If you are a regular here, you have seen my Kaleidoscope Stars before, but now you can watch me sew one! (Monkey and I love video.)
Portable Quilt Projects!
I print identical sheets of fabric with Inklingo diamonds and hand piece while I am on the go—in the car, in front of the TV, and in waiting rooms.
An exciting project gives me an incentive to be early for appointments.
By the way, if you are an Inklingo Affiliate, hand piecing is a great way to show quilters what Inklingo can do. You don’t have to be a genius to see how fantastic it is for machine piecing too.
Now, I have a new video setup, so I can let you see what I see when I am hand piecing.
Introduction to Hand Piecing – Click above to watch
I think “How to Hand Piece a Kaleidoscope Star” is the perfect guide to hand piecing, especially if you view it “full screen” or “large screen.”
Monkey says it shows you everything you need to know to start hand piecing in only 6 minutes! There is music, but no “voiceover” (audio commentary). Very simple.
Part 1 shows you:
- My tools for hand piecing
(You already have what you need.) - Shapes printed with Inklingo
(I showed you how to print identical shapes in a previous message. This is the same technique for “One Block Wonders.”) - How to make a quilter’s knot
- A running stitch with backstitches—close up
- Pinning in the crosshair at the end of the seam
(I “pin” with a second needle to simplify my sewing kit.) - Sewing crosshair to crosshair
(It’s not edge to edge like machine piecing.) - How to pass the needle through the crosshairs
- “Continuous stitching”
(This is the hand piecer’s version of chain piecing. I turn a corner at the end of a seam to sew another seam without breaking the thread.) - The relaxing nature of hand piecing—its “zen”
(The music is Vadim Chaimovich playing Haydn`s Sonata No. 12 in G Major from MusOpen.)
Other Shapes?
The shapes are 60-degree Diamonds with 2 inch sides, but you can do exactly the same thing with the 45-degree Diamonds in the FREE Shape Collection and make 8 pointed stars instead of 6 pointed stars.
Part 2?
Coming soon! I just need to do a little bit of editing, so it could be ready later this week.
In the meantime, you might like to review these articles in the blog archives:
- How to print identical shapes
- Fussy Cutting
- Fussy Cutting Checklist (PDF)
You can also search the archives for messages about fussy cutting, hand piecing, or any other topic. There is a Search box above the header.
Do you know anyone who wants to learn how to hand piece? I bet you do! I am also using this video setup for machine piecing, so stay tuned! (That means subscribe, eh? Right sidebar.)
It’s Family Day in Ontario, Presidents Day in the USA. I hope it includes time to relax and be creative wherever you are!
Linda & Monkey
New to Inklingo? Order and download free shapes and start sewing in the next few minutes. Quick Start (Always FREE.) There are triangles, diamonds, and squares in the free collection—great for dozens of different blocks.
