Strip Piecing

 Just a good resource should you wish to do some strip piecing. https://www.loandbeholdstitchery.com/blogs/lo-and-behold/all-about-strip-piecing

Carrefour 2025

 

Text on Cloth

Handwritten Text on Cloth

 Deborah Boscher

Micron pen Size 8 (they don't last long) Solid Kona Cotton, Wunderunder on the back with the release paper still on it. 

Understanding Stitch Regulators

Working with Taupes

 

Aurifil Threads Concern

 I have used these recently (12 and 8 ply) for hand quilting woven Japanese fabrics. I love them but... they do unravel and break sometimes, compared to the DMC 8 ply.

I was searching for 'best thread to hand quilt liberty'  and came across this blog post that is quite damning of them. 

https://oliviajanehandcrafted.com/sewing-with-liberty/#:~:text=In%20my%20ordinary%20sewing%2C%20I,the%20perfect%20thread%20for%20Liberty.

So I am now wary. Maybe ok for wall hangings but I won't use them again for utility quilts.

Nicholas Ball

Nicholas Ball was my number one choice for a class at the 2024 Quilt Symposium in NZ but he has apparently pulled out (mumble curse grumble) so I have been watching some of his demos on Youtube.  Great tips in them, probably all in his book that I do own - note to self, read the book.

Interestingly the details of how to sew a curve are much better in the demonstrations than in the book. In the book, he says to align the top of the fabric but in the demo, he says to align the curves. And in the demo, he shows how to hold the top and bottom fabrics separately and how to bring them together to butt against the seam allowance gadget. Also, he talks about cutting and sewing in one continuous motion if possible in the demos. 

With inserts demos he talks about his preference for a 'little bit' more than 3/4" wide strips being a good width for most pieces but if using a large beginning piece make the insert strips a bit wider. He also talks about cutting layers of fabrics so you can then mix and match different fabrics from the layers to make an interesting set of blocks - covered under Stacks in the book. 

No rings demos. In the books the triangle instructions are good - great hack to save fabric however in the demo he gives a hack for if your background fabric is a patterned fabric.

There is more in the books than the demos. 

With binding he joins straight no on the bias, he attaches much as I do with the mitred corners and he joins the continuous binding straight not on the bias. Interestingly, he then sews around the whole binding 1/8" from the sewing line to anchor the quilt and the binding seams togethers. He says it folds over better and no ridges are formed.