I finally finished the quilt for Baby Casper. His parents love it. To thank me Casper's mother sent the next day a picture and wrote me how happy Casper is to play on the quilt. Dutch people are very polite: as soon that they get a present, they call you to thank or they send a picture or a postcard. You feel that they really appreciate the present. I must say that my nationals do not do this: they send only an e-mail and that's all. Sometimes even not an e-mail. Am terminat in fine quiltul pentru baby Casper. Parintii par a fi foarte incantati de cadoul venit cu mare intarziere. Dar mai bine mai tarziu decat niciodata. O poza drept multumire de la Anke, mama lui Casper, trimisa a doua zi dupa ce quiltul a intrat in proprietatea micutului Casper. Trebuie sa va spun ca olandezii sunt foarte bine crescuti si reactioneaza prompt dupa ce au primit un cadou cu un mic semn de multumire: o poza, o ilustrata, un telefon... Nu numai cu un email care nu spune mare lucru in afara de 'am primit si iti multumesc'. Am o nepoata din Romania care nici macar cu un email nu se oboseste. (NB. Cleo, nu vorbesc despre tine, pentru ca tu in Belgia te-ai ... olandizat).
I am rather pleased with the finished quilt. I still like the design, but I think now that I should have used more contrast. The finished quilt is just as I designed it, as you can see. Concluziile dupa finisarea acestui quilt sunt in general pozitive. Imi place cum a iestit modelul, dar poate ar fi trebuit sa folosesc mai mult contrast. Dupa cum am mai scris candva un quilt devine frumos daca are suficient contrast intre blocuri sau blocuri si margini / bieu. Quiltul a iesit exact ca in design.
The free motion designs are OK. Some are better than other designs. You can see how I quilted this quilt here: Quilt pentru baby Casper I like the big white stars. Not only the choice for straight lines and pebbles, but also the thread color (yellow on white). I should have done the same in the yellow stars: white thread on yellow fabric.
Quiltuitul la masina a iesit bine, desi unele motive sunt mai putin reusite decat altele, asa cum vedti aici: Quilt pentru baby Casper Imi plac mai ales stelele mari albe, pentru ca am avut inspiratia sa nu le quiltuiesc cu alb, ci cu o culoare contrastanta (galben). Ar fi trebuit sa fac acelasi lucru si cu stelele galbene, adica sa fac free motion cu ata alba pe material galben. Cred ca ar fi iesit mult mai frumos.
Love yout thread / Iubeste-ti ata I always sew the binding by hand, with double thread and tiny stitches (1/8"). Not quite invisible, but very close. The problem is that my thread breaks or tangles, although I never use a longer thread than according to the rule: from the fingertips to the elbow. It still tangles and breaks. Very annoying. I heard a long time ago about Natalie Chanin's method 'Love your thread' (on Craftsy, of course, where else? after that from her books), but this is the first time I used it... A big success. Much less tangles. Bieul l-am pus de mana. Nu am facut poze, asa ca va spun numai ca eu cos bieul pe spate cu ata dubla si cu pasi foarte mici (1/8 inch = aprox. 3 mm). Nu cred ca trebuie sa va spun de cate noduri am parte si de cate ori mi se rupe ata de atata tras de ea... Desi nu pun ata prea lunga in ac. Ma tin de regula ca ata nu trebuie sa fie mai lunga decat lungimea bratului persoanei care coase, de la cot pana la varful degetului mijlociu. Auzisem acum un an - doi de tehnica care se numeste 'love your thread / iubeste-ti ata', dar nu am aplicat-o niciodata pana acum. Pot sa va spun, dupa ce am incercat, ca m-a ajutat mult sa evit noduri si ata incurcata. Despre aceasta tehnica am auzit pe Craftsy si am citit in cartile lui Natalie Chanin de la Alabama Chanin Studio.
