free christmas quilting projects
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Caring for Quilts
By: Joyce Moseley Pierce
For many years my mother worked in sales and lived out
of a suitcase as she traveled the country, but that
didn't stop her from doing some of the most beautiful
needlepoint and cross-stitch work I've ever seen.
When she retired, she quickly filled up the walls of
her home and kept the local frame shop in business.
After she had given favorites to her children and
filled every white space in her home, she decided to
start making quilts, but instead of just sewing the
pieces of fabric together, she cross-stitched or
needlepointed squares that would be sewn together by
the town's quilting expert.
I was the recipient of one of these beautiful quilts
but because my children were small, I didn't want to
leave it out on a bed where it might get smeared with
peanut butter and jelly, or even worse, colored with
crayons or a permanent marker. Instead, I folded it
up and put it in my closet inside a plastic zippered
bag that my bedspread had come in.
Well, when Mom came to visit the next time, she went
looking for that quilt. I assured her that it was
packed away and that nothing could harm it. After all,
it was sealed in plastic. Nothing could get to it.
Boy, was I wrong!
I learned a lesson from Mom about how to store quilts:
1. Don't ever store them in plastic of any kind! It
doesn't matter that your bedspread came in it. It's
not the same.
2. Don't store them in humid or hot climates. If the
temperature feels good to you, then it's okay for your
quilt. If you live in Houston you shouldn't even own
a quilt!
3. Don't store quilts in attics or garages. It makes
a comfy bed for rodents and insects.
Instead, you should:
1. Store your quilt in a pillowcase or sheet, or
roll it onto a muslin-covered tube.
2. Place a piece of fabric between the pillowcase or
sheet and your quilt to protect it from the acids
in the wood.
3. Twice a year, when the humidity is low and the
air is blowing, air your quilt outside, out of direct
sunlight.
4. Mark your calendar to refold your quilt every 3-4
months so you won't make a permanent crease in
it. Crumple up some acid-free tissue paper to help
eliminate fold lines.
If you feel comfortable in displaying or actually
using your quilts (and isn't that why we make them?),
you'll want to follow these guidelines to make your
quilt last longer and help retain its beauty.
1. Keep your quilts away from direct light. The sun
will make them fade and will age the fabric.
2. If you notice any tears, repair them as soon as
possible. Remember that "a stitch in time saves nine,"
and will help lengthen the life of your quilt.
3. Clean up any accidents immediately. Washable quilts
can be cleaned with cold water. My quilt, with the
delicate cross-stitching fabric and thread, would need
to be dry cleaned by an expert.
4. Before you wash, test the fabric to see if the
colors are going to run. Use a white towel and cold
water to test each color.
5. Do not put quilts in the dryer or hang them over
a clothesline. They should lay flat between two sheets
placed on the grass in the shade.
When I was a young, married woman I discovered a box
of fabric in my grandmother's closet along with the
pattern for a quilt that had been published by the
Kansas City Star in the 1920s. Grandma told me she
had bought the fabric when my dad was born and had
just never made the quilt. She told me if I wanted
to make it, she would pay to have it quilted for me.
I accepted the challenge, and without knowing anything
about quilts (or anything else!), I cut and assembled
all of the pieces. It was beautiful, and I remember the
pride I felt in knowing that I had sewn every stitch,
but even as I laid it across my daughter's
twin-sized bed, I could see how thin and worn the
fabric had become. I wish now I would have used the
pattern and bought newer, more sturdy fabric, that
would have lengthened the life of the quilt, but that
was just one of life's lessons I had to learn.
Going through the process of piecing that quilt helped
me to have a deep appreciation for all of the time
and love that goes into each stitch. As I worked on
it, I tried to imagine my grandmother as a young mother
and wondered what life was like for her. Was motherhood
as challenging for her as it was for me? Did she ever
imagine that she would have a granddaughter who would
treasure this old fabric and the bond it gave to
both of them?
Buying a bedspread is fast and fairly inexpensive
because they are mass produced, but you can't expect
it to give you you the same warm feeling as when you
run your hands over the stitches of a quilt ...
