A friend of mine loaned me a book (Quick Watercolor Quilt's by Dina Pappas) for the section on piecing with interfacing. Where you lay out all your fabric square adhere them to gridded interfacing and then sewing it all together. First does it really work like they say? And second, it seems a little like "cheating", of course it's not because there's no right way to quilt, still I just don't know about this techinque, any opinions?

I've done it and it's okay. Things still don't necessarily line up perfectly and the perfectionist in me would rather piece it the regular way. It makes things a bit stiffer, too.

i got this book and made one. i loved the method for a change of pace.
it was easy and fun to piece it together for the effect you want to achieve.
i had mine machine quilted. i don't think it could be easily hand quilted.
all in all i enjoyed doing it and someday i will make another.
i say go for it.

I love this technique- in fact am working on a quilt right now using the fusible interfacing. Basically using 4 x 4 inch blocks and 2 inch sashings and doing a nine patch on 20 inch pieces of fusible interfacing. When I get it done, I'll post a picture to show you. To me its just another method to quilt and its perfectly legal. Go for it :):):)

I love this method too. It takes a little time to maneuver the individual squares onto the fusible interfacing and the larger the desired size of the quilt, the larger the interfacing, but it is so much faster than piecing the individual squares together one by one. I have made three quilts using this method and would definitely do it again.

Thanks for your imput, my current project I'm a couple of blocks into and I think I will continue to hand piece it, an idea for another time I suppose. :wink:

I was just watching America Quilts Creatively and they were showing how to make a Lone Star Quilt using the interfacing. They used it like paper piecing and after each piece was sewn on they fused it down in place. Once each strip was complete, you fold the interfacing and stitched on the line to connect the strips. The diamonds and points were all perfect. Then instead of setting in the corner blocks, they pieced triangles to each diamond block and when you sewed all the pieces together you could not tell that it was not pieced in the regular way.

I used the Quiltsmart interfacing to do my Lone Star throw, and was so impressed that I bought the kit for the Broken Lone Star quilt. It is easy once you get the hang of it. I liked working with rectangles of fabric instead of stretchy diamonds, and its easy to get into a rhythm of glue, stitch, flip and fuse. The interfacing does add a bit of weight, but it is really thin and I really don't notice it on the finished throw (even when I free-motion quilted it.) I posted the throw here: http://www.quiltingboard.com/posts/list/5650.page

I have a couple more of the kits, but haven't done them yet. I'm definitely a fan of the method tho!

I like the Quiltsmart. A friend turned me on to it. She's been using it to do Wedding Ring Quilts and loves it!
I just wish I could buy it here. Would be much cheaper for me.

Cathy, could you explain more.....Today at my guild meeting I made my FIRST of about 200 4" blocks on 'vilene', its come out lovely, but I was concerned about the extra bulk at the seams, especially where points meet, so I would love to know how you multiply up and are you foundation piecing them together????? :D :D

Hey Izy- what I do with the foundation is make it into squares that work easy for me (I am a lazy quilter) :) So on my block of 16 inch interfacing (I said 20 inch earlier, which is for my 5 inch blocks)... so anyway, on the 16 inches of fusible interfacing, bumpy side up... I form my 'frame' of 2 inch borders and then fill in the center with 9 - four inch x four inch blocks. Then iron them all onto the interfacing... sew all the intersections together- if you notice bumps then you can cut slits in the back seams to help them lay flat. To join the blocks together, I just match the seams together and sew them up.... very fast and easy... If you want a hands on of my rambling, let me know and I'll throw one in your box. Trust me, you will love doing this. :):):)

Help Cathy I am having a serious 'vacant' moment lol!!

Just can't 'get' it - how do you join the seams if its stuck down????.......dumb me or what :lol: :lol:

Hang on.....did you hear a penny drop.....

Do you join all the blocks and sashings together first.....then iron them to the interfacing.......... no?????........ guess what I heard was echos of laughter......tee hee!!

Cathy, if I'm understanding this right - this is cool! Now let's see if I'm getting it right :-)

Interfacing fusible side up
blocks laid side by side, butted against each other, right side up on top of fusible side of interfacing and fuse down
fold blocks, right sides together, lining them up
sew 1/4" in from the folded edge on the interfacing side
slit fold of interfacing if the seam is too bumpy

Am I on the right track? Tell me now, cuz' I've gotta try this! :mrgreen: I'm looking at doing a 'ribbon' border (3 piece blocks) for my Broken Lone Star quilt, and this method sounds like just the ticket for all of those bias edge seams.