Pull the thread through the needle until the two ends are equal in length. Hold the thread BELOW the eye of the needle with your thumb and index finger of your right / left hand and run the thumb and index finger of the other hand along the thread, from under the needle to the end of the tails. This si called ' loving your thread'. Don't hold only the needle, because you will damage the thread across the eye of the needle. You will cause more damage than good to your thread, which will be weakened in that area, while you are pulling. Repeat several times, until you see that the the thread is relaxed. Natalie says that by ' loving your thread' you work the tension out of the twisted thread by rubbing. The second advantage is that the natural oils in your fingers will train the two tails to lie side by side. Tineti ata intre degetul mare si aratatorul mainii drepte (daca sunteti stangace) sau stangi, dar sub urechea acului, si miscati degetul mare si aratatorul de la mana cealalta dealungul atei. Repetati de cateva ori, pana vedeti ca ata nu se mai rasuceste tot atat de mult ca prima data. Atentie! Nu tineti numai de ac, pentru ca tragand de ata cand o intindeti, o sa aveti o prea mare tensiune in punctul de sprijin din urechea acului. In acest fel slabiti ata, care se va rupe repede, dupa ce coaseti un timp cu ea. Natalie spune ca aceasta tehnica ajuta la slabirea tensiunii din cele doua capete ale atei, care sunt foarte strans sucite si in stau sens opus. Avand ata dubla, cele doua capete sunt rasucite in sens opus si trebuie sa fie echilibrate. In al doilea rand - spune ea - uleiurile naturale din piele vor actiona asupra atei si vor face ca cele doua capete sa se alinieze mai bine, paralel unul cu altul. Natalie says have to talk to your thread when you love to. Tell the thread that she will make the best garment for a nice person, etc... You can do it, if you believe in magic. It does not hurt anybody. I did it only once, because it amused me to tell the thread that baby Casper is a sweet child, who never cries and deserves the best quilt I could make for him. But only once, because it was not fun anymore to talk again to the thread. I can beter brain wash myself that I did a good job and have to repeat it as soon as possible with another quilt. Natalie spune ca trebuie sa vorbesti cu ata cand aplici tehnica ei. Sa ii spui atei ca va face cea mai frumoas rochie, broderie, bieul la quilt, etc... pentru o persoana draguta, iubita, care merita... etc... Poti sa faci asa daca crezi in magie. Nu se supara nimeni. Eu am 'vorbit' cu ata o singura data, fiindca m-a amuzat sa ii spun ca Baby Casper este un copil dragut, care nu plange (un lucru foarte important pentru vecini, adica pentru mine -:)!!!) si ca merita cel mai frumos quilt pe care il pot face eu. Pe urma m-am plictisit, pentru ca nu vad cu ce ajuta vorbitul cu ata. Mai bine vorbesc cu mine, ca sa ma autohipnotizez sa mai fac inca un quilt repede. This ' love your thread'-technique is very useful if you embroider or sew by hand (hems). Aceasta tehnica poate fi aplicata si la brodat sau la cusut (cusutul tivului cu mana).
Fig. 1 (the pencil shows the invisible joining point /
Creionul este pus pe cusatura oblica cu care am unit capetele bieului)
I enjoy writing about this particular topic, because I think I can explain why Susan's method is superior to Sharon's. I am writing especially for Pam from the Patternmasterhelp group, who thinks like me: >> I LOVE the math part of sewing - I know many don't, but I love it that all the classes I sat through in HS and college, listening to people complain about 'When are we ever going to use this?' and I use it all the time. I might have to look up the formula or remind myself about how to do it, but I use it all the time. <<
Am scris aceasta postare pentru Pam de pe grupul Patternmasterhelp, care mi-a scris pe grup ca ii place sa aplice principiile din matematica la cusut.
Pam, you will love the math part in Susan's method, the most logical method to apply a binding to a quilt AND a garment, with invisible joints.
Aceasta este partea cea mai interesanta din ciclul "Metoda de a finisa un quilt (Sharon Shamber versus Susan Cleveland)": cum se incheie bieul, ca sa se potriveasca perfect si sa nu se vada unde au fost cusute capetele. Metoda aceasta de a incheia bieul este foarte utila si in croitorie
I already used the quilting binding method for garments with great success, because I get a very clean bias finish.
Fig. 2
A. The math part / matematica din scoala aplicata la cusut
Capetele bieului sunt cusute pe aceeasi linie diagonala, atat de Sharon Schamber, cat si de Susan Cleveland. Diferenta este modul in care ele calculeaza / determina unde va trebui sa cosi. Aici intra matematica pe scena.
Fig. 3 (Susan Cleveland)
Fig. 4 (Sharon Schamber, din tutorialul meu vechi)
If you watch carefully Fig. 4-5, you will see that we need to sew on the diagonal of a square. A square has equal sides, which means that the width of the unfolded binding is the dimension of the 4 sides of the square.
This measurement plays no role in Sharon's method, but it is the starting point in Susan's method, which is simply BRILLIANT! And VERY PRECISE!
Daca ca uitati bine pe Fig. 4-5 veti vedea ca in ambele metode scopul final este sa determini patratul pe care trebuie sa cosi diagonala / cusatura finala.
La Sharon Schamber dimensiunea patratului nu joaca nici un rol, in schimb la Susan Cleveland este baza calculului lungimii definitive a celor doua capete a bieului. Din aceasta cauza metoda ei este PRECISA si BRILIANTA!
2. Susan's method - simple and brilliant (metoda lui Susan, simpla si brilianta) 1. Cut one end of the binding (here the right end in the picture)exactly where you want the joining seam. Remember that the joining seam will be diagonal, not perpendicular to the edge of the quilt. Intai determini unde vrei sa ai cusatura de imbinare a bieului. Tine seama ca vei obtine o cusatura diagonala, nu perpendiculara pe marginea quiltului. Marcati linia verticala pe care ati taiat primul capat al bielui pe al doilea capat, care este pus intins PESTE primul capat taiat.
Fig. 5 (cut one edge at 90 degree / taiati la 90 grade)
Only the cut is perpendicular on the edge (perfect 90 degrees)
Numai marginea taiata este perpendiculara pe marginea quiltului - atentie sa fie la exact 90 de grade!
2. Mark the vertical cutting line on the other end on the binding, which lies flat OVER the first (cut) end.
Fig. 6 (mark the second end / marcati al doilea capat al bieului)
3. Mesure on the second end, from the marked line, an overlap:
(formula) "the width of the UNFOLDED binding (here: 2 1/4") + 1/4". Here I measured : 2 1/2".
