- PEE WEE, MY SPECIAL KITTY CAT COMES FROM THIS VERY HOME.

MY BATIK KITTY CATS THAT ARE DESIGNED BY LEE ANN COME FROM NORMAL, ILLINOIS, A VERY COMPLETE ALL-ROUND STORE NAMED THE SEWING STUDIO.

MEET THE OWNER AND THEN GET A MACHINE QUILTING LESSON FROM ONE OF THEIR TEACHERS.

FINALLY, I HAVE FOUND A HOME FOR THAT TREE OF LIFE PANEL THAT CAME ALL THE WAY FROM HOLLAND.

AND THEN WE TRY LAYERED SLASHING STAY TUNED.

♪ COULD YOU IMAGINE A MORE CLEVER OBJECT ♪ ♪ WARMS A BODY, IGNITES THE MIND ♪ ♪ A CHILD SLEEPS UNDER MOTHER'S CREATION ♪ ♪ TOGETHER FOREVER ♪ ♪ THE ART OF THE HEART AND DESIGN OF THE MIND ♪ ♪ PUTS YOU TO BED ONE DAY AT A TIME ♪ ♪ THE ART OF THE HEART AND DESIGN OF THE MIND ♪ - LAP QUILTING WITH GEORGIA BONE STEEL IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY GRANTS FROM OXMOOR HOUSE, PUBLISHER AND DISTRIBUTOR OF NEEDLEWORK AND CRAFT PUBLICATIONS, INCLUDING AN ASSORTMENT OF QUILT BOOKS AND RELATED PRODUCTS.

BY BERNINA, MAKERS OF SEWING MACHINES MANUFACTURED WITH THE CARE OF TRADITIONAL SWISS WORKMANSHIP.

NOTHING SEWS LIKE A BERNINA.

NOTHING.

BY GAMMILL QUILTING MACHINE COMPANY, OFFERING LARGE THROAT, MOBILE HAND-GUIDED QUILTING MACHINES.

ADDITIONAL FUNDING BY OMNIGRID, THE ORIGINAL PATENTED BLACK AND YELLOW RULER.

AND THE WARM COMPANY, MAKERS OF WARM AND NATURAL COTTON BATTING AND STEAM-A-SEAM FUSIBLE WEB.

- MARGARET, I'M THRILLED WITH MY LATEST PURCHASE.

SHOW EVERYONE MY HAND-PAINTED BUTTY-KITTY CATS.

SO, HOW MANY?

- THERE'S NINE.

I HAVE PLANS FOR THOSE TO GO INTO A VEST FOR SURE.

A LAB QUILTING WELCOME TO MARGARET COWCHE FROM NORMAL, ILLINOIS HERE AT THE SEWING STUDIO.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS.

-WE'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS 15 YEARS AND WE STARTED OUT WITH FASHION FABRICS AND QUILTING FABRICS.

THE QUILTING FABRICS ARE KIND OF GROWING.

AS MOST QUILT SHOPS SEEM TO BE, WE OFFER CLASSES IN QUILTING AND FASHION GARMENT SEWING.

WE'RE ACTIVE IN THE LOCAL QUILT GUILD.

IT'S CALLED THE HANDS ALL AROUND QUILT GUILD WITH OVER 200 MEMBERS.

WE DO BEND THERE AND WE GIVE CLASSES THERE AT DEMONSTRATION AT THE QUILT SHOWS EACH YEAR.

- DO YOU SEE ANY TRENDS IN THE QUILT WORLD TODAY?

- WELL, I THINK PEOPLE ARE GOING TO QUILTING BECAUSE THEY DON'T LIKE TO FIT GARMENTS SO ALL THEY HAVE TO DO AS FIT A BED OR FIT A VEST OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

I SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE SAYING THAT THEY WANT TO DO THAT.

QUICK, EASY QUILTS, THINGS THAT GO FAST.

THEY DON'T HAVE TIME TO DO THE MORE COMPLICATED THINGS.

ALTHOUGH WE DO OFFER SOME THAT HAVE MORE COMPLICATED CONSTRUCTION.

- YES.

WELL, WE LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING CHERYL ADAMS.

SHE'S GOING TO GIVE US A RUNDOWN ON HER MACHINE QUILTING.

UNDERSTAND HER CLASSES FILL ALL THE TIME.

