Two of our members entertained us with presentations at our November meeting.
The New York Beauty Block Marilyn talked about the variations and possibilities of the beautiful New York Beauty block and brought samples to show us.
The blocks are constructed with paper foundation piecing. Marilyn suggested using freezer paper and a smaller stitch length for easier removal of the paper afterwards.
Patterns can be found online at sites such as Pinterest, Craftsy, and Etsy. Some patterns are free, such as the quilt to the right. Marilyn recommended a book by Karen Stone, who is well known for her intricate New York Beauty quilt designs.
Tips for Quilters Lorna talked to us about great quilting tips she has collected over the years from “Sew Many Tips” in Fons & Porter magazines, including how to store fabric strips, how to keep your foot pedal from slipping, how to keep track of your machine needles, and many others. Here’s one of them from the handout she gave us.
“Centre Attraction – to align a quilt top and backing for a quilt sandwich, first fold the top into quarters, marking the centre and sides at the folds (with safety pins). Do the same with the backing. You can also sew a small shank button temporarily in the centre on the right side of the quilt top (I use a safety pin) so that you can easily feel the centre through the layers, which helps to match the centres. Align the sides at the marks.”
Many thanks to Marilyn and Lorna for all their preparation and for sharing their quilting knowledge and enthusiasm with us.
Seymour Quilters Guild 