Masurati pe al doilea capat al bieului, pornind de la linia marcata si in directia opusa: (formula) latimea bieului NEINDOIT (aici: 2 1/4 inches) + 1/4 inch
In sistemul metric 1/4" este 0,63 cm.
Eu am masurat mai jos 2 1/2 inches, distanta pe care cele doua capete se SUPRAPUN.
4. Cut the second edge as in the picture below. The cut edges overlap exactly with this measurement = [width of the unfolded binding + 1/4"]. Taiati acum ca in poza de mai jos. Marginile taiate se suprapun pe distanta = [latimea bieului desfacut + 1/4 inch].
Fig. 8
NB. It looks like I did not measure well. The ruller is on a higher plane than the quilt and the measurement looks wrong. I did not realise this when I took the picture. NB. S-ar parea din Fig. 8 ca nu am masurat bine, dar asta este numai o iluzie. Se vede asa fiindca linia de masurat era asezata pe un alt plan decat quiltul, cand am facut poza. Nu mi-am dat seama de asta decat prea tarziu.
5. Susan Cleveland says: 'let the ends kiss each other' as below. Be careful not to twist them when they 'kiss', right sides together.
Susan Cleveland numeste aceasta pozitie 'sarutul dintre cele doua capete ale bieului'. Aveti insa grija ca bieul sa nu fie sucit si sa fie unit 'fata pe fata'.
Fig. 9
6. Now Susan says to turn the right end (in the picture) to form a 90 degrees angle with the left end (as you see it in the picture).
Acum trebuie rotata partea din dreapta (cum se vede in poza) la 90 de grade fata de partea din stanga.
Fig. 10
Place the left part and the rotated right part as you see in Fig. 11.
Position the two ends, in such a way that you have some excess of fabric left and above: a generous 1/8". I shall explain later why this measurement.
Puneti cele doua parti, cu partea dreapta rotata, asa cum se vede in Fig. 11, avand grija sa aveti un exces de material la dreapta si sus de 1/8 inch (adica jumatate din 0,63 cm). O sa va explic mai jos de ce e nevoie de asta.
Fig. 11
It is very, very important not to twist the binding. Therefore another picture with the correct position. Watch in Fig. 12 where the binding unfolds (right side, after the pin) and the direction the right face and the wrong face go.
Aveti foarte, foare mare grija sa nu fie bieul sucit. De aceea mai pun o poza in care puteti urmari capetele bieului, asa cum sunt cusute pe quilt, unde se deschide indoitura bieului (in dreapta langa locul marcat de acul de gamalie) si cum sunt unite, fata pe fata.
Fig. 12
7. Now you can mark the seam line if you prefer. If you are an experienced sewer you do not have to mark.
Acum puteti marca linia pe care coaseti. Nu e nevoie sa marcati, daca aveti experienta la cusut.
Fig. 13
8. Before you trim the seam allowances, verify if the binding fits and if it is not L shaped, which you get if you sew on the wrong diagonal of the square.
Inainte de a taia tivurile, controlati daca bieul este in linie dreapta (veti obtine un bieu in unghi L, daca nu coaseti pe diagonala corecta) si daca are exact lungimea quiltului sau marginii de haina pe care il puneti.
Fig. 14
9. Now you can trim... Acum puteti taia tivurile ...
Fig. 15
9. ... and iron the binding. If you used glue like me, take care to pull off the binding and the quilt to unglue the accidentally glued parts. If you use Roxanne's glue or glue using a bottle and a glue tip, you will not have this problem. Only a glue stick will cause such 'accidents', which are easily repaired, provided you use a light washable (school) glue.
... si calca bieul ca sa obtineti o margine cusuta frumoasa.
Daca folositi lipici, ca mine, aveti intai grija sa desfaceti partile de bieu lipte de fata quiltului inainte de a calca.
Daca folositi un lipici special (Roxanne's) sau o sticla cu varf fin de aplicare a lipiciului nu veti avea astfel de probleme.
Lipind insa cu un tub de lipici veti da din loc in loc si peste linia de cusut, asa ca va trebui sa dezlipiti ce ati lipit din greseala.
Daca folositi un lipici pentru copii, lavabil, nu veti deteriora materialul cand deslipiti partile lipite din greseala.
Fig. 16
3. Why I don't use Sharon Schambers's method anymore / De ce am renuntat la metoda lui Sharon Schamber
I shall show you why, using some pictures from my posting Tutorial: bieul la quilt. You can see only looking at these pictures how much more complicated Sharon's method is.
I even do not bother to make this pictures very big, to show all the details. They are here only to make you understand the differences with Susan's method.
Am sa pun aici cateva poze din Tutorial: bieul la quilt, ca sa intelegeti mai bine. Veti vedea cat de inutil de complicata este metoda lui Sharon Schamber, pe care o foloseam inainte.
Nici macar nu ma obosesc sa maresc pozele ca sa vedeti in detalii despre ce e vorba. O vedere de ansamblu este suficient de clara si veti intelege de ce sunt atat de entuziasmata de metoda lui Susan Cleveland.
4. Some more math for sewers / Iarasi ceva matematica la cusut A) If you remember the formula for the overlap, we added 1/4" to the final measurement of the square (which is the width of the unfolded binding), but we use only a generous 1/8 inch for the fabric excess, which will be cut off.
