Sew Easy Checkerboard Quilt Borders,How to Sew Art Part Two

A Modern Quilting Bee
Often you
hear the
phrase,
“Quilting
Bee”. I’m
sure your
mind pictures
images of
old: Friends,
family, fabric,
and fun. The
Modern
Quilting
Bee has all
those
elements
plus more.
Join me as
we journey
outside the Sewing With Nancy studio to celebrate the art of quilting at the Quilt Expo in
Madison, Wisconsin, and watch A Modern Quilting Bee on Sewing With Nancy online.
Modern quilting is a buzz word in the quilting community. Weeks Ringle, author, publisher,
designer, teacher, lecturer, and fabric designer joins me for a chat on modern quilting—quilting as
a reflection of today.
One of my favorite fabrics to work with when Landscape Quilting is hand-dyed fabric. Wendy Richardson is a
master at dying fabric. Wendy joins me and shares some of the processes she uses when hand-dying fabrics.
I’ve often said that I have the best job in the world, because I get to interview and learn from
leaders and innovators in the sewing and quilting world. Lola Jenkins, quilter and lecturer, joins
me to share her quilting journey inspired by her life and heritage.
My next
guest and
friend, Laura
Wasilowski,
shares her
art quilting
methods for
combining
slow-quilting
and quickquilting.
When most of us think of quilts, we generally think of bed quilts or wall quilts. In addition to twodimensional, quilting is also three-dimensional. Lorraine Torrence, author, designer, and
educator, joins me to share her legacy exhibit of quilted garments.
Watch A Modern Quilting Bee on Sewing With Nancy online.
To watch Sewing With Nancy on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone, download the app.
For a chance to win a Quilt Expo Tote Bag from Wisconsin Public Television, please leave a comment below
sharing your favorite part of a sewing or quilting event.
The random winner of a copy of Beginning Landscape Quilting book is Martha Drabiski. She said: I love the
outdoors & would love to create a scene using your method.
Bye for now,
Content in this feed is © copyright 2015 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission.
You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as
content on a blog or other website.
Make sure you are subscribed to my enews mailing list so you won’t miss a thing. Sign up here. Join us
on Facebook, plus a host of other social media channels. Connect With Nancy today!
Table Runner Winners Announced
The Fall Table Runner Challenge was so much fun to host. I enjoyed seeing all the entries and the talent
showcased in the event. You can still view the virtual table runner quilt show online in this post. As may know,
voting came to a close over the weekend and it is now time to announce the winners. Thank you to everyone who
participated and thank you to all the friends, family, and sewing enthusiasts who voted!
Of course, this event would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors. Thank you!
Please take a moment to see all the prize donors listed below.
If your table runner is featured here, you will receive an email from my team requesting contact information.
Congratulations!
Sunflower Sunset
Charmingly Fall
Autumn’s Finest Table Runner
Falling Leaves tablerunner
Flowery Night
Fall Hexie Table Mat
Scrappy Jack
Falling Leaves AND Swirl Fall Runner
Top Ten Winners: F+W Media will provide a copy of 50 Fat Quarter Makes, a $250 value
First Place: Bundle of Nancy Zieman Products and Notions from Clover, a $200 value
Second Place: Create With Nancy Five Book Collection, valued at $177.94
Third Place: Quilter’s Package from June Tailor, a $107 value
Fourth Place: Pellon Bundle Package, a $105 value
Fifth Place: Autumn Array Cotona Thread Pack from Maderia, a $76 value
Sixth Place: Nancy’s Notions Tool and Notion Bundle, a $63 value
Seventh Place: A pattern collection from Quilting Creations International, a $60 value
Eighth Place: Klasse Needle Pack from Klasse Needles, a $32 value
Share your comments below about the Fall Table Runner Sewing Challenge and let us know if you plan to join in
the next challenge event!
Bye for now,
Email challenge questions to info@ziemanproductions.com. Challenge not open to sponsors, employees, and
immediate family members. Photos and techniques may be featured in future promotions, blog posts, videos,
and/or TV shows.
Nancy Zieman—author, pattern designer, businesswoman, producer, and national sewing authority—is the host of
the popular show Sewing With Nancy, which appears exclusively on public television stations across the United
States and Canada. Follow Nancy’s blog at NancyZieman.com/blog and sign up to receive Nancy’s E-News for
the latest news in sewing, quilting, creating, and block of the month updates.
