DebbieWendt's Blog

I had wonderful Saturday… at a Sewcation!!! I was so excited to be back in a room with like minded quilters and my friend Cheryl! Thanks to Gina Zeleznok of Stitching with Gina for her one day Sewcation. We each had our own table to sew at and every table was 6 ft. apart. We wore our masks when not sitting at our sewing machine and it worked well!!! I took my Pinwheel Bows to finish up the border. So that is my challenge finish! It is amazing how a border can simply pull an entire quilt together. Photo below…

I want to point out some things that happened and my fixes/decisions/finish. So, one of my fat quarters was not quite a FQ. This resulted in running out of fabric for a few border pieces. No fear, I have IDEAS! So, instead of searching for more fabric, I used what I had on hand. I bought this wonderful blue background Kaffe dot to use as my binding for this quilt. Thankfully, I bought extra.

#1 – buy extra if you really like a fabric! It just might come in handy for another purpose! That blue dot fabric became the framing corners for the Pinwheel Bows. Problem solved.

AND the FQ that was a bit too small…I pieced the extra together to make another rectangle so I could place a teal on each of my four sides. Yes, I had the power (and knowledge) to make it happen. No panic and I didn’t have to go buy more fabric. I am showing you a close up of my seam. I made sure to follow the pattern and from a distance, you won’t even be able to tell it was pieced (especially after it is quilted).

#2 – Piece together fabric if needed! Have you seen antique quilts? They did it all the time. It is called use what you have on hand!! Can you tell, yes, because I pointed it out to you. I feel it just add charm and connection. Connection to those who came before me and made do with what they had!

I am continuing on with another challenge for May. This month the block is a LOG CABIN. I love a log cabin block. It just says QUILT to me. the fabric pull was on Monday. We will continue to follow the same time line, posting four Mondays over on Instagram. Week 1 – fabric pull, Week 2 – Sneak Peek 1, Week 3 – Sneak Peek 2 and Week 4 – Reveal. My Red-White-Blue fabrics are a favorite I like to work with. I think I may keep it small….I’ll keep you posted as the month progresses! Stay tuned to see how the “logs” get chopped! <grin>

in quilting,

Debbie

Today we go to the second smallest state… Delaware. I have been to and through Delaware a few times. My first visit was to Ocean Waves Quilt Guild in 2015 in Lewes, Delaware! Such a great guild and fun trip. It is fun for me to go back and think about the trip. I had a wonderful hostess (thanks Mary!) and great lecture and wonderful class. We made the Diamond Tipped Tools quilt. I ran into a member, Cheryl, at one of their local quilt shops the day before the class. She was choosing her fabrics and I got to be an influence in her diamond fabric pick! I loved it! Thanks for the memories girls. Oh and her quilt…see below…thanks for sharing your photo, Cheryl…I just had to share it again!

Head over to Orange Blossom Quilts to get the DELAWARE block.

in quilting,

Debbie

Hey Y’all! I’m getting my tips done on Tuesday! Yesterday was the reveal for the Pinwheel Block Challenge. The block is below followed my the center of the quilt. The entire quilt will be pieced and shown next week. I’ve played with Fat Quarters for the bows and making it work when a couple of FQs were a bit small. (So, some extra care and a bit of a change in final planned design).

Here is the center of quilt!

Since the shortage (a little bitty 1/2″), I’m now deciding some changes to the original quilt plan and I’ll design as I go. It can be frustrating, but exciting to see where the process is taking me. I’m totally ok with that on this project! This will be a new pattern this summer! Look for this Pinwheel Bows in August.

#1- Try a challenge…whether at your guild, a mystery online or working with a block or design. It is fun and exciting when it all comes together.

#2 – My “Pinwheel Bows” are unique. I’ve not seen a block like them. I haven’t found anything like them but I’ll be checking the Barbara Brackman Block Book to see if there is anything close….plus give credit! Please always give credit!! Remember where I started….looking at a pinwheel block for the renovation challenge. How can I change it up? I followed the “rules” of four half square triangles, starting from the center of the block. FUN

Speaking of giving credit…

I made the quilt below from Donna Robertson’s book “Easy Does It 3-Yard Quilts” for one of the guilds I belong to. With our quilt show cancelled last year, they decided to do a fund raiser to help support our charity projects. My donation is #7 – Play Ball. This is a bidding auction with 44 items. You can find site on BiddingOwl- Thimble Pleasures if you might be interested. I got Donna’s permission to allow me to use her pattern/design to make Play Ball! She is a fellow vendor friend and I love what she does. You can find Donna’s website at Fabric Cafe.com.

We are getting closer to my first show in over a year, the Greater Kansas City Regional Quilt Festival in Overland Park, KS, is June 17-19 (LIVE in PERSON!!! their website is KCRQF), then teaching virtually for Vermont Quilt Festival the next week!

And super excited to announce, I will be teaching a class and a lecture for International Quilt Festival in Houston the end of October!!!! I will be vending as well. LIVE in PERSON…fingers and toes crossed!!

in quilting,

Debbie

Maryland…been there many times…mostly through the airport…BWI….Baltimore/Washington International. Love the crab cakes Maryland is so famous for!! In thinking about the state of Maryland, I love how it is tucked in between a number of states. I love its shape and the water views look amazing. Head over at Flying Parrot Quilts for the Maryland block that Sylvia designed! (click the highlighted Maryland to take you there).

in quilting,

Debbie

Where did Tuesday go? It slipped right past me. So here are my tips for Tuesday on Wednesday. (It happens!)