Daca va amintiti formula pentru calcularea lungimii pe care se suprapun cele doua capete ale bieului, am adaugat 1/4 inch la latimea bieului, din care insa folosim mai mult de jumatate, ca sa avem un exces de fabrica de 1/8", care va fi insa oricum taiat cand terminam de cusut bieul. I asked myself why can't I use just the width of the unfolded binding and position the 90 degrees cut edges exactly as in picture 10 or 11. Why I need to assure an 1/8" fabric excess as in Fig. 11-12?
M-am intrebat de ce. Nu ar fi mai simplu sa luam in considerare numai latimea bieului neindoit, fara sa adaugam 1/4 inch sau - in orice caz - 1/8 inch?
I think we need the generous 1/8" to avoid sewing from a a sharp corner of a square to the other square, as I wrote in my previous posting under Fig. 5.
Raspunsul este NU, pentru ca acel mic exces de material de 1/8 inch, care se lasa deasupra si la dreapta patratului definitiv (Fig. 11-12), ne ajuta la cusut linia diagonala: in acest fel nu trebuie sa incepem sa coasem exact din varful unui unghi de 90 grade. Ceea ce nu este usor. Dar despre asta am mai scris sub Fig. 5 in partea I a acestei serii.
This means that we we could add only a scant 1/8" in the formula for the overlap measurement to form the square for the final diagonal sewing line.
We could change the formula in:
[Width of the unfold binding + 1/8"]
B) But what about the other 1/8" (a scant 1/8" after we subtract the generous 1/8" as fabric excess)? Why do we need it?
I guess the scant 1/8" is what we need to compensate for the turn of cloth. I cannot find any other logical explanation.
Dar ramane intrebarea: pentru ce avem nevoie de jumatate din ceea ce am calculat in plus, adica acel 1/8 inch care ramane in bieu? Cred ca se foloseste la compensarea lungimii de bieu care se pierde, cand indoi pe diagonala pe care ai cusut. In englezeste asta se numeste 'turn of cloth'. O alta explicatie logica nu gasesc. I also presume that I could chose not to have the extra length of scant 1/8" and use the formula [Width of the unfold binding + 1/8"], but only if have a large opening unsewn, before I join the ends of the binding. In this way I can distribute the 'tightness' (the missing scant 1/8") over a large portion of the quilt. In quiltul urmator am sa folosesc formula lui Susan Cleveland, dar am sa folosesc tot surplusul de 1/4" la pozitionarea capetelor de bieu ca in Fig. 11-12. Cred ca nu exista pericolul de a avea un bieu prea strans, daca am grija sa las capetele necusute al bieului suficent de lungi. In felul acesta distribui in mod egal 'pierderea' de 1/8 inch pentru 'turn of cloth' pe o portiune mai mare. Anyhow, I intend to try this next time, by using the whole 1/4" extra in Susan's formula only as 'fabric excess' (Fig. 11-12). Why I intend to do this? Because the formula without 1/4" being a scant 1/8" for the turn of cloth and a generous 1/8" helping to sew a diagonal line on a square, will be easier for metric measurements, where it is very complicated to add / measure 0,63 cm. For metric measurements will be easier to use a formula: 'width of the unfolded binding + 0,5 cm', where that extra 0,5 cm is only helpful excess fabric. I think it is worth to try...
Incerc asta ca sa vad daca pentru sistemul metric, in care e mai greu sa masori 0,63 cm, as putea folosi formula urmatoare:
[latimea bieului neindoit + 0,5 cm],
Iar acel 0,5 cm adaugat sa il folosesc numai pentru excesul de material care te ajuta sa cosi mai simplu linia diagonala, ca si cand nu as avea nevoie de 'turn of cloth'.
5. I hope you find my comments on these two methods of binding - Sharon Shamber's and Susan Cleveland's - useful.
Sper sa va fi folosit comparatia dintre aceste doua metode de aplicare a bieului. Aceasta este Partea II din seria "Metode de a finisa un Quilt (Sharon Schamber versus Susan Cleveland)".
Happy quilting and happy sewing! /Spor la cusut si la quiltuit!
I took a new quilting class on Craftsy. I highly recommend this class to all quilters who are interested in the best possible technique to create beautiful quilts. Acum o saptamana am urmat un curs pe Craftsy despre finisarea quiltului.
Fig. 1
In this class I learned a lot of things. Some of the techniques used by Susan Cleveland are better than what I used until now (that is Sharon Schamber's method; see the link and the video below about how to bind a quilt). Am invatat de la Susan Cleveland lucruri noi, pe care le voi aplica si in viitor. Asta inseamna ca voi renunta la tehnici vechi, pe care le consideram pana acum perfecte. Dar nu tot ce am vazut la Susan Cleveland este mai bum decat ce am invatat de la Sharon Shamber. Veti gasi cursul despre punerea bieului la quilt pe YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2hWQ5-ZccE, Este si linkul pe care il veti folosi, daca nu puteti accesa direct videoul de mai jos. Tineti seama ca cursul lui Sharon Scamber de pe YouTube are 3 parti.