Content in this feed is © copyright 2015 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission. You’re welcome to forward the email
to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as content on a blog or other website.
2-Hour Table Runner Sewing Project
Today I’m sharing a table runner that you can easily create in 2-hours—my kind of home décor project!
Renaissance Ribbons, Silk Dupioni, and a little thread are all you’ll need. The ribbon is the unifying element in
this design.
Fabric and Ribbon Supplies:
1/2 yard of two coordinating colors of Silk Dupioni
1 yard each of three ribbons
Monofilament thread
Note from Nancy: I selected the ribbons first, fabric second. This collection of Renaissance Ribbons has five
options, well, really seven. The narrow ribbons are reversible!
Cut and
Stitch the
Table Runner
Cut one 18″ x 48″ section for the center of the table runner (dark brown)
Cut two 18″ x 10″ sections from the lighter fabric (beige)
Serge or zigzag the edges.
Pin the lighter fabrics to each end of the darker center fabric, matching the 18″ cut edges.
Stitch a 1/4″ seam; press.
Cut the ribbons in half, creating 18″ lengths.
Position and topstitch the ribbons over the seam. Use monofilament thread in the needle.
Note from Nancy: Oops, we forgot to take a photo of the table runner before turning and stitching the hem. Please
visualize the table runner as a flat piece of fabric!
Miter the Corners of the Table Runner
The instructions will result in a 1″ hem.
Measure and mark 2″ from each side of all corners on the wrong side of the fabric.
Place a strip of tape, such as Sewer’s Fix-It Tape, on the wrong side of the fabric between the two marks,
extending the tape at each end.
Fold the corner to a point, right sides together, aligning the marks and the tape.
Stitch from mark to mark, following the tape.
Trim the seam to 1/4″; remove the tape.
Turn mitered corners right side out. Fold up and press the remaining 1″ hem edges of the table runner. Topstitch
3/4″ from the folded edges.
Your table runner is complete. Find more time-saving sewing tips like this one in The Absolute Easiest Way to
Sew, a beginner’s sewing guide that includes my tried and true sewing tips.
The size will be approximately 18″ x 48″.
Get Stitching!
Email challenge questions to info@ziemanproductions.com. Challenge not open to sponsors, employees, and
immediate family members. Photos and techniques may be featured in future promotions, blog posts, videos,
and/or TV shows.
Nancy Zieman—author, pattern designer, businesswoman, producer, and national sewing authority—is the host
of the popular show Sewing With Nancy®, which appears exclusively on public television stations across the
United States and Canada. Follow Nancy’s blog at NancyZieman.com/blog and sign up to receive Nancy’s ENews for the latest news in Sewing, Quilting, Creating, and Block of the Month updates.
Content in this feed is © copyright 2015 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission. You’re welcome to forward the
email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as content on a blog or other website.
Nancy Zieman's Fall Table Runner Sewing Challenge 2015
You are invited to participate in my 2015 Fall Table Runner
Sewing Challenge. Sew a fall table runner to showcase your
sewing and quilting talents and post an entry below. Table
runner entries may feature any fall occasion, color palette,
or size that fits on a kitchen or dining room table—use your
imagination! Enter up to four different table runners that
have been sewn within the last year. You could be a prize
winner!
Nancy Zieman’s Fall Table Runner Sewing Challenge Guidelines
Select or create your design. All sewing, quilting, serging, machine embroidery, and embellishment techniques
are eligible.
Grab our Fall Table Runner Sewing Challenge blog badge to let your friends know about this exciting sewing
challenge.
Share your progress and projects on your social media sites using the hashtag: #NZTableRunner2015
Upload your photo(s) by September 14, 2015.
How to Enter
Enter the Fall Table Runner Sewing Challenge by adding a photo or photos in the link listed below. It’s easy! Use
the link tool below and click the “add link” button. Your entry will appear directly in the gallery. (Once button is
clicked—it may appear as a workable link).
