Oh! I like it!!! :)

Stunning work so far.

I love your hearts.
It adds to the beauty of it all!

WOW!! What a gorgious quilt...My wish is to someday be as creative and good a quilter as you are.....I love this pattern...

This looks so nice! I hope to someday be able to aproach something this detailed :)

I can't stop coming back to this quilt.
I love it!!
I'm going to have to try to find mag. for the pattern.

Amazingly beautiful! Your precision with your piecing is definitely something to admire. How often do you seam rip, or does your piecing pretty much come out right the first time?

How will you do your applique on the hearts? By hand or machine?

I depends on what the pattern is. Just a bunch of straight seams like this I don't usually rip anything unless I accidentally start sewing without moving my needle to the 1/4" position. This is strip pieced for the 9-patch and corner sections, then cut apart and sewn to other pieces. Strip piecing is pretty accurate though I have learned to not do too long of a piece because it tends to get wonky. I did 9" strips for everything because I used 9"x11" fat 16th.

If it's 8 points meeting in the middle or something I am much more careful about sewing. I haven't done diamonds since I did a Jinny Beyer pattern and resorted to doing the ENTIRE thing by hand because the diamonds wouldn't go together right. That was before I knew about using starch so maybe someday I'll try them again.

I am going to try an applique technique I watched on the Sharon Schamber network. She uses a double freezer paper template, paints starch on the seam allowance, then folds the fabric around the shapbe and irons it. She then glues the piece in place, irons to set, and does a monofilament zig-zag on the edge. I ordered some plastic template material that you can iron on because I am doing so many of the same shape.

Its beautiful!

I noticed how nice your seams and points are. I am trying to sew together baby blocks and unless I hand sew them
(which I dont want to do)I cant get mine straight. Are there any secrets or tricks to get the corners and seams to match? YOUR BLOCKS ARE SO NICE AND CRISP, LOVE THEM

I was the same way when I started out and I threw out a lot of really bad work. My best advice is to get good tools like a 12 1/2" square ruler, a 24" x 6" one, a good cutting mat and rotary cutter. Get some sandpaper dots to put on your ruler so it doesn't slide. I got some clear plastic sheets that you stick onto the back of rulers but not sure how well that does. Be VERY accurate when cutting, that is so important.

Be absolutely sure that you are sewing a 1/4" seam. Get a 1/4" foot if you don't have one or if your machine can move the needle to 1/4" that is even better. Go slow. Don't have to do a pedal to the metal speed. I don't go the fastest it can go and sometimes I even set my speed to the lowest setting (usually use the middle setting).

Depending on the block pattern I can tell if it's possible to cut my pieces a little larger than needed and then square up after sewing. I don't cut the squares for HSTs exactly at what it calls for but make it a little larger, 1/4" or 1/2" even, then square them up with a ruler and rotary cutter.

Use spray starch. It's amazing how much of a difference that makes. It's like sewing with un-washed fabric, but even better. The fabric isn't all soft and floppy.

Press intersecting seams in opposite directions and nest the seams together when joining pieces. Even if you have some difference in where they line up, put them together and pin. After you sew them together and they're locked like that, when you press them they will ease in together. Another little spritz of starch will solve any stubborn ones. I always press every seam.

That's about all the advice I can give. It just takes attention to detail and care at each step. I know that it's not always an easy thing to do, can be incredibly tedious, but when you've mastered that it really frees you because you're not fussing with every little thing.

Thanx, I'll keep on keeping on and be more accurate in my seam allowances. :?

going to be beautiful, is this pattern available somewhere

That is a gorgeous quilt

I really like your quilt. I know what you mean about the layout. I have my nine year old gd help me lay out most of quilts and I cannot stand to have any of the same color squares in line with each or touching corner. When you layout the first 2 or 3 rows it is pretty easy, but the further you go it gets harder and harder. Then you wind up moving every square again at least 3 times

I've used a method similar to this for applique, except I didn't use double freezer paper. Just one sheet on the wrong side of the fabric, glue and press the seam allowance under and sew to the background using the monofilament and a blind hem stitch. I have yet to conquer the monofilament. I've played with my tension until I'm blue in the face but it still gets hung up in my bobbin area here and there (I'm using Bottom Line in my bobbin). It'll go perfect for a hundred stitches, then I can hear it get snarled up but it will fix itself and continue sewing. It just leaves a nasty nest on the back of the fabric. If you master it please share with me how!

Pam,
What is the pattern called? Awesome quilt. :XD:

I will have to find that magazine somewhere. Thanks Again an awsome quilt and quilter :mrgreen:

I envy all you ladies that do them half squares and they come out perfect

Using freezer paper and liquid starch around the edges is my preferred way of doing applique. I spray the starch into a little container (like one that comes on cold medicine), then dip a Q-tip into it, then wet the edge of the fabric that's outside the freezer paper with the liquified starch, then press the wet edges over the freezer paper and remove the freezer paper. It works great!

Great job...Beautiful quilt'


Donna

That is gorgeous! I will be looking for that magazine!

Great looking quilt! Thanks for sharing.

This is a beautiful quilt. Reminds me of an "olden time" quilt. Wonderful job.

It's been a long time since I used mono so I'll have to let you know! What you describe about snarling sounds like back spin or backlash. In Sharon Schamber's videos she talks about that and it is caused by static buildup, then a discharge, which is why it is periodic. She uses Magic Bobbin Genie, a little teflon ring that goes into the bobbin case. Do you use metal bobbins? I don't know whether this applies to plastic ones.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdo_q0M2rsw

I was just thinking that I should sew the hearts on now, not wait until the whole top is done, so I'm not wrestling with the whole quilt.

The applique technique seems like it will work really well, looking forward to trying it.

Just watched that video and it all is making sense now! The snarls mostly happen when I stop, pivot my fabric and then start sewing again. I have a Bernina 440 so yes, I do use metal bobbins. I know I can order some online but she mentioned Bernina dealers carrying them now so I'll check my LQS first. Thanks for the info!

Love it!

Pam, your piecing is just incredible! The designs you can do with just squares is amazing, too!

Pam,
WOW! What precision, great color choices, and wonderful pattern! This will be wonderful when you're finished, and I hope you post the final result.

Your quilts are beautiful. I see there's a lot of work in there and it looks stunning.

Very pretty Pam!

Lovely.

I love you quilt! It's really pretty.

That is going to be so pretty... :-D

Looking fantastic Pam...I can't wait to see more

Beautiful piecing. Love the quilt. The colors really pop (I think color placement is fine just as you have it).

Love it, cant wait to see it when is all done !!!

How pretty!

That is going to be one lovely quilt! And thanks for the hint -- I just got a digital camera so now I have something to take pictures of, assuming I ever get off this board and to my sewing machine! :)

Pam, it is looking awesome. Your piecing is an inspiration. I love the curved shape made between the blocks. I'm not much into applique, but if it was me I would do the hearts as you go. I love the hearts in there by the way. I wasn't sure about the them when I first saw your design, but after seeing it in "real life", I really like it. If you're not sure, how about making up a test with the flower shape you are thinking about?

I completely understand how you feel about getting tired of doing the same thing over and over. I just finished my youngest granddaughter's quilt which has 448 1/2 sq triangle units (3" sqs finished). I had a hard time getting back to it when I had to do something else. I also had everthing go wrong with that thing and that didn't help my feelings any.