My next big project will be making my oldest daughter's wedding dress. It really doesn't pay to sew as much as it used to. You can't compete with third world country labor costs, those being so much less than our own time. But, I think there are still a few areas where you can save money and making a bridal dress may be one. I say may be, because we'll see if she likes the finished product. You know, all this work could be for not, but, here goes, my journey of making a wedding gown...I hope she likes it....yikes!
It's no wonder quilters like gardening. Quilts are similar to flowers in that they grow. Occasionally, I have made a quilt from a pattern and follow it strictly. The longer I have been making quilts the more the pattern has become a jumping off point for size, as well as design. I love when I find a pattern I like and am challenged to make modifications. Such is the case with the quilt I am currently working on, this being a nine patch/hour glass quilt with and applique border
I walked into my fun house 
closet full of all kinds of fabric and thread and buttons and all that is good in the quilt world. And asked myself, "okay, whose turn is it next to be made into a quilt?" Some bright batiks were screaming "take me, take me" in a language I could barely understand. The Civil War prints were very traditionally requesting their turn next but, were weary with age, besides, I have a Dear Jane that is their peace time destination. The Japanese prints were posing their best Sumo for attention and certainly I couldn't make out what they were saying...probably poking fun at me in Japanese. Anyway, in an effort to reduce my stash, I ignored all the cries for attention and chose one of the larger pieces of material, approximately 7.5 yards. This was my beginning inspiration. 
I figured it had many different colors in it and that would help make it tie all the other fabrics together.
Matching this fabric with my large amount of white on white fabric, I had my hour glass complete. Next, since I had many color choices to choose from, I went with pink and brown. I'd been hoarding/collecting these fabrics for a long time, knowing I did want to make a pink and brown quilt, but, had no idea what kind to make...HA! Stash busting is such a good thing....smile.
Anyway, this quilt pattern combines my favorite style of quilting, that being combining the techniques of applique and piecing. So once I've grown the top nine patch/hour glass blocks for the top, next I will work on the applique border all this to cover my big beg! 
What fun and therapy quilting is.
I used to prewash my fabric before I made a quilt. Is prewash a word? I don't know, it's what people ask me when I buy new fabric, "Are you going to prewash your fabric before you use it?" After purchasing lush, new, beautiful material I'd get home and dread the thought of doing laundry! But, as a newbie, I'd listen to the wise sage quilters and do what I was told. Prewashing was supposed to remove any "loose" color that might bleed onto the quilt. Since then, I've grown up and realized that it just wasn't so, at least for me.
Yes, I know the Quilt Police say this is a must, but I can honestly say I've never had a problem until I took a class and was told you should always quilt first then wash and block the quilt-still damp, lay it out on the carpet and pin/force it into shape on the floor. Next you set up a fan that blows over it and it helps dry the quilt.
All this is information is in the Grand Finale video from Ricki Timms. This video is an outstanding DVD showing all kinds of machine quilting, binding and many techniques that are clearly displayed in an entertaining way. But, what you should know is Ricki is dying his own fabrics in a very controlled way and he uses a product called Synthropol that he washes his quilts in to help lock the colors in the material. His fabric is wonderful, but at $25.00 a yard, I have to choose to purchase from the local quilt shops, which also has wonderful lovely fabric.
Anyway, after following Ricki's directions and washing my Stash of Stars quilt 
in Synthropol and blocking on the floor, using a fan to help dry, my batiks bled to the back of the quilt 
and one sort of "ran", like a watercolor painting 
on the front! 
This is a warning to all that choose this method to finish a quilt. Now, maybe, if I'd prewashed all my fabric before sewing, quilting, then blocking, the bleeding would not have occurred...hmmmm...I guess I'll never know...lesson learned, however...smile
I'm going back to not washing my fabric and squaring the quilt before I sandwich and machine quilt the quilt-no damp blocking of the quilt! This is what works for me best and I like it that way.
Happy Quilting...smile