An InLinkz Link-up
Go Social with Your Fall Table Runner Sewing Challenge
<div align="center"><a href="http://wp.me/p1FjY5-8BJ" rel="nofollow" title="Nancy
Zieman's Fall Table Runner Sewing Challenge 2015"><img
src="http://www.nancyzieman.com/blog/wpcontent/uploads/2015/08/NancyZiemanTableRunnerBadge.jpg" alt="Nancy Zieman's Fall
Table Runner Sewing Challenge 2015" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
If you have a website, copy the code above and paste it into your website editor to have the Fall Table Runner
Sewing Challenge badge on your site. Or, add the link to your social sites such as Instagram, Twitter, Flickr, or
Facebook. Let all your friends know you are working on the Fall Table Runner Sewing Challenge by tagging your
post with the hashtag: #NZTableRunner2015
Inspiration: Box Quilt Block Table Runner
I’d like to share a quilt block pattern that’s ideal for a table runner. Featured is the Box Quilt Block, which dates
back to 1898, each 12-1/2″ block is made with eight half-square triangles and a center square. This pattern is
included in the No-Hassle Triangles Quilt Blocks, a quilt block sampler pattern book. Streamline the piecing
process by using the No-Hassle Triangle tool.
Supplies, Notions, Fabric
No-Hassle Triangle Tool
Quilting thread
Assorted fabrics/fat quarters
Batting to measure 4″ larger than the finished runner, in length and width
Backing fabric to measure 4″ larger than the finished runner, in length and width
Binding fabric
Construction
Each block requires:
One square 4-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ (center)
Four squares 4-7/8″ x 4-7/8″ (background)
Four squares 4-7/8″ x 4-7/8″ (solid)
Press the fabric. Use June Tailor’s Quilter’s Starch to stabilize the fabrics.
Note from Nancy: In our sewing studio we always spray the fabric with Quilter’s Starch before cutting quilting
strips or shapes, then press. This simple step gives the fabric crispness that translates into more accurate cutting
results.
Use a cardboard template measuring 4-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ to fussy cut a design from the print to showcase a particular
motif in the focus fabric.
Cut the solid and background fabrics into strips, 4-7/8″ wide. Each block will require four solid squares and four
background squares.
Layer the solid and background strips to rotary cut 4-7/8″ squares.
Set the No-Hassle Triangle Tool to 4-7/8″ on the left-hand side of the tool.
Lay the tool on the square cut sets, marking the centerline with a non-permanent marking pen.
Stitch 1/4″ on each side of the marked centerline.
Chain piece shapes, sewing all the right sides, then sew left sides.
Cut apart.
Use a rotary cutter and ruler to cut along the marked line.
Press seam allowance towards the darker fabric.
Create eight pairs.
Lay out Box Quilt block following the layout.
Join squares to form a block, using a 1/4″ seam allowance. Place squares from the first column
onto the second column, right sides together; stitch.
Place squares from column three onto stitched sections and join with a 1/4″ seam allowance.
Press seams open.
Join rows.
Make and join three or more blocks to create the table runner.
Add an inner border—cut fabric strips 1″ wide. Add an outer border—cut fabric strips 2-1/2″
wide.
Create and add 2-1/2″ half-square triangles at all four corners.
Use the stitch in the ditch quilting technique demonstrated in the Fearless Quilting Finishes
episode of Sewing With Nancy, or find that technique in my book, Fearless Quilting Finishes.
Bind with coordinating fabric.
An InLinkz Link-up
A Total of $1000 in Prizes for the top vote contenders:
Top Ten Winners: F+W Media will provide a copy of 50 Fat Quarter Makes, a $250 value
First Place: Bundle of Nancy Zieman Products and Notions from Clover, a $200 value
Second Place: Create With Nancy Five Book Collection, valued at $177.94
Third Place: Quilter’s Package from June Tailor, a $107 value
Fourth Place: Pellon Bundle Package, a $105 value
Fifth Place: Autumn Array Cotona Thread Pack from Maderia, a $76 value
Sixth Place: Nancy’s Notions Tool and Notion Bundle, a $63 value
Seventh Place: A pattern collection from Quilting Creations International, a $60 value
Eighth Place: Klasse Needle Pack from Klasse Needles, a $32 value
Enter the Fall Table Runner Sewing Challenge by adding a photo or photos in the link listed above. It’s easy! Use
the above link tool and click the “add link” button. Your entry will appear directly in the gallery. (Once button is
clicked—it may appear as a workable link).
Plus share your comments below about the Fall Table Runner Sewing Challenge and let us know if you plan to
join!
Get Stitching!
Email challenge questions to info@ziemanproductions.com. Challenge not open to sponsors, employees, and
immediate family members. Photos and techniques may be featured in future promotions, blog posts, videos,
and/or TV shows.
