Quick Tutorials – Quilt with Danél Muller

Posted on 21/11/202421/11/2024 by Danél Muller

The Value of a Memory Quilt

A memory quilt is a deeply personal and sentimental creation, holding immense emotional and symbolic value. It transforms cherished moments, milestones, and loved ones’ keepsakes into a tangible, lasting tribute. Its worth goes far beyond its physical components of fabric and thread, encompassing the stories, connections, and emotions stitched into every piece.

Emotional Value

Preservation of Memories: A memory quilt captures moments in time—baby clothes, wedding fabrics, concert T-shirts, or a loved one’s garments. It becomes a tangible way to revisit precious memories.
Healing and Comfort: Memory quilts can provide solace during times of loss or change. Wrapping oneself in the fabric of a loved one’s history is like a warm, emotional embrace.
Celebration of Milestones: From graduations to anniversaries, memory quilts honor life’s milestones in a unique and lasting way.

Symbolic Value

A Legacy of Love: Memory quilts can be passed down through generations, preserving family stories and traditions. Each square becomes part of a larger narrative, connecting the past to the future.
A Representation of Connection: Every fabric piece contributes to the whole, symbolizing how moments and people shape our lives.

Artistic and Handmade Value

Unique Craftsmanship: A memory quilt is a one-of-a-kind piece of art. The time, thought, and skill involved in its creation add to its irreplaceable nature.
Expression of Creativity: The design process allows the maker to weave memories into a beautiful and functional keepsake.

Gift Value

Thoughtful and Personalized: Giving or receiving a memory quilt is one of the most heartfelt gestures, demonstrating love, thoughtfulness, and care.
Timeless Appeal: Unlike many other gifts, a memory quilt retains its sentimental and practical value for years to come.

In essence, the value of a memory quilt lies in its ability to transform fabric and thread into a vessel of love, remembrance, and legacy. It is more than a quilt—it is a story, a connection, and a treasured piece of one’s history.

Posted on 21/11/202223/11/2024 by Danél Muller

The Passion for Quilting: A Journey of Creativity, Connection, and Joy

Quilting is much more than a simple craft; it is a profound expression of creativity and an enduring tradition that brings people together. This unique art form combines practicality with artistry, transforming fabric into intricate masterpieces that tell stories and evoke deep emotional connections. For those who quilt, the process is about more than just the finished product. It becomes a journey filled with creativity, personal fulfillment, and meaningful relationships.

The act of quilting provides numerous benefits for the mind, body, and spirit. It is a mentally stimulating activity that challenges the brain through designing patterns, selecting fabrics, and assembling complex designs. Each step requires problem-solving and critical thinking, much like solving a puzzle where every decision contributes to a cohesive and satisfying whole. Beyond the mental engagement, quilting also offers a therapeutic escape. The repetitive and rhythmic motions of sewing create a calming, meditative effect, helping to reduce stress and promote mindfulness. The tactile nature of handling soft fabrics and focusing on each stitch fosters relaxation and an improved sense of well-being. Furthermore, quilting serves as a creative outlet, allowing individuals to explore their artistic instincts. By mixing colors, textures, and patterns, quilters craft unique pieces that reflect their imagination and personality, transforming fabric into one-of-a-kind works of art.

Quilting is not merely a solitary pursuit but an activity that fosters connection and builds relationships. Quilting groups and guilds provide welcoming spaces where enthusiasts can share their passion, exchange knowledge, and support one another. These gatherings often evolve into cherished rituals, marked by laughter, camaraderie, and mutual encouragement, with friendships extending far beyond the craft itself. Quilting also has a way of bridging generations. Skills, techniques, and stories are passed down from grandparents to grandchildren, creating a legacy of shared tradition that strengthens family bonds and ensures the art of quilting endures.

More than functional items, quilts hold deep sentimental value and serve as heartfelt gifts. A handmade quilt is a tangible expression of love and care, often crafted with the recipient’s unique tastes and needs in mind. These thoughtful creations become treasured keepsakes, imbued with meaning and memories that last for years. Quilters also extend their generosity beyond personal gifting, contributing their creations to hospitals, shelters, and charitable organizations. These acts of kindness bring warmth and comfort to those in need, demonstrating the profound impact a single quilt can have on someone’s life.

Quilting is a timeless craft that blends technical skill, emotional depth, and creative expression. It enriches lives by fostering personal growth, building relationships, and spreading warmth and generosity. Whether shared among friends, passed down through generations, or gifted to loved ones and strangers, each quilt carries a legacy of beauty and love. In every stitch lies a reminder of the joy, care, and human connection that make quilting an art form of enduring value.

Posted on 31/07/202108/11/2022 by Danél Muller

Piece like a pro

All quilters started somewhere and I can remember looking at quilts in awe and asking myself how on earth a person can consistently align corner to corner and point after point to form the perfect pattern. In my quest to conquer this perfection, I have learned the following lessons:

Slow down

The first and probably most important lesson I had to learn was to slow down. I have finally realized that there is no way to keep control of your sewing at 100km / h. Slow down and enjoy the process. I can add to this point, to be careful not to over-commit when making a quilt. Working against an impossible deadline doesn’t help accurate piecing.

Pre-wash or not?

There are many pros and con’s to the pre-washing of fabric. Personally, I pre-wash fabrics before using them. The best reasons are to make sure the colors don’t run and to get rid of the starch used in the weaving process. I tumble dry it to damp and then spread it out on a flat surface to dry completely. I don’t iron it at this stage, as the fabric will probably be ironed a couple of times before I finish the quilt. Drying it in this way relaxes the fibers and it is easier to find the straight grain to cut on. Every quilter can relate to a story that includes colors that “ran”. If you are in doubt, wash your fabrics with color catchers to absorb the excess dye.