I will make a (kind of) tutorial about Susan Cleveland's method, even if her techniques are not so different from what I already knew (Posting Tutorial: bieul la quilt, unfortunately only in Romanian). Voi face un nou tutorial despre finisarea quiltului cu bieu dupa metoda lui Susan Cleveland si voi sublinia ce metode sunt - dupa mine - cu adevarat mai eficiente decat ce propaga Sharon Schamber. Metoda nu difera insa foarte mult de metoda veche, pe care am explicat-o in postarea Tutorial: bieul la quilt
1. Intai trebuie sa marcati liniile pe care se appliqué bieul (How to mark the lines where you will apply the binding) This part is not new for English quilters, but it is for many new Romanain quilters. Skip it, if you know how to do this. Trebuie sa controlam intai daca marginile quiltului sunt la 90 grade. In timpul quiltuitului, mai ales daca nu quiltuiesti uniform si unele parti sunt mai des quiltuite decat altele, se intampla sa se deplaseze usor fata quiltului. Looking in my blog I did not find any posting about how I trace the final edges of a quilt, using rulers and a curtain road or some leftovers, after my wooden floor was replaced. I shall do this in the future, because it is interesting for beginners. Cautand pe blogul meu vad ca nu am nici o postare foarte clara despre asta. Deci la finisarea quiltului cu puisorii voi face fotografii ca sa va arat cum stabilesc eu marginile quiltului (squaring up the quilt) si ce unelte folosesc pentru asta. Intre altele resturi care au ramas de la cei care mi-au schimbat parchetul. Abia dupa ce veti marca linia definitva a marginilor quiltului veti putea aplica bieul. You can see in Fig. 2 what I mean by 'final edges of the quilt'. It is a picture of a quilted pillow (a small project). The right side is cut before putting the binding. The other sides are not. It is what Susan Cleveland wants me to do: keep the quilt edges untrimmed, until the binding is sewn.
Fig. 2 (din postarea 'Tutorial: Bieul la quilt')
Metoda din cursul de pe Craftsy pentru marcarea liniilor quiltului nu difera de ceea ce faceam eu pana acum, asa cum se vede din tutorialul 'Bieul la quilt' (Fig. 2). My conclusion after I tried Susan's way of binding is that I prefer to apply the binding AFTER I cut the the quilt in its final form. I shall explain later why. Diferenta este ca eu taiam marginile inainte de a aplica bieul (vezi in partea dreapta), iar Susan Cleveland le lasa netaiate si le taie abia dupa ce a terminat de cusut banda bieului. Va spun insa ca e mai practic sa tai marginile inainte, asa cum faceam eu, decat sa faci ca in cursul de la Craftsy. Am sa va explic mai tarziu de ce. 2. Dimensiunile benzilor pentru bieu (size of the binding strips). In my quilts I used 1 3/4" - 2" wide bindings, because I wanted bindings equally wide in the front and in the back of the quilt. In quilturile mele foloseam benzi de 1 3/4 - 2 inches (4,75 - 5 cm), pentru ca cele doua margini ale bieului (cea cusuta la masina si cea cusuta de mana pe dos) sa se suprapuna. Aveam aceeasi latime de bieu si pe fata, si pe spatele quiltului.
Fig 3 (punct decorativ folosit la coaserea bieului /
decorative stitch to finish the binding).
Susan Cleveland convinced me that a wider binding in the back wil be easier to manipulate (1) when you form the hooks of the quilt and (2) if you want to finish the binding by machine, stitching in the ditch or with a decorative stitch, as in Fig. 3. Susan Cleveland explica de ce este mai bine sa ai un bieu mai ingust pe fata decat pe spate: (1) este mai usor de manipulat la colturi si (2) poti finisa quiltul cusand la masina si cu cusaturi decorative (Fig. 3). Her second argument is less interesting for me, because I like to handsew an invisible binding on the back. But... never say never! Al doilea argument este mai putin interesant pentru mine, pentru ca imi place finisarea de mana, cu cusatura invizibila pe spate. My next pictures show a 2 1/4 inches strips to get a 1/4 inch wide finished binding. Am urmat acum insa metoda din Craftsy si am taiat benzile de 2 1/4 inches (5,5 cm) ca sa obtin pe fata un bieu cu latimea de 1/4 inche (0,7 cm). 3. Coaserea benzilor de bieu (How to sew the binding on the quilt) Susan's method is the classical method. Not new at all. However, it was the first time when I learned how to position the strips to get the diagonal seams in the same direction. Believe it or not, my quilt classes in 1990's were not as good as I thought. Using my teacher's method I always had bindings with opposed diagonal seams: ... / .... \ .... / ... \ .... Sigh. As I always wrote on the Bernina 8series site, America is the quilting Mekka. Not Europe. I thought that Sharon Schamber's method (Binding the Angel I, from 2.44 minutes in the video) is the only way to get diagonal seams in the same direction. Stupid me. Now I shall use only the classical method / Susan's method, which is after all much easier. No ned for glue or complicated piec-liqué methods. Metoda folosita de Susan Cleveland, care este metoda clasica folosita si in secolul trecut, este mai simpla buna decat metoda lui Sharon Schamber, pe care o vedeti in videoul de mai sus (incepand de la minutul 2.44 din video). De ce foloseam eu metoda lui Sharon Schamber? Pentru ca nu intelesesem din metoda clasica, pe care am invatat-o la un curs de quiltuit in Olanda, cum se pun benzile una peste alta, ca sa obtii cusaturi diagonale in aceeasi directie: ... /..... / .... Ceea ce obtineam eu era: ... / .... \ .... / ... \ ..., ceea ce nu imi placea. What I did not understand until now is that every strip need to be positioned in the same way, when you attach a new strip: the old strip (A) face up and the new one (B) face down (Fig. 4-5). For this you need to flip the strip you just finished (B) face up, before you attach a new strip. You thought I was a more clever quilter? Well, I am not. Acum am inteles cum se face: fiecare banda trebuie aplicata in acelasi fel: fata pe fata ca in Fig. 3 - 4 de mai jos. Cele doua benzi trebuie sa fie puse la 90 de grade, ca sa obtii un patrat si sa cosi pe o diagonala la exact 45 grade. In acest fel banda va fi perfect drapta, fara laturi inegale. The strips have to be perpendicular. Susan Cleveland does it without measuring. But I like to control the 90 degrees angle, as you see in Fig. 4-5. Not much work, but it ensures a perfect result and perfect bindings. Any ruler would do, provided it has a 90 degrees corner. De aceea va sfatuiesc sa va folositi de un ruler sau echer ca sa pozitionati corect benzile care trebuiesc cusute. Dupa cum vedeti asta nu cere un efort special.