Nancy Zieman—author, pattern designer, businesswoman, producer, and national sewing authority—is the host
of the popular show Sewing With Nancy®, which appears exclusively on public television stations across the
United States and Canada. Follow Nancy’s blog at NancyZieman.com/blog and sign up to receive Nancy’s E-
News for the latest news in Sewing, Quilting, Creating, and Block of the Month updates.
Content in this feed is © copyright 2015 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission. You’re welcome to forward the
email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as content on a blog or other website.
Stress-Free Machine Quilting with Embroidery Designs
Sometimes the quilting step is the most perplexing and stressful. Your goal is for a stress-free process, but where
to begin? Denise Abel, my guest on Sewing With Nancy, has a solution—use an embroidery machine and turn it
into a quilting machine. Denise joins me for the second part of this series, Stress-Free Quilting with Machine
Embroidery, which is this week’s online video feature. Watch the second part on Sewing With Nancy, online.
First Episode Highlights
During the first program of this series, Denise and I showcased piecing simple blocks using an embroidery
machine. If you missed that episode, click here to watch! Programming the design into the embroidery machine
yields precisely stitched blocks with unbelievable accuracy.
Highlights from the Second Episode
Determine the layout of the blocks. For the Simple Shadow blocks, there are a few design options.
Stress-Free Hooping
Positioning the three layers of a quilting sandwich—backing, batting, and pieced top—evenly into a hoop might
seem tricky at first glance! Not so, with these techniques.
First option: Spray baste the layers together
Tape backing to tabletop, wrong side up.
Lightly spray baste the backing fabric with KK2000.
Position batting.
Lightly spray baste the batting.
Position pieced top; right side up.
The quilt sandwich is ready to hoop.
Second option: Fuse-tack the layers together.
Cut 1/2″ wide strips of Wonder-Under
Press 1/2″ wide strips of Wonder-Under to the wrong side of backing and quilt top.
Press 1/2″ squares in place, a fist width apart.
Remove paper backing.
Press layers together.
The quilt sandwich is ready to hoop.
Choose a quilting embroidery design
There are 24 quilting designs available with the book purchase. The two designs that were used to quilt the layers
of this lap quilt are featured below.
There are other embroidery designs that are
digitized for machine quilting. Look for designs that
have compatible components such as a square, a
1/2-square triangle, or borders.
Attach embroidery hoop
Mark center of each block with a wash-away marking pen. This block has a seam at the center, which
eliminates this step.
Add double-sided basting tape to the underneath side of the inner hoop. (Can you see the shadow of my hoop
earring in this shot? The photo was hurriedly taken at the studio during a recording day!)
Position hoop on fabric, aligning crossmarks of hoop with wash-away marks on fabric or crossmarks on template.
Place outer hoop underneath the quilt sandwich; loosen the screw. Insert inner hoop into the fabric. Tighten
screws.
Remove template if a template was used.
Close-up of the quilting stitches
Denise used white thread to stitch the full embroidery design in the center of the pieced blocks and the design that
fills a 1/2-square block in the corner of each white triangle.
Watch Stress Free Quilting with Machine Embroidery Part Two on Sewing With
Nancy online.
To watch Sewing With Nancy on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone, download the app.
Leave us a comment sharing the most stressful step in the
quilting process to be entered to win a copy of Stress-Free
Quilting with Machine Embroidery. A winner will be chosen
randomly and announced on May 14.
Bye for now,
Content in this feed is © copyright 2015 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission.
You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as
content on a blog or other website.
Stress-Free Quilt Piecing with Machine Embroidery
Do you love quilting and not love quilting at the same time? Quilting for non-quilters, that’s what this Sewing
With Nancy program is all about. Let my guest Denise Abel and I show you how to turn your computerized
embroidery machine into a quilting machine. Denise is the embroidery and quilting expert on the Sewing With
Nancy team.
Here’s a preview of what you’ll learn on TV!
The piecing of the Simple Shadow Block was stitched on a stabilizer, assuring precise piecing without precise
cutting of strips. You can piece a quilt without being a quilter! Denise and I developed a book with 30 embroideries,
some of the embroideries are for piecing, the others for quilting! The embroideries are found on the companion CD
that is included with the Stress-Free Quilting with Machine Embroidery book. Here are the specifics—it’s
quite a deal!
Four piecing quilt block designs: Simple Shadow blocks, Quilt Charm blocks, Fancy Squares blocks, and Crazy
Quilting blocks.
