Japanese Quilting Magazines - Quilts Japan

Do you love making blocks?  How wonder it would be if your blocks can be sewn into other quilted items besides quilts!  Quilts Japan can show you how.  I probably am hearing comments like "I don't know how to read Japanese!", "What?  Japanese?"  Well! Don't let the language barrier deter you!

The magazines have many illustrations to guide you through the sewing process.  If you can sew block patterns and a simple bag, you'll have no problem with the patterns inside these magazines.

In the September 2009 issue of Quilts Japan, you'll find patterns on how to turn your Kaffe Fassett fabrics into beautiful bags and book covers.  In addition, there are patterns for tea cozies and place mats using your floral prints.

Have you an unfinished chenille fabric project on your shelf?  How about making a bag with chenille fabric with the July 2007 issue of Quilts Japan.

These are just a few ideas from these Japanese quilting magazines.

Each magazine is  USD$8/ each + shipping.




Happy Quilting!!

Advanced Machine Quilting Class Sampler Quilt

After 6 months of work, my 2nd sampler quilt is finally DONE!!  I've never pieced such a big quilt before, designing the border was a first.  At times I was frustrated with the bulk while FMQ.  But I persevered and have a quilt to show...

Close-ups of the FMQ on the quilt.  Since this is a sampler quilt, I had to incorporate at least 6 different quilting designs.

This is the final project for my Certified Machine Quilting Class.  Onward to the next level of classes....!!

HST Mini Quilt Top

Remember  this pieced border?  There were probably closed to 200 corners cut off from the border.  I didn't throw away any of the scraps, I chain pieced those corner units into HST thinking one of these days I'm going to make something out of it.

Then the other day Chasing Cottons started a Quilt Class 101 .  I was motivated by what she was doing.  Voila!  After 1 day of squaring up more than 40 HST into  5 x 5 cm squares, I pieced these 25 blocks into a mini quilt top.

I haven't decided how I'm going to finish this quilt top yet.  Should I just make a mini quilt out of it or incorporate it into a bigger project?  Any suggestions?

Happy Quilting!

Innocent Crush + Block Party

After a long search at my LQS I was able to purchase my first stash of Anna Maria Horner fabric!

Five yards of Innocent Crush combined with the quilt top I made with these blocks will result in my 2nd sampler quilt.  Instead of plain borders, I've challenged myself to make a pieced border for this quilt.



Here's the first audition of border design:

Second border design looked better:

                                                          (KF shot cotton for sashing)


Close-ups of my paper pieced borders:

  
                      --    some block centers were pieced with 2 or                   
                           more different fabric!

 

It took me several hours to tear off all the paper from the border.  A tedious task but worth the precision paper piecing provided for this beginning quilter.



I'm using Innocent Crush as my quilt backing.  I've sandwiched my sampler quilt and am in the process of machine quilting.   Hopefully by the end of May I'll have a finished quilt to show everyone!

Happy Quilting!

Block Party

A block party?  Yes, but not what you're thinking about!  There's no food, no dancing, and certainly no chatting going around.  But there's plenty of lovely fabrics to be petted , cut, and sewn!



I've been making blocks for my 2nd sampler quilt.  This sampler quilt is all about perfecting my rotary cutting and precision sewing skills.  Of course don't forget about math.  I had to come up with the block size and from there determined the size of the triangles, squares, or rectangles to be cut for each block.

Churn Dash: Amy Butler and Rowan fabric. 

Hour Glass Block:  going for a black and white look here. 

Buckeye Beauty Block :  Rowan fabric

                                                                  

Breaking Out - Flying Geese Block : Rowan fabric.  Adpated from a pattern by Jennie of Sunflower Quilts for Fat Quarterly. 

All blocks measured 24cm x 24cm (25.5 with SA).  The first two blocks I sew with a generous 0.75 cm SA (seam allowance) For Bernina 640 that's moving the needle position 2 dots from the center point.  This shrank the block after all the quadrants were sewn together.  So for the next 2 blocks I moved the needle position 3 dots from the center point, making it a 0.6 cm SA.  This worked out better because after I ironed the blocks, they came out at the correct measurement!  Yeah!!


Two more blocks to sew, and then on to finding fabric for the border.  That's another project by itself - designing the border for this sampler quilt!


Happy Sewing!