- WE'VE HAD WE RUN IN LIKE THREE THIS SESSION AND THEY'VE ALWAYS FILLED AND WE'VE GOT A WAITING LIST.

SO WE KEEP RUNNING THEM ON AND ON.

- LET'S FIND OUT EXACTLY WHY.

OUR MACHINE QUILTER IS CHERYL ADAMS FROM BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR QUILT HISTORY AND WHAT ARE YOU PRESENTLY TEACHING?

-WELL, I STARTED QUILTING IN THE EARLY 80S AND STARTED MACHINE QUILTING ABOUT NINE YEARS AGO.

HERE I TEACH SEVERAL CLASSES, SOME IN PIECING AND ONE OF MY PIECING PROJECTS IS SPIRALING RAINBOW.

REQUIRES THE STUDENTS TO DRAFT THEIR OWN PATTERN.

I FIND THAT MOST QUILTERS ARE TERRIFIED OF DRAFTING AND I TRY TO TAKE THEM THROUGH IT STEP BY STEP.

SO THEY KNOW THEY CAN DO IT AND HAVE A PATTERN THAT WILL WORK WHEN THEY'RE DONE.

AND THEN ALSO ONE OF MY MORE POPULAR CLASSES IS MY MACHINE QUILTING CLASSES, WHICH ALWAYS SEEM TO BE FULL AND HAVE WAITING LISTS ON THEM.

- WHY?

I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO GET THEIR TOPS DONE.

A LOT OF PEOPLE TAKE IN CLASSES OR THEY'RE VISUALLY PIECING TOPS AND HAVE NEVER GOTTEN QUILTERS AND WOULD LIKE THEM FINISHED.

THE SHOWS ARE PROMOTING A LOT OF THE MACHINE QUILTING.

THEY SEE THESE BEAUTIFUL QUILTS THAT LOOK LIKE THEY'RE HAND QUILTERED AND THEY WANT ONE TO LOOK JUST LIKE IT.

ARE ONE OF THE NEW DILEMMAS IN MACHINE QUILTING WHAT TO PUT WHERE?

OH, DEFINITELY.

THAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH ANY QUILTER.

I TELL THEM THOUGH THAT THEY SHOULD NOT BE LIMITED BY THE FACT THAT THEY'RE USING A SEWING MACHINE.

I TRY TO STRESS THAT ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN HAND QUILT, YOU CAN ALSO MACHINE QUILT.

TELL ME, YOU MAKE THEM DRAW OUT EACH PATTERN REGARDLESS IF IT'S STENCIL.

RIGHT.

I FIND THAT ONE OF THE MOST FRUSTRATING THINGS WHEN YOU'RE MACHINE QUILTING IS TO GET YOUR FABRIC ALL MARKED AND READY TO QUILT AND GET TO THE SEWING MACHINE, PUT YOUR NEEDLE DOWN, START GOING AND THAT AND KNOW WHERE TO GO.

ONE OF THE EXERCISES I HAVE THEM DO IS ON PAPER, TRACE SOME OF THE STENCILS THAT I BRING.

AND THEN ANOTHER COLOR OF PENCIL OR PEN TO GO AROUND IT AS IF THEY WERE MACHINE QUILTING.

SO THEY KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE GOING AND WHERE THEY HAVE TO BACKTRACK AND HOW TO GET FROM HERE TO THERE.

NOW, SOME BASIC TIPS THAT YOU SHARE WITH YOUR STUDENTS FROM MACHINE QUILTING.

THE FIRST THING I TELL THEM IS THEY HAVE TO HAVE A GOOD SHARE THAT'S COMFORTABLE AND ADJUSTABLE.

AND ONE OF THE REASONS I WANTED ADJUSTABLE IS BECAUSE I WANT THEM SITTING UP ABOVE THEIR WORK.

IF YOU'RE SITTING ABOVE YOUR WORK IT'S MUCH EASIER TO SEE WHERE YOU'RE GOING AND WHERE YOU'VE BEEN THAN IF YOU'RE SITTING DOWN LOWER OR EVEN WITH YOUR WORK.

IT HELPS TO BE NICE AND TALL.

YES, THAT'S ENOUGH.

AND WHAT ELSE?

ONE OF THE OTHER TIPS IS YOU HAVE TO RUN YOUR MACHINE AT AN EVEN SPEED.

MOST PEOPLE HAVE TROUBLE DOING THAT AND IT JUST TAKES PRACTICE TO LEARN HOW TO DO IT.