Six quilting designs: Leaves block, Leaves border, Flower block, Flower half, Modern Star block, and Modern
Star half.
Includes 10 designs in three sizes each for a total of 30 designs:
30 designs: 10 (5″ x 7″), 10 (6″ x 10″), 10 (8″ x 8″).
Includes:
Thread color sequence charts for each design.
10 embroidery formats: ART, BLF, DST, EXP, HUS, JEF, PES, SHV, VIP, VP3
Amazing Designs Edit Xpress software to re-size, re-color, preview and print Amazing Designs collections.
How to piece a quilt block in an embroidery hoop
Listed below is an overview of the technique. There’s more detail shown on the TV show and in the book. Each
quilt block design is available in three sizes. Obviously, the larger the block, the larger the embroidery hoop size is
needed:
8″ block requires an 8″ x 8″ or larger hoop
6″ block requires a 6″ x 10″ or larger hoop
5″ block requires a 5″ x 7″ hoop or larger
Hoop a Fusible Mesh Cut-Away Stabilizer, fusible side up. (The photos feature a 5″ block.)
Select three fabrics: a light, medium, and dark. Cut 6-1/2″ squares of the light (white) color; then cut them in half,
point to point, to create 1/2-square triangles.
Set up the sewing machine with the embroidery unit and appropriate foot.
Import and select the embroidery design for the Simple Shadow Blocks. (There are four other blocks to choose
from!)
Select all-purpose poly or poly/cotton thread; wind the bobbin with the same thread as used in the needle. A
slightly contrasting color works best. (Now this is different! Rayon thread is usually used for embroidery but we’re
piecing quilt blocks!)
Stitch the first thread color directly on the stabilizer, the outline of the quilt block plus the numbers 1–3.
Place the ½-square triangle of color #1 over the section marked #1—right side up. The fabric must extend
beyond the stitching lines.
Stitch the second thread color, which bastes down fabric #1.
Align fabric strip #2 along the diagonally stitched line, right sides together. Make certain that the fabric is
extending ½″ beyond the outline on the stabilizer at the upper left corner.
Stitch the third thread color.
Trim away the excess fabric along the previously stitched line.
Fold up Color #2.
Press from the folded edge and work to the opposite corner so there are no wrinkles. (Watch how we press while
the hoop is still attached to the machine. Learn how to make a portable pressing surface. (Click here to view.)
Align fabric strip #3 along the previously stitched diagonal line, right sides together. Make certain that the fabric
is extending ½″ beyond the outline on the stabilizer at the upper left corner.
Stitch the next thread color, which attaches the fabric to the stabilizer
Trim away the excess fabric along the previously stitched line.
Fold up fabric #3. Press from the folded edge, and work to the opposite corner.
Then stitch the next thread color, which attaches the fabric to the stabilizer along the outer edges.
Stitch the final thread color. This stitching gives a cutting guideline.
Trim the block. It’s the perfect size!
There are more design options to piece with your embroidery unit. The best part is that each block is perfect in
size!
Watch Stress Free Quilting with Machine Embroidery Part One on Sewing With
Nancy online.
To watch Sewing With Nancy on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone, download the app.
Leave us a comment sharing the most stressful step in the
quilting process to be entered to win a copy of Stress-Free
Quilting with Machine Embroidery. A winner will be chosen
randomly and announced on May 14.
The random winner of Handbags 2—Designer Knockoffs is Bonnie. She said: I love them all, but my favorite is
the red bag. Thanks for sharing your wonderful designer tips for sewing the bags.
Bye for now,
Content in this feed is © copyright 2015 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission.
You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as
content on a blog or other website.
Circle Appliques That Make "Wow" Quilts
80″ x 88″
Circle accents are everywhere—quilts, pillows, table runners, or handbags. Make a statement by sewing circles,
spots, or dots with my no-stress appliqué technique. The sewing secret is to use fusible interfacing.
The featured quilt, I See Spots, recently hung on display at the Modern Quilt Guild’s QuiltCon conference in
Austin. The bold colors, large blocks (18″ squares), and rectangle shapes (9″ x 18″) give the quilt a modern feel. But
don’t think you need to make a quilt! Just one 18″ block would make an ideal pillow.
I See Spots
Create circles or spots without ever cutting a circle! How? Fusible interfacing is the key. Learn how to create this
bed-sized quilt with the streamlined process of stitching circles instead of cutting them.
