Best of Nancy's Fabrics Blog

December 17th, 2011

Published by: NancysFabrics

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Rotary Cutter Care

By Nancy's Fabrics on December 17th, 2011

RotaryCutter Care Doyou get tired of replacing your rotary cutter blades? There areseveral ways to help your rotary cutter blades last longer.

Yourrotary cutter needs to be maintained just as your sewing machine,shears and other equipment. In recent years rotary cutters havealmost replaced the need for sewing shears for quilters. Manyquilters are using rotary cutters to cut all the strips and piecesrequired for a quilt. Rotary cutters have even crossed over into cardmaking and scrap booking. Rotary cutters come in at least foursizes. The 18mm, 28mm are very good for small cuts and cutting in thenew circle cutting acrylic tools now available. The 45mm is thestandard size used by most quilters and the 60mm is recommended bymany professional strip quilters. I use the 45mm cuter for moststrip cuts and the 28mm for sub-cutting smaller pieces. The 18mm isexcellent for trimming triangle points for ease of piecing. The 60mmcutter will cut faster and more layers but if you have a smallcutting area you might find it too large to maneuver. You will needto try out several sizes and decide which ones work for you. A personwith a small hand may also find the 60mm cutter handle too large. There are several different brands of rotary cutters. Some havestraight handles and some have curved or ergonomic handles. Go toyour local quilt shop and try out the brand of cutters they stock anddecide which brand works best for you. Remember if you purchase onewith a curved handle it comes with the blade set up to use for aright handed person.

If you are left handed, you will need to takethe blade assembly apart and reverse everything for a left handedperson. Again as with any other tool, be sure to buy a good qualityrotary cutter.

A good rotary cutter will last a long time. If youfind the safety shield or the screw area is wearing, you might wantto replace your rotary cutter. I have recently noticed that a newcutter on sale is not much more expensive than a new replacementblade so don't hesitate to purchase a new cutter if you needone.

SafetyTips Besure to always close your rotary cutter so the blade is protectedbefore setting it down on your cutting table. If an open cutter felloff the table it could injure your foot, a child or a pet. Be sure tokeep your rotary cutter out of children reach. Replacement bladesare readily available but some quilters consider rotary blades ratherpricey. I try to purchase a quantity of blades when I see them onsale and try to get a maximum cutting time from each blade.

TipsTo Keep Your Blade Sharp Firstalways use your rotary cutter on a special mat designed for thispurpose. Don't try to substitute another product. A good mat is justas important as the cutter itself in keeping the blade sharp. Becareful when cutting to not accidentally scrape your blade againstthe ruler or cut through pins. You could damage the ruler and dull ornick the blade. Once the blade is nicked it is difficult to cut aseach time the blade comes around to the nick it leaves a small placethe width of a few threads uncut.

This can be very frustrating tohave to go back and cut those little threads again.

ToClean Your Rotary Cutter Yournew rotary cutter will come packaged with a small amount of oil onthe blade. Do not wipe the oil off. Leave it on, it will not harmyour fabric and your cutter will cut smoother. The small amount ofoil will also keep the safety shield from wearing as you open andclose the blade. When cutting very linty fabrics, be sure to cleanyour cutter often. To clean the cutter, remove the nut on the back ofthe area where the blade is attached.

Then remove the curved washer,and the screw. Lay everything on the table in the order that youremoved it -- pay attention to the direction of the washer and nut.Also remove the blade protector. Clean the blade and the blackplastic shield with a clean cloth moistened with a few drops ofsewing machine oil.

Place a small drop of oil on both sides of theblade and replace everything in the order you removed it. Most rotarycutter packages have a diagram of how to reassemble the cutter.

Nexttime you purchase a new cutter, save a package to refer to whenassembling your cutter after cleaning. Manyquilters tighten the screw so tight that the blade doesn't rolleasily.

To test this, open the cutter and place the blade on your matwithout fabric. Roll the blade across your mat. You will want theblade to turn easily on the mat. If the blade seems tight loosen it,and if it is loose and sloppy, tighten it. When the blade is rollingfreely it is much easier to make a cut through your fabric. If youfind you need a new rotary cutter blade and one

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December 17th, 2011

Published by: NancysFabrics

is not available,take your rotary cutter apart, clean and oil as instructed. Whenreassembling the cutter, replace all the pieces in reverse of how itwas taken apart. My brand of blades has little numbers on one sidethat usually show when the cutter is assembled. If you turn it overso the numbers are toward the safety cover, you might get a few morehours of cutting from the reversed blade. You could keep up yourcutting momentum without having to stop and go to the quiltstore.

