Showing posts with label 60 Degrees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 60 Degrees. Show all posts

Friday, August 17, 2018

Washing a Vintage Quilt Part II



How I wish there was Smell-o-vision.
You would say, "Oh, yeah!"

It's washed and dried. Let's look at what washing did both good and bad, and then how it was done.

FYI: I snapped these photos under a shady tree today. It's so bright and sunny that it washed out the colors taken in full sun. 

Pros 

  • I can put my face up to this quilt, and it smells like fabric not dirt. 
  • I've reduced the chance of introducing insects and spiders to my home.
  • I'm free to add it to my collection shelving without fear of transferring a mildewy or a dirty odor. 
  • It won't trigger an asthma attack. I have a problem with dust mites.
  • It's far more pleasant to share at an event.


Note: There was no dye transfer visible anywhere.

Monday, August 6, 2018

Washing a Vintage Quilt Part I



Vintage Tumbling Blocks
About 74" x 90"


When I first set eyes on this beautiful quilt, I longed to take it home with me despite the condition. Today 60 degree pieces cut with an acrylic ruler and rotary cutter require attention to cut exactly.  The pieces in this quilt would have been cut with scissors and paper template. A one patch pattern, Tumbling Blocks is sewn with Y seams. It takes a good eye and practice to match Y seams. I know because I've sweated through it. From what I can see, the majority of this project was done without a sewing machine, but with hand piecing. It was a tremendous investment of time and energy for the maker.

Monday, April 16, 2018

Giant Rose Star Quilt


The Kite Shape:
Working with 60 Degree Shapes


The kite shape was never on my bucket list of "Have-to-make that!", but likely because I didn't know its capabilities. I hadn't had much experience with it, and needed to know how it related to other shapes in the 60 degree family. 

Did you know the kite shape is a combination of a hexagon and a small triangle married together at one of the six sides? Many of our first shape experiences are as children, and most of us did not encounter it. It's rarely included in shape sets or math books, and we have limited exposure.

Saturday, April 7, 2018

Fussy Cuts Tips & Template Play


Machine Pieced 60 Degree Star in 
Digitally Printed Fabric


After my short experience with English paper piecing, I decided I needed a better method to achieve 60 degree piecing. See 60 Degree Shapes. Measuring with standard quilting rulers was successful with 60 degree diamonds, but my interest piqued in specialty templates for more complicated shapes. I was travelling light for a few days, but 2 new Marti Michell template sets, G & H, were small enough to pack in my carry-on. Both sets are based on 60 degrees shapes, but in different sizes. I'd bought them several months ago, but had no time to really spend getting to know them since. Now I had a weekend ahead wide open for play. Off we went!

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Quilts, Groups & Little Dresses for Africa



Four Borders


This picture is turned on its side so you can get a good idea of the colors in all the border pieces. Nothing was sewn yet as I was moved things around to see how it all worked. I never know for sure until I see it from across the room.

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Scrappy 60 Degree Hexagons


Adding More Blocks

Last week I played with some scrap blocks built around these 60 degree diamonds on Make It Happen Monday. I was curious if the diamond backgrounds were too busy, and how a solid would change the block. I had a teal print that read more like a solid in my scrap box, and gave it a whirl. I added 4 more blocks, and made some observations how they all worked together.

Friday, March 23, 2018

How to Piece a 6 Pointed Star from Scraps



Harlequin 
Six Pointed Star Hexie


My last post 60 Degree Shapes talked about experimenting with these blocks, and many of you said this was something on your own bucket lists. It's opened the door to another world of quilts to make, and I thought you might want to join me.

This is a picture heavy post for those of you who need to know before continuing, but you'll know all my tricks from cutting to problem shooting by the end. Shall we do this?

*This tutorial assumes basic sewing techniques of a intermediate sewist.

Sunday, March 18, 2018

60 Degree Shapes



Cut from 2.5" Strips

A 60 Degree Play Day

Today was a catch up with laundry and ironing. But when the stack of shirts was done, I switched over to some scraps I keep at the house. I've wanted to play with some shapes to make stars based on 60 degrees angles. Though I've made a 60 degree triangle quilt, I've never pieced with diamonds, and was curious how hard it could be. 

The Lone Star is based on 60 degree diamonds as well as many other vintage quilts I've been itching to make. See, I do have a carrot dangling out in front of me! As soon as those PUPs are done, I have big plans. Well, at least one good one.