♪ WELCOME TO MORE OF OUR ALASKAN ADVENTURE.

YES, IT'S TRUE, WITH THOSE LONG LIGHT-FILLED SUMMER DAYS, MORE QUILTS GET DONE IN ALASKA.

COME JOIN US WITH SUSAN ROBERTS WHOSE LATEST THING IS BATIK.

THIS QUILT MADE BY GEORGE TAYLOR IS CALLED "FOWL DANCING."

STAY TUNED AND YOU'LL GET TO SEE THE FRONT SIDE.

♪ "LAP QUILTING" WITH GEORGIA BONESTEEL IS MADE POSSIBLE BY GRANTS FROM GINGHER, INCORPORATED, MAKERS OF SCISSORS AND SHEARS FOR THE HOME, CLASSROOM, AND INDUSTRY.

AND COATS & CLARK, SERVING AMERICA'S SEWING NEEDS FOR 125 OVER YEARS, FEATURING J&P COATS DUAL DUTY PLUS THREAD.

REMEMBER LAST WEEK IN OUR VISIT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA MUSEUM IN FAIRBANKS, WE SAW HOW BANNERS WERE USED TO DIVIDE THE EXHIBITS INTO THE STATE'S MAJOR GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS.

YOU CAN USE THIS SINGLE-SURFACE APPLIQUE TECHNIQUE FOR ALL SORTS OF SPECIAL EVENTS: CHARITY BANNERS, MUSEUM QUILT SHOWS, OR EVEN FAMILY REUNIONS.

LET'S SEE HOW IT'S MADE.

THE MUSEUM STORE HAD A SELECTION OF THE 5 DIFFERENT ANIMALS IN ONE WILDLIFE PATTERN KIT.

NOW, I CHOSE THE BEAR AND THE SALMON, AND I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU THE RUNDOWN ON HOW I DID IT.

YOU NEED TO GO AHEAD AND DIVIDE ANY DESIGN YOU CHOOSE INTO EQUAL PARTS, AND OF COURSE THERE ARE LETTERS ON ONE SIDE AND NUMBERS ON THE BOTTOM.

I CHOSE TO RE-CREATE THE SIZE OF THE BEAR AND SALMON IN A 3-INCH GRID.

YOU CAN SEE HOW I'VE ENLARGED MY WHOLE SHEET INTO 3 INCHES, EACH AREA.

I THEN STARTED IN ONE CORNER AND RE-CREATED THE IMAGES FROM ONE SMALL SIZE TO A LARGER AREA.

DON'T FORGET, YOU CAN USE A FLEXICURVE EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE WHEN YOU WANT TO GET CERTAIN AREAS SMOOTH JUST THE WAY YOU WANT THEM.

I'D ALSO SUGGEST GETTING SOME OF THE INDELIBLE PENS TO MARK ON THE PAPER IN DIFFERENT BRIGHT COLORS.

IT HELPS IN DOING THE CODING.

ONCE YOU'VE GOT THAT DONE, I WOULD DUPLICATE EACH PATTERN IN THE FREEZER PAPER AGAIN, OR USE YOUR GRID GRIP.

YOU WANT TO TAKE EACH PATTERN THAT'S GONNA BE SEWN AND MAKE IT-- JUST CUT IT OUT OF PAPER-- AND DO YOUR LABELING.

I CHOSE OF COURSE THE COLORS THAT I WANTED TO USE-- THE BRIGHT CONTRAST TO THE SKY.

THEN YOU DECIDE ON WHICH AREA YOU'RE GONNA START WITH.

REMEMBER WHEN WE DID THE COTTON BALL PATTERN WITH THE SINGLE SURFACE?

WE STARTED WITH THE ORANGE BACKGROUND, AND THEN WE WENT TO THE WHITE COTTON, AND SO FORTH, SO THAT WE CREATED ONE SINGLE SURFACE.

THE ONLY PLACE THEY OVERLAPPED WAS RIGHT WHERE THE SATIN STITCH IT DONE, AND THAT MADE IT VERY NICE FOR OUR QUILTING.

IN THE BANNERS WHAT YOU REALLY WANT--AND LET'S TAKE A LOOK HERE AT THE BANNER HOW IT'S JUST THE SAME THING ON THE OTHER SIDE.

THEY OVERLAP EXACTLY WHERE THE SATIN STITCH, AND OF COURSE YOU CAN ALMOST SEE THROUGH IT.

AND WITH A LIGHT HANGING, IT JUST HAS A REALLY WONDERFUL LOOK TO IT.

WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IS DECIDE WHERE YOU START-- WITH BLUE AS THE BACKGROUND.

AND WHAT YOU'LL ALSO NEED IS A LIGHT BOX AT HOME, EITHER A SUNNY WINDOW OR RE-CREATE A LIGHT BOX WITH A LIGHT INSIDE A CARDBOARD BOX.

AND ONCE THAT IS DONE, YOU CUT OUT YOUR FOUNDATION, AND THEN TURNING YOUR LIGHT ON YOU'D BE ABLE TO SEE EXACTLY WHERE TO PLACE EACH OF THE PATTERNS THAT YOU HAVE DUPLICATED.

THE FREEZER PAPER WILL ADHERE TO THE SHINY SIDE, OF COURSE, WITH A WARM IRON WILL ADHERE.

