TATTY QUILT

When life gives you scraps make quilts

Quilts used for babies and it was an old fashion way of quilting. My mama used to use this method.

You can use embroidery needles with eyes that will comfortably accommodate the floss, but are sharp. The rounded tips of most embroidery needles punch holes in the fabric if you can get it through at all. Also very important, have lots of needle threaders.

You can use heavy crochet cotton take a stiich at each corner of the blocks or in the middle. Tie the ends together twice securely, but don't pull too tightly. Trim the ends. For a more dramatic effect, use several strands of thread. Tie again at the center of each block .

A new technique for tying that eliminates the tied ends showing.

First of all, embroidery floss (5 strands) or pearle cotton work very well for this procedure. I also use HIGH LOFT batting because it creates a more dramatic effect when you tie it (but that's simply a personal preference, not a rule!)

To "Tie" without ties, you will need to purchase a DOLL needle (that's a 5" or longer needle that is used to sew eyes on cloth dolls--available in most fabric shops or hobby stores. Thread the doll needle, do a quilter's knot in the end. Starting at the top or bottom of your quilt, put all three layers in a large hoop or quilt frame. You can choose to 'tie' your quilt at regular intervals, but no more than 3" between ties.

Take a stitch near where you want to begin and pop the knot into the inside of the quilt. Make a stitch about 1/2" wide down thru the quilt, and bring the needle up where you started. Stitch again over this first stitch, but T knot on the surface by stitching under the X. NOW, put the needle thru the X under JUST THE TOP LAYER of the quilt and guide it through to emerge where you want your next tie to be. Then repeat the process of stitching an X , knotting and tunneling through to the next tie location.

The appearance of this is very neat, with pretty X's as ties and no threads showing. It DOES use up a bit more thread than simple tying would, but it makes a much more secure top than the traditional method. It's also better if you don't personally like the little tie thingies showing. As you can probably figure out from the instructions, the long doll needle is crucial equipment for tunneling under the top layer without losing your needle.--worldwide quilt page.

Interesting quilt links -http://www.quiltwoman.com/sp_links.cfm

Craft and Sewing Room

Stork Scissors

I think I may have an answer for a question that someone asked quite a while ago--why are stork scissors made to look like storks? I saw a video last night on antique needlework tools, and the woman had a pair of unusual stork scissors--instead of the blades sticking straight up as is usual, the blades stuck out to the side. They were also very dull blades, not sharp enough to cut fabric.

She said that when she bought them, they were in a box with a lot of other sewing implements, but her research had found that they were actually a tool used by midwives in the 1800s. (Presumably to clamp the umbilical cord.) Since midwives were women who also did needlework in their spare time, they kept their medical tools handy--in their sewing basket. Maybe they even worked on their needlework while waiting for a baby to be born!

Anyway, just in case anyone besides me was still wondering where stork scissors came from, now you know :-)

--marina -worldwide quilt page

The Quilting Bee

The quilting bee was an imporant means of socializing for colonial and pioneer women (and man). Through the winter months, the women would piece their quilt tops. Since there was no central heating in these homes, there was usually only one main heated room that was too crowded during the winter months for a quilt frame to be assembled. When the weather became warmer, an invitation was sent to the surrounding neighbors for the quilting bee.

On the day of the quilting bee, the quilters would arrive early and begin marking the quilt top which had been put into the quilt frame by the hostess. Very often, plates, thimbles and tea cups were used to mark the quilting patterns. The quilters would then being to quilt the top while exchanging conversation. The quilt had to finished before the husbands and beaus showed up in the late afternoon when dinner was served to all, the hostess being given a chance to show off her cooking skills. After dinner, there was very often a square dance or country dance with fiddles accompanying the dancers. The quilting bee was an important part of the social life of these people surpassed only by religious gatherings---worldwide quilt page

Quilt Block Names

The interesting names given to quilt block patterns are rooted deep in the history of the United States. It is easy to see the influences upon quilters of the past by studying the names that they have given to their quilt patterns. The strong biblical influence is apparent from the large number of blocks with religious names such as Jacob's Ladder or Job's Trouble. The hardship of the pioneer can be seen from blocks with names such as the Rocky Road to California. The aspects of everyday life led to blocks with names like Churn Dash and Log Cabin. -worldwide quilt page

Many quilt patterns have several different names. A pattern known by one name in New England may have had a different, more significant name to the quilter in the Midwest. Sometimes old names were changed for commercial purposes. Each generation of quilters adds its own varitaions to an old art form.

From Trades and Occupations

Anvil, Saw-Tooth, The Ship's Wheel, Carpenter's Wheel, Monkey Wrench, Water Mill, Chips and Whetstones, The Dusty Miller

Outdoor Life and Nature

Garden Maze, Autumn Leaf, Spider Web, Rolling Stones, Ocean Wave, Flying Geese

Square Dancing

Eight Hands Around, Swing in the Center

Politcal Influence

Clay's Choice, Whig Rose, Fifty-Four-Forty or Fight

Biblical Names

Job's Trouble, Job's Tears, Joseph's Coat, Jacob's Ladder, Wonder of the World, World Without End

Cathedral Window Patchwork

A novelty patchwork. Muslin is commonly used with colored insert square in an interlocking fashion. The inserts can be all one fabric or various fabrics.

To make one 31/4 square fold a muslin square in half and press. Stitch 1/4 seam across each short end.

Step 2 Pull un-sewn edges apart and flatten unit into square so that sewn edges meet at center. Press nit so that corners are crisp and square, and seams are pressed in opposite directions.

Step 3. Sew remaining raw edges together with 1/4 seam, from corner to just past center seam. Then sew from opposite corner just far enough to leave 1" opening.

Step 4. Turn square right side out through openings and press flat. Unit will be approximately 4 3/4 square.

Step. 5. Working with seam side of unit facing up, fold each corner to center and press fold to form guidelines. Repeat steps to make three more units.

Step 6 Place two units together, with the un-seamed sides facing, aligning corners carefully. Stitch them together on folded guidelines in order to make rows.

Step 7. Join rows together in same manner. Once rows are joined, hand-tack loose corners at center of each unit.

Step 8. Place insert over seam that joins units.

Step 9 Roll folded muslin edges over raw edges of insert and blind stitch in place, sewing through all layers. Taper muslin edges at corners. Repeat with remaining inserts to complete design.

These are fun to make into small items such as an old fashion pincushion etc.

Happy Stitching