Invisible Machine Applique´Made Easy!

I'm currently working on an applique´project for an upcoming class and thought I'd share a couple of my favorite techniques with you today. If you love the look of applique´, but don't have the time to spend on handwork, try using your machine! (See my video below.) With these tips, you can achieve a hand-sewn look in a fraction of the time.

My very favorite thread for machine applique´ is Superior Thread's Monopoly thread. This is a very fine, clear polyester thread that I find to be trouble free on any sewing machine. In fact, I use it on both my long arm machine and my conventional machines. It's worlds away from the old nylon clear thread that we used in the past. This thread is soft , won't melt when ironed or harm the cotton fibers in your project.

I have found the best presser foot for stitching applique´ to be the Echo Quilting Foot. That's right, it's usually used as a free motion foot, but it is designed to work with the feed dogs in the up position, too! Several things make this the best foot for the job. First of all, it's clear: you can see the fabric's edge underneath, making it easier to place your stitches right where you want them. Second, there are registration marks of all kinds on the foot, making it easy to keep your fabric where you want it! And last, but not least, this large foot is slightly cup shaped so that it can easily glide over the edges of your applique´without accidentally flipping a delicate edge over. This foot is included with many Baby Lock machines, and is available for all models. Check your machine brand to see if there is a comparable one available for your machine.

Watch the foot in action! I raised the foot once or twice so that you could better see the way the registration marks and the shape help. Click on the image to watch.

Here's a sneak peek at my project! I'll share the completed project in another blog post.

Thanks for visiting! Happy sewing and God bless! Maxie

Dresden Plate Delight

I'm scheduled to teach the Dresden Plate Quilt in a series of classes this summer for Southwestern Community College in Sylva, NC. While in Minneapolis for Quilt Market last week, I perused for a few moments with this old fashioned quilt in mind. Guess what? It seems that the Dresden Plate has become the latest craze, in both traditional and modern flavors! Within about five minutes I had all these pictures, and more!

Three of the quilts pictured above were from various fabric companies, and the fourth, in the lower right corner, is from Suzn Quilts Designs, made in Edyta Sitar's fabrics.

I love Lee Monroe's new visions of the Dresden, shown in the first two photos, above.  (Don't you love the quilting in the first photo? That's the artful work of The Backporch Quilters!) I may use her Georgia's Dresden Quilt pattern in the class I'm teaching for the college because it is traditional with great options for color use. Another find at Market was the Dresden pattern collection from Susan Clevleand. She has a very unique way of finishing both the inside and the outside points of her Dresden Plates. I did order all three of these patterns for the shop, as well as the Prairie Point Turner, which Susan developed and uses to make her crisp sharp pointed plates! Look for those products at A Stitch in Time soon.

I've always love the Dresden Plate. Sentimentalities is nothing more than one large Dresden! You can view my video here to see how easily this quilt is consructed, and you can order kits here, with a choice of two colorways!

Thanks for visiting with me today! Happy Sewing and God bless! Maxie

International Quilt Market Time!

I'm writing from Minneapolis today! My daughter, Bonnie Christine, and I are at the Spring International Quilt Market. As you probably know, she designs fabrics for Art Gallery Fabrics. This means that each Quilt Market is met with weeks of work on samples for her booth to show off her new designs. We arrive the day before market opens and, somehow, by the end of the day the booth comes together for us! Here is a look at her booth and a peek at her new line that releases later this summer. I love the calming hues of teals, purples and golds!

Putting the booth together is so much fun...albeit a bit stressful because we know that there is a time deadline. Before market we are gathering props and making samples and planning the layout. Bonnie and I both made paper succulent flowers with our Cameo Silhouette cutting machine (love, love!)  to compliment her line, appropriately called, Succulence.

I fluffed and arranged the foam Succulence flowers that we had packed in our suitcase. Not sure about my hair. Must have been the high altitude on the plane...

So, the booth is finished and now I'm off to peruse Market to find the best of what's new and bring it back for you!

Thanks for visiting! Happy Sewing and God bless! Maxie

Beautify Your Ironing Board

Ironing boards are akin to household appliances. Necessities, and sometimes unsightly.  Why not make them into a lovely accent piece for your sewing or laundry room? Let the room be more beautiful just by its presence! A new ironing board cover may be in order!

They are so easy to make...this one took me about 20 minutes to sew! I've made instructions for you in the form of a .pdf file so that you may print it and keep for your reference! Just click the photo below to download the file.

One more thing. My daughter, Becky, gave me a tin of vintage sewing items for Mother's Day. Inside the tin was, among other things, a vintage fabric sprinkler. These sprinklers, fitted with a cork, were placed in the top of a soda bottle filled with water. It brought back memories of my Mother ironing; she sprinkled the clothes, rolled them up and placed them in the refrigerator until she could iron them. This allowed the dampness to evenly distribute throughout the fabric, and kept it from drying out. When she removed them from the fridge and ironed them, they were so crisp and perfect. If you don't remember them, ask your mother or grandmother if she does! Please leave me a comment below about your fabric sprinkler memories!

Did you know that fabric sprinklers are still available to purchase? They sure are...you'll find them over at Lehman's website.

Thanks for visiting! Happy Sewing and God bless! Maxie

Quilt Binding Clips...Wait, Wonder Clips?

I don't know why I call these cute little things binding clips. It seems so limiting. Yes, I do use them for helping hold my binding in place when I'm stitching, whether by hand or machine. But I've found lots of other uses for them and today I decided that they are indispensable. With Quilt Market at hand, Bonnie and I are burning the midnight oil making samples from her Succulance line for her booth. Here is today's project:

Bonnie wanted a bit of an urban look for this large, zippered tote, and here's what I came up with. There may be a pattern in the near future, but let me share a few pictures of the process with you.

View fullsize

The first picture shows how clips helped hold the bottom of the bag for me as I boxed the corners. The middle picture shows how clips held the faux leather in place as I made the straps. Virtually impossible to do with pins. The last picture shows how I used clips to hold the lining to the top of the bag for stitching. Did you know that the back sides of the clips are flat in order to feed through on your sewing machine bed? (Click on the pictures to enlarge them.) So, I must stop calling them binding clips and use their proper name: Wonder Clips! If you haven't added these to your sewing chest, you might want to consider doing so! You'll find them on my shopping page. Leave a comment and tell me how you use your Wonder Clips!

Thanks for visiting today! Happy Sewing and God bless! Maxie