AND THAT ALLOWS YOU TO GO RIGHT TO THE SEWING MACHINE AND RE-CREATE THIS.

AND I WANT TO GIVE YOU THAT SYSTEM.

I HAVE GONE AHEAD AND SEWN THE 2 SIDE GREENS TOGETHER BECAUSE THEN THEY WILL BE APPLIED TO THE BLUE.

AND WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT WITH THE FREEZER PAPER IRONED ON TO THE GREEN, YOU SIMPLY BUTT THEM UP EXACTLY WHERE THEY WOULD GO TOGETHER.

AND TO GET THAT REALLY GOOD, I WOULD EVEN PULL THIS DOWN AND THEN PUT THIS RIGHT UP HERE NEXT TO IT.

THEN I WOULD--KNOWING THAT THAT WAS EVEN-- THEN I COULD PULL THAT BACK AND DO STRAIGHT MACHINE STITCHING RIGHT NEXT TO THAT.

NOW, WHAT I HAVE DONE IS THEN COME, AND I HAVE CUT THIS AWAY, AND I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND FINISH THIS AND SHOW YOU, WITH MY WONDERFUL LIPPED SCISSORS, HOW I CAN JUST COME RIGHT UP TO THAT STRAIGHT EDGE.

NOW THAT WAS STEP NUMBER ONE.

NUMBER 2 THEN, I WOULD GO AHEAD AND REMOVE ALL THIS.

AND WHAT I HAVE DONE IS DONE A SATIN STITCH ALL THE WAY.

AND OF COURSE, I WOULD JUST CONTINUE THAT SATIN STITCH ALL THE WAY DOWN.

WHEN I DID THAT SATIN STITCH, THE IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER WAS TO PUT A PIECE OF PAPER ON THE BACK SIDE.

IT REALLY STABILIZES YOUR SATIN STITCHING.

THEN YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND PULL THAT ALL THE WAY OFF.

SEE HOW NICELY THAT WILL COME OFF?

AND THAT ALLOWS YOU AT THAT POINT THEN TO GO BACK IN WITH YOUR LIPPED SCISSORS AND COME VERY CLOSE ALL THE WAY DOWN.

NOW I CHANGED, NOW THAT I'M RE-CREATING THIS AGAIN, I CHANGED A COUPLE OF THE METHODS.

AND THE ONE THING THAT I DID WAS THAT RATHER THAN WAIT AND CUT AWAY AFTER I'D DONE THE SATIN STITCHING, I TRIED--AFTER I HAD DONE THE STRAIGHT STITCHING--COMING IN ON THE BACK SIDE AND GETTING VERY, VERY CLOSE AND CUTTING AWAY.

AND LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT HAPPENED.

THEN I WAS ABLE--AND I'VE ALREADY DONE ONE ON THIS ONE-- AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT HAPPENED.

THEN I WAS ABLE TO GET A NICE--RIGHT UP TO THE 2 GREENS WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE ANY OF THAT OTHER COLOR.

TAKE A LOOK OVER HERE, AND DO YOU SEE HOW SOME OF THE FOUNDATION MATERIAL HOW YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE BLUE?

WELL, IF YOU GO AHEAD AND CUT AWAY ON THIS SIDE ALSO BEFORE YOU DO THE SATIN STITCHING, I THINK YOU GET A NICER BACKHAND SIDE.

AND OF COURSE, THAT'S WHAT YOU LEARN FROM MAKING A MISTAKE THE FIRST TIME.

BUT THEN I CAME UP WITH ANOTHER IDEA.

LET'S GO TO THE MACHINE, AND I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT I DID.

I THINK THE SOLUTION IS TO GO AHEAD AND USE BLACK PAPER.

THE BAD NEWS IS THAT I USED WHITE PAPER, AND YOU CAN SEE THE WHITE THROUGH THE SATIN STITCH ON THE BACK.

IF YOU WILL JUST USE BLACK LIGHTWEIGHT PAPER AND GO AHEAD AND DO YOUR SATIN STITCH, IT REALLY DOES SEEM TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

IT STABILIZES THE SATIN STITCH.

AND REMEMBER TO TEST THAT SO YOU CAN DECIDE EXACTLY WHAT WIDTH THAT YOU WANT, AND THEN YOU'RE READY TO JUST COVER BOTH SIDES OF THE GREEN AND ALL THE WAY DOWN.

AND THEN WHEN YOU TAKE THAT OFF, YOU'RE GOING TO PULL AWAY THE PAPER ON THE BACK SIDE, AND I THINK YOU'LL BE SURPRISED AT REALLY THE NICE BLACK EDGE YOU HAVE HERE COMPARED TO THE WHITE.

I HOPE YOU ENJOY MAKING BANNERS.

NOW, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO FROM FAIRBANKS TO WASILLA, DOWN NEAR ANCHORAGE.

MEET SUSAN ROBERTS AS WE GO TO A NEW AREA OF ALASKA.

WE ARE IN WASILLA, ALASKA, WITH THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAINS YOU WOULD EVER BELIEVE OUTSIDE THE WINDOWS, AND SITTING INSIDE WITH A MOUNTAIN OF QUILTS THAT BELONG TO SUSAN ROBERTS.

SUSAN, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.

IT'S A PLEASURE.

AND YOU'VE BEEN QUILTING A LONG TIME, SHORT TIME?

