Posts Tagged ‘redwork’
Gotta Love Cats – completed!
Posted on: 6 September 2008
- In: quilting
- 6 Comments
I am very proud to announce the completion of the quilt for my Mom. I have named it “Gotta Love Cats”. My mom is a fanatic cat lover!
There is a little story behind this quilt. In April 2006, I attended my first Guild Demo night – Redwork. I was a little anxious at first, because I didn’t know very much, actually very little about quilting, and didn’t think I would ever use this technique… well, at least not in the near future at that time. But I thought, it is a new skill, and even if I never use it, or don’t use it for several years, I’ll know how to do it. It was a fun evening.
Or so I thought! HAH!
I believe as I was driving home that evening, an idea struck me for a quilt for my Mom. I would make her a quilt with cats, and do the cats in redwork. But what would I use for an alternating block. I had read about those, although didn’t really know much about them either. I looked on the internet, and found a block that would be appropriate… “Puss in the Corner”. I started buying 1/2 yard pieces of red fabrics. My Mom likes the colour red… this worked out well, I think, as it is Redwork.
Where do I find “Cats”. Okay, one of the suggestions from the demo night was colouring books. So after a hunt high and low, I found a few old colouring books. My kids are pretty much out of that stage. And try and find “traditional” colouring books… oh no… they are all “themed” – Spiderman, Barbie, Dora, etc etc etc. Then I thought, I would check the internet. Found quite a few there too. In order to trace some of them, I had to “remove” the colour from the image… which I did using MS Paint. I’m thinking now, I would have been smarter just to print them, and go over the areas I wanted to trace/stitch with a heavier marker. Ah well… it’s all a learning experience. It took me two years to complete this quilt. I am pleased with the way it turned out.
Each Puss-in-the-corner block is quilted differently. I was “learning” how to machine quilt, and wanted to work on free motion. A few blocks have “kitty” type words in them – Meow, and such. As well as the names written in free motion, of my Mom’s current cats – Bugsy, Opie, Smoky. And there are hearts galore over the quilt.
This block is the first one I quilted… I drew a design then used Press-n-Seal to “mark” the quilt. I wrote about my adventures with this technique/tool in this blog – Glad Press’n’seal – the new quilting tool.
I had purchased a couple of Patsy Thompson’s quilting DVDs, and had watched them, trying to decide how to quilt this quilt. The blocks were “easy” enough, I suppose, but the borders intimidated me. I haven’t marked a quilt, especially a big one, to be quilted, the thought scares me. I know… eventually I’ll get over it. With a little inspiration, well, actually a lot of inspiration from Patsy’s DVD’s I just went for it on the borders. I combined a “lazy” vine, with some hearts, instead of doing a feather motif. I used a variegated cream to brown thread. I had a lot of fun doing this. In the corner 4-patch blocks I did a double square on point.
See… more cats in the border too!
Then there’s the label. Usually I find the label the hardest thing to do for a quilt. In fact, I had this label done before I finished the quilting. I had an extra block left over, and I decided to Machine Stitch the information on a piece of muslin, and use the decorative heart stitch to attach it to the extra block.
Check it out… kitties on the backing too! I had been told that when making a “Cat” quilt, one must also always include a mouse. While trying to figure out, how I was going to quilt it, I played with the idea of mice chasing each other around the border, but, the marking of it all, intimidated me. So, I red-worked the cat and mouse on the label.
Although the quilt is 3 months past my deadline, I am very happy how it turned out. (I have mentioned that). Now to get it packaged up, and shipped to my Mom. Do you think she’d mind if I kept it until next Spring… our quilt show is in March.
Now, for the part to get you pondering. Is there a skill/technique that you didn’t think you would want to do. If you can, take a class, or a workshop, or attend a demonstration, or find a book, and learn it. You’ll be surprised with where it may lead you.
Have you ever wondered where some names for blocks come from? You probably are aware that some blocks have several names, dependent on where they originated or even where they were made.
The Puss-in-the-corner block does have a bit of history. It is actually based on a children’s game, a version of tag. There is a player in each corner, and the puss is in the center of a room. On an agreed signal the players attempt to move to the next corner. The puss tries to beat them to the corner. If the puss is successful, the player now becomes the puss.
Until our next quilting adventure. -Alice
- In: quilting
- 8 Comments
I had read somewhere on the internet that Glad Press’N’Seal was a great tool for quilting, so I bought a box… someday to try it. Well someday happened.
I decided to use it for my Mom’s Quilt. I am not a very experienced quilter… and it does intimidate me, to try the feathers, and all those other very neat designs.
I started with a piece of parchment paper, and drew the size of the finished block on it. I then started drawing the design on it. Then I folded it, and drew the other corner, then unfolded and refolded, and traced… until the design was all over the paper. It didnt’ look half bad, if I do say so myself.
I didn’t want to affix the parchment paper to the quilt (it is a bed-size quilt), and then I remembered my box of Glad Press’N’Seal (Pns). I pulled out a piece… careful here, as it will fold up onto itself (but it will come away easily). I laid the PnS over top the parchment paper.
I started tracing the design with a pencil… but the pencil wasn’t marking very well, and in some cases put small holes into the PnS. What to do… what to do… ahhh… I’ll grab a fine point sharpie, that should do it. I traced the design. Didn’t look to bad, except the lines are now really really thick.
For the next 12 times I need to trace this pattern out, I am going to use a very fine point pen.
Although… if I get the “hang” of the design in a couple blocks… I may just go free-form. I’ll see how adventurous I feel on that.