Fig. 4 (cu un Omingrid ruler / using an Omnigrid ruler)
Daca nu aveti un ruler special folositi un echer, ca in Fig. 4.
Fig. 5
Concuzii / conclusions: * Even if you have strips with the short line perfectly square, have some fabric above and om the right side as you see in Fig. 5. It is easier to sew the correct seamline (red) on these steps, than to sew the diagonal on a square, starting at its point. Chiar daca capetelor benzilor sunt perfect la 90 de grade (square), asezati benzile ca mai sus, pentru ca e mai greu sa cosi (linia verde) un patrat incepand exact din varf, decat daca ai excese de material ca mai sus (hasurat cu roz). * Before you add the next strip, flip the already added strip right face up and place the next trip fight side down. Cand adaugi banda urmatoare in mod correct intorci ultima banda cusuta pe fata si plasezi noua banda exact ca mai sus. * Chain piecing is the best way to go, starting with a leading scrap. Benzile se cos una dupa alta, ca sa economisesti timp si ata. Incepi si termini cu un petec (leading scrap), dar nu si intre benzi.
Fig. 6
Fig. 7 (chain piecing)
If you do not sew on the correct diagonal you will have a band with L hooks. Vei obtine o banda cu unghiuri (L) daca vei coase pe linia marcata cu verde in Fig. 4. I really liked the way Susan Cleveland explain how to remember which diagonal to use: imagine the perpendicular positioned stripes as the legs of a pant. You sew on the waistband line, not on the croats line (Fig. 8). I would say: remember to cut off the top of the mountain, don't splice the mountain vertically. Susan Cleveland are o metoda vizuala ca se te ajute sa tii minte pe diagonala trebuie sa cosiL: daca compari cele doua benzi cu cragii unui pantalon, trebuie sa tii minte ca vei coase pe linia de la talie, nu pe linia rascroiturii dintre picioare. Eu as zice sa iti aduci aminte ca trebuie 'sa tai varful muntelui', nu sa il tai in doua parti pe verticala.
Fig. 8
After you controlled if the strips make a long horizontal binding - no L shapes - you can cut the fabric excess. Nothing special here.
Dupa ce controlezi daca benzile au fost cusute sa formeze o banda orizontala lunga si nu sunt unghiuri in forma de L, calci si tai cusaturile ca Fig. 12.
Fig. 9
About sewing the strips together. Susan Cleveland explains how to put a painter's strip on the machine table and mark the vertical line to the needle. On the Bernina table this line is already marked, but it stops before the round window, as you can see in Fig. 10. A painter's strip wil help you to continue this line almost to the point where the feed dogs start. It is a very handy idea.
In cusul de pe Crafti esti sfatuit sa pui o banda de plastic (painter's tape) pe masina de cusut ca sa poti coase fara sa marchezi linia de cusatura, exact in fata acului.
Fig. 10
Fig 11 (coltul unde se termina cusatura ramane mereu pe linia desenata)
Because I am too lazy to do this, I marked the diagonal lines with a watercolour pencil on the joined strips, as you probably can see in Fig. 7. Mie mi-a fost lene sa fac asa si deci am desenat linia de cusatura cu un creion acuarela, asa cum poate vedeti in Fig. 7. Susan Cleveland trims the fabric excess in one cut. She begins to cut the dog's ear below, than trims the seam allowance. For me it is easier to trim in two steps. First the seam allowances and, after pressing the binding in half, the dog's ears.
Susan Cleveland taie excesul de material in acelasi timp. Incepe cu coltul care se vede jos in Fig. 11 si apoi continua cu linia paralela cu cusatura. Mie mi se pare mai usor sa tai numai tivurile paralel cu cusatura, sa indoi banda in doua si abia dupa aceea sa tai culturile care se vad sus si jos (dog's ears).