I See Spots is a bed-sized quilt with 18″ blocks, 9″ blocks, and 9″ x 18″ rectangles. The focal points are the circles or
spots! Cast aside traditional appliqué techniques and learn the speedy way of creating and appliquéing circles.
Want a smaller project? Scale down the quilt to a lap size or simply make a pillow.
Tools
Trace ‘n Create Quilt Template—Carefree Curves Collection
Note from Nancy: There are three templates in this collection, the 1/4-Circle & Circle Template will be used for this
project. For other quilt design ideas, check out the book and Sewing With Nancy TV show, Quilt with Carefree
Curves.
Point 2 Point Turner
Pellon SofShape Interfacing
Monofilament Thread
I See Spots Project Sheet
Fabrics Select eight fabrics in various shades of light, medium, and dark. If you’d like to personalize or change the
color scheme, make certain to follow the standard rule of thumb for quilting and choose light, medium, and dark
shades.
Note from Nancy: The fusible interfacing is the key to the construction of this design. Don’t choose a heavy fusible
interfacing, light is best! This quilt was made using Pellon’s Sof-Shape.
Technique Instructions
The complete instructions to make the circles or spots are available in the I See Spots Project Sheet.
Create the Circles or Spots
Details on the strip size relative to the circle size and strip widths are marked on the template.
Layer same-sized interfacing and fabric blocks, right sides together.
Placing smooth side of interfacing to right side of fabric. Pin.
Place circle template on each block set.
Trace the circle.
Use a fine-point fabric-marking pen.
Stitch
Set machine for a straight stitch, 2.0 stitch length.
Stitch directly on the traced line.
Note from Nancy: When stitching curves, I like to use a shorter stitch length, which provides a smoother finished
curve.
Trim away excess fabric. For best results, use a pinking rotary cutter blade.
Trim away excess interfacing from interior, leaving 1″ of interfacing.
Note from Nancy: Save the trimmed
interior section of the interfacing to use
when creating smaller circles.
Turn interfacing to wrong side.
Press curved edge, making certain seam is along the edge.
Fold background blocks and circles into fourths. Lightly press folds.
Unfold fabrics.
Center the small circles onto larger blocks, matching creases; pin.
Pair the circles to blocks as per the illustrated color guide I See Spots Project Sheet.
Fold each rectangle in half, meeting long edges. Lightly press the fold. Unfold the fabric.
Measure down 1-3/4″ from one end of each rectangle.
Align creases of circles with vertical creases on rectangle. Pin.
Pair the circles to rectangles as per the illustrated color guide.
Stitch Circles to Background Blocks and Rectangles
Thread needle with monofilament thread such as Madeira’s Monofilament thread.
Use all-purpose thread in the bobbin.
Set machine for either a straight stitch, narrow zigzag stitch, or blanket stitch.
Stitch circles to fabric.
Assemble and Finish Quilt
Follow illustrated color guide to assemble and stitch blocks and squares.
Stitch blocks and squares using 1/4″ seam allowances.
Layer quilt top, batting, and backing.
Quilt using your favorite quilting techniques.
.
Finish quilt with binding.
Get the complete I See Spots Project Sheet at Nancy’s Notions.
Watch Carefree Curves Techniques Online
I demonstrate how to make circle appliqués during this Sewing With Nancy episode. Enjoy!
A big thank you to those of you who attended my two lectures: Seams Unlikely and Crafting a Sewing Business:
One Stitch at a Time, checked in on my QuiltCon guest book, and entered to win a Carefree Curves template from
Clover. The random giveaway winner is Judy Tucker! Congratulations, Judy!
——————
Have you entered your pillow into my 2015 Pillow Challenge? Entry deadline is next Tuesday, March 3, 2015.
Join the fun and learn the details at my February 3 Blog Posting.
Bye for now,
Content in this feed is © copyright 2015 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission.
You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as
content on a blog or other website.
Quilt Binding in Six Easy Steps
A narrow strip of fusible interfacing is the secret to
fearlessly binding the edges of a quilt in six easy
steps. In the past, it was a trick for me to join the
beginning and ending of the quilt binding. Not any
more! I hope that you will enjoy this sewing
tutorial on quilt binding.