Cut accurately

Cutting accurately is the first step of accurate piecing. Make sure, very sure of the measurements that you are to cut. Measure twice. Cut in a space with adequate lighting. Cut with a sharp rotary blade on a cutting mat. Use a ruler that you can easily see the edge of the fabric through. Hold the ruler securely in place with a flat hand on the surface. Cut from near to far. Close the rotary blade when you are finished.

Find your quarter

Quarter-inch seams are synonymous with quilting, but have you really found that quarter-inch yet? The easiest way to test whether you have found the quarter is to cut 3 two and a half-inch strips. Sew them together and press lightly. Does the center strip measure a perfect two inches? Does it vary?

At this stage, it might be interesting to look at the way you align your fabric on your sewing machine. You can use a quarter-inch pressure foot and line the fabric up on the side of the foot. I personally use a general pressure foot and move my needle position to the right. In this way, the feed dogs under the fabric line up with the pressure foot with full contact and gives the fabric more stability. It definitely produces more even seams.

Another way to line up your fabric is by attaching a piece of insulation tape to mark the help your alignment. Some machines also have magnetic alignment tools that keep your fabric aligned. It is worthwhile to spend some time to find the sweet spot where you hit the perfect quarter every time.

Scant Quarters

You may find patterns and instructions that talk of a scant quarter. A scant quarter is just a little (1 or 2 threads) less than a quarter inch. You will find that sewing on the bias for half-square triangles and quarter-square triangles, a scant quarter will work better than a quarter-inch seam. It also gives a little extra fabric to resize the unit. In a complex pattern, sewing with a scant quarter seam can help for the same reason.

Finding the spot X

When you sew sharp points on a star or any other triangle, it is simple to find yourself in a position where there is not enough seam allowance on the outer side of the point, leading you to chop off the sharp point. In a pattern where you need to make a Y seam, there are many ways to create bubbles, knots, and chops if you aren’t careful.

All these problems can be prevented if you know where the X Spot is Every corner that you sew, has a point where the two quarter-inch lines cross. This is not a quarter inch from the tip. If you mark this spot on each corner and sew from corner to corner, you will end up with a quarter-inch seam allowance. It is therefore worth the time and effort to measure and mark this spot when sewing tricky corners.

Press

Pressing is another part of piecing that is often overlooked. Press on the stitched line to set the seam, before opening the patches. Press the seam to the dark side. Quilters are normally split 50/50 on whether to use steam or not. Smaller seams can be finger-pressed or pressed with a small wooden tool or Hera marker. When you have pressed, the fabric should lie down and not bounce back. Take care not to distort the fabric in the pressing process.

Size after every step

The last step to accurate piecing is to cut the patches to the correct size before the next step. Make sure that you know what the size must be, including the seam allowances. This lays the groundwork for the next layer to the block and quilt. A patch unit will not grow in size between processes, however hard you try. It is easier to accept the inevitable earlier in the process.

Finally, it is important to remember to embrace the process, enjoy the time that you spend with your fabrics and that every quilter will piece to the level of their own satisfaction. It is, after all, the journey that matters. Be kind to yourself. Happy quilting!

Posted on 23/03/202121/09/2021 by Danél Muller

Appliqué stems and vines

In hand or machine appliqué, stems are one of the most consistent elements and make or break your design. Even and well placed stems and vines build a strong foundation for the rest of your design. Therefore it is important to give some attention to the skill.

Appliqué stems and vines

The teachers of JQG collaborated as part of the National Quilters Day 2021 by making a short demonstration video. I chose to show how to cut and make bias strips. We are busy with the Fireworks Mystery quilt with a multitude of stems.

In hand or machine appliqué, stems are one of the most consistent elements and make or break your design. Firstly, even and well placed stems and vines build a strong foundation for the rest of your design. It is therefore important to give some attention to the skill.

If the stems you need are straight, you can cut the strips length wise on the grain of the fabric. If you have bends, scrolls or waves, it is better to cut your fabric on the bias. This can be a daunting task if the stems are 1/4″ wide.

In this video I show how to fold the fabric and and cut the strips for appliqué stems and vines. In conclusion, I then demonstrated how to thread the bias maker and iron the strips to the fabric.

A bias maker is a very useful tool. Cut your strips double the size of the bias maker. These are normally colour coded, for instance the green one for 6mm or 1/4″ and yellow for 12mm or 1/2″. Pin one end of the strip to the ironing board and iron carefully, in even motion.

If you are interested to meet me for a face to face class please contact me.

Posted on 23/02/202008/11/2022 by Danél Muller

How to make a widows knot

With hand stitching and boro making a comeback in the slow stitching movement, it is good to relook the tricks of the trade as they were used a couple of hundred years ago. One of these techniques is the Widow’s knot. The prime purpose of the widows knot is to keep the thread in the needle, once you start to work and therefore not worry about to keep the thread in the needle’s eye while you work.

To sew by hand can be one of the delights in our day. A simple frustration like to pull the thread from the needle while you sew, as a result can frustrate you and steal your peace.

The widow’s knot is used to when working with silk, as the thread can easily slip from the eye of the needle due to the jumpyness of the thread. I have for instance, taught it to children that learns to thread the needle, and to a couple of friends whose eyes have deteriorated where they too, battle to thread the needle. It also works beautifully with cotton thread as well.