WHEN YOU DO THAT YOU CAN GET YOUR STITCHES MORE EVEN.

THE OTHER THING IS YOU CANNOT CONCENTRATE SO HARD ON YOUR QUILTING THAT THAT TENDS TO MAKE YOU GET JERKY AND NERVOUS.

ONE OF THE THINGS I TELL THEM IS TO RELAX AND ONE OF THE WAYS THAT I DO IT IS TO HAVE SOME BACKGROUND MUSIC ON.

THEN YOU'RE KIND OF LISTENING TO THE MUSIC COMING ALONG AND IT'S STILL PAYING ATTENTION AND YOU'RE MUCH MORE RELAXED AT WORKING.

AND THE FINAL THING ISN'T IT'S VERY HARD WHEN YOU'RE TEACHING A CLASS BUT AT HOME I TELL THEM TO WORK ON THIS FLAT AS BIG A SURFACE AS THEY CAN POSSIBLY MANAGE TO GET.

WE HAVE THE...

I KNOW.

I'M GOING TO DO A SERVICE SO THEY CAN HAVE A NICE SPOT TO LAY THERE QUILT WHERE THE WEIGHT OF THE QUILT WON'T PULL IT OFF THE EDGE.

WELL, CAN YOU PERFORM A LITTLE BIT FOR US?

SURE.

I'M WORKING ON THIS LITTLE PILLOW TOP HERE AND I'M JUST DOING A LITTLE STIPPLE QUILTING.

THIS SEEMS TO BE A FAVORITE OF MY CLASS BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING TO FOLLOW.

YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE OF BATTING FOR DOING THIS.

SO A COTTON IS ALWAYS EASIEST TO WORK WITH BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SLIP AROUND LIKE THE POLYESTER STEW.

AND MY STUDENTS ARE ALWAYS AMAZED BECAUSE SOME OF THEM HAVE TRIED IT WITH THE POLYESTER AND ONCE THEY'VE DONE IT WITH THE COTTON THEY FIND OUT IT'S MUCH EASIER TO DO.

NOW ARE YOU WATCHING THINKING AHEAD IS YOU'RE GOING?

ARE YOU THINKING WHERE AM I GOING NEXT?

ARE YOU JUST LETTING IT HAPPEN?

I'M A LITTLE BIT THINKING BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO GET THE STITCHES APPROXIMATELY THE SAME DISTANCE APART FROM THE PREVIOUS LINE OF STITCHING.

BUT I'M NOT THINKING TOO HARD ABOUT IT.

IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE JUST A RANDOM AND THE MORE YOU THINK ABOUT IT THE MORE PLANNED IT LOOKS.

IT HAS A MUCH BETTER TEXTURE IF YOU JUST KIND OF LET IT HAPPEN.

ARE YOU CROSSING OVER ANY STITCHES?

WELL YOU TRY NOT TO BUT SOMEBODY TOLD ME THE QUILT POLICE ARE NOT GOING TO ARREST YOU.

RIGHT.

YOU SEE THAT'S OVER.

IT'S NOT A COMPLETE SIN.

NO, IT'S NOT.

AND YOU KNOW WHEN YOU GET THIS MUCH STITCHING IN IF SOMEBODY IS LOOKING AT YOUR QUILTING THAT WAS THEY DESERVE TO FIND IT.

YES.

WELL, IT'S DEFINITELY IS GREAT FOR BACKGROUND ISN'T IT?

IT'S REALLY A GREAT FILLER.

IT IS.

IT ADDS A LOT OF TEXTURE AND WITH ALL THE WONDERFUL THREADS THEY HAVE NOW YOU CAN REALLY GET SOME INTERESTING DESIGNS.

BUT YOU SHOULDN'T THINK THAT IT'S EASY.

I MEAN THAT YOU'RE HAVING TO THINK THAT'S THE BIGGEST MISTAKE THAT MY STUDENTS COME INTO THE CLASS THINKING IS THAT WHEN THEY LEAVE THEY'RE GOING TO BE HEIRLOOM MACHINE QUILTERS.

AND I ALWAYS TELL THEM MACHINE QUILTING IS FASTER NOT EASIER.

CHERYL TELL ME ABOUT THIS OMNISCH BRIGHT WONDER YOU HAVE HERE.