Rememberto keep your rotary cutter and blades well oiled and runningsmoothly. It will only take a few minutes of your time and yourrewards in a smoother, sharper cutter will save you a great deal ofcutting time in the future.

Reprintedfrom Quilting Board Newsletter. newsletter

turn right sides out and press so that your lining fabric shows evenly on both sides of your main fabric

QuiltingBoard

Easy Tissue Holder

By Nancy's Fabrics on December 17th, 2011

bring both sides to the center and press

You can make these in 5 minutes, or less if you chain piece.

Great way to use up your scraps. cut main fabric 6 1/2 x 5 1/2, lining 7 1/2 x 5 1/2

sew across the ends using 1/4" seam

you need two pieces of fabric, one main piece and one for the lining

then zig zag stitch across the same ends

sew 1/4 inch seam along both ends of the 5 1/2 sides, right sides together

Turn the tissue holder right side out, use a point turner to poke the corners neatly

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December 17th, 2011

Published by: NancysFabrics

- Basic sewing supplies.

- Fat eighth to fat quarter of each color.

- Or use scraps - you will need a piece large enough for the back fabric.

- Ruler with a 30 degree mark and a 2 1/2" template.

- 1 layer of med to thin batting about 8 1/2" square.

- I use traditional from Fairfield Co. Making the Star Point Blocks From the Quilting Board

OK, now lets start making a Star Point Block.

1. Cut swatches (pieces of fabric).

Making a Mouse Pad with the Star Point Block

2. Sew two together-one dark and one med.

3 Cut a 30 degree angle on the med swatch.

By Nancy's Fabrics on December 17th, 2011

Making a Mouse Pad

4. Sew on the other dark swatch.

5. Lay on cutting mat and cut out a square with a template.

You will need to make 4 each of these -- paying attention to where the colors (light/med/dark) go in each block.

with the Star Point Block

By Rhonda Woodsmall

Mouse Pad 8" x 8" finished This tutorial is an introduction to my Star Point Block.

You can find an in-depth explanation together with sample projects and designs in my Star Point Blocks e-book .

And yes you can run the mouse over this pad with no problems!!

This tutorial focuses on how to make the block. In my upcoming Ebook you will find more information on using this block in a lot more of my original designs. 6 more projects are included in the Ebook with lots of pictures so you can use the Star Point Block in more designs than I can show here.

I am almost always available for answering questions or just chatting about quilting! Just let me know if I can help!

You will need:

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December 17th, 2011

Published by: NancysFabrics

30 degree angle cut, Third swatch added, All three swatches sewn together

Cut swatches, Sew two together

Use the lines on the template to center the point, You need to have a 1/2" seam allowance Between the corner and the point Use ruler to cut a 30-degree angle

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December 17th, 2011

Published by: NancysFabrics

Template on the swatches, Recycle the leftovers, Star Point Block Making the Pieced top After you have all of your blocks made just lay them out as you see in the layout picture below. Sew blocks together into rows and then sew the rows together.

Top on back fabric, Batting

Quilt block, Layout Making the Mouse Pad Lay your pieced top face down onto the backing fabric. Pin in place. Lay it on a cutting mat and trim the back to match the top.

One edge, Sew edge

Lay your pinned fabric(pieced top goes in the middle) onto the batting. You will have to remove the pins and replace them on the backing which should be on top of your sandwich.

Trim the batting even with the pieced top.

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December 17th, 2011

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Sew around the edge

Finished seam & quilted

On one edge fold the back fabric back out of the way and sew along one edge to sew(basting) the top to the batting - This will catch the seams and keep them from fraying when you turn the pad right side out. Fold the back fabric back in place and repin.

I put the bottom right corner of the pad under the machine needle and put the needle down. Hold the left corner and pull it taut. Use your small scissors or a turning tool and push and straighten the opening until it is even with the rest of the edge.

If you hold it taut this helps pull the opening into line and you can continue to sew over it as you do make sure you use your scissors to keep the fabric of the opening in place so it doesn't move.

Make sure you start on the edge you just basted.

Starting at the bottom sew around the edge until you get back to the bottom and leave a 2" opening to turn the pad with.

Now turn the pad right side out and poke the corners out. Iron.

Now continue to sew a seam around the edge until you get back to the bottom.

Repin across the whole pad to quilt this pad down.

Quilting your Mouse Pad - Optional Quilt in the Ditch You can quilt your mouse pad or leave it as is. I quilt in the ditch because that is the extent of my quilting skills!! Just sew close to or on the seams. I choose which seams I want to highlight and which ones I don't want to sew over. I may not want the thread to show there.

