Trapunto Work

      I love the look of trapunto and have used it in two quilts.  I want to do more.  I will be teaching a class on trapunto offered in the fall for Midlands Tech so today I worked on a couple of sample blocks. 

First I used a water-soluble marker to outline the designs on high quality muslin squares. 

Then I added a layer of high loft polyester batting and free-motion stitched on the lines with wash away thread in the top and fine white embroidery thread in the bobbin.

Next I carefully trimmed away the batting close to the stitching. 

Here is the front of the butterfly design.

Here is the back of the butterfly design trimmed. 

Here is the front of the grape leaf design.

Here is the back of the grape leaf design trimmed.  

Playing with Strings

    The graduation quilt is finished.  The binding is sewn and a label is attached.  I did not want to think about a big project so I pulled out a few crumbs and some strings to just free sew and relax.  Here are 4 half log blocks that I made.  I squared them up at 10 1/2" but if I decide I want them larger, I can just add more strings.  I love this scrappy look.

These were not foundation pieced and not needed since the fabrics are mostly on grain. I will be teaching string piecing on a foundation in the fall at Midlands Tech.

String Piecing Spider Web Blocks

     I have been in love with spider web quilts for some time.  I have also been collecting strings when I cut fabric.  I have used my strings for a couple of quilts but wanted to do more.  When the “Pizza Girls” from Quilters Gallery did a presentation at GCQ guild, they showed 2 spider web quilt tops.   

 

I bought the large kite template they were selling.  I like to use sew in lightweight interfacing for the foundation instead of paper.  For my quilt I plan to use a variety of fabric for the kite shapes so there will be a variety of stars formed.  I used the template to cut 4 matching kite shapes and centered each on a foundation.  

Then I started sewing strings until the sides are covered. 

  

Next the blocks are pressed and trimmed. 

When 4 are sewn together, a star is formed. Here are my first 2.

   As more are sewn, the spider web forms.  Here you can see half of the webs formed.

String piecing is one class I will be teaching in the fall for Midlands Tech.