Quilting Memories For The Long Run

String quilts made by women in Gee's Bend, Alabama, and Mid-western Amish communities, have become an art form. Their stringed blocks are often square in shape or close to it, with one above the other. Sometimes sashing strips divide the blocks. The Amish string quilts can look like stacks of small squares. This pattern is named Coins.

When enough material collected they were sewn together in larger pieces called sheet or blocks. This was not an act of boredom or an idle hobby. These quilts were much needed and as soon as they were completed they went to member of the family who was most in need of it. This was often the youngest or oldest in the home.

You can add embellishments of ribbons, trims, and laces, stitching them from edge to edge of the foundation piece so that the ends will be included in the seam allowances. It is best not to attach these embellishments parallel and too close to the edges of the block as these spaces will be covered with embroidery stitches.

Blanket Quilt Turn and press this rectangle over the seam allowance, again pressing away from the center piece. Trim the seam allowance close to the stitching line.

Handmade Baby Blankets A handmade baby blanket gift speaks to the heart of any new mother. Knowing someone spent the time, thought and effort to make a hand made gift in this day and age means a lot. You can crochet, quilt, embroider a baby blanket to make it unique and special. In fact, you can make a baby blanket that requires no sewing at all, and will be just as special because you put yourself into the gift.

The hardest decision is in choosing your colors and materials. Remember to always use complementary ccolors in a selected tone of pastels, dusties, or jewel tones. Strive for a pleasing mix of textures, patterns, and solids. As you sew make sure the pieces complement each other in color and fabric type. Above all, remember to never put pattern against pattern to make sure your beautiful embroidery stitches will show up! Always bounce a solid fabric against a patterned fabric.

Rotary cutters have round blades that enable you to cut straight-edge shapes more quickly and accurately than scissors can. They come with various blade sizes. (A good size for a first blade is 45 mm.) Experiment with handle styles to see which you prefer as they come in various shapes and sizes.

For piecing and most simple quilt patterns, match the thread fiber to the fabric. Since most quilters use 100% cotton fabric, 100% cotton thread is ideal. If you find your thread breaking, try a new spool; old thread can become brittle and lose elasticity.