A lot of folks think that summer ends with Labor Day. Here in the Pacific Northwest, where it usually doesn’t feel like summer till well after the Fourth of July, we hang on to summer as long as we can, and we are often rewarded with a few more weeks of glorious weather. The advent of fall is measured not so much by a holiday or page on a calendar as it is by the first evening we reluctantly close the windows and turn the heat on.
Fall officially begins tomorrow, Sept. 22. It will be nine long months before we can celebrate the summer solstice and the longest day of the year. You can bet I am savoring every ray of sunlight, even as the days grow noticeably shorter and the nights noticeably cooler.
In the middle of winter, when it’s raining and already dark by 5 pm, I want to remember what the tomatoes from our garden looked, smelled and tasted like just minutes off the vine . . .
summer bounty
. . . and what the hydrangeas in the back yard looked like at 9 pm in the middle of July:
summer beauty
Happily, I just finished making an apron for myself that combines all of the colors in the photos above, so I can carry a bit of summer with me all year ’round:
“Working with 1/4″-wide double-fold bias tape.” You may think that’s an overly-specific title for a tutorial but I have discovered that not all bias tape is created equal, and different widths behave differently depending on how they are sewn. I like the finished look of ¼”-wide double-fold bias tape and used it on my Monterey Bay Apron. I find it easy to handle, and I really like the way it just hugs the inner and outer curves. Here’s a close-up:
curves ahead? No problem!
I insert the raw edge of my fabric between the folded edges of the bias tape and stitch once to hold both sides down, rather than opening the tape up, stitching one side to the raw edge of the fabric and then turning it to the back and stitching again. Encasing the edge of fabric in the tape leaves a beautiful finish on both sides of the garment and is much faster than the other method. Take a look:
Encased edges. Top is right side of belt, bottom is wrong side
The process of joining two lengths of bias tape is almost identical to joining two strips of fabric for a quilt binding. Double-fold bias tape comes in a package with three folds already pressed firmly in place, however, so handling it can be a bit tricky. (I’ve made my own bias tape but find that the tight weave and the crisply pressed folds of the packaged tape make it easier to handle.)
Quarter-inch double-fold bias tape starts out an inch wide. Each long end is pressed 1/8” under and then the remaining strip is pressed in half . . . but not precisely in half. It’s pressed in such a way that one side of the tape is slightly narrower than the other (from the fold to the outside edge). The narrow side always goes on the right side of the fabric. The wider side, underneath, is always caught in the line of stitching from the top. You can clearly see that in the photo above.
Since a package of bias tape normally contains four yards, you may be wondering why it would it be necessary to join two lengths. Well, many apron patterns require more than one package to go all the way around an outside edge. Not wanting to be wasteful is another good reason. If two shorter lengths of bias tape will make a piece long enough for a specific purpose, why open another package?
1. Lay two ends of bias tape next to each other on the ironing board, narrow side up:
two ends, narrow side up
2. Press each end open about an inch and a half from the end. Don’t try to press the fold lines completely out:
End piece pressed open
A straight pin helps hold the tape in place on the ironing board.
3. Without changing the position of the strips on the ironing board, turn the ends so the right sides are up:
Right sides up
I’ve written an R on the corners with a removable ink pen to indicate the right side. You can also easily distinguish the right side by the fold lines.
4. With right sides together, lay the left strip on top of the right strip at a right angle. Overlap edges slightly as shown. This makes it a bit easier to handle, since the bias tape is only an inch wide:
Right sides together at right angle
5. Draw a diagonal line from the upper right to the lower left corner, using a pen or pencil with removable marking lines. Pin in place:
Stitching line marked, pins inserted
6. Stitch the two strips together along the diagonal line, leaving a tail at each end to keep the seam intact. Use 15 stitches to the inch or 2.0 on a computerized machine. I used a contrasting thread for illustration purposes only; thread should be matched to the color of the bias tape.
