large quilt background under the needle! After the appliqué is finished, the quilt top goes together quickly.<br />
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Now that I've seen how wonderful Deb's version looks in the soft creams and oranges, this reminds me that I had intended to make some more of these quilts from my stash. Maybe a purple background, or soft reds?Karla Menaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08497379207094872476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9155841572412826447.post-75390787646166459082010-01-20T13:48:00.000-05:002010-01-20T13:48:51.870-05:00Getting four for the price of oneMy method of machine appliqué uses a freezer-paper template for every appliqué shape in the quilt. But if I have multiples of the same image, such as the 40+ stars in the <span style="color: #990000;">Midnight Garden</span> quilt pictured in my last post, I can save time by cutting 4 freezer-paper shapes at the same time.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S1c31vO_p5I/AAAAAAAAAEo/X8aXmall3_A/s1600-h/tacking+leaves.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S1c31vO_p5I/AAAAAAAAAEo/X8aXmall3_A/s200/tacking+leaves.bmp" width="200" /></a>I trace the shape once for every 4 copies needed for my quilt. So in <span style="color: #990000;">Midnight Garden's</span> case, I traced 11 stars onto freezer paper. I placed the traced sheet of freezer paper on top of 3 more sheets of freezer paper, all with the shiny side of the paper facing the same direction. Then, I use the iron (steam off!) to tack the sheets of freezer paper together. I do this by touching the tip of the iron to the stack of freezer paper for one or two seconds as shown at right. I tack each shape in several places, taking care not to get too close to the edge of the piece. The freezer-paper coatings will melt slightly, making the four sheets stick together. After I cut the shapes out, I can peel the four pieces apart.<br />
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I have gotten so used to cutting out 4 shapes at once that I actually think it's easier to cut a nice, smooth line on a stack of four sheets of freezer paper than it is to cut one sheet at a time. (I use Fiskars Micro-tip 4" scissors; they are inexpensive and stay really sharp for a long time.) So I usually cut 4 of everything, even images for which I need only one template. Sometimes I use the extra paper templates during the quilt design process — I try out fabric for a shape, think it looks good, cut it out and glue down the edges, then decide I don't like that fabric after all. So I grab another paper template and try it again.<br />
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But my favorite way to use the extras is to save them for another quilt. For example, I loved this baby quilt pattern, <span style="color: #990000;">Love Letters</span>, that we included in the <i>Daughter of the Homestead</i> pattern. So I made a bright version for Elijah, a family friend.<br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S1ZF7u1Iv7I/AAAAAAAAAEg/LSZ7Wl-YNWs/s1600-h/love+letters+freezer+paper.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/S1ZF7u1Iv7I/AAAAAAAAAEg/LSZ7Wl-YNWs/s200/love+letters+freezer+paper.JPG" width="200" /></a>After I finished Elijah's quilt, I had 3 more sets of paper templates left over, ready to use the next time I need to make a baby quilt fast. Not to put any pressure on anyone to produce grandchildren....<br />
</div>Karla Menaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08497379207094872476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9155841572412826447.post-45109602337968455822010-01-09T12:18:00.001-05:002010-01-10T19:08:00.019-05:00So we're in!Happy new year to all of you!<br />
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During the season of the New Year, I love reading all the wrap-up/prediction columns in newspapers and magazines. Here's something I learned from the Dec. 30 <span style="font-style: italic;">Kansas City Star,</span> in an article entitled "10 home trends worthy of a new decade" —<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Quilts, hooked rugs, needlepoint, and chintz are going to be popular elements in home decor in the 2010s.</span><br />
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Wait, didn't all of us already believe that, at least for our own homes? But now we're validated!<br />
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Patricia Shackelford, Kansas City author of the nationally recognized design blog "Mrs. Blandings," says that the new decade will see a return to the interior design sensibilities of Sister Parish, Kennedy White House decorator, who used heirlooms or pieces with history.<br />
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Good news for us quilters, who often like to needlepoint, knit, hook rugs or make other handcrafts as well. And what to do with all those finished quilts, rugs, etc, but to put them on our beds, walls, table tops, and anywhere else there's a spare space?<br />
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So, here's to being in style! (At least in our home decor; let's not even think about my wardrobe!)<br />
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BTW, the article also quoted Parish's granddaughter, Susan Bartlett Crater, talking about the coming popularity of black walls. Dark walls make smaller rooms look bigger, Crater said, adding "Black also pops color in a sophisticated way." Again, quilters have known that for years! I tell you, I felt so smart after reading that article!<br />
