I'm Moving...

… to a different blog address! Check out new content over at Johanna Masko Quilts! See you there!

5 Quilting Myths Debunked!

1. Quilts must be perfect. 

I prefer "finished" over "perfect." That it pleases my eye and I'm digging the fabrics is a given. If we can let go of the idea of perfection for every little detail, we can get a whole lot more done. That's not to say that slap-dash is as good as well made (it isn't), but a quilt can certainly be lovely, well made and finished without perfect points and exactly matched seams.

2. Quilts must be made completely by hand.

I hope we all know by now this is utter nonsense. If you love handwork, great! Do handwork! If you are comfortable at the machine, by all means put the pedal to the metal and machine sew. Or, do both (I like to mix it up). Whatever method gives you pleasure in the making is the way to go.

3. Quilts take a REALLY long time to make. 

An emergency baby shower gift quilt can be whipped up in an afternoon. A good sized quilt top can be accomplished in a few days. If you know a long arm quilter, even better- she could quilt a queen-sized behemoth in a matter of hours. But between you and me, this myth can be kept under wraps. Let them THINK it took you ages if it enhances their appreciation of your awesome quiltmaking efforts... Shhhh...

4. Quilts should be bed coverings. 

Or table runners, placemats, mug rugs and wallhangings. Or free form, wonky, patchwork, experimental thing-a-ma-jigs that have no real "purpose" other than the fact that you enjoyed its making. That in itself is purpose enough.

5. Quiltmaking is a dying craft. 

This one is my favourite. Classes full of eager new quilters tell me a very different story. I teach a lot. Classes are often sold out with wait lists, and the people I have the pleasure of meeting in these classes frequently tell me that the quilt they are about to begin is their very first one. I rub my hands together and tell them "welcome to my world" with a gleaming eye and a wink. 

Also, spend a little time on the Internet and you will find numerous Modern Quilt Guilds, multiple quilting   tutorials on YouTube and dozens of quilt-alongs. Those quilt-alongs include projects for all levels of experience, from easy beginner quilts to epic samplers like Dear Jane and the Farmer's Wife.

Quiltmaking dying? Far from it.

So, with Five Quilting Myths Debunked, keep calm and quilt on, my friends- our quilty To Do list projects won't sew themselves! :-)

Ryan Gosling says...

Sneak Peek...

New Pattern: Insects

It's here!

The first chart in my cross stitch collection is "Insects." Originally created for my Intro to Cross Stitch class, this bug-filled sampler is really, really fun to stitch.
This sampler is specially designed to fit into a standard 8" x 10" frame with about an inch between the stitching and the frame.

Get it while it's hot at the workroom in Toronto! Ask about a floss kit- the workroom puts together the whole lovely palette in Cosmo embroidery floss for you so you can get stitching right away. Awesome!

Oscar Night!

My Oscar night project- hand-finishing the binding on my "Print Party" sampler quilt. Finally!

First Aid For Fingers

Here's a little something you might want to tuck into your sewing kit- a small bottle of New-Skin.

Sounds weird, I know. But between a cold Canadian winter, lots of needlework stretching and my refreshed obsession with hand stitched hexagons, my fingers are taking a beating this week. New-Skin paints onto your skin like nail polish and creates a clear barrier layer on your skin that reduces the wear and tear and seals up dry skin cracks. You can wash your hands and it stays on while still giving you full finger-feel that you lose when wearing a bandaid.

Three coats of it on my craft-abused thumb and I'm good to go.

Stretching Day

Finding Time

I stitch while I cook. Seriously.

A Collection

Finished Cushion!

Look! It's done! How many English Paper Pieced cushions have I made? Lots! Why so many? Because it's really, REALLY fun to do!

Join me in some English Paper Piecing love in my 3 hour workshop at the workroom in Toronto! I promise you, I've streamlined the heck out of my technique and you will want to stitch hexagons day and night.

The workshop runs on Saturday, March 2nd from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Call the workroom at 416 534 5305 to register. See you then!

Birthday Robe

It's not always quilts and patchwork around here (though mostly it is)!

I promised my daughter a new robe for her birthday and I actually completed it in an afternoon and within a week or two of the big day!

Note To Self: Robes are a LOT easier to make than semi-medieval Halloween costumes with ultrasuede overgowns and satin underdresses. There's a reason I like making flat objects out of cooperative cotton...

Curved Piecing Cushion

It's done! Let's see how many Works In Progress I can knock off and finish in the next few weeks...

Planning Session...

Curved Piecing Project...

Here's a Work In Progress, a stab at doing curved piecing without using pins. Compared to doing porcupine-like pinning prep, these little blocks flew together in record time. I did the quilting by machine to anchor it, then went in with perle cotton for more decorative quilting.

Pre-Washing Quilt Fabric

I always pre-wash my quilt fabric. Here is my rationale- if my fabric is going to run, shrink or otherwise misbehave, I want it to do all that before it has been sewn into my quilt. I don't want that sort of surprise.