Seam sewn
Because the tape was originally cut on the bias, the diagonal seam is on the straight of grain.
7. Trim seam to a scant ¼”, being careful to leave the tails on thread. Press seam open:
Seam trimmed and pressed open
8. Trim the dog ears – but leave those thread tails on. Press all three folds back into place, using just the tip of the iron. Be very careful not to stretch or distort the length of tape.
Dog ears trimmed, folds partially pressed back in place
9. Now open the bias tape and trim the thread tails:
Thread tails ready to be trimmed
10. A final press and voila! A beautifully joined seam, ready to be sewn onto your project.
Finished bias seam
In Parts 2 and 3 of this tutorial, coming soon, I’ll show you two methods of joining the ends of bias tape where they meet on an apron.
My newest pattern, the Monterey Bay Apron, makes its debut this Friday, Sept. 14, at the Pine Needle’s Fall Festival Open House! I am so excited that the pattern is finally ready. Here it is in its little plastic envelope, ready to be displayed in the shop:
Dawn’s Newest Pattern
I’ve had the design for this apron in my mind for almost three years but started seriously working on it just in the last year. In a future post I’ll tell you how the design process evolved; for now I’ll just say that inspiration struck in an aquarium, of all places. You can guess which one.
The apron pictured below, made from a charming line of fabric called All About Coffee from Exclusively Quilters, is hanging in the Pine Needle right now.
Coffee, anyone?
I learned a lot about using 1/4″-wide double-fold bias tape while developing this pattern. So much so that I will be posting a tutorial on it in the next few days.
The Pine Needle’s Open House runs from 10 am to 5 pm Friday and Saturday, Sept. 14 and 15. I’ll be there a good bit of the time both days. If you are in the Portland metro area, please stop by! The Pine Needle is in Lake Oswego, just a few minutes from downtown Portland.
Thelma at CupcakesnDaisies and I both put this project on our summer “to do” list, with the goal of finishing it by Labor Day. I made it, and I think Thelma will, too, though I know she has been distracted by the siren call of wool applique.
I started working on my sewing machine cover in July while I was in Sisters, Oregon with my quilt group. I got as far as the block on the front (which is a little different from the pattern):
Center Block
Weeks passed. By the time I got back to this project near the end of August, I had decided not to make a duplicate block for the other side, as called for in the pattern, but to put a pocket across the back instead. Here is my work-in-progress with the front and back attached to the middle panel:
In Progress
When I pinned the sides and draped the cover over my machine, I realized it was going to be way too big, so I took it apart and cut it down to size. (If you are making this pattern, I recommend that you check the size after pinning but before sewing. I think the instructions are much too generous in determining the finished size of the cover in relation to the measurements of the sewing machine.)
Since I had to take the back off, I added a row of decorative stitching across the pocket, which you can see in the picture below. The binding has already been added to the bottom edges:
Downsized and partially bound
You may have noticed that I added an opening in the center striped panel to accommodate the handle on my sewing machine. I made a simple facing; this is what it looks like on the inside:
Facing of Handle Opening
Here is another view of my new sewing machine cover from the front . . .
another view, Sewing Machine Cover
. . . and from the back:
Back View
And here it is with its companion, the Billie Bag I made last year (you can read more about the Billie Bag in my Gallery under Small Pieces):
All Dressed Up with Somewhere To Go
As you can see, the sewing machine cover was made with fabric left over from my Billie Bag. On the front and back panels of my sewing machine cover, I quilted a stipple design with the occasional leaf thrown in, duplicating the quilting on my Billie Bag. For the middle striped panel I simply used three rows of decorative machine stitching perpendicular to the stripes.
Instead of finishing the binding by hand, I used ¼”-inch wide Steam-a-Seam 2, a double stick fusible web, which proved to be a huge time-saver. I wouldn’t recommend using Steam-a-Seam for binding a quilt that’s going to get washed a lot but it’s perfect for a project like this. I used it on my Billie Bag, too.