WHAT IS YOUR QUILT HISTORY?

ABOUT 5 YEARS.

I TOOK A QUILT CLASS WITH MY MOM IN NEW YORK ONE TIME WHEN I WENT BACK TO VISIT, AND IT WAS AN IMMEDIATE PASSION FOR QUILTING AFTER THAT CLASS.

WELL, YOU'RE A QUILTER AFTER MY OWN HEART BECAUSE YOU STARTED WITH A SAMPLER, AND THAT'S WHERE I LIKE TO SEE PEOPLE START.

WAS THERE A REASON PARTICULARLY?

THIS IS WHAT THEY WERE TEACHING IN THE CLASS?

THEY WERE TEACHING A SAMPLER, RIGHT.

WE WENT THROUGH EACH WEEK WITH A PRESCRIBED LESSON ON DIFFERENT TYPES OF BLOCKS, AND I CHOSE A MONOCHROMATIC BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS LIKED BLUE.

YES.

WELL, THAT'S A GOOD BEGINNING.

AND THEN FROM HERE, WHERE DID YOU GO?

FROM HERE, JINNY BEYER CAME UP AND GAVE A WORKSHOP IN ANCHORAGE, AND I DESIGNED THE CENTER OF THIS MEDALLION QUILT IN THAT CLASS AND THEN FOUND I LOVED THE DESIGNING PROCESS.

SO I WAS OFF AND RUNNING AND FINISHED THIS DESIGN AND ALSO ENJOY DESIGNING MY OWN QUILTING DESIGNS, TOO.

THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT YOU CAN PAY A TEACHER IS TO FINISH, AND YOU REALLY HAVE DONE THAT.

AND I LIKE THE WAY YOU HAVE RESOLVED YOUR CORNERS ALSO, TAKING THAT CENTER MEDALLION AND COMING OUT FOR THE UNUSUAL CORNER TREATMENT, BUT IT'S VERY FITTING FOR THIS QUILT.

THANK YOU.

I ENJOYED IT ALTHOUGH IT'S A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO HANG IT WITH THIS TYPE OF A FLOPPY CORNER, BUT I DO LIKE THE EFFECT.

WELL, GOOD BEGINNING.

AND THEN, OH, MY GOODNESS, ANOTHER MEDALLION TYPE.

YES.

THEN MY 3-YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS BORN, AND THE DOCTOR WHO DELIVERED HER ASKED TO HAVE ME DO A PIECE FOR HER OFFICE.

SO THIS WAS MY FIRST COMMISSION PIECE.

YOU TRADED THE FEES FOR THE QUILT?

WELL, IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, YES.

SO THIS WAS MY SECOND ACTUAL MEDALLION DESIGN.

I ENJOYED--I WAS HAVING TROUBLE FIGURING OUT A BORDER, SO I STRIP-PIECED SEVERAL THINGS TOGETHER AND LIKED THE EFFECT THAT THAT GIVES IT.

AND THEN THAT JUST CARRIES OUT NOT ONLY IN OUTSIDE, BUT THE SECONDARY SASHING ALSO AND THE WAY THE DIAMONDS COME OUT.

IS THIS A SQUARE OR IS IT RECTANGULAR?

IT'S RECTANGULAR.

AND THEN YOU HAD TO KIND OF FLOAT THE DIAMOND.

RIGHT.

IT JUST MEETS AT THIS CORNER, AND IT COMES TO THE SECOND BORDER ON THE OTHER SIDE.

I SEE A LOT OF METICULOUS PLANNING HERE.

WHAT IS THE SECRET TO THAT?

I HAVE A MATH BACKGROUND.

THAT'S NOT FAIR, SUSAN.

THAT IS NOT FAIR!

I HAVE A MATH-- A TEACHING DEGREE IN MATH AND EDUCATION, SO I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH MATHEMATICS AND ENJOY IT A LOT.

AND THEN JUST HAVING THAT SEWING BACKGROUND, PUTTING THE TOGETHER IS JUST A MAGNIFICENT-- MADE A QUILTER.

OH, GREAT.

AND THEN THIS QUILT.

THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL.

THIS IS MY ENTRY IN THE GREAT AMERICAN QUILT CONTEST.

YOU MEAN THIS DIDN'T WIN?

NO.

I DECIDED A MORE ABSTRACT APPROACH RATHER THAN A PICTORIAL APPROACH TO THE IDEA.

BUT I DO SEE--ISN'T THAT THE FOUNDATION OF THE-- THE FOUNDATION OF THE STATUE, YES.

I TOOK THAT BASIC DESIGN AND DESIGNED MY BLOCK, AND THEN I HAD TO COME UP WITH A KIND OF A SECONDARY BLOCK TO JOIN AND THEN HAVE A LOT OF REPRESENTATIONAL THINGS IN HERE ABOUT AMERICA.

IT IS JUST BEAUTIFUL!

DOES THIS HANG ON YOUR WALL, OR WHERE?

YES, I HAVE IT ON MY WALL AT HOME.

GOSH.

I THINK I'D SLEEP UNDER IT EVERY NIGHT.

IT'S JUST BEAUTIFUL.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THEN FROM HERE YOU'VE GONE FROM A SAMPLER TO A VERY DRAMATIC FULL-SIZE QUILT.