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Here's one of my favorite wall quilts,<span style="color: #990000;"> Midnight Garden</span> from <span style="font-style: italic;">Butternut and Blue, Quilts from the Civil War</span>. No black background, but a nice dark blue made all the light colors pop.<br />
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</div>Karla Menaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08497379207094872476noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9155841572412826447.post-2138399309187581902009-12-20T13:13:00.001-05:002010-01-30T16:19:14.283-05:00The More the BerrierThanks so much to those of you who commented on my last blog. As a new blogger, I have to tell you that it's so encouraging to hear from people who are reading the blog!<br />
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At least one person commented on all the berries in <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Abiding Joy</span>, leading me to my next subject — how much I <b>love</b> berries!<br />
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To me, a quilt can never have enough berries. Not only do I love the visual interest they add to a design, I also love making them.<br />
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That wasn't always the case. My first attempt at berry-making was in the late 1990s, when the members of the Kaw Valley Quilter's Guild in Lawrence, Kansas, were making <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Floral Bouquet*</span> for a fund-raising project. To create the 300-400 berries for this quilt, the project designers and chief appliqué artists, Shirley and Shirlene Wedd, asked volunteers to make small yo-yos from nickel-sized fabric circles. I agreed to make about 20 yo-yos. Aack! I had never worked with circles that small, and I was horrified by the misshapen lumps I created. I tried remaking some but with no better results, so finally I just turned them in "as is." After the quilt top was finished, I asked Shirley if she had been able to use all the yo-yos that the volunteers had made. I thought she'd say "All but 20." But instead she just laughed and said that she and the other appliquérs had been able to smooth out all the edges as they hand-stitched them to the background fabric. I was so impressed!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/Sy07ct-G30I/AAAAAAAAAC4/Peo_HSBsq6Q/s1600-h/floralbouquetth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/Sy07ct-G30I/AAAAAAAAAC4/Peo_HSBsq6Q/s400/floralbouquetth.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Now that I've learned to machine appliqué, I can make nearly perfect berries by using paper circles as the basis for each berry. When the berries are a standard office-dot size — 1/2", 3/4" or 1" — I use white <i>removable</i> office dots. For berries of other sizes, I use a circle template to draw the berries onto freezer paper. I stick or iron the paper dot or circle onto the back of my fabric and cut the fabric out with a scant 1/4" seam allowance. Then I apply a white glue stick to the back of the circle and use the sharp point of my Clover seam ripper to fold and gather the seam allowance to the back of the dot. With the sharp point of the seam ripper, I am able to make tiny tucks as I gather the seam allowance, creating a really smooth edge to the circle. The paper backing holds the edge in place as I stitch around it, and it's easy to remove the paper later. Now I think I can make any quilt design I want, no matter how many berries!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/Sy1Q_LRanbI/AAAAAAAAADQ/938rZPo4HZ0/s1600-h/circles+gathered.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/Sy1Q_LRanbI/AAAAAAAAADQ/938rZPo4HZ0/s200/circles+gathered.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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When I am lucky enough to attend my old quilt group meetings in Kansas (I now live in Kentucky), my friend Barbara brings me a plastic baggie of white office dots and some fabric scraps so I can make berries while I talk to my friends. (If only I were organized enough to bring my own projects to work on, but usually just getting to Kansas has used up all my organizational skills. Oh well, a subject for a different blog.) Making berries is one of the perfect quilt group activities — the rhythm of making the circles is relaxing, and it leaves my mind free to concentrate on friends and conversation. I leave the bag and the stitch-ready circles with Barbara, with full expectation of seeing all my beautiful dots on one of her quilts some day.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">*When Barbara and I published <i>Floral Bouquet</i> as a 4-part block-of-the-month series in 1999, we changed the original berry pattern to 3/4" finished berries. The originals were a little smaller, about 5/8" depending on the individual yo-yo maker's stitching. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> The original quilt was very popular. Elly Sienkiewicz included a picture of it in her book <i>The Best of the Baltimore Beauties,</i> and a beautiful version made by Karen Lipp of Rapid City, SD, was in the 2008 <i>Quilt Art Engagement Calendar.</i> We still have a few patterns left; if you're interested write me at <a href="mailto:kcmenaugh@sunflower.com">kcmenaugh@sunflower.com</a>.</span>Karla Menaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08497379207094872476noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9155841572412826447.post-4725602131365241552009-12-12T11:36:00.006-05:002010-01-30T16:23:32.876-05:00A Quilter's Mise en PlaceI just finished watching this season's finale of <i>Top Chef</i> (No, I'm not going to discuss the winner; that would be the subject for an entirely different blog!). <br />
