Quilters Secrets - Day 5

Good morning, and welcome to Day Five of the Quilting Secrets Blog Hop! I was thrilled to have been asked to share a quilting secret with you! There are 6 other talented quilters sharing secrets this week, so make sure you check out their blogs too! Here's the schedule:

Christine @ Quilt Monter in my Closet December 31st 

Linda @ Buzzing and Bumbling January 1st

Barbara @ Cat Patches January 2nd
Melissa @ Bitter Sweet Designs January 3rd

Sharon @ Vrooman's Quilts January 4th

Sue @ Quilt Times January 5th

Hayley @ Mrs Pickles Garden January 6th

A big thank you to Mrs. Pickles for all of her hard work organizing this hop and of course, a big thank you to you for visiting today! We also have a giveaway today sponsored by Aurifil and will be at the end of the post.

Hello and welcome to VroomansQuilts, Sharon here.  Have you avoided some quilts and blocks because they use small pieces?  Today I am going to give you some help with sewing small pieces of fabric using the 'web' technique.

Now I love working with tiny (and scrappy) and have a method of keeping a fabric 'food chain' that works for me.  When inspired to start such a project, I go to my snack barrels that hold 'homemade' pre-cuts.  Yes, 1.5" and half inch increments right up to 5" squares.  I know when one of these is full, I have enough to make a quilt. 

I will be using these blocks in a variation of postage stamp quilt, so I will use them for demo.  Select 9 squares - these are 2" squares and I want a light from left to right diagonal corner.  This method helps with being sure I keep my layout as well as matching up those small seams.

 

TIP - To really help with working small pieces you should have a single hole plate and single stitch foot - photo one.  That's my Mom's old Singer and high tech - an old bubble pad mailer as the machine pad.  (Be sure you put a sticky note on your machine that you have the single hole plate and foot in - or you will break needles and possible your machine if you switch to another wide stitch while that plate/foot is in) Now if you don't have a single hole plate, check your machine's manual for feet and machine stitches.  My SIL' s Singer has only the wide hole plate, but her manual recommends this clear, thin  foot to use for straight, single stitching.  (and an old worn cutting mat is used for the machine pad)  My old New Home - I am SO use to this machine - wide hole plate with a wide (zig-zag) foot - I use this for almost everything. But this combo will eat your fabric! (yes, an extension bed for another machine doesn't quite fit, but works) 

 Let's sew!  Stitch column 1 and 2 blocks together.  Remove from machine, but don't clip threads inbetween blocks - leave the 'web'.  Next stitch column 3 blocks.  Remove from machine, but don't clip threads inbetween - you have a 9-patch block with all pieces connected.

  
Just finger press the seams (over pressing small pieces causes a lot of distortion) and match up up seams and pin.  Stich one row and repeat.  I like to set the seams by pressing from the back first.  Then flip and lighly finish press from the front.  You can see how nicely those seams match up and there is very little trim to them when you go to 'square' up.

Tip - if you have a machine that threads needle from front to back, you should be pulling your stitched piece to the back of the machine.  If you pull it to the side, you will be doing just like making pretty curls with curling ribbon - the tension and needle will curl your threads and when you snip them they will spring/curl/knot up under your pressure foot.  Pull those nice threads to the back of your work and hold with a finger as you start - helps to keep them from knotting up at the beginning of your stitch line.

All those cute blocks ready for a postage stamp quilt.  Another set of blocks - a 16-patch with 1.5" squares.  And you can use the same technique to piece other blocks after you have stitched the components. 

I have another similair tutorial for the web technique HERE

I hope this gives you some encouragement to try those tiny blocks and hope you are enjoying the Quilting Secrets Hop.  As a thank you for stopping by today’s wonderful giveaway was donated by Dario Valtorta from Customer Care for Aurifil USA. 

Company Info

Established in 1983, Aurifil™ is an accomplished Italian company based in Milano, with a full-grown experience in producing superior quality cotton threads for professional and domestic quilters Building on a tradition of Innovation Aurifil ™ is a market-oriented company dedicated to develop new products based on our quality and quilt threads solutions. We commit to create contemporary products that will have a great appeal on everyone. Aurifil™ exceeds your expectations by giving you better always! Through a contemporary creative concept you find what you need!

 www.aurifil.com

 One very lucky person who leaves a comment will win one large Aurifil thread kit in basic colours.  Comments open until midnight (EST) 1/4/13 (24hrs period) and announced the next morning.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon