Quilting & Scheduled

The first week of the NQA is scheduled to post on May 1st!  :)  So make sure to hop on and check it out so you can get started with me.  I will actually be on vacation, but will try to check in once a day to answer any questions for you.

In the meantime I thought I'd show you a glimpse of another project I've been working on.  Do you remember these little English Paper Pieced hexies I was working on?  Well, they are finally a quilt top and I am in the middle of hand quilting it now.  I'm really pleased with it so far and can't wait to show you the finished project.

Not only did I hand stitch all of these little hexagons together, but I then blind stitched the entire thing by hand to this lovely snowy white handkerchief linen (fresh off the bolt peeps.  No used hankies in this project. lol).  I'm using a creamy pearl cotton thread to quilt with.  I wonder if this can go on a plane with me?  Hmmm...I don't think TSA has a section on quilting notions on their website.  Eh...best to travel without it.  Wouldn't want something to happen to it.

Keep an eye out for that NQA post on May 1st!!!  Sew long for now!

NQA: The "Right" Thread

Lets talk thread people.  :)

While this may seem like a trivial topic you would be surprised at how many quilters can debate thread choice...and will.  Cheap v. expensive, Poly v. Cotton, matching v. contrasting, the list goes on and on.  So, hopefully I can demystify it for you before you begin your first quilt.

To start off with you will need a couple of different kinds of thread.  You will need a piecing/All Purpose thread...this will be what you "piece" (aka sew) your fabric into blocks with.  You will also need a quilting thread.  There are two different types of quilting thread:  Machine & Hand.  All quilting threads are 100% cotton.  If you will be using your machine to quilt with then you will need to make sure you are buying a spool of "MACHINE QUILTING" thread.  (Please ask the store you're visiting for help if you feel lost in the thread section.)  If you plan to hand quilt then you need to choose either a spool of "HAND QUILTING" thread or some "Pearl Cotton" with appropriate hand quilting needle sizes for whichever weight/type of hand quilting thread you choose to work with...I'd also invest in some thimbles...OUCH!  ;)  I do mostly machine quilting, and do a primitive hand quilting stitch on some things FWIW.

So now onto how to decide on your thread.

NQA: Fabric and Batting Requirements

FINALLY, right?!  lol  Hopefully you've spent the last few months stocking up on the rest of the supplies you need for quilting.  Now it's time for the FUN stuff...FABRIC!!!!  Before we get into the quantities you'll need I want to discuss a few quilting terms with you as far as the fabric is concerned:

1.  Layer Cake - This is a term that Moda (a fabric manufacturer) created for a stack of 10" squares all from the same line.  This makes creating a quilt easy as the fabrics already coordinate for you.

2.  Backing - This is simply a term for the fabric on the back of your quilt.

3.  Binding - This is the pretty fabric edge around your quilt that finishes the whole thing off.  Think of how a book binding holds the book together at the edge...same idea.

4.  Fat Quarters - If you took a yard of fabric and drew a line through the center horizontally and vertically it would give you 4 fat quarters.  So it's still a 1/4 of a yard, but cut differently than straight across the width of the fabric (WOF).  It's fat instead of long and skinny.  Fat Quarters measure about 18"x 21"(depending on the WOF).

5. Batting - This is the middle layer of your quilt sandwich.  It's what makes it warm and cozy.  I like to go with 100% cotton batting every time.  I recommend you do the same.  Avoid polyester, feel free to experiment with a bamboo/cotton blend, but I can't guarantee you what it will do over the long term.

Now...for your fabric requirements...You have 3 options.

Fabric Love

I don't think there is a quilter out there that isn't in the same boat.

Confession time...I spend too much.  I do.  I sort of forget that it's not just the quilt top that matters, but quality batting, quality thread, and a nice backing (I LOVE binding so I don't seem to ever forget that) are all a part of the cost of quilt making as well.  I'm working to be better, to teach my kids that you can't always buy what you want.  I'm trying to remind myself that these are wants...not needs.  Seriously...I feel like I "need" the fabric sometimes.  Which is silly because I have tons of beautiful fabric sitting right in my very own house.

But, then I justify it because fabric is seasonal, and if I don't buy it I won't be able to find it later.  Oy!  I think I need a psychiatrist.  And while it's fun to just laugh about it and buy it anyway...later I feel guilty.  I'm not addicted to food...I'm addicted to fabric and spending.

So lets window shop a bit shall we?  Here's what I would be drooling over with my nose pressed up against the window dreaming about all of the lovely things that could come from these lines if they were out in stores yet...

(I'm going to mention right now that most of these images come from Fat Quarter Shop and there is one of a bundle from Fresh Squeezed Fabrics.)

Lets start with my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE.  I have already told my hubby this is what I want for Mother's Day this year, in the full Fat Quarter Bundle, and I will stretch it and stretch it and then save little bits of it for the rest of my life:

I am also very excited about American Jane's new line, "School Days"!  I used her line "Punctuation" to make my mom's quilt for Christmas, and her "Happy Campers" line for a picnic quilt.  That picnic quilt happens to be my favorite quilt currently in my house.  This line is right up my ally!  I mean...it has prints for Composition Notebooks...I know that makes me a nerd, but I don't care!  ;)

In Christmas Fabric:

If I were going to have another baby (I'm not) I would use this "Vintage Baby" line I think.  Even though I'm usually not a baby fabric person...this is just so lovely:

Then there are the lines that I'm not crazy about the whole thing, but I'm definitely loving the majority of the prints:

Anything catching your eye lately, or maybe something your super excited about coming out?  I'd love to hear about it! 

Sew Long for Now!
-Amanda-

A Comfy Spot...

When Scout feels like she's not getting enough attention she feels the best approach is to just get right in the middle of things...

Yes, this is the quilt top to the original "NQA" quilt.  I plan to finish the quilt even if we don't do it all together as I still think it turned out well...just not a great one to explain via the interwebs.  ;)

Keep your eyes peeled for NQA yardages this week!!!!!!!  WOO!

Sew Long For Now!
-Amanda-

Sewing Humor

These Ryan Gosling memes are nothing new, but I can't get enough of them.  Enjoy!