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But the show made me think about the similarities between the culinary process and quilting, specifically mise en place. This French phrase literally means "putting in place." In the culinary world, this term has come to represent the part of the process where the chef or assistants dice mounds of vegetables, prepare proteins, set out spices, utensils, and other equipment, and in general assemble everything they will need to complete their final dish. I recall last summer's <i>Top Chef Masters, </i>where noted chef Hubert Keller prepared a vegetable dish in which he scored the carrots before slicing them, so the resulting medallions resembled little flowers. His devotion to detail makes me think that he and other chefs take just as much care and pleasure in these preliminary steps as they do in actually cooking the food, plating it, and presenting their masterpieces to their diners.<br />
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Back to quilting. I must admit, one of my favorite parts of making a quilt is hand-stitching the binding to the back of the quilt. As I stitch the final edge of the quilt, I see my project literally change from a work-in-progress (or sometimes long-time UFO) to a finished quilt that can be hung on the wall, slept under, and generally loved and cherished for generations (I hope). I think of this step as similar to the chef's putting the final garnishes on the plate before it's sent out to the dining room.<br />
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But I also love getting all the materials ready so that I can start sewing my blocks. In my machine appliqué technique, this involves sending yards of bias strips through a bias-tape maker and cutting out every appliqué shape from freezer paper before ironing the shapes onto fabric, cutting them out, and gluing the seam allowances to the back of the freezer paper. This is the stage where I select the fabric that has the perfect color and texture for every element of the quilt, so it's artistically satisfying to see all those elements start to come together. Sometimes I do part of the work in stitch group, where friends and conversation sweeten the process.<br />
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Here's my mise en place for a red-and-green quilt I made a few years ago for our book <i>Cranberry Collection.</i> The quilt, which I named <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Abiding Joy</span>, contained 520 3/4" berries and miles of 1/4" bias vines. I loved assembling these stacks of background blocks, design elements, and vines. I made many of the berries while sitting in the driver's seat of my car (not driving!), waiting in the parking lots of various ball parks while my son's team warmed up or practiced. It was so wonderful to have everything ready to create the actual blocks!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/SyPEYdGHr8I/AAAAAAAAACA/I8mVo4yjU2I/s1600-h/abiding+joy+parts+th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/SyPEYdGHr8I/AAAAAAAAACA/I8mVo4yjU2I/s320/abiding+joy+parts+th.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/SyPBAYC79GI/AAAAAAAAAB4/0yOyezkd5do/s1600-h/abiding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/SyPBAYC79GI/AAAAAAAAAB4/0yOyezkd5do/s320/abiding.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Here's hoping that you gain joy from each part of the process, too.<br />
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KarlaKarla Menaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08497379207094872476noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9155841572412826447.post-90604950783527762962009-12-10T10:50:00.001-05:002010-01-30T16:17:09.117-05:00Welcome to My Blog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/SxlJ-Up7OLI/AAAAAAAAAAc/hYsAssryOok/s1600-h/baby+blue+sharper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" er="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jA3aRwImK08/SxlJ-Up7OLI/AAAAAAAAAAc/hYsAssryOok/s200/baby+blue+sharper.jpg" /></a></div>I love appliqué, but I have some problems with my hands that make it hard for me to do nice hand appliqué. So I work with a technique that helps me to use a special machine stitch to make quilts that are just as beautiful and durable as hand-appliquéd quilts.<br />
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During the past 10 years, I have had the fortune to work with quilt historian Barbara Brackman in designing quilt patterns that we published through the Sunflower Pattern Co-operative and the Kansas City Star (See column at left for more information.). What an opportunity! Barbara brings such a rich historical and artistic perspective to every project, and it has been fun to combine our quilt design ideas with the fabrics she designs for Moda. Most of our books and patterns give some tips about the machine techniques, and one — <span style="font-style: italic;">Quiltmaker's Guide to Fine Machine Appliqué</span> — contains all my techniques and special tips.<br />
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So, I've had a decade of opportunities to indulge in my love of reproduction and folk art designs. I hope to share some of those reproduction designs and inspirations in this blog, and to pass along some tips for the machine appliqué techniques that have worked so well for me.<br />
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Happy quilting!Karla Menaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08497379207094872476noreply@blogger.com0