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?

NEXT I GOT INTO DYEING.

I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT DYEING FABRICS RIGHT NOW.

AND THESE THE ONES YOU NEVER CUT UP OR... OH, I'VE CUT--YES, THEY'RE GETTING SMALLER AND SMALLER, AND I'VE GOT A LOT OF LITTLE CHUNKS AND PIECES.

BUT I STARTED OUT WITH THESE TO DO ANOTHER COMMISSION PROJECT OF SOME MINIATURES.

I SEE.

AND WHAT DO YOU USE FOR YOUR DYEING?

I USE PROCION MX DYES AND FIND THEM VERY, VERY EXCITING.

OH, GOSH, JUST BEAUTIFUL!

LOOK AT THIS WONDERFUL-- NOW HOW DID YOU DO THESE?

THESE ARE USING-- I LOVE PRUSSIAN BLUE.

IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE COLORS AND I TRIED GOING PRUSSIAN BLUE TO YELLOW, PRUSSIAN BLUE TO BROWN, AND I ALSO--MY NEXT IS PRUSSIAN BLUE TO FUCHSIA, WHICH I HAVEN'T DONE YET, TO GET THE LOVELY PURPLES.

AND THEN I TRIED--THIS IS ACTUALLY 3 SHADES OF BROWN TO BLUE THROUGH THE GRADE PROGRESSIONS.

YOU CAN'T BUY THESE AT A STORE, YOU REALIZE THAT?

THAT'S WHY THEY'RE SUCH JEWELS.

AND TO EXPERIMENT WITH THESE, I DID ONE PIECE HERE JUST TO PLAY TO SEE SOME OF THE COLOR GRADATIONS IN, YOU KNOW, JUST AN AMISH PIECE.

AND YOU MOUNTED THIS ON THE BLACK, AND OF COURSE... OH, I LOVE THE SEQUENCE OF HOW IT GOES FROM DIAGONALLY.

VERY HANDSOME.

AND YOU'VE MACHINE QUILTED THIS.

MACHINE QUILTED, YES.

I LIKE THE WAY YOU'VE DONE IT IN 3, SKIPPED A WIDER ONE AND THEN DONE 3.

JUST KIND OF TAKING THE POINTS OUT FROM HERE TO JUST KIND OF FINISH OFF THE BORDER.

THE MATH BACKGROUND COMES UP IN EVERY ONE OF THESE, EVERY ONE OF THESE.

AND THEN, NOW YOU'VE DONE MINIATURES.

WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANYTHING SO STUNNING BEFORE.

THEY ARE JUST BEAUTIFUL.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I TOOK THIS SET OF DYED FABRICS TO DO THESE MINIATURES, AND I'VE BEEN EXPERIMENTING.

I STARTED OFF EXPERIMENTING WITH SOME OF THE LARGER PIECES AND THEN FOUND MYSELF WANTING TO GET SMALLER AND SMALLER AND SMALLER TO THE QUARTER-INCH PIECES AND THEN TO THE EIGHTH-INCH PIECES ON THE SMALLER ONE.

AND THEN YOU TAKE A NORMAL QUARTER-INCH SEAM AND THEN HAVE TO TRIM SOME OF THAT BACK AWAY?

SOMETIMES I DO IT THAT WAY, OTHER TIMES WITH A VERY SMALL PIECE, I'LL TRY TO MAKE IT AN EIGHTH-INCH SEAM AS WELL.

I SEE.

AND THEN YOU'VE USED A CONTRASTING THREAD FOR THE QUILTING.

YES.

IN SEVERAL OF THEM I'VE USED A CONTRASTING.

IN OTHERS I HAVE JUST A BLACK THAT WILL BLEND IN.

WELL, IT'S JUST-- THEY'RE AWESOME.

AND I LIKE THE WAY YOU'VE MOUNTED THEM.

HOW CLEVER.

THIS WAY YOU CAN TAKE THEM OFF AND CARRY THEM ON TRIPS AND...

I WANTED A WAY THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE PERMANENTLY MOUNTED, BUT IT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT TASK TO TRY AND COME UP WITH A MOUNTING TECHNIQUE.

THIS WAS AN EXPERIMENTAL TRY.

BUT THIS WAY YOU HAVE A COLLECTION.

THIS IS YOUR MINIATURE SERIES, SO TO SPEAK.

AND I AM IN LOVE WITH A CURRENT PIECE THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH.

WE ALWAYS HAVE ONE WHAT WE CALL "IN PROGRESS."

AND HERE WE ARE WITH THE BASTING--WELL, I THOUGHT THEY WERE GONNA BE BASTING THREADS.

WHAT ARE THESE LITTLE-- IS THIS--YOU TIE TACK YOUR QUILTS?

YES.

I BASTE MY QUILTS WITH TIES.

I HAD TRIED THE LONG TRADITIONAL BASTING METHOD, WHICH I DIDN'T LIKE BECAUSE MY QUILTING ALWAYS INTERFERED WITH MY BASTING.

IT WAS DIFFICULT TO GET THE BASTING OUT.

THEN I TRIED PINS, WHICH THE HOOP INTERFERED WITH.

SO I FOUND THAT TYING IS MY FAVORITE WAY OF BASTING FIRST.

NOW THIS DESIGN IS BASED ON PARALLELOGRAMS.