ARE THESE IS THIS MARKED WITH INTENTIONS TO DO MACHINE QUILTERS?

YES, THAT IS MARKED TO BE MACHINE QUILTERS.

I'LL TELL YOU I'M PLANNING ON DOING ALL THE PATTERNS THAT I HAVE MARKED AND STIPPLING THE BACKGROUND.

IF I DID THAT BY HAND I'D HAVE TO BE RE-INTERNATED TO FINISH.

AND I NOTICED YOU'RE USING THE MONOFILAMENT THREAD.

IS THAT YOUR PREFERENCE FOR ALL OR IT DEPENDS ON THE LOOK I WANT.

SOMETIMES YOU WANT THAT BEAUTIFUL THREADS THE FANCY RANDS OR METALLICS.

IN THIS CASE I JUST WANT THE PATTERNS TO SHOW THROUGH.

I'M GOING TO TRIPUNTIL PART OF IT.

AND SO I WANT ALL THE TEXTURES AND PATTERNS OF THE QUILTING TO SHOW THROUGH AND NOT THE THREADS.

IF YOU'RE GOING TO PUT SOME EXTRA BATTING UNDERNEATH CERTAIN AREAS, LOCK THAT IN AND THEN FILL IN THE BACKGROUND WITH THE END WITH THE STIPPLE QUILT.

BUT NOW FEATHERING THAT'S A PROBLEM.

I ALWAYS GET UP TO CREEK WITH HAND QUILTING.

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO HANDLE THAT?

YOU CAN DO THE BACK STITCH.

AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH BACK STITCHING.

AND I HAVE ONE STARTED.

AND WHEN YOU START TO PULL THAT BOBBIN THREAD UP, PULL THE BOBBIN THREAD UP BECAUSE I FIND IF YOU DON'T DO THAT, IT TENDS TO GET CAUGHT IN THE BACK END UP WITH A LUMP OR A KNOT OF THREADS.

SO IT'S MUCH BETTER NOW YOU KNOW THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A PROBLEM BACK THERE.

BUT I FIND IF YOU'RE JUST GOING TO A NICE CONSTANT SPEED.

AND YOU HAVE TO MARK YOUR QUILT WITH LINES YOU CAN SEE.

DON'T MARK IT'S SO LIGHT THAT YOU HAVE TROUBLE SEEING THE LINES.

AND YOU JUST GO DOWN ONE FEATHER.

THERE'S TWO ACTUALLY OPTIONS.

YOU CAN EITHER GO DOWN THE WHOLE FEATHER OR OVER THE NEXT ONE.

DO THE WHOLE THING.

NOW YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS WHEN YOU GET TO THIS POINT.

YOU CAN EITHER AT THIS POINT GO OVER TO THE NEXT ONE LIKE THIS.

BACK TO YOUR BASE LINE OR YOU CAN GO UP ONE FEATHER.

THEN RETRACE YOUR STEPS ALL THE WAY BACK DOWN TO THE BASE LINE.

THEN GO UP THE NEXT FEATHER.

BUT YOU ARE CONCENTRATING ON ONE SIDE AREN'T YOU RATHER THAN GOING RIGHT THIS ONE.

YOU DO THE SAME SIDE AND GO BACK DOWN THE OTHER SIDE.

AND I ALSO TELL PEOPLE IF THEY'RE OFF THE LINE A LITTLE BIT.

AGAIN THOSE QUILT POLICE AREN'T GOING TO COME IN A REST OF YOU.

YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THESE MARKS ARE GOING TO BE GONE ON YOUR FINISHED PROJECT.

NOBODY'S GOING TO KNOW THAT THAT LINE WAS THERE AND THAT YOU MISSED IT A LITTLE BIT AND I WAS SPOTTED TOO.

YOU MACHINE QUILTED THE LARGE QUILT BEHIND US HERE.

THAT WAS INTIMIDATING AMOUNT OF FABRIC TO TAKE TO THE MACHINE.

HOW DO YOU HANDLE THAT?

WELL YOU HAVE TO ROLL IT.

LET'S FACE IT.

WE HAVE TO GET HALF THE QUILT UNDERNEATH THIS SPOT.

SO YOU HAVE TO ROLL IT TIGHTLY.

I JUST TEND TO ROLL IT TIGHTLY AND LEAVE IT THERE.

PART OF IT OVER MY SHOULDER.

PART OF IT ON THE TABLE.

