Posts Tagged ‘how-tos’

Scrap Quilt Secrets: #1

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle

I’m making adorable scrappy quilt blocks along with AP&Q’s quilt-along.

The design is a great little block by Christa Watson and making the blocks is really entertaining.

One of my first few quilt blocks in the AP&Q quilt-along

I decided to omit a few of the seams in the background. I think it looks fine either way and I wanted to speed things up a little and eliminate some bulk.

One of the options for fewer seams

But what I really want to share today is something that caught my ear in the Facebook group for the quilt-along.

One person was saying that she’s spending time making each block look nice. She’s arranging and rearranging her patches deliberately to create combinations that please her. (Smart quilter!)

Be warned: Addictive.

And that’s where it went south. Because another quilter’s response floored me:

Say WHAT?!?

Now please understand: I hold no personal malice toward this quilter. But that approach for scrap quilts is absolutely wrong.

Let me repeat: Absolutely wrong.

You know how some quilts look like scrap vomit? That’s what happens when you don’t plan your scrap quilt.

Scrap quilts don’t take less planning. They require more!

You must be deliberate about making all those diverse fabrics work together.

You have to consider what elements could bring cohesion to all those varied prints.

It behooves you to audition and to change things up and to rethink one more time, over and over and over.

Four of my “planned” blocks

There were also comments that revealed a quilter’s experience and wisdom, like this one:

Amen. She is absolutely right.

I have had to make peace with the extra time and effort it takes to make a good scrappy quilt. It does require a lot more time and effort. But you know what?

Star Silhouettes by Diane Harris. Quilted by Julie Lechner.
Image: Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting®. ©2022 Meredith Operations Corporation. All rights reserved.

I think it’s worth it.

Quilt on,

Find the details for the American Patchwork & Quilting 2022 Quilt-Along here.

Does your quilt guild need a great program for ’23 or ’24? I’d love to share my quilts with you. Give me a call and Let’s Talk Quilts!

I love small quilts!

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, Complimentary, How-tos and Ideas

Small quilts don’t take up a lot of time or space. They quickly satisfy my need to create. They’re fun to use in my home as the seasons come and go. And they make great gifts. What’s not to love?!

I have been making small quilts ever since I started quilting in 1984. That’s 38 years. I have saved most of them, and they became my first trunk show for quilt guilds: One Hundred Small Quilts. I think your quilt guild would love it.

Make Extraordinary Scrap Quilts: Online!

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Open Classes for Everyone, Quilt Lifestyle, Trunk Shows

Get tickets early and SAVE on my most popular trunk show.

If you make quilts, you generate scraps. And you probably also collect fabric. How do you bring these treasures together into a beautiful quilt? Let me show you!

Big Cheese, designed and made by Diane Harris of Stash Bandit

Join me LIVE for my most popular trunk show, open to everyone, everywhere, on Monday, Sept 12, 2022 at 7:30 pm Central.

Early Bird Special: Tickets are reduced to $13 if you purchase by end of day on Friday, Aug 5. Tickets from Aug 6 on are $20.

Windows in Time, designed and made by Diane Harris of Stash Bandit
Quilted by Julie Lechner @beenquiltin

During the trunk show, we’ll examine quilts in many different styles to see why they work—and sometimes why they don’t. Whether you make traditional or modern or art quilts or a combination of these, you’ll find helpful insights to make your quilts sing.

Star Silhouettes, designed and sewn by Diane Harris. Quilted by Julie Lechner @beenquiltin.
Image: Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting®. ©2022 Meredith Operations Corporation. All rights reserved.

Discover why some scrap quilts are beautiful and some are a jumbly mess. Learn ways to bring diverse fabrics together. See how auditions make a difference in the final results!

Simple Four Patches in browns and brights, blocks by Diane Harris.
Inspired by Jolene Klassen at Blue Elephant Stitches.

Gather many ideas for starting with what you have and moving forward into glorious scrappy miracles. Leave matchy-matchy behind and embrace a little clash. Create quilts that SPARKLE!

Early Bird Special: Tickets are reduced to $13 if you purchase by end of day on Friday, Aug 5. Tickets from Aug 6 on are $20.

Day at the Beach quilt top by Diane Harris of Stash Bandit

Learn more about me here.

See more of my quilts here.

Learn more about booking an event!

Trip Around the Tulips top by Diane Harris

I hope to see you on Monday, Sept 12 for Make Extraordinary Scrap Quilts. Get your tickets now and save!

Quilt on!

Online events coming up

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, Classes, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Open Classes for Everyone

Scrap quilt BONANZA and binding by machine

Two online events are scheduled for August and I’d love to have you join me.

StarQuar Scrap Quilts

You may have seen my Star Silhouettes quilt on the cover of American Patchwork & Quilting this summer.

American Patchwork & Quilting’s cover photo, July/August issue 2022.
Image: Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting®. ©2022 Meredith Operations Corporation. All rights reserved.

It’s based on a simple idea that leads to some pretty interesting quilts—a regular BONANZA of scraps. I’m teaching this concept in person and online soon. There are many quilt patterns to choose from (included), and the sewing is easy.

Limiting the palette yields interesting blocks.

Join me on Zoom Thursday, August 4 at 10 am for StarQuar Scrap Quilts to learn about this little unit and other helpful concepts for making dynamic scrappy quilts.

An EQ rendering of another idea for StarQuar units.

