Scrap Buster II: Winging It

New Blocks and Layout Ideas

Despite other commitments and projects, my scrap II is still in the works and pretty much on schedule. (The goal being 366 scrap blocks this year.)

Without too much cutting required, I managed to make 3 more sets of "winged" creature blocks from this particular collection of pre-cuts scraps.

This swarm of on-point dragonflies just emerged quite accidentally as I was trying to find another way to build a butterfly.

I call these "Kimono Butterflies". There are many images for similar blocks on-line, so I adapted the pattern as best I could to use up my pre-cut shapes.

With the few bits and pieces of left over appliqued 1" quarter circles, a small swarm of "buggy things" emerged.

Because there are so many pre-cut strips left over from the same project as the appliqued quarter circles, I just started sewing them together in sets of 3, knowing (well hoping), that the maths should work out. It has. Hurray! Many have now been cut into 9 patch blocks and there is a stack of them that could become corner stones, (as below), or may yet become blocks in their own right.

Below are a few more layout possibilities. With all of the blocks that this stash of scraps will yield, more then one quilt is likely, especially since these will become kid quilts.

The 9 patch blocks could be sewn together and become the focal point in one of the quilts.

Or they could be the corner stone with a solid coloured sashing joining them. The hand dyed blue fabric underneath happened to be handy for photographing. I will likely try it with a white sashing before I commit to a colour.

Or, if I really feel wild and crazy, I may just sash the blocks with more colour. I'll have to see where the spirit leads.

Boutis: Traditional French Needlework

" Piqûre de Marseilles" or "Boutis" is a traditional French hand stitched and corded needlework technique, which uses embroidery stitches to create intricate channels that will later be stuffed with yarn, thereby creating a raised design with three layers. It's origins, and it's name, can be traced to the port of Marseilles in southern France to the 15th century. Traditional boutis was a technique invented to embellish otherwise plain white cotton with intricately patterned channels that would later be stuffed with a plump white yarn to give it relief. The resulting corded whitework created an elegant, embossed textile that was much sought after. Not only was it aesthetically appealing, but it also provided warmth and absorbency, so could be used for bed coverings, toilette linens (like towels), clothing items, home decor, etc. The first two photos below are from the collection of Mme. Monique Alphand, a well known French expert and collector of antique t

Amish Hand Quilting in France with Esther Miller

Esther Miller, was born into an Amish family in the U.S., and now lives in Germany where she has for many years taught the techniques and methods of Amish hand quilting to anyone interested in learning these skills. As a child, she would closely watch as the women of her community worked together on a quilt, and eventually she was rewarded with a needle of her own and encouraged to join the group. Through the years, she has mastered these skills and techniques and now generously shares them with anyone who has a genuine desire to learn. Esther Miller in Ste. Marie-aux-Mines in Alsace France. An example of her own work, Esther brings this intricately and perfectly hand stitched wall quilt to class as inspiration for her students. Last week, at the "European Meeting of Patchwork" in Ste. Marie-aux-Mines, in Alsace France, www.patchwork-europe.com , I had the privilege of taking a 2 day workshop with Esther. The Amish quilting method requires a free-standing simple

Blocking and Squaring Boutis

The door of her cage has been opened. She is free to fly off and find her destiny. After many months of hand stitching and then many more months of cording, my little "colibri" is ready to set off on her own. As this was my first attempt at designing so large a boutis piece, it was a learning curve. All of the tight swirls, curls and circles are a great deal more difficult and time consuming to cord then are the longer more gentle channels. Maintaining an even tension is absolutely necessary throughout the process, so patience comes in very handy when doing the cording. The process of stitching and cording a work of boutis subjects the fabric to a lot of handling and manipulation that can distort the design. For this reason, once all of the stitching and cording is complete, the boutis must be washed, blocked and squared. The first step of washing is to remove all traces of the marking pencil as well as any soil that may have collected over the many months of working w

Seams French

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