Almost done!

I've almost finished my little girl's playmat:

This is the top ... and close up:


This is the back - which I never thought would look this good when I started struggling through the rather thick wadding.

and close up:


I just need to finish a wee bit of quilting on the top, then I need to cut the wadding to size and finish the border which will be attached via blind-stitching to the back.

Lots of new links

I've added lots of new links ...

How to Print onto Fabric

Remember how intrigued I was by print transfers onto fabric. A lot of more knowledgeable quilters do it. I've asked a few and among them, Lynne Heller was kind enough to respond and tell me this:

"The way I print onto organza is to iron the organza to some freezer paper (sometimes referred to as butcher paper). It has a slightly waxy side that temporarily holds the fabric in place to the paper. I then cut it to the width my printer can print but I make it as long as I want, like a banner. I then feed it through my inkjet printer then I remove the organza from the freezer paper and wash it. If you would like a stronger image after washing then try to track down a solution sold in North American as ‘Bubblejet’. It helps set ordinary inkjet ink so not so much of it washes away."

Now, Gerrie also prints onto fabric, but honestly, it sounds like quite an intellectual challenge to me: "I printed on fabric three different ways. The easiest is to soak in Bubble Jet Set. After it is dry, cut the fabric and piece of freezer paper to 8 1/2 X 11. Iron the fabric to the freezer paper and print. I also do Citrasolve transfer. You need a bottle of full strength Citrasolve ( I get mine at a health food store) Print the text from the computer, then make a copy (in reverse) from a carbon based copier. I am lucky to have an old Cannon copier. The new digital copiers don't work so you need to test. Any way, place the reversed copy over the fabric. Daub on some citrasolve in a small area and rub with a wooden or metal spoon to transfer the copy. Work in small areas. It is a good idea to tape everything down. Third, I have a thermofax and sometimes make a screen and screenprint text with textile paint."

This is the way I originally did it:
In class back in England we sometimes used really cheaply printed paper bags, like those from sweets shops etc. We cut the shapes we wanted, placed them onto the fabric, printed side down and ironed as hotly as the fabric would allow. Then, you could quilt around the shape printed. Naturally, with each "print", the template became weaker and the result less visible.

I may get around to finding the sample I made, if I do, I'll post it.

The Loot

I've received all bar one shipment from my ebay dealings and am busting at the seams with ideas!

This is the loot:

A lot of what you can see is Bassetti fabric that I will turn into plaids. I've bought fleece blankets and bed linen as wadding and backing. Now all I need is a big table to get to work.


At the right hand side you see mainly decorative silks used for curtains and cushion covers. I'll use some of that as background for my first art quilt. There's also some embroidered silk fabric, also meant for soft furnishings, which I will use for whatever. And then plenty of green organza. I originally wanted soft pink / rose coloured organza so we shall see.