Thursday, March 25, 2010

Three Big Blocks

Three Big Blocks 
Hand dyed cottons, machine pieced and machine quilted in a grid pattern. 53.5x24.5" $450 Email Me
These blocks were made with off centered squares so they could be divided by the crossing strips. Then I thought they needed a few more rounds to vary the coloring at the edges. This is how quilts sometime get bigger than originally planned. I got to use lots of deeper colors, some were overdyed with black.



 To make the grid pattern I used a bar that slides through the back of my presser foot and can be adjusted to make stitching spaced evenly...more or less.                                                        I apply binding by cutting straight of grain strips at 2.25" and doubling the fabric, stitching a 1/4" seam from the front, turning it over and stitching it down in the ditch.


The back of the binding is caught by the top stitching and no hand work is necessary. If you click on this picture you will see the red dots of the top thread showing on the back. This is the correct tension, which new quilters often worry over. Adjusting the tension so no bobbin thread shows on the front is sometimes necessary. And one more thing...I am not a fan of walking feet and find that a regular open toe foot works best IF THE PRESSURE IS LOWERED to zilch. Most machines have a pressure regulator to increase or decrease the amount of pressure your foot puts on the fabric. Dust off  Consult your owner's manual. 

11 comments:

  1. Nicely done! Your binding looks great. Wish I could say the same about mine. That's why I do it by hand.

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  2. Anonymous9:41 AM

    Thank you for that extra tutorial on binding as I know that was for my benefit, or at least I flatter myself to think so. You are the BOMB!!
    Deidra

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  3. Coincidence again! I've been reading up on just this type of binding and have the strips cut to finish my granddaughter's Peter Rabbit quilt! Your explanation confirms my understanding of how it's done--and gives me courage to try it. This will be my first "real quilt" and my inner critic is not entirely happy with it, but I WILL post it when finished--hopefully next week!

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  4. You did it again! Another winner!
    The multi-colored hand-dyes really give it movement, light and punch.
    Love it.

    Kristin in SC

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  5. I can't believe how quick you crank these out!!! I've been working on a table runner (off and on...actually, more off than on...LOL) for the last 2 weeks and I'm just getting the binding sewn on. I'm a pinner and can't seem to feel comfortable (confident) about sewing it in the ditch so I always hand sew mine.

    Nice job :)

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  6. O Colleen, I DO pin the binding in place and remove the pins as I sew. It does not magically stay put.

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  7. Beautiful...as usual!

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  8. dianen4:03 PM

    Your three "big blocks" with crosses seem especially appropriate given that Easter is only a litle over a week away. The center block's cross really stands out whereas the two side crosses fade back a little due to the colors. Am I the only one who noticed this? Were these intended to be part of the cross series that you have done in the past or was it just a "fluke" that happened while you were playing?

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  9. Personally, I love handsewing down my bindings. It's a nice job for watching TV with the laundry king and I like the finish I achieve. I have done machine bindings from time to time - do you have a trick for dealing with the corners? and do you use separate binding strips for each side or one continuous strip?

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  10. Melody: I love, love, love the quilts you have been cranking out & I so appreciate any tips you give. I am with Brenda & I don't quite understand the binding part, especially when you said, "I apply binding by cutting straight of grain strips at 2.25" and doubling the fabric...." Doubling what fabric??? Thanks again for an amazing blog.

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  11. Wow! Inspiration and tutorials, what more could we ask. I would rather miss dessert than miss your blog for a day.
    I am interested to see that you use your regular open toe foot for quilting instead of the walking foot. I can't use the edge of my walking foot as a quide for 1/4 inch when I apply my binding even when I move my needle all the way over to the right. I am going to get out my manual and check on how to decrease the pressure. Thanks Melody

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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