HAVE YOU NAMED THIS PIECE YET?

NOT YET.

OH, YOU HAVE TO WAIT TILL THE LAST STITCH.

IT HASN'T COME TO ME YET.

BUT NOW THIS HAS SOME UNUSUAL FABRIC IN IT ALSO.

YES.

I TOOK A BATIK CLASS THIS PAST YEAR, AND I'VE BEEN DOING SOME BLOCK PRINTS WITH BATIKS, WHICH I FOUND VERY EXCITING, AND WANTED TO TRY SOMETHING WHERE I ACTUALLY TOOK THE REMAINING DYED PIECES FROM THE MINIATURES AND SOME OF THE BATIKS AND THREW THEM ALL TOGETHER TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN.

AND THEN YOU USED A WORD I'VE NEVER HEARD BEFORE.

A STITCH-RESIST.

STITCH RESIST.

YES.

I HAVE SOME MOTTLED FABRICS THAT I'VE BEEN EXPERIMENTING WITH THAT WERE DONE BY TAKING A PIECE OF MUSLIN, STITCHING, PULLING.

LIKE A COUCHING ALMOST.

YES.

AND THEN IN THE DYE BUCKET THAT WAY, AND THEN WHEN YOU OPEN THEM UP THERE ARE SOME WONDERFUL RESULTS.

AND YOU CAN TRY ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT--PLEATING EFFECTS, AND ALL KINDS OF EXCITING THINGS.

WELL, NOW ARE THESE SOME OF YOUR HAND-DYED FABRICS?

YES.

EVERYTHING ON THIS IS ALL HAND DONE IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

I HAVE SOME BLEACH- RESIST, ACTUALLY SOME SPRAYED BLEACH EFFECTS AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS IN HERE.

I SEE SOME GLIMMER ACROSS THE SURFACE OF THIS.

YOU'VE GONE ONE STEP FURTHER WITH YOUR QUILTING.

THIS WAS A REAL DEPARTURE FOR ME.

I FOUND IT SO FLAT WHEN IT WAS DONE THAT I THOUGHT IT NEEDED A LITTLE SPARKLE, SO I'M TRYING METALLIC THREAD, AND I'M GONNA EVEN TRY SOME BEADS ON THIS PIECE TO SEE HOW IT TURNS OUT.

BEADWORK, I MEAN, THAT'S WONDERFUL FOR ALASKA.

I WOULD IMAGINE THAT.

HAVE YOU FOUND THAT YOU NEED TO USE A SHORTER THREAD WITH THE METALLIC?

IT WILL FRAY.

IT DOES FRAY.

YOU HAVE TO QUILT IN A HURRY.

YES, AND USE VERY SHORT SECTIONS AT A TIME.

NOW, YOU HAVE A MYSTERIOUS WAY OF QUILTING, AND YOU'RE NICE ENOUGH TO SHARE THAT WITH US.

DO YOU HAVE YOUR THIMBLES HERE?

YOU'RE GONNA SHOW US.

I HAVE FOUND THAT I NEED A THIMBLE ON MY THUMB, AND I EXPERIMENTED FOR A WHILE TO COME UP WITH A WAY.

I FOUND THAT WITH MY COTTON CLASSIC BATTING WHICH I PREFER TO USE, I NEEDED A LEVER ALMOST TO PRY THE STITCHES UP TO A SMALLER SIZE.

SO USING THIS THUMB THIMBLE, I CAN GET A MUCH SMALLER STITCH START.

AND THEN ALSO I FIND THAT I CAN GO AWAY FROM MYSELF.

THIS WAY I DON'T HAVE TO TURN MY HOOP QUITE AS MUCH.

AND IT TOOK A WHILE TO TRAIN MY THUMB TO GET STRONG ENOUGH TO DO THIS, BUT I FIND IT VERY EFFECTIVE NOW, AND I DO GO IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, EITHER TOWARDS MYSELF OF AWAY NOW THAT I DO HAVE THE THUMB THIMBLE.

YOU GET DOUBLE THE PLEASURE IN QUILTING, RIGHT?

THAT'S RIGHT.

WELL, IT'S JUST BEAUTIFUL, AND WE WISH YOU ALL THE LUCK IN THE WORLD.

CONTINUE SHARING YOUR QUILTING, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING TIME WITH US TODAY.

DIDN'T SUSAN HAVE SOME WONDERFUL QUILTS?

AND AM I THE LUCKY ONE.

SHE SENT ME HOME WITH AN ARRAY OF SOME OF HER HAND-DYED AND HER BATIK FABRIC OF WHICH I HAD TO TRY A MINIATURE.

NOW I MUST SAY, THIS IS MY VERY FIRST MINIATURE, BUT IT ALSO MIGHT BE MY LAST ONE.

CHECK OUT THIS SET UP AT THE SEWING MACHINE.

NOW, WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT MINIATURES?

THEY'RE TEENY TINY, AND I HAVE CAUTIONED THE CREW TODAY NOT TO SNEEZE OR COUGH, OR WE'RE IN BIG TROUBLE.

AS YOU CAN SEE, WE ARE GONNA CONCENTRATE ON THIS LITTLE 3-INCH SQUARE, AND HERE IT IS ALL LAID OUT.

I'VE SEWED PART OF IT TOGETHER TO KIND OF GIVE YOU THE SEQUENCE OF HOW WE'RE GOING.