IT'S PART OF IT ON THE TABLE OVER HERE.

THE BIG TRICK I FIND WHEN I'M DOING SOMETHING LIKE THE FEATHERED GREASE IN THAT QUILT IS THAT THE PART THAT I'M WORKING ON, I SPEND A FEW MINUTES TO ARRANGE THE QUILT SO THAT I CAN MOVE IT FREELY UNDERNEATH THE DINING FOOT AND WORK ON THAT AREA WITHOUT THE WEIGHT OF THE QUILT HAVING ME TUG IT AROUND.

IT MAKES THE QUILTING MUCH EASIER AND SMOOTHER.

AND DEFINITELY START IT IN THE MIDDLE WITH THAT ONE.

DEFINITELY START IN THE MIDDLE AND WORK YOUR WAY OUT.

BUT THEN YOU GOT THE HARDEST PART DONE WHEN YOU GOT THE MIDDLE DONE.

WELL CHERYL THIS HAS BEEN VERY ENLIGHTENING AND I HOPE WE'LL ENCOURAGE A LOT OF PEOPLE TO TURN TO THE SEWING MACHINE FOR DOING THEIR QUILTING.

THANK YOU SO MUCH TODAY.

GOOD, WELCOME.

THANK YOU.

NOW A BEDROOM TOUR.

AFTER ALL, THAT'S WHERE ALL OF OUR QUILTS END UP.

WE'RE BACK IN THE GUEST BEDROOM.

WHEN YOU ARE A QUILT MAKER AND YOU'VE COVERED ALL FOUR BEDS, WHERE DO YOU STORE YOUR QUILTS?

THIS IS A WOODEN DISPLAY SHELF WITH GLASS SHELVES AND IT WORKS PERFECTLY.

I COVER EACH QUILT STACK WITH LINEN NAPKINS.

PLUS I KEEP THE SHADES PULLED TO KEEP OUT THE LIGHT.

THEN THE MASTER BEDROOM.

THIS TREE OF LIFE PANEL HAUNTED ME FOR YEARS JUST WHAT TO DO WITH IT, WHERE TO PUT IT AND HOW TO USE IT.

WELL, THE ANSWER CAME WHEN I PAINTED THESE WALLS A RICH DARK BLUE.

WITH A NEW FOUR POSTER BED MADE BY LEON MORGAN, I ADDED ON SOME QUARTER SQUARE TRIANGLES TO STRETCH THE QUILT.

BY THE WAY, ANOTHER STORAGE OPPORTUNITY WHICH I REALLY DIDN'T EVEN PLAN, BUT THESE SHELVES BECAME A PERFECT PLACE FOR MORE QUILTS.

OF COURSE LITTLE BEDS FOR SLEEPING GRANDCHILDREN AND STACKING MORE QUILTS TOO.

MAKING A QUILT IS VERY MUCH LIKE REBUILDING A HOUSE.

I WATCHED THE CARPENTERS USE ALL THE TOOLS AVAILABLE AND I DID THE SAME THING IN WORKING WITH THESE PANELS.

BY NOW I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE A TAPE MEASURE THAT'S 120 INCHES LONG BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I NEEDED TO MEASURE ACROSS THE SIDES AND THE END OF MY KING SIZE BED.

I SIMPLY PLACED THE TREE OF LIFE PANEL ON THE TOP AND THEN FIGURED HOW MUCH I NEEDED.

IN THIS CASE I COULD GET BY WITH 12 INCH PANELS ON EACH SIDE.

THEY TURNED OUT TO BE QUARTER SQUARE TRIANGLES THAT I SIMPLY SEWED TOGETHER WITH A BAND OF MUSLIN IN BETWEEN.

I THINK THAT BROKE UP ALL THE PATCHWORK AND THEN WENT BACK TO THE FABRIC IN THE BACKGROUND OF THE PANEL ITSELF.

I FOUND AS MANY BLUES AS I COULD, BLUES SOME OF MY FAVORITE COLORS AND EVERYTHING WORKED FINE UNTIL I GOT TO THE BOTTOM.

HERE'S WHERE I RAN INTO SOME TROUBLE BECAUSE MY 12 INCH DIMENSION JUST DIDN'T MEET THE CORNERS.

I FOUND IT WAS VERY EASY TO KEEP THE LENGTH THE SAME, THE 12 INCHES, BUT SIMPLY REDUCED THE WIDTH.

