![\"Laurel](\"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/z6yearoldquiltinprogressborderscrop.jpg\")
<\/a>Laurel with finished quilt top<\/p><\/div>\n
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Laurel is so eager to finish her quilt.\u00c2\u00a0 Even though she\u00c2\u00a0hasn’t taken a nap for\u00c2\u00a03 1\/2\u00c2\u00a0years, she\u00c2\u00a0declares that she needs<\/em> one now and wants her quilt for a cover.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0So we are rushing to finish this project so the poor child can get some rest.<\/p>\n Yesterday, she finished joining all the blocks together and today managed to sew on the borders.\u00c2\u00a0She is\u00c2\u00a0sewing on a wonderful little Brother machine,\u00c2\u00a0a Pacesetter\u00c2\u00a0300S.\u00c2\u00a0 The machine is probably 10 years old but it is a honey.<\/p>\n This petite sweet thing weighs only 11 pounds, making it very portable.\u00c2\u00a0 It has an embroidery unit with a 4 x 4 field, several built in alphabets, more than 70 built in designs and more than 30\u00c2\u00a0stitches, including\u00c2\u00a0a pin stitch and other heirloom favorites.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0The original suggested manufacturer’s retail price was $2500, and worth every penny.\u00c2\u00a0 Recently I saw the\u00c2\u00a0new and improved version at WalMart with built in Disney designs for just $450!\u00c2\u00a0 If I didn’t have this one in perfect working order, I’d be\u00c2\u00a0 tempted to\u00c2\u00a0snatch up this bargain.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0It is just a great little machine.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The quilt design I came up with works so well for children or beginning quilters.\u00c2\u00a0 With 7 machine embroidered redwork designs and 8 foundation pieced blocks stitched on 10″ squares, it was easy to cut them down to 9″.\u00c2\u00a0 Had there been any major mistakes, they could have been selectively reduced to 7″ or 8″.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The border fabric is a vertical stripe, fussy cut for ease in application.\u00c2\u00a0 The\u00c2\u00a0fabric was cut so that with the raw edge of the fabric running along the edge of the presser foot, a red line in the stripe\u00c2\u00a0fell exactly under the needle.\u00c2\u00a0This made it much easier for Laurel to guide the fabric with\u00c2\u00a0some degree of accuracy.<\/p>\n It looks rather dark in this photo, but I’ve been on a fabric diet for some time now and was determined that none would be purchased for quilts.\u00c2\u00a0 The advantage of this particular stripe with the built in seam line was just one more reason to make do with it.<\/p>\n Years ago I taught several series of quilting classes for children,\u00c2\u00a0 but\u00c2\u00a0 I have\u00c2\u00a0picked up a few\u00c2\u00a0new tips while working with Laurel.\u00c2\u00a0 In the past, I required that the\u00c2\u00a0students\u00c2\u00a0be at least\u00c2\u00a07 years old.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0With a group of 7 or 8 girls, they needed at least that level of maturity.\u00c2\u00a0 But when sewing with only one child, I find that a 6-year old\u00c2\u00a0may be more than ready.<\/p>\n It also helped to put blue painter’s masking tape along the throat plate.\u00c2\u00a0 Without it and with\u00c2\u00a0relative success, Laurel had been guiding the fabric under the presser foot with the edge of the foot\u00c2\u00a0even with\u00c2\u00a0 the raw edge of the seam.\u00c2\u00a0 But when assembling the longer strips, she found that\u00c2\u00a0the weight of the hanging rows made it much\u00c2\u00a0more difficult\u00c2\u00a0to\u00c2\u00a0control the fabric and get\u00c2\u00a0a straight, even seam.\u00c2\u00a0 The blue tape allowed her to guide the fabric at a greater distance from the presser foot and achieve greater accuracy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Here are some basic tips for junior stitchers.<\/p>\n Laurel sewed every seam, but, of course, all rotary cutting and pressing was done for her.\u00c2\u00a0 She selected the redwork designs, picked the fabrics from my stash and\u00c2\u00a0arranged the\u00c2\u00a0sequence in which they were sewn.\u00c2\u00a0 It surprised me that her favorite fabric is the novelty print with needles and threads.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 With Sponge Bob, Scooby Doo and lipstick prints, I was a more than a little pleased.<\/p>\n At our next sewing session,\u00c2\u00a0she will embroider a quilt label on the backing,\u00c2\u00a0make the “quilt sandwich” which consists of backing, pieced top and batting then\u00c2\u00a0baste it\u00c2\u00a0together.\u00c2\u00a0 Next she will sew around the perimeter.\u00c2\u00a0 Finally, she will turn the quilt right side out and tie every 8″ with perle cotton.\u00c2\u00a0 She can hardly\u00c2\u00a0wait. Neither can I.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Laurel is so eager to finish her quilt.\u00c2\u00a0 Even though she\u00c2\u00a0hasn’t taken a nap for\u00c2\u00a03 1\/2\u00c2\u00a0years, she\u00c2\u00a0declares that she needs one now and wants her quilt for a cover.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0So we are rushing to finish this project so the … Continue reading <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n