WHAT I HAVE FOUND THAT'S REALLY NICE WITH MINIATURES IS THAT YOU CAN USE SQUARES THAT ARE ALREADY DEPICTED IN BOOKS.

THOSE BECOME YOUR TEMPLATES.

ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS TAKE YOUR PLASTIC TEMPLATE MATERIAL, PLACE IT ON THERE, AND WITH YOUR INDELIBLE PEN GIVE YOURSELF THIS TIME AN EIGHTH OF AN INCH SEAM ALLOWANCE.

AND OF COURSE MARK THE GRAIN LINE AND HOW MANY PIECES YOU NEED TO CUT OUT.

ONCE YOU'VE CUT OUT, YOU WOULD GET THIS ALL SET UP NEXT TO YOUR MACHINE.

AND THEN CONSIDER THE FEET THAT YOU WANT TO USE ON YOUR MACHINE.

RATHER THAN AN ALL- PURPOSE FOOT, I THINK I WOULD ABANDON THAT AND GO AHEAD AND GO TO EITHER YOUR BLIND-HEM FOOT OR YOUR OLD-FASHIONED STRAIGHT SEWING FOOT.

THAT MAKES IT VERY NICE BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT THAT EIGHTH OF AN INCH MARK RIGHT ON THERE.

OF COURSE WHEN YOU USE THAT STRAIGHT SEWING FOOT, MAKE SURE AND KEEP YOUR NEEDLE IN CENTER NEEDLE POSITION.

THEN I'D GO AHEAD AND GET ALL OF THESE LINED UP SO THAT YOU GET AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF TRIANGLE COMING OFF OF EACH ONE OF THOSE TRAPEZOIDS AND SEW THOSE TOGETHER.

NOW, WE'RE TALKING TINY, TINY SEAM ALLOWANCES, AND IT DOES HELP TO GO AHEAD AND USE YOUR LITTLE STILETTO ALL THE WAY DOWN.

I'LL DO 2 OF THESE.

AND YOU CAN SEE--USE YOUR SAME FACTORY SYSTEM.

YOU MIGHT WANT TO JUST LIFT YOUR PRESSER FOOT AND THEN SLIDE THAT IN ONCE MORE KEEPING THE RAW EDGE LINED UP TO THAT NARROW EIGHTH OF AN INCH.

AND YOU JUST KEEP GOING.

NOW I MADE THIS WHOLE PIECE, LITTLE MINIATURE, IN A SUNDAY AFTERNOON, SO I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT.

IT JUST TAKES TIME, AND IT TAKES PATIENCE.

ONCE YOU'VE GOT THOSE DONE, I'D GO AHEAD AND THUMB CREASE THAT TOWARDS THE DARK.

AND OF COURSE WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IS THAT STRAIGHT LINE ACROSS HERE.

YOU MIGHT EVEN GET YOUR LITTLE SCISSORS OUT, TOO, AND JUST USE THOSE FOR A LITTLE PROJECT SUCH AS THIS.

TRIM OFF ANY LITTLE DOG EARS.

THAT'LL GET RID OF ANY EXCESS.

AND THEN YOU KNOW THAT THAT IS GOING TO SEW ON THAT SIDE, AND THEN THE SAME THING'S GONNA HAPPEN OVER HERE.

THIS ONE IS GOING TO SEW OVER HERE.

NOW, I'VE GONE AHEAD, AND I HAVE ONE DONE HERE, AND YOU CAN SEE THEN BY STAGGERING YOUR SEAMS, GO AHEAD AND SIMPLY SEW THAT TOGETHER.

I WOULD DO THAT 3 MORE TIMES, AND ALL THOSE SEAM ALLOWANCES ARE GONNA BE EATEN UP SO THAT YOU CAN SEW YOUR RIGHT-ANGLE TRIANGLES ON EACH SIDE.

THEN YOU'D HAVE YOUR WHOLE LITTLE BLOCK PUT TOGETHER.

3 MORE TIMES AND THEN YOUR SASHING AND STRIPS AROUND, AND YOUR PIECE IS DONE, AND IT'S READY FOR YOUR TINY LITTLE HAND QUILTING.

I WANTED TO SHOW YOU ON THIS PIECE--AND THIS LITTLE TREE, BY THE WAY, WAS A GIFT TO ME IN ANCHORAGE, AND I'VE SIMPLY PUT SOME SASHING AROUND IT AND MADE A LITTLE MINIATURE ITSELF.

I WANTED TO SHOW YOU THE NEW "IN" WAY FOR DOING SOME OF OUR BINDING AND FINISHING OFF.

YOU CAN OF COURSE USE STRAIGHT OF THE GRAIN IF YOU'D LIKE.

I HAVE ALWAYS PREFERRED A BIAS ON A DOUBLE FOLD.

NOW, WITH THESE LITTLE MINIATURES YOU COULD JUST USE A SINGLE, BUT IF YOU DO A DOUBLE FOLD, YOU'LL WANT TO REDUCE THE SIZE THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE CUTTING, NOT A FULL 2 1/2 INCHES BECAUSE REMEMBER, YOU'RE TAKING THAT NARROW SEAM ALLOWANCE.

BUT YOU CAN SEAM ONE SIDE AND THEN COME OVER AND SEAM ON THIS SIDE.