Invisible Tie

Turn right side out and pin

I sometimes use what I call an invisible tie. I use regular thread(not yarn) and needle and starting on the backside I run the needle up through the fabric. Then go back down through the fabric but make sure the needle is not going through in exactly the same place it came up or it will just pull out. I go down just off a little from where I came up and then do this several times. End with your needle on the back side and I clip the threads really close to the fabric. If you sew through several times it will cross over itself enough to hold the tie in place without having to leave a long tail. 3 or 4 times should work.

If you match your thread to the fabric this will help to hide the tie. So you get an invisible tie!

Closing the opening

I have a lap size quilt I made this way several years ago and it is still just fine.

Iron it flat. I like to spray with Magic Sizing because it makes it lay flat and gives it a little stiffness when it dries. This is up to you however.

Now you have a finished Mouse Pad!

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December 17th, 2011

Published by: NancysFabrics

Powers was born to slaves near Athens, Georgia. For most of her life she lived in Clarke County, mainly in Sandy Creek and Buck Branch.

Reprinted from the Quilting Board Newsletter You can purchase Rhonda Woodsmall's ebook by clicking here Star Point Block

Harriet Powers-----American Quilt Maker

By Nancy's Fabrics on December 17th, 2011

I thought I would pass this information I found about this extraordinary woman. Harriet Powers, October 1837-January 1910.

Harriet Powers(October 29, 1837 – January 1, 1910) was an African American slave, folk artist and quilt maker from rural Georgia. She used traditional applique techniques to record local legends, Bible stories, and astronomical events on her quilts. Only two of her quilts have survived: Bible Quilt 1886 and Pictorial Quilt 1898. Her quilts are considered among the finest examples of nineteenth-century Southern quilting.

Her work is on display at the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts.

Early life

In 1886, Powers began exhibiting her quilts. Her first quilt was shown at a cotton fair in Athens; it is this quilt that is now in the Smithsonian Institution. Jennie Smith, an artist and art teacher from the Lucy Cobb Institute, saw the quilt at the fair and asked to purchase it, but Powers refused to sell. The two women remained in touch, however, and when Powers met with financial difficulties five years later, she agreed to sell the piece for five dollars. At the same time Powers explained the imagery on the quilt; Smith recorded these explanations, adding notes of her own in her personal diary.

The history of the second quilt is unclear. One account suggests that it was commissioned by the wives of faculty members of Atlanta University, who had seen the first quilt at the Cotton States Exhibition in Atlanta in 1895. According to another source, the quilt was purchased in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1898. Whatever its origins, the piece was presented to the Reverend Charles Cuthbert Hall of New York City, who was serving as the vice-chairman of the university's board of trustees at the time. The reverend's heirs sold the quilt to collector Maxim Karolik, who then donated it to the museum in Boston. Powers died on January 1, 1910, and was buried in the Gospel Pilgrim Cemetery in Athens. Power's grave was rediscovered in January 2005.

Bible Quilt 1886 and Pictorial Quilt 1898 consist of numerous pictorial squares depicting either biblical scenes or celestial phenomena. Hand and machine stitched, they were made through applique and piecework, demonstrating both African and African American influences; they are notable for their bold use of these techniques in storytelling. The reason for Powers' interest in celestial bodies is unclear; it has been suggested that they had religious significance for her, or were related to a fraternal organization of some sort. Her interpretations of both quilts have survived, though they likely have been influenced by their recorders. Although we now

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December 17th, 2011

Published by: NancysFabrics

know that Powers was literate (see next paragraph), she might have used her quilts as teaching tools. In 2009, a copy of an 1896 letter from Harriet Powers to a prominent Keokuk, Iowa woman surfaced. In the letter Powers shares insights into her life as a slave, when she learned to read and write, and descriptions of at least four quilts she stitched. In her letter, Harriet Powers also describes a quilt made about 1882 that she called the Lord's Supper quilt. It is unclear if the presumably appliqued quilt still physically exists today. Given that two of Powers' appliqued quilts have survived for over 100 years, it is possible the Lord's Supper quilt could be in a collection.

Be sure to visit Nancy's Fabrics for the start of you nextapplique quilt project.

Information and pictures taken from Wikipedia---The Free Encyclopedia.

Block of the Month 2011 Nancy's Fabrics

By Nancy's Fabrics on December 17th, 2011

Here are a few pictures of Nancy's Fabrics BOM 2011. Fabric choices were by Robert Baker, owner Nancy's Fabrics and quilt design by Virginia Houchins, Union, WV. The quilt is not completed as the BOM just ended but I will get up some pictures of the finished quilt soon. The fabric line used in this year's BOM was Noble Family by Benartex. Look for the Noble Family fabric line on Nancy's Fabrics.

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December 17th, 2011

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