Florentine Edge Appliqué

Pipe Dreams, an original quilt by Ann Fahl

Have you seen the September 2013 issue of American Quilter Magazine? The above quilt was featured in my article about Florentine Edge Appliqué on pages 24-28.  I've probably mentioned this technique  before, I am really enjoying using it on my newest quilts. Pipe Dreams was about getting a new toilet.  You can read all the details on my website.

The article looks great, but what is funny is that I sent images of a newer quilt; which they decided not to use. So all of my blog readers can read the back story of this newer quilt and the article! 

Coneflower Tea, © an original quilt by Ann Fahl  22 x 22 inches

The quilt Coneflower Tea, contains so many of my personal images, I just love it.  It is hanging in my studio right now. The base of the quilt or the "tablecloth" is a large ginkgo leaf.  On it, rests a teapot and 2 cups.  This teapot is a favorite of mine, it also appears in another quilt titled Tea Party.  This quilt is particularly colorful and my cat Oreo is included. The actual teapot is bright red. Back to Coneflower Tea, the pot in this quilt is decorated with a small pink coneflower.

To tell you the truth, I've never made tea in this pot.  It sits in my family room, where I can enjoy looking at it.  So in this newer quilt, I've removed the lid and arranged some large coneflowers inside.

Closeup of the ginkgo leaf.

The very wide stitch on the edge of the lime/yellow leaf is my Florentine Edge Appliqué.  In the past I have wanted a wide zigzag stitch.  My machine gives a 7mm stitch and I believe Bernina has a 9 mm wide stitch, neither is wide enough for my needs.  By accident I found if I set my machine for a free-motion zigzag and moved the quilt side to side, I could create an edge that was 1, 1.5, 2 inches or wider as needed. Eureka, I have done it! This creates a soft edge, not a hard defined edge that a standard satin stitch provides. This is exactly what I'm looking for. 

Detail of bright blue leaves with green variegated Florentine Edge

These leaves are small, only 3 or 4 inches long.  I love how the blue fabric pops when edged with the green variegated Rainbow thread.

Briefly this is what you do to create this stitch, there are 3 steps:

1.Set up the machine with feed dogs down, darning foot installed
2.Set zigzag width for about 3 (you can experiment with the width)
3.Stitch along the edge with a free-motion zigzag stitch for 1 or 2 inches
4.Retrace your steps and go back over the zigzags you have just created
5.Now move the fabric side-to-side going as far into the center of the shape as you'd like.
6.When you have covered the first row of zigzag stitching, begin again with step #3. Continue around the shape in this manner until the edges are covered.

This isn't a fast method.  It takes time to create this interesting edge but it is worth the time.  For detailed instructions, check out the article in AQ, or see my booklet titled Applique Ann's Way.

Ann Fahl

Fun and Inspiration with Mary Ellen Hopkins

Back in the early 1980's I was a new quilter. My husband was watching the children while I spent a Saturday at a WQI meeting (Wis Quilters Inc.) At the time, the members had to bring their own lunch to eat between the morning lecture and the afternoon speaker.  This particular meeting, Mary Ellen Hopkins was the speaker for both time slots.  I had no idea what was in store for me that day.

Mary Ellen Hopkins

What a treat, she was a stand up comedienne/quilter.  This was the first day I was ever hit with a big idea, inspiration that kicked off my own colorful quilting career.  Mary Ellen was so funny, her entire talk was lots of fun.  She started to talk about finding a colorful splashy fabric that could be cut up into half squares; arrange the pieces and sew them back together! Just one fabric, not 5, 10 or 20! This is when the inspiration hit.

Only the day before I had been shopping in a local chain store and seen a red, blue and yellow print that I loved, but couldn't figure out what to do with it. You can guess what I did. The very next day, I drove to that store and purchased some of that fabric*.  I set the triangles in a black border and was absolutely thrilled with the result and ready to create another. This quilt led to another, and another, and you get the idea. 

Closeup of a similar quilt, using one fabric and sewing it together.

Mary Ellen has recently died.  She taught, lectured, and wrote books and articles that entertained and inspired quilters around the world.  I was one of them.  Thanks Mary Ellen.

