applique

Brooklyn Quilt Show April 21-22, 2012

Submitted by quiltbrooklyn on Fri, 08/05/2011 - 14:44

April 21-22,  2012 Quilt Show, Block By Block, sponsored by the Quilters' Guild of Brooklyn

It will be held at The Block Institute, 376 Bay 44 Street, Brooklyn, NY 11214.

More than 100 quilts will be displayed, plus there will be vendors, demonstrations, a raffle quilt, silent auction, and instant winner raffles.

Admission is $8; $5 for seniors 62 and older.

For more information, www.quiltbrooklyn.org.

For travel directions, www.blockinstitute.org.

Free parking. Handicapped accessible.

 

 

 

YLI Silk Thread for Applique

Submitted by admin on Thu, 08/04/2011 - 13:31
yli silk thread

Hand appliquers and quilters everywhere often question me about which threads I use for hand applique.  My  prefered choice is the YLI silk thread.  They are 100% pure filament silk, the very highest quality silk thread in the world. 

As many of you know I prefer to work with natural fibers throughout my quilt.  This includes fabrics for the top and backing, batting and threads for piecing, applique and quilting.  I carry the 100wt. silk thread in my quilt shop in a great variety of colors.  When I open my silk thread collection to select a color its like opening a box of candy.  The colors are so vibrant and rich. Remember to use only one strand of thread when selecting one to match the applique piece.  You match the piece and not the background color. Lie  one strand across the fabric to be appliqued and it should be nearly invisible.

  Use this thread with a straw needle to make nearly invisible needle-turn applique stitches.  In  my hand applique booklet,  I explain the stitch, step-by-step.The straw needle I prefer to use is very thin, with quite a small eye, but since the 100wt silk is so fine its really easy to thread the needle.  The long length of the straw needle gives me leverage as I turn the needle under the applique and provides complete control of where the point of the needle will exit.


 

Bohin-Transfer Veil for Applique and Quilting Designs

Submitted by admin on Mon, 08/01/2011 - 08:52
Bohin-Transfer Veil for Applique and Quilting Designs

I have been using the Bohin Transfer Veil for about a year. It's been a fantastic tool for transfering applique and quilting designs onto fabric.  It comes with a blue water soluable pen, but any others work as well.  This simple tool allows you to trace the design of your choice from a design book or any other source of inspiration and to easliy retrace it onto your light colored fabric. 

When transfering to a dark colored fabric use a white water soluable pen.  This pen gets the job done with patience.  I have to retrace several times before the white lines will appear.

An example of where I used the veil to transfer applique flowers is seen in the corners of the Four Corners project. 

Check out my YouTube NancyEllenQuilts Channel for a video on how to use the Veil. 

Crazy Quilt Holiday Pattern

Submitted by admin on Mon, 05/09/2011 - 10:05
crazy quilt holiday

Crazy Quilt Holiday Runner/ Door Decoration

Welcome your family and friends with this inviting  holiday decoration.  Use warm colors  and cozy fabrics to create this quick and easy project. 

Designed for hand sewing, applique and  embroidery.

 



Finishing a Circular Quilt

Submitted by admin on Sat, 03/26/2011 - 11:00

A viewer asks. "I found your video on youtube about applique quilting.  I have started one of my own and I have a couple questions for you.  Mine is actually a circular quilt and I am wondering how to go about backing it.  A friend of mine told me to sew the backing to the front peice of fabric, turn it inside out, slide the batting in and applique the pattern pieces through all 3 layers.  Most of the videos I've seen about backing a quilt do it last and then put a border along the edge to cover the seams.  I don't want to put a border on mine and i was wondering what you thought would be the best option?"

Thank you
 

All the elements of the quilt top should be complete first, including piecing,  applique, embroidery, trapunto and embellishments.  Once the quilt top is completed I draw my quilting design with non-permanent markers,  ( blue water soluble pen, white chalk pencil, Saral Paper, transfer veil etc). 

Now its time to layer your quilt, top, batting and backing.  You have two options.  As your friend suggested you can sew them and turn them inside out, but you should include the batting, Don't try to stuff it in afterwards.  Layer the batting, then backing then quilt top on the table top or floor and pin baste from the center out.  Now you can sew the edge which will include all thelayers and turn inside out. 

The way I would layer this and all my quilts, with the exception of the occasional crazy quilt, is to layer backing,  cut larger than your quilt top facing wrong side up and gently taped down, batting also cut larger than your quilt top and finally adding the quilt top to the sandwich.  Pin baste then thread baste. Remove your pins and hand quilt. 

You can easily bind the quilt top when you are done by cutting away the excess backing and batting.  Cut your binding strips on the bias, diagonal across the grain.  See my binding video for more details on cutting and attaching your binding.  Choose the same color for the binding as your quilt top so it blends in.