I WENT DOWN FROM 10 TO 9 TO 8 ON EACH SIDE OF THAT CENTER 12 INCH SQUARE AND IT WORKED OUT FINE AND ADDED I THINK SOME NEW DIMENSION TO THE WHOLE QUILT.

OF COURSE, PRE-PRINTED PANELS QUITE OFTEN COME IN SMALLER SIZES GOING DOWN IN SIZE.

YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT I BELIEVE CAME FROM AFRICA.

WHAT'S NICE ABOUT THESE, THEY COME WITH THE BORDERS ALREADY INCLUDED.

THEN I WOULD SIMPLY GO TO MY SCRAP FABRIC OR MAYBE MY LOCAL QUILT SHOP AND FIND SOME COORDINATING FABRIC TO GO WITH THESE.

THIS COULD GO ON A TWIN-SIZE BED AND I'D HAVE FUN PLAYING OUT SOME ROOMS AND BLACK COLORS.

GOING EVEN SMALLER IN PRE-PRINTED PANELS ARE THE LITTLE BATIK KITTY CATS THAT WERE IN THE STORE IN NORMAL, ILLINOIS.

IN ORDER TO PUT THESE INTO A GARMENT I WENT TO ALL MY VEST PATTERNS AND DECIDED TO DO A TABARD.

I LIKE THAT BECAUSE IT JUST HANGS DOWN, IT BUTTONS ON THE SIDE AND I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WHATEVER VEST YOU FIND THAT WORKS FOR YOU, TRANSFER THE VEST SIZE ONTO A PIECE OF THE GRID.

THAT WAY YOU HAVE A QUARTER INCH GRID TO WORK WITH AND YOU ALSO HAVE THAT FREEZER PAPER TEMPLATE ON THE BACK SO YOU CAN EASILY IRON THAT ONTO YOUR PIECES AND DO DIAMONDS OR SQUARES OR RECTANGLES.

MY OTHER TIP OF THE DAY IS THAT AS A CHILD IF YOU HAVE MADE SOME PATCHWORK WHICH I DID, THESE LITTLE HEXAGONS OR SOMETHING I STITCHED WHEN I WAS NINE YEARS OLD, MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU DON'T CUT THEM UP INTO KITTY CATS.

WE ALL LIKE OUR CATS BUT I WISH I HAD KEPT THAT AS A BABY QUILT.

NOW WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THAT SLASHING TECHNIQUE THAT I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO WANT TO TRY.

IT'S SOFT.

IT'S FLUFFY.

IT'S REALLY COZY, ESPECIALLY IN TEDDY BEARS.

IT'S HEAVY.

I HOPE FROM THE CAMERA YOU CAN SEE THE HEAVINESS OF THIS ALMOST LIKE MANY LAYERS OF CORDUROY.

IT'S DECORATIVE.

CAN YOU FIND THE TEDDY BEARS ON TOP UNDERNEATH AND INCORPORATED IN ALL THE SLASHING HERE, NOT ONLY A VEST BUT A TOTE BAG?

IT'S PRACTICAL.

YES, YOU CAN MAKE THIS.

PUT THIS IN THE YOKE OF A JUMPER, IN LITTLE PURSES, BUT IT'S ALSO A TECHNIQUE THAT IS UNIQUE TO THE QUILTING WORLD AND SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT.

FIRST OF ALL, GO SEARCH OUT ALL OF YOUR MISERABLE FABRIC, THOSE UGLIES THAT YOU NEVER KNEW WHAT TO DO WITH.

THEN STACK THEM.

LAYER THEM.

YES, YOU CAN COMBINE SOME LIGHTER, SOME HEAVIER AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO STITCH THEM TOGETHER IN JUST STRAIGHT LINES.

BUT THOSE STRAIGHT LINES HAVE TO BE ON THE BIAS.

NOTHING'S STRAIGHT OF THE GRAIN AND NOTHING CROSSWISE.

THEN YOU'RE GOING TO BE CUTTING THOSE APART.

BUT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO CUT THROUGH THAT BOTTOM LAYER.

WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO USE IS A ROTARY CUTTER AND THESE OMNISTRIPS.

THESE WERE DEVELOPED BECAUSE OF A FRIEND OF MINE THAT HAD DEVELOPED THAT CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME FROM REPEATED CUTS WITH HER SCISSORS, THE OMNISTRIPS WERE THE ANSWERS.

