Monthly Archives: February 2024

Mounted Over Canvas

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When I asked for suggestions recently about how to display some of my map quilts, the majority suggested mounting over canvas or on the front of canvas. This one was already faced, so it’s staying as is.

However, I researched online to find out what others are doing, and here’s what I found.

  • Cindy Grisdela, whose work I admire, has a tutorial on her method for attaching art quilts to canvas. Here’s the link. Her method is way complicated but does leave the option of removing the piece without (much) damage in the future.
  • A tutorial on another site suggests using heavy duty velcro attached to both the quilt back and the canvas. There’s more to it than that, but velcro is the basic idea. She also glues other stuff to the canvas around the quilt in some cases. Here’s that link.
  • Finally, Susan Carlson has a more sophisticated velcro option or instructions on mounting the whole thing over stretcher bars. She discusses other options as well, and this link was my favorite of ideas I found on the internet.

Of course there are lots of YouTube videos as well, but I haven’t the patience for those.

So, with the help of my husband, I mounted this floor plan over stretched canvas.

It’s not as neat as I would like–I may try to tuck and glue the corners a bit more–but I’m satisfied with it for a first try.

This is the floor plan of the house our daughter’s family just left after 9 years. Of course they have many fond memories there, so I made this “map” of the floor plan for them.

Have you tried mounting quilts on stretchers? Over canvas? Suggestions?

More Orphan Blocks

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First, I found this on the blog from Frances Arnold, a fellow quilter as you can tell:

How true!

And the same seems to be true of orphan blocks. Here’s the box with mine, despite my having made multiple quilts from them recently.

Here’s the latest top made from orphan blocks. It will go (eventually) to Flying Horse Farm, a camp for children with serious illnesses.

Blue Sky and Sunshine, 60″ x 72″

And here are a few more made from orphan blocks.

Quilt made using orphan blocks and the BQ5 pattern from Maple Island Quilts.

But look back up at that full orphan box. I think orphan blocks must follow the same rule as scraps!

What do you do with orphan blocks?

Some Fun Bags

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I’ve been eyeing this canvas fabric ever since Studio Stitch got it in, and finally I bought it and made some bags.

First up was a tote bag from a free pattern I’ve used many times. You can find it here, on the Bijou Lovely site, still available for free. The instructions are clear and well illustrated. I added a Kraft-Tex bottom panel, which is a little more complicated, but it won’t be any trouble if you’ve worked with Kraft-Tex before.

There was a little fabric left, so I made a BIG pyramid bag using another free tutorial, available here. This is another one I’ve made many times, but usually as smaller bags to hold jewelry or the like. This one is about 13″ high and I’m going to use it as gift wrap. (I avoid disposable gift wrap, but that’s a story for another day.)

I can recommend both of these patterns if you are in the mood to make bags. I did use my serger to finish the interior seams on the pyramid bag, but that’s the only “unusual” piece of equipment. I’m pretty sure you could just zigzag those seams anyway!

Another Fun Pattern

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Every once in a while I find a fabric I just MUST buy. Then it can be a challenge to decide how to use the fabric to highlight the reason I love it. I recently used the BQ2 pattern for a couple of these fabrics and I like the way it worked out.

The first fabric I just “had to have” is Wild Blossoms by Moda. Here’s a picture from the Moda site. It may not be clear on my blog, but you get the idea. It’s an ombre print across the width of fabric.

I modified the dimensions of the blocks in the BQ2 pattern because I had exactly one yard of the feature fabric, and here’s the final quilt.

The second “must have” fabric was this cat print designed by Chong-A Hwang, whose designs I frequently admire.

I had enough of this fabric to make a twin-sized quilt for one of our guest beds. I hope the guests like cats!

I recommend this pattern for big prints you want to show off. The pattern is well written and the blocks are big so the quilt is quick to make. I’ll probably be using it again.

Anybody else out there have favorite patterns?