I teach
Beginning Machine Quilting for the
Original Sewing and Quilt Expo and am always looking for new ways to keep the classes interesting. I have a LOT of small and medium sized samples that I bring with me and my students love to look at these for inspiration.
My next show is
Fredericksburg, Virginia. If you're looking for a little inspiration for machine quilting, consider joining me on Saturday October 3 in the Handi Quilter studio.
I love to use simple shapes cut out from freezer paper. When they are ironed to a fabric, there's no need to mark the fabric in the traditional way (ie, with a pen, chalk, etc). The outside of the shape provides the sewing guide. What do I mean?
First, tracing a stencil from one of my favorite quilting motif books, "501 Quilting Motifs."
This is a compilation of stencils from Quiltmaker. An awesome book! I bring it to every class and highly recommend it.
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Tracing a pattern from 501 Quilting Motifs (Martingale) |
This was too hard for me. Sure, I could now place it on my basted quilt and stitch through the paper. But, then you have to then pick out the paper. Not for me. Been there; done that!
Now, for the freezer paper. Used one of my own patterns which I call
Stacked Hearts. First, here is the mini quilt I made using this applique pattern:
Stacked Hearts first appeared in one of my annual block a day calendars. Then I made this little quilt and the pattern has 7 pages full of process photos to show how to set this rectangle on point. And there's a full size applique pattern, along with a chart that shows how to set ANY block (any size) on point. Such a deal.
Here is the cutting out of the
Stacked Hearts template using freezer paper:
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Trace the template onto freezer paper and cut out. |
Now, how did I quilt this? On my
Handi Quilter Sweet 16 ( sit down), of course!
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Quilting using the HQ Sweet 16 |
OK. Did I do something else with that freezer paper applique template? Sure!
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Stacked Hearts freezer paper applique template ironed to a large rectangle of fabric |
And after I quilted it?
I first sewed around the outside of the freezer paper shape. Then I removed the freezer paper. Now it was time to stitch inside the
Stacked Hearts. I doodled and swirled and looped. Then it was time to fill in outside of the hearts. I like to think of those wavy swirls as Goddess Hair! I was done. Put on the binding and I was really done.
I have other samples using freezer paper to guide me for machine quilting. I'll be back with some more. But, for now, I wanted you to see one of my latest tricks. Even a simple stencil will work for this.
Two quick pics of some samples I've dragged on the road with me the past 7 years. My students get these applique patterns:
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Peace Dove |
And my very favorite, Fat Cat!
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Fat Cat |
Hope you enjoyed seeing how easy and simple the use of freezer paper can be to aid you with machine quilting. My motto: Start small; stay simple; repeat!