So . . . my sewing machine cover project has gone from a “to do” to a “ta-da!” And there’s a bonus involved. For some time I’ve been collecting pictures and jotting down ideas for a quilt made of house blocks. While taking pictures of the sewing machine cover both on and off the machine, I took this shot:
Today I stole a couple of hours that I should have spent doing other things and made a set of pillowcases for the Portland White House:
Pretty Pillowcases
I just love these fabrics. The green strip is a blender from Kona Bay and the other three fabrics are from the Garden Medley line by Susie Johnson for RJR. Aren’t they dreamy?
Here is another set of pillowcases I made recently:
Another Set of Pillowcases
These cases were pictured in my previous post but didn’t show up very well. The two main fabrics are from the Gentle Flowers line by Quilt Gate. As my sister Diane would say, “Elegantly simple . . . and simply elegant!”
Just back from a mini-retreat with three of my Quisters, one of whom owns a vacation home just steps from the McKenzie River in the lush Willamette Valley in Oregon. How sweet it is to fall asleep to the sound of the river rushing by! We sewed for two full days out of three; the third day was reserved for an excursion to Sisters, Oregon for lunch, a bit of shopping, and an absolutely essential stop at the Stitchin’ Post.
Each evening we walked to the river, glasses of wine in hand, to spend a few peaceful moments enjoying the beautiful setting and reviewing our accomplishments of the day. Peggy had to leave early so she missed our “show and tell” photo shoot this morning before we left. Here is Deborah with the two sets of pillow shams she made to go with her recently completed king-size bed quilt. She also worked on blocks for a red and green quilt that is going to be simply sensational:
Deborah with pillow shams and quilt blocks
Vickie was on a roll! She made umpteen hot pads and coasters as well as these classic terry-cloth towel bibs for her darling 6-month-old twin grandsons:
Vickie with hot pads, coasters, and bibs
And here I am with my latest fractured image — subject of a class I will teach at the Pine Needle this fall — and a set of pillowcases for the Portland White House:
Dawn with fractured image and pillowcases
I also made the label (not shown) for my 4-Patch Wonder quilt, Framboise, which we had fun staging against the backdrop of the McKenzie River:
Framboise (69″ x 84″), August 2012
A great getaway in a gorgeous location with dear friends. . . what could be better than that?!
After returning last month from a week in Sisters, Oregon, home of the largest outdoor quilt show in the world, I posted about the quilt show and the terrific class I took. Before I had a chance to write a third post about what I accomplished that week, my husband and I left on a road trip to California to visit our two youngest granddaughters (9 and 12). We brought them back to Portland to spend a few days with us. My sewing and quilting projects languished but I didn’t mind because I was having such fun with the girls.
They are home in San Francisco now. The house is quiet. Elfie the cat has come out of hiding. And I’m back in my sewing room taking stock of the projects I worked on in Sisters. Remember the sewing machine cover designed by Monique Dillard of Open Gate Quilts that I posted about here? This is my version so far:
sewing machine cover, in progress
When it’s finished, it will look something like this:
Monique Dillard’s design
I finished binding my pink and green quilt, Framboise, made from my 4-Patch Wonder pattern:
Framboise, bound but not labeled
When the label is on, I’ll declare the quilt finished and post a proper picture in my Gallery. That’s Elfie, by the way, who doesn’t seem the least bit interested in my quilt.
I’m very excited about my newest design, the Monterey Bay Apron. After making eight versions and tweaking each one, I’m finally satisfied with the cut and the fit. Here is a look at Number Nine:
Monterey Bay Apron
back of Monterey Bay Apron
The belt is secured to the back with buttons. In the photo above, the ends of the belt were temporarily pinned to the back, adjusted for my model, Geri. The ends can be positioned anywhere along the back, making the apron one-size-fits-most. Here is a close-up of the front:
detail, Monterey Bay Apron
The pattern should be available in just a few weeks!