I can’t take credit for this technique, fellow Sewing With Nancy team member; Donna Fenske came up with this
idea. Her innovative process is one of the techniques in this week’s Sewing With Nancy featured online video.
It’s the last of the three-part series, Fearless Quilting Finishes. During this 30-minute show you’ll learn assorted
quilt binding finishes. Watch the process online for all the details.
Here’s how sew a quilt binding
Step One: Prepare the binding strips
Cut one end of the binding with a 45-degree angle. Press in 1/4″ at the beginning angled edge.
Press a 1/4″ strip of fusible tape on top of the folded inner edge.
Step Two: Press the binding
Fold and press the binding in half, wrong sides together, meeting lengthwise edges.
Step Three: Stitch the binding to the quilt
Stitch the binding to the quilt with a 1/4″ seam, starting about 4″ from the end of the binding. (See the white
thread at the far right of the photo!)
I detail how to fold and stitch the binding at the corners. Remember, you can watch online, view the DVD, or of
course, watch on Public TV!
Step four: Fuse the quilt binding ends together
Remove the paper backing from the fusible web.
When the binding reaches the starting point, tuck the end of the binding into the beginning.
Trim off the excess binding, if there is any.
With the binding end sandwiched between the starting point, press. The bias seam is secured without stitching.
Next, continue to stitch the remaining 1/4″ seam.
Step five: Turn the binding to the wrong side
Press the binding up.
Wrap and pin the binding to the wrong side, covering the stitching line.
Step six: Stitch the final time
Stitch in the ditch, sewing in the well of the seam.
Or, hand stitch the folded edges, stitching on the wrong side of the fabric. (I’ve obviously used another sample.)
There’s more to learn online or read in the Fearless Quilting Finishes book!
If the corners of your quilting project are hexagon or octagon shaped, learn the tips on how to add binding to easily
finish those edges. Also learn how to add binding to curves.
Did you
catch the
first two
episodes of
Fearless
Quilting
Finishes?
Watch episode one and episode two online. Or, check out my blog post on borders and the
blog post on stippling!
Here’s a reference to have close at hand.
All the information shown in the three-part series is written and illustrated in my book, Fearless Quilting
Finishes. Plus, the DVD features all three parts of the series. The Sewing With Nancy staff makes certain that all
the steps are carefully written and illustrated. Presenting sewing and quilting techniques is a team effort!
For a chance to win a copy of Fearless Quilting Finishes, please let me know your favorite quilt border
technique. The random winner will be announced on March 5.
Watch Sewing With Nancy online.
To watch Sewing With Nancy on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone, download the app.
Have you entered your pillow into my 2015 Pillow Challenge? Entry deadline is next
Tuesday, March 3, 2015. Join the fun and learn the details at my February 3 Blog Posting.
Bye for now,
Nancy Zieman—author, pattern designer, businesswoman, producer, and national sewing authority—is the host of
the popular show Sewing With Nancy®, which appears exclusively on public television stations across the United
States and Canada. Follow Nancy’s blog at NancyZieman.com/blog and sign up to receive Nancy’s E-News for
the latest news in sewing, quilting, and creating.
Content in this feed is © copyright 2015 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission.
You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as
content on a blog or other website.
Stippling: Machine Quilting Basics
The creative process of quilting is quite rewarding, but how should you finish your work? On Sewing With
Nancy the online video features part two of Fearless Quilting Finishes, and I’ll show you three different ways to
tackle the quilting steps: stitching in the ditch, decorative “tie” stitching, and stippling.
The stippling-style quilting I’ll show you is easy to photograph, but it is much more effective if you watch the
quilting process in motion. What better way to illustrate the technique than to have you click here and
watch online. You can find all the details written in the book that accompanies the three-part series, Fearless
Quilting Finishes.
Stippling Review
Setting up your sewing machine is the first step in learning how to stipple.
Lower the feed dogs.
Attach a quilting foot.
Set the machine for a straight stitch.
Choose a thread that matches the background, or use a variegated thread as featured in the quilted project.
Use a needle compatible with the thread. With the thicker variegated thread, I suggest a topstitching
needle—the large eye accommodates the thread.
Helpful notions
With the feed dogs lowered, you’ll be guiding and moving the quilt layers underneath the needle area. This is the
motion or process that makes many people leery! Consider using a Supreme Slider on the bed of the machine. I
use it since it helps the fabric move effortlessly under the needle. The Supreme Slider has a Teflon top, and it has
a tacky underside that sticks to the machine.
