Framed Quilt Art

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Elizabeth

A stunningly simple art quilt with embroidered leaves.

I love quilt art and I know many of you also do. But did you know that quilt art doesn’t need to be restricted to wall hangings. Quilt wall hangings are generally relatively large and they are hung without frames; however, small quilts can look very attractive with a picture frame.

Many quilt artists, such as Lenore Crawford, have experimented with framing some of their pieces. Crawford says that she is not always pleased with the results, but many quilt artists love to frame their pieces.

Making Civil War Quilts

Posted on October 15, 2011 by Elizabeth

The United States Postal Service saluted America's quilt making heritage with this stamp.
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If you love American history, but can’t see yourself becoming a re-enactor, you can still get involved by making historical quilt patterns. Quilting was popular both as a recreation and a necessity throughout the 1800s.

Quilt makers during the Civil War were especially prolific. Saving scraps of fabric and making them into warm coverlets was the economically feasible thing to do, but it was also enjoyable and even patriotic.

Women on each side sometimes incorporated symbols of the war in their quilt masterpieces. Many quilts are extant from the era and fetch high prices from quilt and antique collectors.

Today, many quiltmakers enjoy reproducing the patterns of this bygone era. Reproductions of original antique quilt patterns are available, as are modern versions of the same styles. Bonnie Blue Quilts is one online quilt pattern store which specializes in such reproductions.

Quilts with Solid Color Fabrics

Posted on September 13, 2011 by Elizabeth

While you may think of quilts as being made in colorful prints, that is not always the case. Amish women make lovely traditional quilts without ever using prints, since using only solid fabrics is in keeping with their simple lifestyle. Many outstanding books on Amish quilts are available.

Beautiful quilts can be made using bright and dark colored broadcloth. The array of hues in broadcloth today is amazing.

Long Arm Quilting Machines

Posted on June 19, 2011 by Elizabeth

A mother and daughter enjoy their long arm quilting machine.
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Many people piece their quilts together on the sewing machine; regular sewing machines are excellent for this. Some standard sewing machines can also handle the actual quilting process—sewing the top, batting, and bottom of the quilt together with a plain or decorative stitching pattern. However, a large comforter is difficult to quilt by machine because of the lack of room on the machine bed. Feeding a very thick batting through a standard sewing machine can also be difficult.

If you do a lot of quilting, you may want to consider a long arm quilting machine. A long arm quilting machine quilts a quilt set in a frame. Long arm quilting machines can stitch the quilt in a variety of stitch patterns and allow you to quilt an entire quilt much quicker than by hand or even by using a standard sewing machine.

These machines are not for everyone. They are rather expensive and they require a lot of room; ideally, you need a separate room to accommodate the machine and the frame; however, if you quilt many quilts each year, you may enjoy a long arm quilting machine. Long arm quilting machines are relatively easy to learn to use and many quality machines are available from a variety of manufacturers.

A History of Men and Quilting

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Elizabeth

Men and the Art of Quiltmaking by Joe Cunningham is a look at the history of men and the art of making quilts. Cunningham has been quilting for a living for over thirty years and has authored numerous books on making quilts. His book explores the historical connection between men and quilting. While quilting became a female hobby in the nineteenth century, Cunningham reveals that prior to that time professional quilting was actually done by men.

After giving a historical overview, Cunningham goes on to profile thirty contemporary male quilt artists. The book features examples of each man’s work and is well illustrated. The quilt artists also share the pattern or process for making ten different quilts.

Cunningham is a versatile talent. When he is not quilting or writing, he stars in his own one-man musical Joe the Quilter, a humorous musical on the history of men and quilting.

Men Quilt

Posted on June 5, 2011 by Elizabeth

Quilting as long been thought of as a women’s domain, but nowadays many men enjoy this traditional needle art. Male quilters are often drawn to what is known as quilt art, a piece composed for display. Quilt art incorporates traditional fabric piecing in a fresh way.

Bruce Seeds, a Wisconsin architect and website designer utilizes hexagon fabric pieces to create wonderful abstract designs. Seeds enjoys the creativity of the quilting process and begins his designs without any preformed plan.

Kent Williams another Wisconsin quilt artist has been fascinated with quilts for as long as he can remember. Williams made his first quilt about ten years ago after a friend taught him to sew. Williams’ designs are also abstract, but unlike Seeds he uses many shapes in his designs.

The number of male quilt artists continues to increase and many of them are showing their work at quilting shows. In my next post I’ll review a recent book on the history of men and quilting.

Happy Mother’s Day!!

Posted on May 8, 2011 by Diane

Happy Mother’s Day to all you home decorating, fabric loving mothers out there. We hope your day is filled with loving family members and that you receive many lovely gifts including a gift card from Onlinefabricstore! This gift card will make finding and buying fabrics for all your projects very easy. Those projects may include quilting, crafting, sewing, home decorating and interior design.

All babies are beautiful in the eyes of a mother!
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Books on African American Quilting

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Elizabeth

African Americans have a rich quilting tradition. Recently, author Kyra E. Hicks has documented some of the stories behind African American quilts. Through meticulous research Hicks has traced the history of Harriet Power’s famous Bible Quilt. This I Accomplish:Harriet Powers’ Bible Quilt and Other Pieces is a fascinating read for both quilting fans and history buffs.

With 1.6 Million African American Quilters: Survey, Sites, and a Half-Dozen Art Quilt Blocks, Ms. Hicks has created a great resource on historical and contemporary African American quilt art. Hicks’ blog Black Threads is another informative source on African American quilting and contemporary African American quilt artists.

Stack and Whack Quilts

Posted on January 9, 2011 by Elizabeth

I mentioned shortly after our blog began that I am not a quilter, but certainly admire those with the talent for it. Penny Halgren is one of those people. She has her own website devoted to quilting: How to Quilt.com.

Recently Penny’s tutorial on “Stack and Whack” Quilts got my eye. I had never heard of Stack and Whack quilts. The technique sounds fun and the resulting quilts are full of eye-enticing “motion.”

Imagine a Stack and Whack Quilt done in Amy Butler fabric . If you make a Stack and Whack Quilt be sure to send us your pictures and any details you’d like to share.

Quick Tips for Rotary Cutting

Posted on January 7, 2011 by Elizabeth

A rotary cutter is the cutting tool of choice for many quilters. It is much easy on the hands and much quicker than traditional scissors. It is also more accurate. Here are some tips make sure your rotary cutting goes quickly and easily.

After you preshrink your fabric, add some starch when you press. I know we seldom think of starch any more (at least I don’t), but a light starching will help keep your fabric layers from slipping when you cut them with a rotary cutter.

If you are totally new to rotary cutters, remember to place a self-healing mat underneath your fabric to protect the cutting surface. You can also use very thick cardboard that you don’t mind cutting, but using the specially-made mats will give you a better surface to cut on and more accuracy. Cutting mats come in several sizes and feature helpful grids.

A standard rotary cutter on a basic, self-healing mat.
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