Symphony of Color by Ann Fahl

*Ann no longer has the quilt that was inspired this day.  It was called "Fun with Triangles."  There is no photo of it, but it is in the collection of Wheaton Franciscan Hospital in Racine.  The fabric scraps, if there were any, were all cut up into triangles and used up! Some of Ann's more recent triangle pieces can be seen on her website. Half squares will always be an important part of her quilts.

Folding Quilts: Storing and Shipping without Creases

Summer Sanctuary, quilt by Ann Fahl 48 x 53 inches*

It has been a long time since I wrote the article for Quilter's Newsletter Magazine about bias folding. Without a doubt it is the all time most popular topic I've ever authored.

Since birth, I've been a textile person. My great grandmother gave me a quilt, which was nothing but a tiny strip of cloth by the time it got to my youngest sister.  All that was left was a piece of binding, perhaps 2 feet long, she called it her "yum yum."  My quilts have changed since then.......

Creases in Quilts

From the beginning of my quilting career in 1978, it troubled me that women would unwrap their precious quilts to share with others and that horrible center fold would mar the overall effect of the quilt because it was on the straight of the grain. These creases became a breast sticking out in the middle of the design that destroyed the appearance of their beautiful work.

Folding in Thirds

 

Several years later an instructor mentioned that if one folded a quilt in thirds instead of halves, this wouldn't happen.  And she was right. Chances are the quilt wouldn't be creased in the same place twice when divided in three.  This was the beginning of my quest to find a way to send and exhibit my quilts without hard creases.

Rolling Quilts

 

The obvious way was to roll my quilts on cardboard tubes or small PVC pipes.  Wrap the cardboard with muslin to protect the fabrics from glue and other chemicals in the paper.  To this day, I continue to store all my quilts this way.  When shipped, there is extra cost involved when sending tubes.  For the most part, show producers can deal with receiving and reshipping the tubes.

Shipping Quilts 

 

First I used 4" PVC piping with rubber caps. This worked quite well, but the PVC eventually cracked. Unfortunately they weighted quite a bit and this method became too expensive. Next, I began using the telescoping boxes from Uline S-4872T.  These are much lighter and easy to ship. But the boxes are becoming quite expensive.  If the quilt shipped is quite large there are additional charges involved in sending extra long packages.

Folding Quilts and How-To

So, I'm back to sending my quilts in square boxes. This is the most economical method. Then there is the same old problem: the quilt arrives at its destination with hard creases.  The answer is to fold the quilt on the bias.

This is how it is done.

Lay out the quilt on a table or flat surface. Fold the first corner into the middle.

Take the second corner and fold toward the middle.

Fold the third corner, notice that the corner goes past the edge.

The third corner has been folded under.

The last corner has been folded up and anything that hangs over has been tucked in, just like before.

You now have a neat little package to fit on a shelf in the linen closet, a shipping box, in the tote bag to take to guild meeting, or your suitcase.  If it is too big to fit the space, then open up the quilt and bring the corners further into the quilt and your package will be smaller. After you've done this a couple of times, you'll be comfortable with the procedure.

Why does this work?

 

When a fiber is folded on the straight of the grain, or on top of itself, the fiber is crimped really hard.  If a fiber is folded on the bias, the fold is much softer and causes less damage to the threads in the fabric. When a quilt is bias folded, it can be unfolded, shaken out, and the creases will hang out quickly. When folded on the straight, especially for a long time, the creases may never come out.

When shipping to shows

 

Bonnie Browning asked me to state that AQS would prefer that entrants fold the quilt with the right side on the outside of the package. Fold your quilt in which ever way you feel is appropriate for your purpose.  But always fold on the bias!




Happy folding, and have a good summer.  I'm going to work out in the garden.
Ann

*I chose this quilt Summer Sanctuary  to demonstrate the technique because it has a green front and a red back. It is easier to distinguish between the two!

Winona on Ice

This is part 2 of a blog about small photo quilts.

After making the two smaller quilts, I printed this larger winter scene in 2 halves and pieced them together, to make a larger quilt for myself. I added two outer borders to frame the scene.  It is called Winona on Ice.

