Magpie Quilts

Just a few quilting projects on the go this week. My yellow and gray quilt came back from being quilted, so I am adding the binding today. Sunshine & Clouds - FOR SALE These two quilted table runners are also at the binding stage. The cherry runner is free-motion machine quilted with a leaf motif that I wanted to practice. It's not perfect, but I think that leaves in nature are not always perfectly formed either, so it just adds to the character of the finished piece. I added a little folded accent strip just inside the quilt binding and think it really pops! Fresh Cherries - FOR SALE Chevrons & Roses - FOR SALE The lovely zig zag chevron quilt was made from a beautiful floral fabric I've had for quite some time. When I bought it, I was reminded of my Oma (grandmother) who passed away when I was quite young, but she wore dresses with these big floral prints. I found 2 fat quarters of it in my fabric stash, so this quilted table runner is a bit larger th...

Finishing touches are the little details that will determine is your quilt is made to last through many washings or if it is made to be a delicate treasured keepsake. Some quilts are finished with a scalloped edge, but most are finished with a straight edge. Corners should be square and edges should lay flat, not wavy. Scalloped edge sampler quilt by Magpie Quilts  Quilts can be finished pillow-top style which gives the least durable edge, but is relatively easy to do and works just fine for quilted table runners or potholders or items that won't get a lot of wear along the edges or for an odd-shaped quilt that would be difficult to finish another way. This technique is done before quilting by layering the batting with the backing on top, right side up, and the quilt top right side down on top of the backing. These layers are stitched all the way around the outside of the quilt, leaving an opening to turn the quilt right side out. After the quilt is turned, the opening is stit...

This is what's on my sewing table this week: Dr. Seuss fabrics  One of the most viewed items on my blog and in my Etsy shop has been my Dr. Seuss quilt. I made two late last fall and both were sold quickly. I love piecing these baby quilts as I think about the Dr. Seuss stories that I read to my kids when they were little. Some of my favourite times with them were reading stories and now I get to read to my grandkids! Cutting up Thing One and Thing Two! I've cut up enough fabric to make two more along with a couple other projects. This is what the finished baby quilt will look like: 2011 version of Dr. Seuss baby quilt  After cutting up Dr. Seuss, I took a quick trip to the mail box at the end of the road and found all kinds of quilting goodies!  I've been waiting since the beginning of February for this special fabric to make my mini quilt for my swap partner. The theme for Feb/Mar swap of the MiniQT group on Flickr was movies. Sneak peeks are just beginn...

What separates a quilt from a blanket is the process of quilting. Quilts are generally 3 layers: a top layer, a layer of batting (or wadding), and a backing. Quilting is the process that holds the layers together. Some quilts will only have two layers if the quilter decides to combine the backing & batting by a single layer of fleece or other material. Hand-tied blanket by Little Bug Crochet Quilters have for years done most of their quilting by hand. Utility quilts and simple primitive quilts were and are often just tied. Spaced evenly or randomly over the quilt, tying is simply done by taking a single stitch through all the layers of a quilt, bringing the ends up to one side and then tying with a square knot or a surgeon's knot . Hand-quilted log cabin by Uniquely Nancy Hand-quilting is an art form in itself and many traditional quilters believe that this is the only way a quilt should be finished. It is a time-consuming task and expect to pay for that time! Many m...

Always on the look out for small projects that can be made up quickly for gifts, I found this pattern for luggage tags from Linda Hubbard and Gail Mitchell from Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. I picked out fabrics from what I had on hand, found some heavy duty interfacing and sat down to sew one for a friend. Disclaimer - the pattern linked to is perfectly fine. The problems that occurred are because of my own stupidity! I thought I read all the instructions carefully and cut out the pieces I needed. I pressed and stitched and stitched and pressed and here's my first tag I made: Something was not quite right! The tag looked too narrow! I re-read the instructions and realized I had the wrong seam allowances. Then I had a brilliant idea that I could sew the plastic on BEFORE sewing everything together, thinking that the stitching wouldn't show on the backside if I did that. The stitching didn't show, but it was extremely difficult to turn right side out, and wh...

When looking at quilts, there are a few variations and combinations of techniques that will make a quilt more or less labour intensive. A whole cloth quilt will be made up of one fabric, usually a solid white and the only design detail will be the quilting that is done to make up the pattern. Whole cloth quilts may be quilted by hand or by machine. A pieced quilt will be sewn by machine, or occasionally by hand with the pattern coming through with the fabrics chosen. Wholecloth quilt by Lashonne Abel Designs Another technique often used on quilts is applique. This is how Wikipedia describes applique: In its broadest sense, an appliqué is a smaller ornament or device applied to another surface. An appliqué is usually one piece. In the context of ceramics, for example, an appliqué is a separate piece of clay added to the primary work, generally for the purpose of decoration. The term is borrowed from French and, in this context, means "applied" or "thing that ...

I love this patchwork pattern for quilted table runners. It works up quickly, goes great with almost every fabric and fits all kinds of home decors! I will be introducing some new colour schemes in the next few weeks - think bright turquoise and gray; orange and green; yellow and gray! What colours do you have in your house that you would like to see in a table runner? Let me know which one is your fav! (Check out all quilted table runners for sale at Magpie Quilts !) --Ann

Just a quick update on the custom wedding quilt. I love, love, love how this is going together! And this lovely table runner is in Singapore! I love how Etsy makes it easy to sell online all over the world! -Ann

Selling quilts online has been an education for me. Quilts are such a tactile item, that's it's difficult to describe design details or to convey the texture and feel of the quilt. In discussions on how to effectively sell quilts and what price to list them at, it becomes readily apparent that unless you are a quilter, it is difficult to know why one quilt is listed at a much lower price compared to another quilt that is listed at a higher price point. The first consideration when looking at a quilt is the design. Generally, more pieces = more expensive. As the pieces of fabric in a quilt get smaller, there is more sewing involved, therefore more labour intensive. The first quilt below would be an easier quilt to piece and the second involves more piecing because the four star blocks have many pieces of fabric to be sewn together. less fabric pieces more fabric pieces In designing and making a quilt, there are also different shapes that range from easy to very diffic...

I've been published! A few months ago, I submitted an article to the Canadian Quilter magazine for consideration for their spring issue. Small packages was the theme for this issue and with the online swaps I've been doing, I thought I had plenty of material for an article. Canadian Quilter is sent out to members of the Canadian Quilters Association/Association canadienne de la courtepointe , but if you're not a member, you can order an issue here on their website. It's the Spring 2012 issue! -Ann