Feedsacks!

When I started quilting almost 12 years ago, I had an intense love affair with those perky reproduction fabrics designed after the original feedsacks of the 1930's. I collected many of them but I never owned an original vintage feedsack...until this week, thanks to ebay. I was prompted to go on the hunt for the sole purpose of completing Andrea's antique quilt.

To add three rows to the original quilt top, I needed 45 additional squares. Andrea's mom contributed these two red prints, one being a full sized original feedsack, the first I'd ever seen.

I removed 5" of stitching along the side seam at the top of the sack, clipped the fabric and tore it along the width. From this I cut the squares. Because thick string was used to sew feedsacks together, small holes remain where the string is removed. You can work around those by examining the fabric carefully before cutting a square to size.

As I started to remove squares from the quilt top and mixed in these prints, it quickly became evident that I needed at least one more print. The red prints really brightened the look so I searched for something lighter and found this perfect pink print.

Now the additional rows are nearly in place. This quilt will finish to approximately 65" x 85", just the right size for a twin bed. More will be posted on the layering and quilting of this quilt soon!

Copyright ©2010, Sharon Baggs

Jitterbug

Jitterbug is the name of this contemporary style quilt from Debbie Bowle's book Dancing Quilts. The quilt was pieced by three friends who made it as a wedding gift for another friend. I quilted it and attached a scrappy binding.

Made entirely of batiks, they worked a beautiful color scheme around this design. According to one of the piecers, the quilt was very easy to construct; however, the tricky part was choosing the right fabric and then placing the blocks to show a semblance of order in the all-over design.

After discussing quilting options, we decided on an edge-to-edge angled design as shown here. It greatly enhanced the geometric design of the quilt. It's very easy to quilt this type of design. Quilt a short straight line, stop, then quilt in another direction to create the angle. Finger trace these close up shots to get the idea and try drawing this design on paper.



I used Superior Thread's King Tut for the quilting and changed color to blend in with the fabric. Batiks have a higher thread count so the fabric remains fairly taut while quilting. The backing was a heavy green felted fabric (I called it billard cloth, but it's not really that heavy!) I used a 40 wt. YLI brand cotton thread in the bobbin.

The border of the quilt was pieced from random pieces matching the color of the blocks and I pieced the binding to match each print along the edge. It turned out so well! Especially with a batik, you can just match the color, not necessarily use the same print and it will frame the quilt nicely, not distracting your eye away from the design of the quilt. The binding does need to be pieced-as-you-go with straight seams to join (not diagonal) but it's just a little extra effort that makes a big impact for the finished look.

Copyright ©2010, Sharon Baggs

Sunbonnet Sue

I love the story behind this quilt. Earlier this fall, I was contacted by the niece of a woman who wanted a quilt for her daughter. The Sunbonnet Sue blocks were appliqued by another quilter who had that end of the project for at least two years. When the niece called me she was desperate to help her aunt get this quilt finished. The aunt was worried she wouldn't see the day of its completion, now that she was in her 80's. Within two weeks of our conversation, I had the blocks and got to work.

First, I added yellow print sashing to 32 blocks, which were set diagonally, to make a full size quilt top. Each block with sashing was approximately 13" finished. I added matching muslin for the setting triangles and corners.

Next came the quilting. I marked a continuous oval stencil design, typical of vintage style quilts, on freezer paper with a black felt tipped pen. I attached the design to my glass top coffee table and put a light underneath the table to illuminate the design.

Using a blue washable marker, I marked the quilt top, following the design that is visible underneath. I then pin basted the quilt top with Hobbs Heirloom Bleached batting and extra wide white tone-on-tone backing.

I used Presencia 100% cotton 50/3 thread for all the quilting in both the top and the bobbin. When I quilted the 1/2" grid (see below), I used the 60/3 thread in the top and 50/3 in the bobbin.

Following what I did, here's a suggested quilting order:

*Use a walking foot to stitch in the ditch all the seam lines between the blocks and the sashing. This firmly anchors the quilt.

*Next stitch the curves of the oval design, also with the walking foot.

*With a darning foot, stitch around the Sunbonnet Sue applique design, taking care to stitch just between the applique and the background fabric and not on top of the applique, except when quilting around the top of the foot, bottom of the bonnet, and around the sleeve/hand. This helps keep the design from popping out, especially after washing/drying the quilt.

*Quilt a 1" grid in the setting triangles and the corners with a walking foot.

*Quilt a 1/2" grid in the background of the Sunbonnet Sue. I used the walking foot here too, although you can use a darning foot for ease in maneuvering around the applique.

It's best to mark the grids before layering the quilt. I contemplated a couple different designs for the background, such as McTavishing and a meandering line with flowers interspersed, before settling on grids. When in doubt, quilt a grid. It highlights applique beautifully and is an authentic design choice for Sunbonnet Sue.

I'm happy to say the quilt was finished in time for the holidays. Here is Sandy, the recipient of the quilt on Christmas morning with her mom, Betty. There is such joy to see it finished!

Copyright ©2010, Sharon Baggs

Andrea's Antique Quilt--Part 1

Happy Birthday to my friend, Andrea, photographer/artist extraordinaire and blogger (http://www.hulaseventy.blogspot.com/), owner of this charming antique quilt top made of original feedsack fabric. She showed it to me several months ago and asked me to repair and quilt it for her daughter, Ava.

Through the years, Andrea used the quilt top for a stereo cover. Later she used some of the fabric at the quilt edge to make some glorious circus cards which appear in Jane Davila and Elin Waterston's new book Art Quilts at Play (C&T Publishing, 2009). Andrea casually showed me the copy they sent her and I thought 'girl, you don't even know how cool you are to be in that book'. But she clearly deserves it! Yea, Andrea!

After separating the squares, I spritzed each one with some of Mary Ellen's Best Press spray starch, and trimmed away the frayed edges to a uniform size of 4-1/2" x 4-3/4". I put a block of wood underneath my cutting mat to provide a firm surface underneath; otherwise the rotary cutter can break the mat because the ironing surface is too soft to withstand the pressure when cutting.


As I took each row apart, I kept them in a stack and labeled the first square. I sewed them together with a light gray cotton thread (Presencia 60/3) and shortened the stitch length slightly. The thread is fine yet strong and it's what I use to piece all my own cotton quilt tops.

The original quilt top has solid lavender and hot pink squares. Very random placement of these solid squares appear in two 9-patches. To get the quilt to the correct size, I'm incorporating some other solid colors of light yellow and aqua.

This quilt top is still needing a few feedsack squares to make it a bit longer than the original and to fit the twin bed it is intended for. So while Andrea is on the hunt for more fabric, I'll work on some other projects and show you the finished quilt in the new year!

Copyright ©2009, Sharon Baggs