Fig. 12
Fold the binding in two and press. Nothing special here.
Indoiti banda in doua si calcati. Daca nu ati taiat colturile (dog's ears), faceti asta acum. 4. Punerea bieului pe quilt (sewing the binding to the quilt). As I already wrote, this time I tried first not to use glue. Asa cum am mai spus, eu nu am taiat de data asta marginile quiltului si am incercat sa nu folosesc lipici, adica am facut exact cum spun e Susan Cleveland, dar imi pare rau ca am facut asa.
5. I do not think the method without using glue is better. On the contrary. Metoda din cursul de la Craftsy nu este in general mai buna decat metoda pe care o foloseam eu inainte la coaserea bieului, folosind lipiciul. Sewing on the cutted edge of the quilt with a 1/4 inch quilting foot is much, much easier. If you are a Bernina girl like me, you can use # 37 or the new #97, but the foot I really like is foot #57, with a lip. In primul rand ca este mai simplu de cust daca ai un piciorus la masina de cusut, care iti permite sa cosi 1/4 inch, si pui bieul pe quiltul deja taiat la dimensiunile finale. In the next pictures you can see that I had to correct the seams - A LOT!!!!! - because I did not cut the raw edges of the quilt, before i applied the binding. My seam allowances were not a perfect 1/4". This is partly because I did not use my sewing machine for quilting (Bernina 820) and I did not want to take off the embroidery unit on my Bernina 880. I tried to sew on a 5,5 mm-machine, Bernina 520, which replaced my beloved Aurora 440QE, because I wanted to see what many of my readers will encounter sewing on such a 5,5 mm machine. In pozele de mai jos am corectat rezultatul pe care l-am obtinut fara lipici si fara sa tai marginile quiltului, adica tivuri care nu erau de exact 1/4 inch. Recunosc ca a fost si greseala mea. Nu am cusut pe masina de cusut cu care cos de obicei pentru quilturi (Bernina 820, pentru ca la Bernina 880 am modulul de broderie permanent atasat si nu am o masa pentru quiltuit). Am vrut sa vad cum cos daca folosesc o masina de 5,5 mm si cu deschiderea (harp) mai mica decat masinile Bernina din seria 8. Adica o masina cum au cele mai multe cititoare ale blogului meu. Am cusut pe Bernina 520, pe care am cumparat-o ca sa inlocuiesc pierderea masinii mele de cusut preferate, Aurora 440QE. Am ales o masina din seria 5, fara modul de brodat, pentru ca nu mai am nevoie de inca un modul de brodat. It was not easy for me to sew a rather big quilt on a domestic sewing machine without proper support. Lesson learned. My seams are mediocre or even bad. Mi-a fost mai greu sa manipulez un quilt destul de mare fara o masa de quiltuit asa cum trebuie. De aceea cusaturile sunt prost facute.
That's why I corrected the seams with the #57 Bernina foot (Fig. 13-14). Why didn't I use it from the beginning, stupid me?!? Am corectat cusatura, pentru ca un tiv egal imi garanteaza o margine egala de bieu pe fata quiltului. Am folosit un piciorus special de quiltuit, cu margine laterala in dreapta (vazut in poza de mai jps).
Fig. 13 (Bernina foot #57, the best foot for sewing the binding)
Fig. 14 (cusatura de jos este cea corecta)
Look how much more complicated Susan's method is.
Iata cat de complicata este coaserea bieului dupa metoda lui Susan Cleveland.
First you have to move the needle 1/4" from the edge of the foot.
Intai trebuie sa stabilesti pozitia acului fata de marginea piciorusului ca sa obtii un tiv de 1/4 inch. Acest lucru se face mai usor, daca poti muta acul din pozitia din centru spre dreapta sau spre stanga.
Fig. 15
Then you have to sew the binding on the line for the final edge of the quilt. Apoi cosi bieul cu marginea exterioara pe linia care desemneaza perimetrul definitv al quiltului.
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Only after that you can trim the edges of the quilt, but you have to be very careful not to cut the fold of the binding. I had to fold it onder the ruler to prevent any annoying accidents (Fig. 18-20).
Abia dupa termini de cusut bieul poti taia excesul de quilt (Fig. 16-18). Trebuie sa fii insa foarte atenta sa nu tai din greseala cuta de la colt (Fig. 17) si de aceea trebuie sa o indoi sub ruler (Fig. 18).
Fig. 18
Fig. 19
Fig 20 - The folded corner is under the self adhesive grip
No headache is you place the binding on a quilt with trimmed edges. Aceste probleme dispar daca pui bieul pe un quilt la care ai taiat deja marginile.
Fig. 21 (din postarea 'Tutorial: Bieul la quilt')
Fig. 22 (din postarea 'Tutorial: Bieul la quilt')
Another point is that I do not recommend to sew the binding without glue, if you do not use a walking foot or a dual feed foot, like Bernina's or Pfaff's IDT.
In al doilea rand va sfatuiesc sa lipiti in orice caz bieul dupa ce l-ati indoit si calcat.
