(Part 3) Top products from r/quilting

I can't argue with the notion (heh) of a gift certificate. But some people feel that's a little impersonal.

So here's a couple of ideas in case that doesn't work for you:

• A book on organizing your quilting space (because who doesn't want more organization?), e.g. Dream Sewing Spaces: Design & Organization for Spaces Large & Small.
  
  
• An "art quilt" book. Something that's not so much about "how to do it" but gosh-that's-pretty pictures for inspiration. I find those hard to buy for myself but would love to get them as a gift. I don't know this one personally, but it's in the theme I'm thinking of: Art Quilt Portfolio: People & Portraits: Profiles of Major Artists, Galleries of Inspiring Works.
  
  
• A pair of really really good scissors. Because no matter how many we have, we can always use another pair. Or pretty ones, like these.

Value and contrast - they are much more important than colour choices. And don't forget that small patches of fabric sewn together may look completely different from the same fabrics on the bolt.

Mary Fons has a good video on this subject and another that illustrates what can go wrong

Quiltmaker Magazine did a video on Value and Scale and OnPoint did one on choosing fabrics here.

You can also get help from art tutorials such as these:
-- Proko: The Basic Elements: Shape Value Colour Edge

-- ArtTutor: Understanding Tonal Value & Contrast

If you want a book for reference, try Alex Anderson's Scrap Quilting - the link is for Kindle (it's out of print but you can get paper copies through Amazon Marketplace). Sue Aubrey's books Pick Four is another good one - also unavailable at the moment but again you can get cheap second-hand copies.

For choosing fabrics from your stash, the photocopy (or scan and print greyscale) method is good. For choosing fabrics in a shop you need something to strip out the colour, such as a red or green filter -- you can buy fancy gadgets or you can make your own from cellophane paper.

If you find that you are really good at blending and not so good on contrast, then maybe you should look at making watercolour quilts, where the whole aim is to have a gradual change in colour and tone.

Considering the fact that I am from Pakistan and even own a ralli (pronounced Rull-lee, rull like hull) quilt (that is currently being repaired back home so I can’t share a picture) I should know more. These are made in a very small geographical area in India and Pakistan and I think generally they have bright colors, high contrast and lots of squares and HST’s. There can be a good bit of Hawaiian quiltesque appliqué as well. I recently bought a book on ralli quilts from amazon second hand. It’s got beautiful pictures in it. https://www.amazon.com/Ralli-Quilts-Traditional-Designers-Collectors/dp/0764316974/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536340891&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=ralli+quilts&dpPl=1&dpID=61W9VZH9GCL&ref=plSrch

How to stop 1/2" thin strips of quilting cotton from fraying?

Here's the deal. I made several quilts and baby blankets for my very-soon-to-be-incoming grandchild. I have leftover 100% cotton print fabric that I would like to use in my DIY mobile that will hang over the crib.

This will only be in use for a few months, the strips of cloth are more for movement/texture to go along with the foam roses I've bound in a hoop, the fabric will be well out of reach. I can't really find anything online that is a good example of what I'm picturing, but something like this dream-catcher on Amazon but without the feathers.

I can't quite figure out how to get narrow strips of fabric and keep the edges from fraying and shedding over the crib. I'm trying to use the fabric I have so it matches, and to save money, so I don't want to go buy adhesive or anything I don't have... if I have to spend money I'd rather save the time and just buy ribbons. I have a machine and plenty of matching thread.

Anyone have any suggestions?

I don't know all the names for all the variations of quilted stars -- there's so many! But search terms like "traditional quilt blocks" might be helpful. The Generations Quilt Patterns website has a handy visual page with lots of options. (Scroll down a bit to the alphabetical "All Blocks" buttons.) It's not comprehensive, but they have lots.

The Quilt Block Cookbook has a lot of block patterns as well. My quilting class used this the year before I joined them, and the consensus seemed to be the math is a bit wonky on the first printing at the very least, so maybe keep that in mind.