The full day class is $65. Get tickets here. Lots and lots of ideas. Your head will swim—in a good way!

Easy Quilt Binding by Machine

I’m happy to be sharing my machine binding technique again! This online workshop happens Saturday, August 27 from 11 to 3 Central. Register right here.

I bind my quilts by machine—have been for 25 years.

I’ve been using this method for about 25 years and it has stood the test of time. It’s fast, sturdy and beautiful. I think you’ll love it.

You’ll love binding by machine.

We’ll also cover other binding topics to beef up your skills for finishing. Binding doesn’t need to be a job you dread or put off. It can be done quickly and it can look great, too! A great investment of less than $40. Get your tickets to this online class right here.

I can’t wait to meet you!

Quilt on,

Grab “Lucky” today!

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in How-tos and Ideas

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, quilting friends! I’m offering the complimentary pattern for my “Lucky” quilt when you sign up for Scrappy Tips by email.

Lucky by Diane Harris, Stash Bandit

Scrappy Tips will arrive once or twice a month and is short and sweet because we’re all busy. When there’s an event upcoming, I include that, too.

Get Lucky right here.

Quilt on!

Machine Quilting Help

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Machine Quilting, Magazines

What has tripped me up more than anything else in the quiltmaking process?

Without a doubt, it is the quilting.

This morning I did a Facebook Live for Annie’s Catalog and Quilter’s World.

It was sponsored by Handi Quilter and I quilted live on their HQ Capri, a stationary longarm with 18″ of throat space. It is dreamy.

In this video, I share tips on what questions to ask yourself and I quilt several different kinds of patterns on the HQ Capri. Take a peek, we start officially at about 02:10. You can drag the progress marker to 2:10 if you don’t care to hear the friendly chit-chat at the beginning. 😊

Quilting on the HQ Capri by Handi Quilter

https://fb.watch/93Qah978LY/

Learn more about the HQ Capri stationary longarm.

Christmas Bells was designed by Wendy Sheppard of Ivory Spring.

The original Christmas Bells by Wendy Sheppard appears in the Winter 2021 issue of Quilter’s World.

Find the pattern for Christmas Bells in the Winter issue of Quilter’s World, on newsstands now.

You can also order it online or check out the digital download.

You might wonder why I create online content for companies like Annie’s, Quilter’s World and Handi Quilter.

I do freelance work for companies that provide valuable tools and supplies to quilters around the world. I promote companies I truly believe in. I am paid for my work whether you make a purchase or not so everything is upfront and transparent here. I am honest about what I think you’d use and benefit from.

Thank you for visiting Stash Bandit! 😊

Quilt on,

Add Facing to a Quilt: Easy Method

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas

Several of my small Dresden Plate quilts have facing instead of binding. When I shared them during a recent program, people  asked for instructions. I wrote “Let’s Face It” for Quiltmaker in years past, so I got their permission to post that article here. I hope you’ll give it a try. It’s a great skill to have in your toolbox.

Dresden Delight, designed and made by Diane Harris. This little quilt has a facing instead of a binding. Use my easy instructions below to give facing a try.

 

“Let’s Face It” by Diane Harris

Courtesy of Quiltmaker and The Quilting Company

quiltingcompany.com

A useful alternative to binding a quilt is adding a facing. Binding adds a frame of sorts around the quilt’s edges. Facing comes in handy when you don’t want such a frame, and it’s fast and easy to do.

Follow these steps to add facing to any quilt. I used dark thread in some of the photographed samples for visibility. In reality, use matching thread.

Layer and quilt as you normally would. Trim all the layers of the quilt even and square up if needed.

Cut the facing strips 2½” wide; cut enough strips to go around your quilt’s perimeter. If necessary, join the strips end to end. The strip length is determined as follows: for the top and bottom strips, measure across the quilt width. Cut the top and bottom facing strips to this measurement minus ¼”. (Having the strips ¼” shorter than the quilt’s width will help pull the facing to the back and be unseen.)

 

On both strips, fold one long edge under ¼” and press. Place one strip right side down at each end of the quilt, matching the ends of the strips to the sides of the quilt as shown. Pin both strips at each end.

With the quilt on the bottom (nearest the machine bed), sew both of the strips to the quilt with a ¼” seam allowance, beginning at one short end and turning the corner with one diagonal stitch as shown below. Turn the second corner in the same way and end the line of stitching as it began.

 

Now lay facing strips right sides down on the quilt front sides. Trim the strips so the ends extend about ¾” past the folded edge of the top and bottom strips as shown below. Fold one long edge under ¼” on both strips and press. Sew the side facing strips to the quilt as shown with a ¼” seam allowance. Carefully trim the bulk from each corner.

 

To make the facing lie flat, sew a line of sharpstitching, also called edgestitching: first, fold the side facing strip up as shown below. Beginning about 2½” from the corner, sew through all the seam allowances and the facing very close to the seam, ending about the same distance from the next corner. Repeat for all the sides.

Turn the facing to the back of the quilt and gently push out the corners. Press the facing flat. Sew the facing to the quilt back by hand with a blind stitch.

As you can see, a quilt facing is similar to a garment facing, but it’s easier to do because there are no curves. I use this technique on many small quilts and it’s really a nice way to finish.

My thanks to Quiltmaker for giving permission to post “Let’s Face It.” When you see Quiltmaker on the newsstand, please pick it up! Visit quiltingcompany.com for lots of inspiration.