Author: Joyce Moseley Pierce
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1. free online resources 2. Your total arts reference - christmas arts and crafts 3. Quilting Information and Help with Free Quilt Patterns from BlockCentral.com 4. Quick Christmas Gifts - Gifts Central & Great Gifts Ideas 5. Links to Christmas and Holiday Websites 6. Christmas Crafts Projects at AllCrafts.net 7. Quilting Fabric Sources at Handmade-Quilts.Com 8. Hp com sewing patterns - Watercolor Stamping for Card Making and Greeting Cards 9. Search Results for "christmas crafts" - Homeschool SuperSearch - Search Engi... 10. Craft - Craft Pattern 11. Free Christmas Patterns 12. Scrapbook Supplies Index 70 13. ☞ Fabric - Fabric Site Web 14. Kreinik Manufacturing Inc. 15. Crafts - Free Christmas Crafts 16. Judy Danz's Quilting Page 17. Quilt Directory - BlockCentral.com 18. Craft Supplies - Arts and Crafts Supplies 19. free quilting motifs - Quilting Resources 20. Wedding Ring Quilt 21. Rug - Southwest Rug 22. Freebie Land - free stuff, free offers, freebies, free cellphones, contests ... 23. Free sewing patterns - Applique patterns free for quilting 24. crochet a christmas stocking 25. Fabric - welcome to Quilting Patterns 26. Favorite Quilting Links at Ginger's for fabrics, notions, patterns, redwork,... 27. Quilting With A Passion! 28. Sewing Projects - Free Sewing Patterns 29. Free Christmas Quilt Patterns 30. Fabric - Free Baby Quilt Pattern
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Timely help for free christmas quilting projects
About Quilting Dutchman's Puzzle is an all-time favorite traditional quilt block. I'm showing an example of a quilt here, rather than the block itself, because this pattern's color value arrangement is split vertically, and deviates from the norm, with a dark background in one half of the block and a light background in the other. The pattern walks you through the construction of two quilt blocks, and although they have the same components, they're sewn together in different ways. Make 35 blocks to assemble a strippy-set quilt like this example (the pattern includes yardages). It's also a very good pattern for scrappy blocks (and a heads-up to Forum Block Party participants -- you might see this again at some point). ©Janet Wickell Dutchman's Puzzle Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 16:28:05. Permalink | Comment | Email this Five Patch Chain Quilt Block Pattern Five Patch Chain is another block that can be used to create dramatic diagonal movement on the face of your quilt. All pieces are cut along the straight grain -- no stretchy bias edges means it's super easy to assemble. The quilt block finishes at 10" square, and I've included a layout example showing 18 Five Patch Chains alternated with Snowballs. ©Janet Wickell Five Patch Chain Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Saturday, March 6th, 2010 at 18:05:31. Permalink | Comment | Email this Double Nine Patch Quilt Block Pattern This colorful version of the Double Nine Patch quilt block is assembled using a slightly different color value layout in the small corner nine patches than is typical of the traditional design. The block finishes at 11-1/4" square, and can be assembled quickly by strip piecing (most) rows. © Janet Wickell Double Nine Patch Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 20:17:40. Permalink | Comment | Email this Lincoln's Platform Quilt Block Pattern Lincoln's Platform is a traditional patchwork quilt block with a central area surrounded by continuous squares -- sort of a block with its own built-in border. This version of the quilt block finishes at 14" x 14", and can be assembled with quick piecing techniques. I've included a layout suggestion, with blocks sewn together in horizontal rows. © Janet Wickell Lincoln's Platform Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 at 19:36:33. Permalink | Comment | Email this Double Four Patch Blocks in Pink and Orange This Double Four Patch design is the second quilt block pattern for March. Stitched in focal fabrics of pink, rose and orange, it's sure to be an attention-getter. The block finishes at 8" square, and is simple to assemble. It's also the design we're using for this month's Block Party event in the Quilting Forum. Double Four Patch Pattern © Janet Wickell Double Four Patch Blocks in Pink and Orange originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 at 11:16:29. Permalink | Comment | Email this Kicking Off Block-a-Day March I introduced a new block pattern each day last March, and plan to try it again this year. Now, there might be days I get behind, but I'll end the month with 31 new patterns. Day 1's quilt block is a variation of the design that's often referred to as Broken Dishes. Its center, made from four half square triangles, is the layout that typically comes to mind when we hear that name (although the color value layout shown here differs a bit). The block finishes at 15" square, and would make a fantastic scrap quilt. Kicking Off Block-a-Day March originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Monday, March 1st, 2010 at 15:07:02. Permalink | Comment | Email this Book Review: The Tsunami Quilt In 1946, coastlines throughout Hawaii were hit by a tsunami generated by a massive earthquake in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. Less than 5 hours later, waves as tall as 55 feet came onshore in Hilo and other parts of Hawaii, killing 159 people and devastating shoreline areas. Hopefully, residents will have plenty of warning to evacuate the coasts ahead of the tsunami expected from the earthquake in Chile. In Laupahoehoe, the focal point of The Tsunami Quilt, schoolchildren ran towards the ocean to pick up fish after one of the waves retreated, unaware that another would follow, and pull them into the ocean. Focusing on the losses at Laupahoehoe, Anthony Fredericks uses a family's history and tradition to explain the events of 1946 to children. Colorful illustration by Tammy Yee tell the story in pictures. Monument at Laupahhoehoe Book Review: The Tsunami Quilt originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Saturday, February 27th, 2010 at 11:16:35. Permalink | Comment | Email this 5" Fool's Square Quilt Block Pattern Are you ready to go smaller? At 5" square, perhaps this doesn't fit into most definitions of a miniature quilt, but it is half the size of the traditional Fool's Square block. The smaller size is perfect for a wallhanging and also makes a nicely-scaled baby quilt. Sew an alternate block between Fool's Square (a plain square, a Snowball, any five-patch) or sew them side-by-side. You'll find that color-play is best when side-by-side blocks are not identical -- make them scrappy or sew them in a couple of themes for best results. Janet Wickell 5" Fool's Square Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Friday, February 26th, 2010 at 06:10:03. Permalink | Comment | Email this Make An Easy Pillow Cover I'm not big on sewing zippers -- I've had a mental block about them since about 1963. So I've avoided making pillow covers, because I like covers that can be removed when it's time to wash them, something that's critical when you have a house full of felines like we do. This quick and easy pillow cover method solves the problem by eliminating the zippers and replacing them with a simple, fold-over back. Start looking through your UFO bins for quilt blocks, and then grab some backing fabric. You'll finish this easy throw pillow cover in no time. Photo © Janet Wickell Make An Easy Pillow Cover originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Friday, February 26th, 2010 at 06:00:45. Permalink | Comment | Email this Thread Tips for Quilters Thread Tips is one of the many references inspired by readers when I asked what type of information everyone would like to see covered on About.com Quilting. Entire books can be written about threads, their content and their uses and the techniques required to sew with them, so treat this as a simple introduction. I hope it will help beginners become more familiar with the massive selection of threads available to quilters. Thread Tips for Quilters originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Monday, February 22nd, 2010 at 17:58:54. Permalink | Comment | Email this Newsfeed display by CaRP |
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