Saturday, July 30, 2005

Another Reader Named Curious

I always answer questions that begin with flattery:

Hi Melody,
I was looking at your beautiful quilts, and I am wondering do you use only fusible material?
I guess I am wondering do you sew at all? I am not a quilter, I am curious. I may just give this a try.
I just don't like to sew much anymore and this seems like fun.

Dear Curious,
It is fun and I do sew. I made four skirts recently. I stitch (quilt) my fused quilts, by hand or machine, but as for constructing them, I just fuse.
I know I could piece some of these designs, but am too lazy, plus I really like the way the quilt looks when it is fused...FLAT.
And I really like the fact that fusing directly to the batting eliminates pleats and puckers, not to mention basting.
If you want to fuse a quilt, go right ahead. If you have 'real quilters' as friends, be prepared to defend your work. Then get over it.

My friend Laura Wasilowski decided to try quilting way back in the late 80's and fused right from the start. Her first entry into a quilt show was Quilt National and she was accepted!!
She skipped all the supposedly necessary rites of quilt passage, piecing, applique, hand quilting, bed quilts, etc and went right for the fun stuff.
It has not held her back. Buy her new book.

Friend and Fellow Fuser Frieda Anderson also has a new book, and she both fuses and pieces, proving that it CAN be done. She just won a major award with her pieced quilt at Paducah this year.
NO. I do not have a book. I have a blog. I advertise for my friends. It is good karma.
New Blogger and Fellow Fuser Anne Lullie is fusing big time while she is off work for the summer and just posted a large dramatic hand dyed quilt on her blog. She is arriving any moment here at Chez Johnson for tea and hand holding whilst she applies the Escape Hatch Finish on her huge new piece.
I am not leaving this post without mentioning Emily Parson, who not only fuses massive award winning quilts, but manages to do it with three kidlets under five. And if your real quilter friends wanna call her a slacker, she also has a knitting blog! Just thinking about it all makes me wanna go back to bed.
We are awash with quilt rebels. I hope you now have enough encouragement to run out and buy some Wonder-Under ( really the best and cheapest) and some hand dyed fabrics and take the plunge. You'll feel great!

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for the link to Anne Lullie's site. Her work is wonderful. Of course to me it's always all about the color. And her works are so colorful.

    ReplyDelete

Hello,
So nice of you to drop by. I love your comments, and if you would really like a reply, please email me at fibermania at g mail dot com