501 Rotary-Cut Quilt Blocks by Judy Hopkins has, well, 501 block options as well. I borrowed this one from my local library and I think I'm going to buy myself a copy to own, because it's really great.

Hope that helps!

Don't know if she has one, but a Color Tool (a color-finder, and a helper with color theory) is a GREAT gift for quilters. My mom and I both have one, and I bring mine with me almost everywhere I go. Here it is, on amazon
I think there might be something wrong with the prices. I paid about $25 for mine?? I don't know why it's so expensive here.

I got the pattern from this book
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1607056844?pc_redir=1409600524&robot_redir=1

You can get an e-version of it I see but I got to say, I love this book. I've now used 3 of the patterns in it and plan on using at least 2 more. I'll likely repeat this one, it's called Freah.

Thank you! Just the flamingos are from Elizabeth Hartman - FLORENCE FLAMINGO pdf quilt pattern and actually I cut up two ‘real’ bandannas to make the flamingos. The Seminole boarder is from Cheryl Greider Bradkin - Basic Seminole Patchwork (a great book!)

https://ohfransson.bigcartel.com/product/florence-flamingo-pdf-quilt-pattern

Basic Seminole Patchwork https://www.amazon.com/dp/157120010X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_VsaVCbQ902ZHS

You need this Mini Mosaics book. I'm teaching it next term so I got some practice in. I'm not sure what my photo settings are in fb, but here's a link to the cosmetic bag I made using this technique. The beauty of it is that you iron the wee squares onto fusible interfacing, which means that the results are going to be perfect. If you're not doing huge pixel art, mini mosaics is the way to go. My squares are 1"x1" finished, but you can also do .5"x.5"!!!

I've been toying with the idea of getting Mastering the Art of McTavashing, but I haven't so far. I've heard really good things about it and the dvd, though! http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Art-McTavishing-Karen-McTavish/dp/0974470678/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1422569090&sr=1-1&keywords=mastering+the+art+of+mctavishing

I love these books for my baby quilt needs:
3 Times the Charm

There is also a sequel (3 Times the Charm, 2)

Big Block Quilts

Fat Quarter Baby: 20 Crib Quilts for Bundles of Joy

Lots of cultures have quilting traditions. Here's a book you may be interested in: http://www.amazon.com/Quilts-Around-World-Quilting-Zimbabwe/dp/0760337446

It’s in a book, but it is the cover of the book, so I can at least link that! Here is the book on amazon

Angela Water's first book:
http://www.amazon.com/Free-Motion-Quilting-Angela-Walters-Designs/dp/160705535X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1422559609&sr=8-3&keywords=angela+walters&pebp=1422559615598&peasin=160705535X

Here you go: https://www.amazon.com/Paper-Pieced-Modern-Step-Step/dp/1607059894

Someone else posted this, currently free: Free-Motion Meandering: A Beginners Guide to Machine Quilting

Here's a paper pieced alphabet one of the designers I follow on instagram did: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alphabet-Adventures-Paper-Pieced/dp/1726735117/ref=sr_1_3?qid=1573853483&refinements=p_27%3AMarianne+Jeffreys&s=books&sr=1-3

A local quilt shop has a long arm quilter and anyone can take lessons and then rent time on it for large quilting projects.

I've been working on a Cotton Theory quilt for a couple of years. You quilt the blocks first, then assemble them. I haven't actually assembled any of the blocks yet, so I don't know how unwieldy it's going to be.

ooh all kinds of things.

i use patterning books like this and they suggest enlarging via copier but i don’t fuck with wasting that much paper. so i copy it onto one of those old school transparency sheets and boom done. i can make physical pattern pieces from that and then sewing is a breeze.

i’m learning to embroider and i want to do my own designs. if i’m not printing i actually use an old (but clean) ziplock or similar to draw something on and then can just trace it onto the fabric taped to a wall.

it’s nice because i can draw things at a reasonable size and then enlarge them however i need to.