 

Finished Quilt

Submitted by admin on Mon, 02/21/2011 - 13:08
Home Sweet Home

For over three years I have worked on this quilt.  It's finally ready to go to a show.  The quilt was inspired by the beautiful pink fabric I bought on a trip to the first year of the Chicago Quilt Show.  I was looking for an idea to incorporate my love of applique and the houses became the perfect subject.  I selected four houses of my dreams, including a barn.  I then proceded to applique the details and embellsih them with embroidered flowers and windows.  I created areas throughout to bring more texture and interest by adding trapunto and interesting quilting designs.

Finishing a Quilt

Submitted by admin on Mon, 01/31/2011 - 08:38

Sewing the last few quilting stitches always makes me take pause.  For this one, still unnamed, I took a breath.  Still the binding needs to be made and attached as well as the rod pocket and label, but there is something about completing the quilting that seems so complete. 

With a finished quilt, consider  the history of how it came to be.  Inspiration for this project came from the fabric collection I put together.  All that was known was the colors pallet and one quilting design.  From that jumping off point the quilt was designed.  Often times my only inspriation is a fabric.  With such little vision at the outset I begin the planning.  Drafting, coloring and calculating are the cornerstones of new creations.  Reshufflling the placement of color, pattern and design takes time.

For over three years this project has been in production.  From inception to completion.  Ending is sweet and I am already thinking about a new quilt.  

Hand Applique Instructional Booklet

Submitted by admin on Tue, 10/19/2010 - 08:56
Beginner's Project- Needle Turn Applique

In response to the many requests for a booklet or pamphlet on Hand Quilting Techniques, I just finished my first instructional booklet!!!!  IIt's been a long time in the making. It will be the first in a series of instructions to complete my Beginners Project.  In the booklet I demonstrate, step-by-step, with color pictures the needle-turn applique stitch.  Tools and techniques are covered as well as lots of hints and tips.  I packed in as much information as I could.  It follows what I teach in my Hand Quilting Class. For those of you who aren't in my area you can now follow along with the booklet!

It will be hot off the press this week! It should be available in Nancy Ellen Quilt's before the end of October.

 

 

Viewer Q&A :Leaf Points with Needle-Turn Applique

Submitted by admin on Mon, 08/02/2010 - 08:17
Blueberries and Cream

A viewer asks, "Is there a book or pamphlet that would be good for a beginner to applique showing needle turning points and freezer paper method?"  She was also looking for details on needleturn.

 Hand Applique Instructional Booklet

I haven't come along any really good books that give great pictures or details on needle turn.  Much of what I learned came from workshops and classes at Qulit Shows.  I always needle-turn without the use of freezer paper.  I like to keep my work simple, the less steps the more enjoyable for me.

For leaves, tuck the point with three folds.   1. Tuck, needle-turn,  as you come up to the point, then when you get to the point trim any excess fabric.  2.Fold again horizontally to your leaf, and also trim the next long side of the seam allowance.  3.Fold under the next long side and begin needle turning from the point you just created and down the long side of your leaf.

Hint: Before you begin appliqueing the long side after the point, take one stitch AT the point and give it a tug. This helps to give you a sharp leave point.

Second Hint: The fabric you are using matters.  Loosely woven, inferior quality fabrics make a BIG difference for applique. If the fabric doesn't comply with your folding and tucking and it  frays then you should select a better quality cotton.  To name a few top quality lines: Robert Kaufman, Hoffman, Moda,  P&B, South Seas Imports..There are many others as well.  Be sure to purchase great quality fabric from a reputable Quilt Shop and to avoid the $3.99/yard specials at the mega stores.

Third and final Hint: Thread matters.  Be sure you are using a thin cotton, 50/3. 60/2(even better) or silk( best choice). These thin cotton or silk threads will blend into your applique fabric to near invisibility.  Be certain to match your thread to your applique fabric. My favorites are YLI silk 100wt( amazing!!), Aurifil 50/2( so thin and beautiful), YLI  Soft Touch.

New Colors come to NEQ - YLI Silk Thread for Applique

Submitted by admin on Sat, 07/24/2010 - 07:50
YLI Silk Thread

I am expanding the YLI Silk Thread line with eight new colors coming to the quilt shop!  Use YLI silk thread to create nearly invisible needle turn stitches.  Find the color that most closely matches your applique fabric, not the background.  Using a straw, or applique  needle, and possibly a needle threader, and enjoy the smooth stitches.  I love that its a natural fiber, like the cotton I use for my fabrics and Hobbs Wool or Hobbs Heirloom for my batting. For more information on applique see my Video on Hand Applique .

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