From Artcloth to *Quilt Bag*

 

Artcloth *BE BOLD - tell your story*

 

Materials to make one Quilt Bag

. 42 1/2 inches by 34 1/2 inches outside fabric
. 33 1/2 inches by 35 1/2 inches inside fabric and fusible fleece
. 3 1/2 yards of cotton strap
. 4 sew in magnets
. 2 cord stoppers
. 1 1/2  yards of elastic cording
. Aurifil 28w cotton thread for the topstitching

pattern

Directions

Iron the fusible fleece on the wrong side of the inside fabric. Fold and sew 1/2 inch of the four edges towards the inside. With a pin mark the center of the widest side of the outside fabric and lining, as shown in the picture.

Pin both the lining and outside fabric in place, matching the center pins.

Topstitch only one side! (this would be the underside when you close your bag) with 28w Aurifil cotton thread . I chose this thread because it shows off the topstitching beautifully and at the same time it's sturdy. The other end will be sewn in the same matter after we put the magnets in place.

With the lining fabric facing you, measure one inch from the edge of your sewn side and sew your magnets through all the layers. Repeat on the opposite side (unsewn side) but sew the magnets only through the lining fabric and iron on fleece. Topstitch in place as you did the other end to close the seam.

Because I'm using the fabric from selvage to selvage, I don't need to finish the edges. Fold in half towards the inside the two flaps on each side, as shown in the picture, and sew parallel to the edge of the lining fabric. Insert the cord and cord stoppers.

Straps:  With the top fabric facing you, measure 10 inches from the side edge and mark a line to indicate where to position the strap. Repeat on the other side.

 

 

Measure your strap handles. I tried different lengths and decided on 28 inches length. Close the bag and draw a line where the two ends meet, as show in the picture. This line will indicate where to stop sewing the straps.

Sew the ends of the strap together with a generous 1/2 inch tail on each side. Open the side seams.

Sew in place on both sides of the strap. If you have an edge foot for your sewing machine use it.



Voilá!  Now I am ready to transport my quilts *with style*. 

Creative Machine Embroidery July/August 2015 *My Latest Article*

I don’t have the blessing to have my kids around me anymore; they don’t even live in the same town so when they come to visit us, it is a very happy occasion. We try to make it special, by not only cooking their favorite meals but also by showing them our love in form of *small details*.

I love to surprise them. These “door knob messengers” are meant to give messages unexpectedly. I hang them on their bedroom’s doors or even on the bathroom’s doors with little messages. Sometimes I write what’s for breakfast or the plans for the day creating anticipation to celebrate our time together.

On page 28 I explain the fabrication of these "messengers". You probably already have all the materials at home to make them. You can find the patterns HERE

Paper and Fabric Quilt

 

*Dos Gallinas*

Detail of the finished paper and fabric quilt.

Let me show you the evolution of this small quilt...

After I finished doing my paper cloth top, I went to my thread drawer and picked some Aurfil spools.

I thread the sewing machine with Aurifil 28w cotton thread on the top and 40w polyester thread in the bobbin.

And started to sew around the details.

Once finished, I choose to work with Aurifil Lana/wool thread, which is also 12w to do some details with hand-embroidery.

 

Afterwards, I did the binding like I always do it with 2 inch strips of fabric sewed around the perimeter of the quilt. On examination of the almost finished piece, I felt that something was missing, so I decided to sew bold stitching lines *on top* of the binding with the sewing machine.

I thread the sewing machine with Aurifil Lana/wool 12w on the top and 40w polyester thread in the bobbin. I used a longer straight stitch(in my machine I choose number 3) and loosen up the tension a little. Then I started to sew slowly *in the ditch*, as shown in the picture below.

Following this I sew with the same thread color a parallel line, this time on top of the folded binding.

Once I reached the first stitch I made, I stopped and left a long tail. I removed the quilt from the sewing machine and with a needle I sent the thread tails to the back. I placed a small knot to hide the threads in-between the layers, 

And this is the finished quilted. I love how the bold straight lines adds a special detail, making it more interesting for the viewer, don't you think?

*Dos Gallinas*

A paper and fabric quilt. 13 inches by 8 inches.

Quilt *INSPIRED* by a Spool of Thread

"Quilting Jive"

Story: This is Lola, a quilter that just finished her quilt. She is so happy that she went outside to dance with a handkerchief on her hand humming a delightful rhythm.

The inspiration for this piece started with this spool of 28 w Aurifil cotton thread. This is a variegated thread color 4648. I love this color combination of purple, orange/rust and light yellow. My goal was to use only these colors with the addition of black. And the quilt had to be made with paper and fabric.

I started by painting and pasting my designs.

Appliqué some details.

Applied seed beads.



I hand-embroidered the tile designs with two strands of the same spool of thread. What I like about this thread is that you can use it by hand and by machine with wonderful effects. Especially this kind of variegated threads where the color changes add an extra layer to your work.

Here, I hand-embroidered the hair. I used 28w Aurifil black color.

I hope you will look in your thread drawer next time you decide to start a new quilt and find inspiration by the wonderful color combinations that are available on the market.