THEN I WOULD PULL THIS ALL THE WAY BACK AND TURN UNDER AND DO MY HAND WORK ON EACH SIDE.

ONCE THAT'S COMPLETED, AND I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND JUST PIN THAT TO GIVE THIS IMPRESSION SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

THEN YOU COULD COME WITH YOUR BIAS, AND THIS TIME YOU'RE GONNA STITCH IT AGAIN, BUT THIS TIME ROLL IT ALL THE WAY DOWN SO THAT THEN YOU'LL GET A MACHINE STITCH HERE.

THEN ONCE THAT'S DONE, IT WILL PULL ALL THE WAY OUT-- NOW FOLLOW ME CAREFULLY-- AND THEN THAT WOULD TURN BACK.

AND YOU CAN SEE HOW I'VE DONE THAT RIGHT HERE.

DO YOU SEE HOW I FINISHED OFF THESE ENDINGS?

I THINK THAT GIVES A VERY NEAT FINISH IF YOU'D LIKE SOMETHING OTHER THAN A MITERED CORNER THAT WE HAVE ALSO DONE.

CONSIDER ALSO IN YOUR MINIATURES THE WONDERFUL IDEA OF JUST SHOWING OFF THE HAND-DYED FABRICS-- SUCH A BEAUTIFUL ARRAY-- SOMETHING THAT YOU REALLY CAN'T EVEN FIND IN A STORE.

AND HERE YOU'D JUST BE SEWING THESE TOGETHER WITH A TINY EIGHTH-OF-AN- INCH SEAM ALLOWANCE.

AND CONSIDER ALSO WHEN YOU'RE DOING THIS BASTING AND GETTING SET UP-- I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THIS.

THERE IS BASTING THREAD ON THE MARKET.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER.

AND NOW FOR OUR TIP OF THE DAY.

OUR TIP OF THE DAY IS TO INVEST IN A TACKLE BOX.

IT'S A WONDERFUL CONTAINER ALL FULL OF LITTLE COMPARTMENTS TO CARRY ALL THOSE TOYS AND OF COURSE A WALRUS THIMBLE.

AND WITH THIS IN HAND, YOU CAN TACKLE ANY WORKSHOP.

THAT'S JUST WHAT GEORGE TAYLOR DID WITH THE BACKING FOR HIS "FOWL DANCING" QUILT.

HE DID THIS BATIK WORK IN SUSAN'S CLASS.

WONDERFUL CHICKENS AND ROOSTERS THAT HE GOT FROM "QUILTER'S NEWSLETTER," THESE PATTERNS THAT HE HAS DEPICTED IN A WONDERFUL WALL HANGING.

NOTICE THE BALANCE OF REDS AND GREENS AND BROWNS.

AND THEN TO COMPLETE THE QUILT, HE HAS DONE CHICKEN WIRE MACHINE QUILTING IN SILVER METALLIC THREAD, AND THEN ALL AROUND THE OUTSIDE, MORE PAIRS OF THOSE FOWL DANCING.

I HAVE BEEN LEFT WITH SOME WONDERFUL MEMORIES OF ALASKA, PART OF WHICH ARE THOSE WONDERFUL MASK COLLECTIONS.

MAYBE THAT MEANS A MASK QUILT.

AND TODAY WE'RE GONNA LEAVE YOU WITH A WHOLE ROOM FULL OF PROJECTS FROM THE WASILLA QUILTERS.

THANKS FOR JOINING, AND WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

WE ARE IN PALMER, ALASKA, WITH HANNAH...KENGUS.

AND SHE IS ABOUT TO TELL US HER STORY OF A VERY PERSONAL HERITAGE QUILT THAT SHE MADE THAT HAS TO DO WITH YOUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH TEACHING THROUGHOUT ALASKA.

DO YOU WANT TO TELL US WHY YOU MADE THIS QUILT, HANNAH, AND HOW YOU'RE GOING TO USE IT IN YOUR FAMILY NOW?

WELL, I DON'T KNOW HOW I CAN TELL YOU WHY, BECAUSE I HAD NO IDEA AT THE BEGINNING.

IT TOOK SEVERAL CLASS SESSIONS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO.

AND WHEN I STARTED MAKING PICTURES OUT OF MATERIALS I HAD--AND THEN I BORROWED SOME MATERIALS FROM THE BIG GRAB BAG THEY HAD THERE, AND IT JUST KIND OF GREW, AND IT GREW AND GREW AND GREW.

BUT YOU STARTED ON PAPER.

YOU WERE SHOWING ME SOME OF THE THINGS THAT-- SHOW ME YOUR PORTFOLIO THERE.

BEFORE THAT I TOLD MY HUSBAND, "I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, YOU KNOW."

SO HE SAID, "WHY DON'T WE MAKE A-- THIS IS AN OLD, OLD THING-- "MAKE THE SEQUENCES OF DIFFERENT PLACES WE'VE BEEN TEACHING."

AND SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HE DREW FOR ME.

SO THIS HAS BEEN A JOINT PROJECT AND A WAY FOR BOTH OF YOU TO ACCOUNT YOUR YEARS IN ALASKA WHEN YOU'VE BEEN TEACHING.

WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO TURN IT, BUT YOU WERE NOT A QUILTER TO BEGIN WITH.