Some quilters advocate the use of obscure special detergents or soaps and extra special fabric handling. I do not. When I get new fabric, I have no qualms about sorting by colour and throwing it in right along with my regular laundry- both washer and dryer. These are sturdy new quilting cottons, not precious antique fibres. I always wash in cold water with a cold water rinse, except for towels and sheets.

The only drawback is the tangle of fibres that will come loose through agitation and contact with the other contents of the washer and dryer. I have been just cutting or ripping off the tangles, shaking out the fabric and throwing it in the dryer.

However, I have a new method that gives me multi-faceted Win. I'm trying just a quick cold water hand wash in a plastic tub with a squirt of Soak Wash. One thing (among others) I like about Soak is that it is a no-rinse product. I do rinse, but I feel like it's not important to make sure that every speck of soap is totally rinsed out.

What I'm trying to do with a pre-wash are three things. First, get the fabric wet so I can dry it in the dryer, which will provide shrink-action if it's going to happen. Second, I'm also getting rid of the chemical sizing used in the manufacturing process, along with any cooties accumulated during the packaging and shipping process. Third, I'm checking for excessive dye bleeding.

So, I just give the fabric a swish in the Soak-y water for a minute or two and squeeze out the extra water. Then I give it another swish in clear water to mostly rinse out the soap. I wring it out- no kid gloves here!

I give it a shake and a sharp snap and throw it into the dryer with a waiting wet laundry load of the same colour.

This is a Multi-Win because-

1. I've saved time, water and power with a quick hand wash.
2. If colour has run badly,  I can see it right there in the water and can decide what to do, which might be chucking it out.
3. The fabric is significantly less thready and tangly.
4. I still get the heat-shrinkage by piggy-backing my quilt fabrics with a load of laundry I'm already drying.

Plus, my fabric is stash-ready that much faster, and that is the best Win of all.

Olde Country Shopping

I've been in Canada for quite some time, but I'm still a Michigan girl. So when we travel back to the Olde Country, a few side trips for stocking up on my favourite Michigan essentials are a must.

Jiffy baking mixes? Check! Giant pretzel rods and oyster crackers? Check! The indescribably delicious Detroit delicacy known as Sanders Milk Chocolate Hot Fudge Sauce? Oh yeah. This is "eat right out of the jar" good stuff. And don't forget the Vernor's Ginger Ale!

The other major non-grocery destination is Joann Fabrics. The store I go to always has a very good selection of quilting fabric, and I cross my fingers on hitting a sale on already (usually) less expensive fabric.

As an added bonus, Joann carries an exclusive line of fabric by Denyse Schmidt. I bought some, of course (the four fabrics on the left), but what caught my eye was this folded and beribboned yard of DS Quilts fabric...

Hey! Four different Fat Quarters printed all on one chunk of fabric! Yes, please!

 Now it's all in the wash en route to The Stash. Can't wait to work with it all. Glorious!

New Sewing Box

Ok. Prepare for Extreme Sewing Nerdiness...

This is what I was using for my portable sewing kit that I kept my stuff in for teaching classes and generally corralling my tools- a pencil case from Staples.

Meanwhile, while teaching, I have witnessed a parade of super-cute hinged tins and other adorable boxes that folks use to contain and tote their sewing supplies.

I decided it was high time to liberate my inner Sewing Nerd. After a trip to Michael's, the hardware store and my Stash, here's what I came up with...

Yes, it all fits in the box.

Melody Miller scraps!

Jubilee Pineapple!

In honour of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, I give you...

 the Jubilee Pineapple Log Cabin Cushion!

God save The Queen!

Tutorial: Curved Bias Quilt Label

Hi! I've been sewing my brains out lately and it's time to catch up!

Here is my new favourite way of making a quilt label. I've used it three times so far and I love the way it looks. Here's how...

Cut a 1" wide strip of your label fabric on the true bias, and long enough to fit your label information plus a little extra on each end. 

Carefully iron it right side up to a scrap of freezer paper on the shiny side. This stabilizes the fabric so it doesn't shift as you write. 

With a Pigma Micron Pen, write your quilt information in the centre of the strip. Write smallish- the edges are getting turned under. The finished label is 1/2" wide.

Now, I run the strip through my handy Clover Bias Maker (1/2" wide finished). If you don't have one, you could just carefully press the edges under, but the Clover Bias Maker is really quick and neat (and super fun!).

Then, with the right side up, gently pull the strip into a curve while you press it with your iron.

Position the curved label in a corner on the back of your quilt, with the ends hanging a bit past the edges of the quilt. Pin and hand appliqué in place. (Just stitch the two long sides; the short ends get caught in the binding.) Trim ends flush with quilt edges.

Attach your binding however you like. For the binding in the photo, I did the first stage of stitching attaching the binding to the back of the quilt, then folded it over and machine finished it from the front...

...and there you have it! A neat, easy and unusual way to label your quilt. I hope you try it!