Daca folositi un piciorus special opentru dublu transport (walking foot, Bernina's dual feed sau Pfaff IDT) puteti sa renuntati la lipici. Pentru o masina la care nu aveti un piciorus cu dublu transport, e mai bine sa lipiti straturile de material intre ele si apoi de quilt.
Why? Because you have to sew THREE layers at the same time and the two layers of the folded binding can shift. Not only from each other, but also from the third layer (the quilt). If you glue the two sides of the binding before you apply them to the quilt, you will have to sew only TWO layers (the binding and the quilt). One problem less. If you glue the binding to the quilt, even better. You will have even less difficulties to sew the binding.
De ce? Pentru ca la cusutul bieului trebuiesc cusute TREI straturi de material care nu trebuie sa se deplaseze cand cosi: doua straturi de la bieu si quiltul, care poate fi considerat un singur strat.
That's why after one side of the quilt, I looked for my glue. Generally I glue and iron the binding before I apply it to the quilt, but now I had to improvise and skipped the ironing.
Dupa ce am cusut o latura a quiltului si nu am gasit ca metoda de cusut a lui Susan Cleveland nu de rezultatele cu care eram invatata, am lipit totusi bieul, in timp ce lucram. In general calc ce lipesc, dar acum nu am mai putut sa o fac.
Fig. 23
5. Formarea colturilor la pusul bieului (Forming the hooks)
Nothing special about it in the Craftsy class. Only some details, perhaps, which makes the sewing easier. Nothing different from what I wrote in the earlier tutorial about the binding.
Nici aici nu am gasit elemente spectaculare in cursul de la Craftsy. Doar cateva detalii, care imi usureaza munca. Desi puteti gasi explicatii mai detaliate in ' Bieul la quilt' am sa pun si aici cateva poze.
Start to pin the binding to the quilt, but let a 16 inches tail free, before you start.
Prindeti bieul cu ace de gamalie la jumatatea quiltului, dar incepeti sa coaseti lasand o portiune de 16 inches (40 cm) necusuta.
Sew to 1/4 inches from the quilt's edge and sew off the quilt at 45 degrees (Fig. 22).
Coaseti pana la 1/4 inch de coltul quiltului si apoi iesiti la 45 grade din quilt. Linia pe care coaseti este linia marcata cu rosu (Fig 22).
Fig. 24 (how to sew off)
Fold the binding at 45 degrees.
Dupa aceea trebuie sa indoiti bieul la 45 grade in sus, cum se vede in Fig. 23.
Fig. 25 (nu foarte clara / very unclear , sorry)
Susan Cleveland says to position the binding vertically, no special measurements. I like to be more precise and use a ruller (no matter what kind of a ruler) to get a perfect vertical line and a real 90 degrees corner (Fig. 25). Only using this 'control line' I get a true 45 degree fold which will make a perfect corner.
Unfortunately this picture is very bad. I put it here only because I want to show you a very helpful and very easy way to control if your binding is correctly positioned.
Susan Cleveland spune ca trebuie sa pozitionezi bieul in continuarea liniei care demarcheaza marginea defintiva a quiltului. Ea o face din ochi.
Gasesc ca este mai usor sa folosesti un ruler sau orice alt fel de rigla sau echer ca sa te asiguri ca vei avea o cuta a bieului de exact 45 de grade.
Daca pui bieul din ocht nu este sigur ca vei indoi bieul exact pe diagonala de 45 de grade. De aceea am pus Fig. 25 pe blog, desi este o poza foarte proasta.
The only advantage to sew on a quilt without the edges trimmed is (IMHO) that you can easily mark where to stop, before sewing off diagonally (Fig. 27). You can mark a very clear line with a Sharpie, because that part of the quilt, where the mark is, will be trimmed away.
Trebuie sa recunosc ca daca cosi pe un quilt cu marginile defintive netaiate este mai usor sa marchezi punctul in care vei opri, ca sa iesi in diagonala din quilt (Fig. 22). Vezi mai jos:
Fig. 26 - Prima incercare (my first try)
Iata cum puteti marca mai bine, folosind un stilou permanent (permanent marker)
Fig. 27 (Stop when the needle reaches this level)
Fig. 28
I find, however, that this advantage is less substantial than the advantage to sew a perfect 1/4" seam on trimmed quilt edges, using a quilting foot.
Oricum, acest avantaj privind marcarea punctului de oprire nu compenseaza dezavantajul de a nu taia marginile definitive ale quiltului inainte de a coase bieul (Fig. 12).
Continuati sa coaseti bieul asa cum am scris in Tutorial - Coaserea bieului, pana ajungeti in punctul in care trebuie sa uniti cele doua laturi ale bieului.
6. Unirea capetelor bieului (joining the ends of the binding)
This is the part of the Craftsy class I love the best. Susan's method is so much easier compared with Sharon's method.
I decided to follow Susan in the future and forget about what Sharon taught us. About it - how to use it, which formula Susan uses and why it is as she teaches - next time. This posting is already too long!
Metoda lui Susan Cleveland este mult mai usoara si mai buna decat cea a lui Sharon Schamber. Despre asta - mai laes despre cum se poate aplica atunci cand lucrezi in centimetri si de ce trebuie sa faci cum spune Susan si nu altfel - am sa scriu data viitoare, in partea a doua a postarii. Am scris deja prea mult.