Goofy Izy- you can't be more goofy than me.... I work night shift and so now I'm just about done for the 'day' hahhaaha.... am attaching a before and after picture of the blocks. After the blocks have been individually sewn, then I pin the blocks together just like a patchwork quilt...

Roben, now I get it....as long as you are absolutely spot on with the alignment of the blocks etc....right????

Oh heck I am sure making a big fool out of myself today.....too much chatting at the meeting has fuddled my brain - lol!!

Only one picture cathy ........still not getting it.....tee hee!! now....lets take this real slllloooooowwwwwwlllllllyyyyyy........... :wink:

And here is the block after I've sewn the intersections...

Cathy....I admire you patience.....have you got a picture of the back?????

and here is the back of the sewn block...

Love the fuchsia fabric by the way!! :D

So NOW I am an expert...

You basically as Roben said, after sticking all your blocks down, you turn the whole thing over and fold on the seam lines......then stitch 1/4" seams

AND because you were really careful placing the blocks and COS they are stuck down.....they dont move......THEN you have a perfectly aligned 9 patch

HAVE I GOT IT???????????????????

:lol: :lol: :lol:

well... that photo turned out good... not.... will try it again :):)

You've got it girl :):)

picture of two blocks very quickly sewn together :)

Hey Cathy - you're a great teacher!!

Thanks - my excuse for being slow???

Hadn't eaten a thing all day except a banana, my sugar levels were too low probably........you believe me don't you????????? :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I totally believe you :):) Glad you like the fuchsia fabric. Its my latest 'had to have it' fabric line by maywood. It's 100% cotton but feels like silk even after washing it a bunch of times. This is going to be a quilt for my couch and have enough left over to make some pillows. I sent some of it to Barb M. so she could fondle it too :):)

Wow, this really is an interesting way of doing things, i think i love it! I bet i can do something similar with foundation fabric and marking the fabric...hmmm, oh oh, barb thinking too much lol

Cathy M -- that is a beautiful color combination!

yoo hoo Barb- do I need to send you some fusible interfacing (says the woman who has a big wad of it sitting on the end of the kitchen table :):) )... just let me know :):)

Thanks Celeste- the colors so remind me of spring and summer.

Okay so now it's my turn to say "wan-hu?" Okay, I understand about the squares, especially now, but I don't understand how to do it with other shapes, in my case, my entire quilt is bias square triangles. so would I just sew up the diagonals too?

Hi Elisabeth- that is exactly right. There is a quilt company in Montana here that specializes in on point quilts using the fusible interfacing. http://www.crookednickel.com/home.html

The owner and designer is Lisa Maki and she travels all over the country to quilt shows to show her technique. One of her patterns is-And your point is? :-) :-) So anyway, check out her website, she has some great information that might help answer your question.

no no Cathy, don't send me any interfacing, this poor lil brain o mine will not know what to do with it, and have an interfacing seizure lol lol i'm still drooling over that gorgeous fuschia fabric :)

Hey Izy I don't get it, and that picture where is the next one?

Dina Pappas owns my LQS, Dina's Cozy Cabin. :D Her technique dose work. Even if you miss and don't lay evry square quite straight the finished project looks great.

I tried the technique on the bib and pocket sections of a of a apron using 1 1/2" squares. I gridded my own light weight interfacing for the project, then machine quilted the finished bib block using preshrunken flannel for the batting. The pocket i quilted without adding the flannel.

I did find it easier to lay a section the size of my iron the best. My project was small so I laid out all the pieces on the inferfacing. Just after I started ironing the phone rang. While playing with the dog, my nephew bump the ironing board (the iron was on my sewingtable). That was enough for me.


Susiekate

I have made a small wall hanging using this method and it is beautiful. I don't believe it would be called "cheating". Just another method of putting fabric together. Give it a try. What have you got to loose. granny

My very first quilt was the Quiltsmart Lonestar. I had no idea what I was doing and it came out beautiful. All the ladies at the quilt store where amazed at how all of my points matched up. I didn't know they were suppose to but Quilt smart made it happen without any effort from me.
I love there patterns and have made a couple others since the first one. I haven't tackled the watercolor one yet but I think it would be just as much fun as all of the others, let me know if you like your results.
Denise