While my grandkids were visiting from California, My Little Neighbor came over for a playdate with granddaughter Beatrice, who will be 10 in October. The girls are just a few months apart in age.
You may remember that My Little Neighbor is working on her first quilt, a 9-patch, sewing the blocks together by hand. This was a project we planned together to help see her through the weeks her left foot was in a cast following a fall from a tree.
MLN brought her basket of blocks over to show us her progress:
A basketful of blocks
Those squares you see on the table are all she has left to sew into strips of three. After that she will start sewing the strips into 9-patch units. She may be ready to take a little break from sewing, though. Tomorrow, August 5, is the day she has been cleared to start climbing trees again!
I’ve spent the last week and a half with my two youngest granddaughters, nine and twelve, first in San Francisco where they live with their mom, then in Ashland, Oregon for three days, and now in Portland, where they will stay with their grandpa and me until Friday.
We have a lot planned for our five days in Portland! One of the things on my wish list was to help the girls make their own pillowcases. They were all for it, which made their granny very happy. Today was the day. Each girl picked her own fabric from my (ahem) considerable stash. Twelve-year-old Bonnie selected a vibrant turquoise mini-dot for the body of her pillowcase and a lilac floral for the band. Beatrice, age nine, chose a lime green fabric with fuchsia blossoms for the body and a fuchsia vined print for the band.
Bonnie worked in my sewing room:
Bonnie, with pillowcase in progress
Beatrice sewed on the smaller machine that I set up in the spare room across the hall:
Beatrice, with pillowcase in progress
After a break for lunch in the garden . . .
lunch al fresco
. . . we headed back to the sewing room. I taught the girls the roll-it-up method for pillowcases, which encloses both ends of the band in a single seam. The girls finished their cases with French seams, so there are no raw edges showing anywhere.
They did a beautiful job! Here is Bonnie with her finished pillowcase:
Free motion quilting is not a skill that comes easily to me. In fact, I really struggle with it. Because of that, I try to take at least one class a year from an expert. When I learned that Janet Fogg was teaching a day-long class called “Basic Drawing for Machine Quilters” during Quilter’s Affair, the week of classes leading up to the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show on the second Saturday in July, I jumped at the chance to register.
The best part was . . . we didn’t have to bring our machines! We were asked to bring a sketchbook and a pen, plus a quilt top that we planned to quilt ourselves. Janet led us through a variety of drawing exercises, showing us how to build a simple quilt motif, build on it, travel with it, and transition to other quilting designs. We did that all morning, filling pages and pages in our sketchbooks with motifs and notes. She gave us a fantastic handout which included many of the motifs she has used on her own award-winning quilts.
practicing spirals in Janet’s class
In the afternoon, Janet treated us to a slideshow of her amazing quilts, all quilted freehand, and then we took turns displaying our own quilt tops, getting feedback from her and fellow students on ideas for quilting. I am really excited now about putting my classroom learning to the test at home.
On the day of the quilt show I took special notice of quilts that had been machine quilted freehand. Here are some closeups, starting with Janet’s own quilt, Hippo Love. (I neglected to get a photo of the entire quilt but you can see it on her website: http://janetfoggquilts.home.comcast.net )
detail of Hippo Love by Janet Fogg
detail, Hippo Love by Janet Fogg
detail, back of Hippo Love by Janet Fogg
detail, back of Hippo Love by Janet Fogg
Here are other examples of free motion quilting I admired:
quilting by Shireen’s Stitching
quilting by Shireen’s Stitching
quilting by Tammy Mac Arthur
Quilting by Loretta Orsborn
As you can see, the bar is set very high. Janet echoed the advice in every book I have on the subject: it takes a LOT of practice to become a proficient machine quilter. I’m on a road trip to California right now to visit my grandchildren, so all I can do is think about practicing. Does that count?