OH, NO.

DID YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WERE GETTING YOURSELF INTO?

NO, NO.

BUT YOU DIDN'T TURN BACK.

YOU KEPT GOING.

WELL, I JUST FELT THAT I HAD TO FOR SOME REASON.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR SHARING WITH US, HANNAH.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS, AND I FEEL A LITTLE--I FEEL HONORED, BUT I DO FEEL JUST SORT OF OUT OF PLACE HERE BECAUSE IT IS NOT-- IT'S A VERY, A BEGINNER'S QUILT AND SO MANY MISTAKES HAD TO BE UNDONE.

THEY DON'T SHOW.

AND SO MANY MISTAKES STILL THERE, AND I KNOW.

THAT'S WHY I LIKE IT, TOO, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE NOT DONE RIGHT, BUT NEXT TIME I THINK-- YOU'LL DO BETTER.

I'LL DO BETTER.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WE PROMISED YOU NOT ONLY QUILTERS, BUT QUILTS FROM ALASKA.

JOINING TOGETHER TODAY ARE THE VALLEY QUILTERS FROM WASILLA AND PALMER, ALASKA.

AND THEY THINK BIG HERE IN ALASKA.

LOOK AT THIS WONDERFUL TOTE BACK FOR CARRYING ALL OF OUR QUILTS EVERYWHERE.

AND THIS HAS TURNED OUT TO BE A MONEY-MAKING PROJECT FOR THE GUILD.

THEY ARE SHARING SOME OF THEIR IN-PROGRESS THINGS TODAY, AND WE'RE JUST GONNA TAKE A GANDER AT THE VARIETY OF PATTERNS, APPLIQUE.

WE'RE STARTING HERE WITH HANNAH.

JUST KIND OF SHOW THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE IN PROGRESS.

OH, WE'VE GOT AN AMISH GOING ON HERE, RIGHT?

AND YOU'RE USING BLACK THREAD.

YES, I AM.

OK. AND RUTH HAS--OH, RUTH.

SHOW THIS WONDERFUL SCRAP QUILT THAT YOU HAVE.

THIS IS HER--SHE CALLS IT HER "SCRAPPY WORLD" QUILT.

CAN YOU IMAGINE FABRIC FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD COMING TOGETHER IN A DIAMOND QUILT?

VERY NICE.

AND JEANNIE SNODGRASS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LETTING US COME TOGETHER.

JEANNIE IS THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE VALLEY QUILTERS.

YOU'VE GOT A PINWHEEL IN FRONT OF YOU.

YES.

THIS IS A SCRAP QUILT I'M MAKING FOR MY DAUGHTER.

AND YOU'RE WORKING ON A WOOL QUILT, OR IS THAT A JERSEY?

NO, IT IS WOOL.

IT'S ALL MADE OUT OF WASHABLE WOOL, AND THE HEARTS HAVE SHEEP IN THE MIDDLE WITH LITTLE HEARTS, AND THE SHEEP HAVE HEARTS.

AND THERE'S ONE IN EVERY FLOCK, SO THERE'S A GOOSE ON THIS QUILT.

EXCELLENT.

OK. AND YOU'RE WORKING, JUST QUILTING ON-- THIS IS A PIECE OF MATERIAL, BUT IT'S GONNA BE A DOLL QUILT FOR MY GRANDDAUGHTER.

YES.

AND IT'S A GOOD WAY TO TEST YOUR QUILTING STITCH, ISN'T IT?

OK. OH, AND I SEE A STORM AT SEA, STORM AT SEA, BLUE PATTERN.

OK. AND OH, I SEE A JACOB'S LADDER.

IT'S GONNA BE JUST A PILLOW OR A WALL HANGING.

I HAVE TO FIND OUT YET WHAT I'M GONNA DO WITH IT.

OK. OH, AND A BIG PROJECT!

WHAT HAVE WE HERE?

THIS IS A LARGE LONE STAR.

AND YOU'RE USING SUSAN'S TACKING METHOD AGAIN, AREN'T YOU?

ABSOLUTELY.

IT'S THE WAY TO GO.

YOU LEARNED YOUR LESSON WELL.

OK. AND A DRESDEN PLATE.

OK. AND YOU'RE PIECING, RIGHT?

YES, I'M PIECING A MARTHA WASHINGTON SQUARE.

OK. OH, HOW PRETTY!

THIS IS MY AMISH.

OH, HOW PRETTY.

ISN'T THAT PRETTY?

I HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH A VARIETY OF PROJECTS.

YOU ALL ARE REALLY INVOLVED.

♪ "LAP QUILTING" WITH GEORGIA BONESTEEL WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY GRANTS FROM GINGHER, INCORPORATED, MAKERS OF SCISSORS AND SHEARS FOR THE HOME, CLASSROOM, AND INDUSTRY.

AND COATS & CLARK, SERVING AMERICA'S SEWING NEEDS FOR OVER 125 YEARS, FEATURING J&P COATS DUAL DUTY PLUS THREAD.

GEORGIA BONESTEEL IS THE AUTHOR OF "LAP QUILTING," "MORE LAP QUILTING," AND "NEW IDEAS FOR LAP QUILTING," PUBLISHED BY OXMOOR HOUSE AND AVAILABLE IN BOOKSTORES AND LIBRARIES NATIONWIDE.