One of the creative pattern designers I have been attracted to for many years, especially as a beginner quilter, is Cheryl Wittmayer’s company “Sew-Be-It!. Her patterns are great for beginner quilters, and a wonderful ‘jumping off’ palette of designs to really help you get started with free motion quilting! I hope you will visit her web site and see if there isn’t something to suit your sense of design style!
Ahh yes… love the title … who wouldn’t? It’s just simply… “curvalicious!” And feel free to add any other superlatives that rhyme! It was not only fun to make, but challenged me a bit with curved piecing… and so I got to learn something new… and use a favorite foot to get those gorgeous ribbons stitched on it just right. It’s so easy to sew them on too… I used my edge-stitch foot; that would be Bernina’s #10 foot! One of the most versatile feet you can put your money into… allows you to sew perfectly placed stitches along any edge or seam and don’t forget to use the needle position to give yourself “the edge!” (sorry – pun is intended!). Stitch with confidence as the guide (blade) in the front of the foot serves as the perfect reference point as you guide your needle along the edge of any ribbon, seam, or hem. Great for stitching in the ditch applications, too. It’s a MUST HAVE in your sewing accessories box! I love to teach that foot in mastery classes at Bernina, and show all the fun techniques it can do. If you’re unsure… and don’t know if you’d really like a foot or accessory? Try taking a look at the Bernina FEETURES books. There are usually at least 6-10 pages of color pictures, techniques, diagrams…. for each foot! Don’t forget you can try out the foot at your Bernina dealer! Take a look at the book in the store, ask the staff to attach the foot on a machine, and try it out for yourself, first!
Add your own special touch with favorite ribbons — how about a bit of …VELVET… anyone?! (Smiles!) They kind of end of look like their very own fabric! (Which they are, of course!)
I hope you will consider taking a feather class, and I hope to teach one at Bernina Silver Thimble this coming February… stay tuned for details!
More fun threadplay… feathers anyone?!!! What a wonderful way to practice!!! The center line of the block seam is a great reference point… jump off into feathers!!! Not sure where to begin, or how it flows together? It would behoove you to check out one of my favorite resources… and one of the best teachers: Patsy Thompson. Her website is here. You will find that her videos are very well done, as are her books; her website is full of great, free information, as well as some introductory videos, just so you know what you’re getting!! And that is how I began quilting this colorful Happy Excursion! Now my feathers aren’t anything to write home about.. and notice they don’t show on the patterned fabric much… but that’s a GOOD thing… as this was a learning project, and I had so much FUN! And that experience… those happy hours applying my newborn skills were priceless in the confidence it gave me in my pursuit.. of excellence!
Brocade…narrow… wide… patterned… all things bright and beautiful… that would have been a great name for this quilt!
I kept the binding pretty ‘plain’ in comparison. This quilt sure didn’t need much more design, color or texture. Just keeping it simply CURVY and DELICIOUS, soft and inviting! EnJOY.