For now… I have 5 more of the redwork blocks to finish quilting. But I think I’ll do that other block first… maybe.
And just because this quilt would not be complete without a few candid shots. This is my cat, Tazzie, we’ve had her for 6 months now, so that would make her about a year. She has decided that this quilt is hers! I think she is going to be disappointed, when I give it away.
Wake up Tazzie
Hello Sleepy Head.
Poor tired Tazzie, just can’t stay awake.
Tazzie back to sleep.
Gotta Luv Cats
Posted on: 1 March 2008
In April 2006, I attended a Redwork workshop given by our local quilters’ quild. Redwork is needlework similar to embroidery, but uses traditionally only red thread on a white background. It was a fun evening!
After taking this class, I had a great idea. I’ll make a quilt for my Mom. Now we should add, that at this point I was only just starting to quilt… no quilts started, only a thought of doing one to remember my dad. (Another story, for another time).
In the Redwork workshop, the facilitator suggested that redwork designs could be found just about anywhere… but colouring books were often used. Within a few days, I started to gather cats. I traced a couple from a few colouring books, then I scoured the internet. Found a few there too. Some needed some “editing” to get rid of the colour, and to leave the outline (lines) of the design. I worked off and on on these blocks until February 2008 (when I finished the last one). I made 12 redwork blocks, and 13 puss-in-the-corner blocks as an alternating block. I also gathered several burgundy/wine reds, as that is the colour of the thread I chose to do the redwork. I wish I knew then what I know now… I would have bought a little more of the fabric… because I didn’t have enough to do the borders. I found some fabric with cats on it, to use for the inside border. The outside border is a paisley with colours from the inside border as well as from some of the blocks.
I finished attaching the borders today! I am very pleased with my results. I even did tricky (what I consider tricky for a beginner quilter), corners for the borders. I made 4-patch blocks for the corners. The tricky part is getting the border long enough to fit the sides of the quilt, and then of course matching all the seams. I think I missed 3 or 4… so I think it went very well.
This will be my largest quilt made to date. Currently it is approximately 70″x70″. My design wall isn’t quite wide enough, so the pictures don’t have all the quilt.
a few of the blocks are missing from this picture. Once the quilt is completed, I’ll post a picture of the entire quilt
All I need to do know is sandwich, quilt, bind and label it, and it will be done! I think my Mom will like it.
It all started Friday evening. I had been invited to a retirement party, which I attended. I had only ever been to one before, and that was a few years ago. I didn’t really know to many people except for the co-workers of the fellow that retired. I had worked for this company for 9 months, and although I am not currently working for them, they treat me as part of the family. It’s a really great feeling! Before I left home, I realized I was going to have to fill up the van with gas… I didn’t remember until I drove by the gas station on my way home. Oh well, hopefully I’ll have enough to get back in the morning.
Welcome Saturday morning. Forecast is for snow… but doubt we’ll see anyway… that’s the way it usually goes. Before heading to our Guild’s workshop on Appliqué, I head to get some gas. While I’m in the area, I stop and pick up a cup of tea to go! Mmmm… Earl Grey with a shot of vanilla. Now I’m on my way!
I’m looking forward to doing appliqué. I haven’t done it before, and think this will be a great technique to learn. The first part of the day (or morning), is on wool appliqué. What a great project. Wool appliqué is very forgiving. It doesn’t have to be perfect. My project isn’t finished, as it will take a little longer than the time we had to finish it.
Lunch time was a bit of a “surprise party” for one of the quilter’s. She “retired” at the end of December, unfortunately they closed the shop she managed. A number of the guild members, and another guild she belongs to, got together and completed a good size quilt in 10 days… that’s including the quilting, which was long-armed. The quilt was designed by one of the guild members. It’s gorgeous!
After the shock of the “party”, we got back to appliqué. This time it was to be needle appliqué, using a template, and folding the edges over, then handstitching to a foundation piece. My youngest daughter is also a guild member, and she attended the afternoon workshop. I helped her with the pressing of her pieces, and she started handstitiching. She was very excited about this project. It will be completely done by her, and she already has a few ideas to do a few more, and make a small quilt. The day was finished with all of us with a couple projects to do, and 2 new techniques under our needles. The needle-turn appliqué will be done on a Thursday evening. We were all suffering from information overload.
After a quick trip back into town, to do a little shopping, and picking up something for supper, I found I was back at home. I was tired, and fully expected just to have a quiet evening… not so. After supper, I decided to work on my redwork project. I am doing 12 blocks of redworked cats. I have 9 completed… finishing the 9th on Saturday night. I also crocheted another face cloth, the last for a special order I had.
It’s Sunday! What to do today. Well, I had to find 3 more cats… they are now traced onto the fabric, ready to be stitched. This should go quickly now. Then just have to make the alternating blocks, and then that quilt will be ready to go. I also did some quilting on the “There’s a Dog on My Quilt”. I have decided to quilt bones in the sashing, and hydrants and paws on the cornerstones. I stitched in the ditch around the 9 patch blocks. I need to decide what I’m going to do with the 9 patches, and the dog. I made three templates. I used the washable blue marking pen. Worked very well on the sashing. I haven’t marked the hydrants or paws yet… those will be on black. I have a few of the bones quilted, and used an Aquadoodle pen, to remove them. This little device works wonders! There is minimum wetting of the quilt to remove the marks
Well, I’m off to do some more quilting… and start marking the hydrants and paws. This quilt is really starting to look very nice!
Hope your weekend was what you wanted!
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