NOW FOR A MORE IN-DEPTH STEP-BY-STEP STUDY.

THESE SAMPLES START WITH WARM AND NATURAL QUILTED MUSLIN.

YOU COULD STITCH YOUR OWN WITH TWO BATS OF COTTON IN BETWEEN.

STEP ONE, GLUE APPLIQUE PIECES TO QUILTED MUSLIN WITH GLUE STICK.

STEP TWO, FLIP TO THE BACK SIDE.

FOR WIDE WALES, STITCH OVER EXISTING STITCHES.

FOR A NARROW WALE, STITCH OVER IN BETWEEN EXISTING STITCHES.

THEN STEP THREE, POSITION THE TOP SIDE UP.

INSERT THE OMNISTRIPS BETWEEN THE TWO BOTTOM LAYERS OF FABRIC.

SLASHED BETWEEN THE ROWS OF STITCHING.

STEP FOUR, BIND EDGE, MACHINE WASH AND DRY TO CREATE THE BLOOM.

I'M STARTING WITH FIVE LAYERS OF SILK AND ACETATE RAY ON FABRIC.

JUST STACK THOSE KNOWING THAT THIS WILL BE THE BACKSIDE OF THE BOTTOM LAYER.

I WILL NOT BE CUTTING THROUGH THOSE.

I USUALLY PIN THE CORNERS IN PLACE.

THEN I TURN TO MY OMNISTRIPS.

THEY COME IN VARIOUS PACKAGES.

THERE'S EVEN A MINI SET.

NOTICE THAT WHEN YOU PULL THEM OUT, THERE WILL BE RIGHT ANGLES AT THE END.

YOU CAN SOFTEN EACH END BY SIMPLY TAKING SOME CLIPPERS AND GETTING RID OF THAT RIGHT ANGLE.

IT MAKES IT EASIER TO SLIP THESE THROUGH THE FABRIC.

ONCE YOU'VE SETTLED ON THE SIDES, YOU'RE GOING TO BE STITCHING.

THEN YOU NEED TO DRAW WITH JUST A CHALK ROLLER.

FOR INSTANCE, THE THREE-EIGHTHS TAKES A HALF AN INCH LINE TO BE STITCHED.

THAT'S THE WIDTH THAT I NEED IN ORDER TO SLIDE THAT OMNISTRIP THROUGH ONCE ALL OF MY STITCHING HAS BEEN DONE.

THEN I'M READY TO GO TO THE SEWING MACHINE.

WHAT HAS TURNED OUT NICE IN MY CASE IS THAT I DO HAVE MY WALKING FOOT ON AND THAT'S A NICE OPPORTUNITY TO USE THIS BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING THROUGH SO MANY LAYERS.

I CAN JUST TAKE THE EDGE OF MY PRESSER FOOT, ALIGN IT WITH A PREVIOUS LINE IS STITCHING, AND THEN MOVE MY NEEDLE POSITION ALL THE WAY TO FAR RIGHT.

THAT WAY, I WILL NOT HAVE TO USE THE CHALK ROLLER EACH TIME.

I ALREADY HAVE A BUILT-IN GUIDE.

THEN I'M READY TO START STITCHING AND NOTICE THAT I KEEP MY HANDS ANCHORED TO THAT FABRIC.

SILK IS ESPECIALLY GOING TO WANT TO SLIP.

BUT I JUST PUT THAT MACHINE ON FULL POWER AND COME ALL THE WAY DOWN.

I'M USING A CONTRASTING THREAD TODAY SO YOU CAN REALLY GET A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THAT.

NOW I'M READY TO DO MY SLASHING AND FOR SOME REASON IT JUST WORKS BETTER TO STAND UP.

YOU HAVE MORE CUTTING POTENTIAL.

TAKE THE SOFTENED END, THE ONE THAT'S BEEN TRIMMED, AND JUST SLIP IT THROUGH, MAKING CERTAIN THAT IT'S AGAINST YOUR BACK ONE, BUT COMING ALL THE WAY THROUGH AND COMING ALL THE WAY OUT.

NOW I'M READY AND I LIKE TO USE THE WIDER RULER.

I'M READY TO POSITION THIS IN THE MIDDLE OF MY GREEN OMNISTRIP.

YOU SEE HOW I CAN USE THAT AS A GUIDE AT THIS END AND DOWN HERE AT THIS END.