Use a Quilt Halo to help control the fabric—it’s comparable to the steering wheel on a car. Position the halo on
top of the basted quilt and slide it under the foot of the machine. Then, hold the sides of the notion using gentle
pressure. The tacky underside of the Quilt Halo grips the fabric while giving you a sense of control.
Begin by stippling a small project
Choose a small quilting project for your first stippling adventure, such as a placemat or small wall hanging. Then,
move the fabric under the needle to create medium to large “puzzle-end” shapes. Big shapes are okay, in fact
that’s the best way to learn. Just be consistent in size.
Or, stipple following the shape of the design as featured in the petals and leaves of the coneflower. It’s best to
watch the process online!
Here’s a reference to have close at hand
All the information shown in the 3-part series is written and illustrated in my book, Fearless Quilting Finishes.
Plus, the DVD features all three parts of the series. The Sewing With Nancy staff makes certain that all of the steps
are carefully written and illustrated. Presenting sewing and quilting techniques is a team effort!
For a chance to win a copy of Fearless Quilting Finishes, please let me know your favorite quilt border
technique. The random winner will be announced on March 5.
From Mary Mulari’s guest blog, the random winner of her book, Applique—Large & Small, is Ilana. She said, I
love fusible applique. The pattern sheet in Mary’s book includes 25+ appliqué designs and two alphabets.
Watch Sewing With Nancy online.
To watch Sewing With Nancy on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone, download the app.
Bye for now,
Nancy Zieman—author, pattern designer, businesswoman, producer, and national sewing authority—is the host of
the popular show Sewing With Nancy®, which appears exclusively on public television stations across the United
States and Canada. Follow Nancy’s blog at NancyZieman.com/blog and sign up to receive Nancy’s E-News for
the latest news in sewing, quilting, and creating.
Content in this feed is © copyright 2015 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission.
You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as
content on a blog or other website.
Quilting Simplified—Folded Flying Geese
Half-square triangles and bias edges are not needed to make the Flying Geese quilt pattern. Use folded triangles or
Prairie Points to create this traditional design. Using squares, folds, clever pressing, and columns, quilting couldn’t
be simpler.
In this blog post, I’ll show you the basic technique for assembly so that you may incorporate this easy Flying Geese
design in your quilts. For directions to create the quilt pictured above, see Folded Flying Geese in my book, Quick
Column Quilts.
For a streaming video demonstration on how to create the Flying
Geese design with three easy folds, watch Sewing With Nancy
Quick Column Quilts (Part Three).
Cutting Directions:
Background or columns: Cut 2-1/2″ wide to 6-1/2″ strips from beige background fabric
Flying Geese: Cut 2″ to 6″ squares from five to six different colors of fabric.
Fold and Stitch Techniques
Press all cut squares in half matching wrong sides.
Meet the folded corners to the cut edge at the center. Press.
Stitch Flying Geese to Columns
Use a Folded Flying Geese unit that is 1/2″ narrower than the corresponding column width.
Mark the placement on the column.
Align the cut edge of the Folded Flying Geese unit to the placement mark.
Fold the column strip, right sides together, at each marked placement line. The Folded Flying Geese unit is
sandwiched between the fabrics.
Press.
Stitch 1/4″ from the fold.
Open and press.
Repeat these steps to add many Flying Geese to a single column.
Arrange and Stitch the Columns
Measure and trim each column to a uniform length.
Join the columns together using 1/4″ seam allowances.
Stitch down the center of the Flying Geese units with monofilament thread to secure them to the column.
Note from Nancy: When quilting this Folded Flying Geese project, make certain to choose a quilting design that will
maintain the integrity of the dimensional fold.
Watch Folded Flying Geese online.
To watch on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone, download the app.
I’m giving away a copy of Quick Column Quilts! Post a comment telling me if you’ve ever used any or wanted to
try dimensional quilting techniques. A random winner will be drawn on February 24, 2015.
Bye for now,
Nancy Zieman—author, pattern designer, businesswoman, producer, and national sewing authority—is the host of
the popular show Sewing With Nancy®, which appears exclusively on public television stations across the United
States and Canada. Follow Nancy’s blog at NancyZieman.com/blog and sign up to receive Nancy’s E-News for
the latest news in sewing, quilting, & creating.
Content in this feed is © copyright 2015 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission.
You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as
content on a blog or other website.