Winona on Ice, a quilted photo by Ann Fahl, © 20 x 15.5 inches

This photo was taken several years ago, and I always wanted to quilt it for myself. This is the view of Winona Lake IN when you first arrive.  Now that the quilt is finished; when I wake each morning, the first thing I see is this quilt! It is the next best thing to actually being at Winona! I like this photo so much that I'm thinking of having it printed on a larger piece of fabric!

Again, using the Bottom Line thread (Superior Thread)  in the top and bobbin, gave me quilted texture without covering up some of the tiny details. It was important for me to carefully detail all the cottages across the lake; as I know most of the people that live in them. I chose a light gray for the sky, but right above the horizon there a subtle orange glow, so I used a soft coral thread for the quilting. If you look closely you will see the shape of a ginkgo leave quilted in the upper right hand corner of the photo and border. So with this fine thread you can achieve interesting effects with machine quilting.

The frozen lake is quilted with light gray. The weeds in the foreground are detailed with Superior Threads # 855 Rainbow thread. It was the perfect choice. This thread is quite a bit heavier, so it gave great ragged texture to all the tall reeds and weeds on the shore nearest the viewer.

Larger photos of the quilt are on my website.

The photo was printed on "Printed Treasures" by Dritz.

After this quilt was completed, I felt sufficiently "warmed up" and ready to tackle a larger design; so I  made  End of the Hockey Season! This was a subject of many blogs.

Ann Fahl

Frozen Winter Projects

Usually after the holidays I find it difficult to begin a new project.  This year I had numerous things going at once.  Early January I flew from frozen Wisconsin to Florida to visit friends and relatives.

First I visited my cousin Janet who lives outside of Orlando.  We spent 3 days together. It was wonderful to be with her, and we could be outside in shorts and t-shirts!  So I made a tiny quilt for Janet and her husband.

Winona Winter 2013, quilted photo by Ann Fahl, © 10 x 8 inches

When one doesn't feel too creative it is a good idea to make something small.  So I chose one of my favorite photos of Winona Lake, IN; (Janet and I both love Winona) added two borders and quilted the photo for them.

Winona Winter 2013 detail

I love how the quilting accented the piles of ice along the sidewalk.  I used a variegated gray/brown for the dark areas and a solid light gray for the snow.

After my visit with Janet, I drove up to Amelia Island and visited my friend Sally. Sally was the designer for my book A Black and White Tale.  She was staying at a wonderful house right on the ocean. The view was absolutely amazing. Again, I was comfortable wearing shorts and t-shirts.  It gives you a great sense of freedom, not having to wear heavy winter coat, scarf and boots. Sally is always taking photos with her iphone. Following her lead, I took some too.  We had a short but adventuresome visit. We shopped, ate all our meals out, and even took a boat tour of the area.

Vacation With Sally, a quilted photo collage by Ann Fahl, ©12 x 10 inches

For Sally, I made a photo collage, using some of the pictures I had taken, and one that Sally took. One of the strong visual elements of the beach house was the stairway over the dunes.  You will see it on the right side.  On the left is a sliced up photo of an old shrimp boat that is still operating on Amelia. The dark diamond shape is a picture by Sally that was an image of a beautiful hosta-like plant that I was waiting to see bloom.  It bloomed after I flew home, so Sally sent me the photo. Behind the diamond is a look down the shoreline.  Above it all is a combo of sky-scapes that I layered on top of each other.

Detail of the diamond photo taken by Sally

This was great fun, experimenting with Photoshop and transparencies at many levels.  After it was printed on "Printed Treasures" fabric, I added a double border and quilted it.

Detail of the boardwalk and stairway

For the quilting of all the above pieces I begin with monofilament thread in the top and bobbin.  With feed dogs down and darning foot installed, I outline the basic structure of the quilt. Then I begin adding colored threads.  I have found that using the Bottom Line on the top is great on photos because it is a fine thread, and allows the photo details to be seen.

When heavier thread work is called for I use whatever I want! Both the above quilts have wool batting and are bound with bias binding.  Bias makes a finer, longer lasting edge that using strips of fabric cut across the grain!

By the time I completed both of these quilts, I was ready to begin something a little bigger.  This will be the subject of my next blog.