THEN WHEN I'M CUTTING, I LIKE TO LET MY LITTLE FINGER FALL OFF THE EDGE OF THE RULER.

IT REALLY ANCHORS THINGS IN PLACE.

I'M HOLDING THAT, I'M MOVING MY HAND AND I'M COMING ALL THE WAY THROUGH.

OH, I CAN SEE ALL THOSE LAYERS THAT I'M GOING TO COME AND LET'S DO ANOTHER CUT.

I'M GOING TO KEEP USING MY REGULAR BLADE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A SUGGESTION THAT YOU MIGHT CONSIDER SOMETIME.

THAT WOULD BE TO OPEN UP SOME OF THOSE WAVY CUTTERS THAT YOU HAVE.

THERE ARE SOME OF THEM THAT LOOK LIKE PINKING, SHEARS, AND WE JUST CALL THESE DECORATIVE CUTTERS.

BUT THOSE ON YOUR ROTARY CUTTER CAN ALSO CUT SOME INTERESTING SHAPES.

ONCE AGAIN, I'M POSITIONING THIS, COMING ALL THE WAY THROUGH, MOVING MY HAND.

SO YOU'LL JUST CONTINUE.

I THINK I WOULD RESERVE ONE DAY FOR STITCHING IN ANOTHER DAY FOR CUTTING.

A COUPLE OF SUGGESTIONS ABOUT WORKING WITH THE DESIGN ELEMENT OF THE SLASHING TECHNIQUE WOULD BE FOR A GARMENT OR A VEST OR SOMEPLACE WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS GOING.

NOW, I QUALIFIED ONE THING THAT YOU MUST REMEMBER.

YOU'RE NEVER DRAWING YOUR LINES ON THE STRAIGHT OF THE GRAIN OR THE CROSSWISE.

YOU ALWAYS WANT TO CREATE THAT BIAS BECAUSE ANY OFF BIAS WILL GIVE YOU A NICE RUFFLE, A SOFT EDGE.

STRAIGHT OF THE GRAIN AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THREADS THAT ARE GOING TO START TO PULL OUT.

BUT WHEN YOU'RE DOING YOUR STITCHING, DO IT ONE SECTION AT A TIME.

STITCH AND SLASH, STITCH AND SLASH.

IF I HAD STITCHED ALL THREE OF THESE, I'D HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME GETTING INTO THAT ANGLE.

SO KEEP THAT IN MIND.

ONE OF THE ELEMENTS THAT I HAVE FOUND VERY INTERESTING THAT YOU MIGHT TRY IS WORKING WITH WOOL.

HERE I HAVE LAYERED SEVERAL, OH, LET'S SEE, THERE'S ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FOUR LAYERS OF WOOL AND A BACK AND THEN TAKEN MY WIDER ON THE STRIP AND SLIPPED IT THROUGH.

LOOK AT THE WONDERFUL INTEREST YOU GET HERE.

I HOPE YOU'RE GOING TO TRY THIS STITCHING AND SLASHING TECHNIQUE.

NEXT TIME WE'RE GOING TO DO GRAM GRAM QUILLS, WELL THOSE ARE BABY QUILLS.

AND WE'LL SEE HOW TO DECORATE A SWEATSHIRT.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING.

BYE-BYE.

♪ - LAP QUILTING WITH GEORGIA BONE STEEL IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY GRANTS FROM OXMOOR HOUSE, PUBLISHER AND DISTRIBUTOR OF NEEDLEWORK AND CRAFT PUBLICATIONS, INCLUDING AN ASSORTMENT OF QUILT BOOKS AND RELATED PRODUCTS.

BY, BERNINA, MAKERS OF SEWING MACHINES MANUFACTURED WITH THE CARE OF TRADITIONAL SWISS WORKMANSHIP.

NOTHING SEWS LIKE A BERNINA.

NOTHING.

BY GAMMILL QUILTING MACHINE COMPANY, OFFERING LARGE, THROAT, MOBILE HAND-GUIDED QUILTING MACHINES.

ADDITIONAL FUNDING BY OMNIGRID, THE ORIGINAL PATENTED BLACK AND YELLOW RULER, AND THE WARM COMPANY.

MAKERS OF WARM AND NATURAL COTTON BATTING AND STEAM-A-SEAM FUSIBLE WEB.