I did my Sneak Peek #2 over on Instagram on Monday. It was the front of the pinwheel that I showed you last week. You got a sneaker, before Sneak Peek!! The Reveal will be next week!

So, about yesterday, I worked on this binding. I can’t show the whole quilt as it is a gift for a new bundle of joy. It is a flannel quilt with bamboo batting and a flannel back. So SOFT! I had a double fold binding cut and tested it on the edge. It made a hard edge and that is not what I wanted for this soft quilt. So, I put that binding aside and cut a SINGLE FOLD binding. Yes, a bit old fashioned but I like the softer feel it gives to the edge of this quilt. And why not? It works really well. Because of the thickness, I cut the binding width at 1 1/2″. Pressed it in half and pressed one of the edges to the center line. This gave me a good starting point with deciding on how wide to sew the seam of the binding and will turn to the back easier being pre-pressed. Steps shown below…

First Row Left: One edge of binding folded to center.

Center: Binding sewn to quilt with chunky 1/4″ seam.

Right: Fold on binding meets raw edges of quilt.

Second Row Left: Edges of quilt that get covered with binding.

Center: Binding folded over edges to back of the quilt and covers the binding seam line.

Right: Pretty mitered corner.

Typical SINGLE FOLD bindings are cut 1 1/4″ (at least that is the “norm” I usually see and use). With the thick fabrics, I needed more to work with, so the reason I cut the 1 1/2″ binding I used.

#1 – Try a single fold binding for a softer edge of a flannel quilt. Double fold felt too firm and bulky to me for the quilt in the photos.

#2 – Pre-press the binding before adding it to the quilt’s edge. Sometimes I have sewn it on and then fold it as I hand sew it. I find it behaves better if you pre-press!

#3 – BONUS….always test your binding. Sometimes a single fold works better than a double fold. Other times a double fold is the way to go. Testing the width of your seam is also a must in my opinion. I want a FULL binding with no extra room. The difference between a scant 1/4″ seam, a 1/4″ seam or a wide/chunky 1/4″ seam can really make a difference!!

DID YOU KNOW….I’m teaching for Virtual VERMONT QUILT FESTIVAL…3 classes and 1 lecture. YES! I’ll be teaching bindings!!!!

Become a Brilliant Binder on June 21st (3 hour class)

and Bindings a World of Options on June 25th (1 hour lecture)

Plus Twirl-A-Tool on June 22nd (3 hour class) and 4-3-2-1-DONE with Fat Quarters on June 23rd (3 hour class)

Visit VQF.org for all the details and to sign up for my classes and lecture. I hope to SEE you in class. (“SEE”, these classes are online. Join me from your own quilting studio!)

in quilting,

Debbie

“Start spreading the news. I’m leaving today. I want to be a part of it….” I bet you can fill in the rest! That is where we are heading this week, New York. This well loved song by Frank Sinatra is a classic! I have spent MANY hours driving across this state to go to quilt shows and visit family and friends. It is quite a haul!! I have favorite spots along the route…seeing the Erie Canal and the locks…side trips to Niagara Falls…and the wine country with all the grape vines! The New York block is from Kathryn LeBlanc of Dragonfly’s Quilting Design Studio. Click on New York to see/get the block.

in quilting,

Debbie

New Hampshire is the next state north of me! Beautiful scenery! The White Mountains is an area I have briefly explored during “leaf peeping” season. Oh, the colors during Fall! Linda Pearl of One Quilting Circle designed the New Hampshire block. You can find it HERE.

in quilting,

Debbie

AQ Magazine (American Quilter) an American Quilter’s Society publication has a Fabulous Finds section. I’m super excited to share one of the “fabulous finds”….Brilliant Bindings!!!!! I knew it was going to be highlighted but didn’t want to give it out before it happened. It is the May 2021 issue. I haven’t received my issue yet but several quilter friends have. Thanks to Kathy Beltz for sharing a photo on Facebook of the “find”. It is below. If you are an AQS member and get the magazine, you will have it!!

As said in the “find” this is the tool for binding for easy perfect mitered corners and finishing the tail ends. Plus I have 14+ patterns that use the tool as a cutting template. Brilliant Bindings is the original tool with this trapezoid shape for bindings. The BEST, if I do say so myself. You can find Brilliant Bindings on my website HERE. Full color instructions are included in every tool package. Do you loose your instructions for tools….tip…#1 – Keep it in the package with the tool it came with! Be sure to checkout my video on YouTube and I also have a few on my Facebook page. More videos to come later in the year.

On another front, I posted my fabric pull for the next Imagination Renovation April Block Challenge. This month we are focusing on the PINWHEEL Block. Take a look over on my Instagram page @debbiewendtquilting. My fabric choices are below. I love these Kaffe Fassett dots!

I could use your help, though. Which background gray would you use? I’d love to hear your vote in the comments. Lighter gray on the left OR medium gray on the right?? The difference in the two in the photo is very slight. There is a little more variation in person.

#2 – Sometimes backgrounds can be as important as the focus fabrics you choose.

I hope you you will go bind a quilt with Brilliant Bindings! And please, I’d love your opinion on the background.

in quilting,

Debbie

I’m in love with this week’s US Tour block! My husband worked in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2012 and I got to go visit for extended amounts of time. I never thought I was a desert person, but my time there changed that. Beautiful colors and amazing sunsets. We had the thrill of going to the Albuquerque International Balloon Festival early one morning. Plus I had relatives there and we spent a wonderful day seeing the balloons from their veranda. Wonderful memories!! You can find Windmill Quilts block HERE!! We even bought my Suburban out there and we had one of their cool license plates until we drove it home after my husband’s job was over.

in quilting,

Debbie