Marquis
Coming up with diamond names for the quilts in my book was fun! I looked up names on the web because I don't have a lot of diamonds in my jewelry collection to pull from :)
I think my favorite in the book is Marquis. It is a combination of 1/4 square triangles and courthouse steps blocks. I love the way the blocks sewed together and the interesting effect when you pieced the quilt top. Here is Marquis:
For this quilt, I used a French General fabric line, Rouenneries Deux and is all fat quarters except for the border and the binding. This is done in pinks, reds and creams but can be made in any colors.
If you are interested in taking a class from me and live in or want to travel to either the Michigan or Missouri areas, I will be teaching this quilt in those areas.
On June 7-8, I will be in Elkton, MI (The Thumb), teaching two quilts from Diamond Traditions. Marquis is one of them and Diamonds & Pearls is the other. The retreat is organized by Gail Brown and you can get further information through her website. During the weekend, we have special gifts, great food, show & tell, games and Sue and I bring a mini shop with Open Gate items and fabric. I have taught at Gail's retreat for the past 5 years and we have so much fun each and every time!
On July 19-21, I will be in Brunswick, MO for a retreat with Sew Sweet Quilt Shop. I will be teaching two classes, Marques and Victoria Rose. On Saturday night, I will also be speaking at the retreat. So, a whole weekend of yours truly! You can get more information from their website. This is the first time that I have taught at the Sweet Sewfull Event but I am very much looking forward to it. It promises to be lots of fun and I'm sure there will be a few surprises too!
I am thinking about doing a "Dear Ann Landers" type column on my blog. I wouldn't answer question on lifestyle but about quilting. If I didn't know the answers to the questions, I would do my best to find them. What do you think?
Here is an example of a question:
Dear Monique,
When I am piecing quilts, I find that the thread on my machine comes out of the needle, how do I stop this?
Needled
Dear Needled,
There are a couple ways to prevent this, but first, always make sure that your needle and the race are in the top position on your machine. If it is, your thread shouldn't pull out. If you have a machine that has a needle up feature, you shouldn't have to touch your wheel at the side to move your needle. Get used to using your foot and not your hand wheel and it will help a lot.
First, when you start sewing, grab both your bobbin thread and your top thread and hold onto them. This is actually how I do it. It takes a bit to get used to but once you do, it will make sewing less frustrating!
Second, many people use leaders and enders. This is a piece of fabric that you can re-use to start and end sewing. Some people use 2-4 layers of a small piece of fabric and feed it when they start, cut it off and then again feed it in when they end. Other people, like Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville, actual sew 1/2 squares, 4-patches, or smaller pieces for their leaders and enders. They have a pile of them at the ready at all times and they actually get some piecing done while they are preventing their machine from jamming up.
Let me know what you think of this column idea and if you have questions that you want answered, email me: info@opengatequilts.com. If I choose your question, I will send you a free pattern to enjoy!
See you next week!
I think my favorite in the book is Marquis. It is a combination of 1/4 square triangles and courthouse steps blocks. I love the way the blocks sewed together and the interesting effect when you pieced the quilt top. Here is Marquis:
If you are interested in taking a class from me and live in or want to travel to either the Michigan or Missouri areas, I will be teaching this quilt in those areas.
On June 7-8, I will be in Elkton, MI (The Thumb), teaching two quilts from Diamond Traditions. Marquis is one of them and Diamonds & Pearls is the other. The retreat is organized by Gail Brown and you can get further information through her website. During the weekend, we have special gifts, great food, show & tell, games and Sue and I bring a mini shop with Open Gate items and fabric. I have taught at Gail's retreat for the past 5 years and we have so much fun each and every time!
On July 19-21, I will be in Brunswick, MO for a retreat with Sew Sweet Quilt Shop. I will be teaching two classes, Marques and Victoria Rose. On Saturday night, I will also be speaking at the retreat. So, a whole weekend of yours truly! You can get more information from their website. This is the first time that I have taught at the Sweet Sewfull Event but I am very much looking forward to it. It promises to be lots of fun and I'm sure there will be a few surprises too!
I am thinking about doing a "Dear Ann Landers" type column on my blog. I wouldn't answer question on lifestyle but about quilting. If I didn't know the answers to the questions, I would do my best to find them. What do you think?
Here is an example of a question:
Dear Monique,
When I am piecing quilts, I find that the thread on my machine comes out of the needle, how do I stop this?
Needled
Dear Needled,
There are a couple ways to prevent this, but first, always make sure that your needle and the race are in the top position on your machine. If it is, your thread shouldn't pull out. If you have a machine that has a needle up feature, you shouldn't have to touch your wheel at the side to move your needle. Get used to using your foot and not your hand wheel and it will help a lot.
First, when you start sewing, grab both your bobbin thread and your top thread and hold onto them. This is actually how I do it. It takes a bit to get used to but once you do, it will make sewing less frustrating!
Second, many people use leaders and enders. This is a piece of fabric that you can re-use to start and end sewing. Some people use 2-4 layers of a small piece of fabric and feed it when they start, cut it off and then again feed it in when they end. Other people, like Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville, actual sew 1/2 squares, 4-patches, or smaller pieces for their leaders and enders. They have a pile of them at the ready at all times and they actually get some piecing done while they are preventing their machine from jamming up.
 |
| Leader |
 |
| Ender |
Let me know what you think of this column idea and if you have questions that you want answered, email me: info@opengatequilts.com. If I choose your question, I will send you a free pattern to enjoy!
See you next week!
Comments
barbara dillard smith woods
I hope you have fun at your retreats. They are my downfall and have been super good this year since last year I went to too many of them, or so said my bank account. LOL!
I like the Q&A sessions. Quilters always like to know how the rest of the world does it, so bring on the answers. I personally, do the whole holding thread like you do on today's question. I know it makes no sense, but I find sewing the leader and enders waste thread, although I KNOW I waste more by holding the tails. It's a mind trick I say!!