♪ THE WONDERS OF CREATING YOUR OWN FABRIC COME INTO PLAY WITH THE MAGIC OF MARBLING, AND THIS TECHNIQUE IS EASIER THAN YOU MAY THINK.

JUST LOOK AT THE ENDLESS VARIETY OF SWIRL DESIGNS THAT CAN BECOME PART OF YOUR WARDROBE OR EVEN YOUR QUILTS.

♪ LAP QUILTING WITH GEORGIA BONESTEEL IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY GRANTS FROM OMNIGRID, THE ORIGINAL, PATENTED BLACK AND YELLOW RULER, BY FAIRFIELD PROCESSING, MAKER OF POLY-FIL BRAND PRODUCTS, AND BY COATS & CLARK, SERVING AMERICA'S SEWING NEEDS FOR OVER 125 YEARS, FEATURING COATS DUAL DUTY PLUS SEWING AND QUILTING THREAD.

MARBLING USED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH RARE OLD BOOKS, BUT IT CAN BE PUT ON ANYTHING MADE OF PAPER OR CLOTH.

IT'S A PLEASURE TODAY TO INTRODUCE PATTY AND MIMI SCHLEICHER FROM WEAVERVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

THEY'RE A MOTHER-AND-DAUGHTER MARBLING TEAM.

NOW, I ASKED PATTY TO GIVE US A RUNDOWN ON THE HISTORY OF MARBLING.

MARBLING'S BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME.

IT'S MORE THAN 500 YEARS OLD.

WE REALLY DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW OLD, AND IT'S INTERESTING THAT IT'S BEEN AROUND SO LONG, BUT IT'S STILL OBSCURE, AND MOST PEOPLE HAVE NEVER SEEN IT DONE AND DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S DONE.

IT'S A TRULY MAGICAL PROCESS, AS YOU WILL SEE.

IT ORIGINATED IN THE MIDDLE EAST, PARTICULARLY, WE KNOW, IN TURKEY, WHERE IT WAS CALLED EBRU, OR CLOUD ART.

IT WAS USED TO EMBELLISH THEIR MAJOR ART FORMS, WHICH ARE POETRY AND CALLIGRAPHY, AND IS ALSO SUITABLE FOR THE MOSLEM FAITH, WHICH DOESN'T LIKE REPRODUCTION OF LIFE IN THEIR ARTWORK, BUT WHOSE IDEAS OF PARADISE INCLUDE WATER AND FLOWERS, AND MARBLING IS VERY REMINISCENT OF THOSE TWO THINGS.

IT MOVED INTO WESTERN EUROPE AT THE SAME TIME THE PRINTING PRESS WAS INVENTED AND WAS IMMEDIATELY PICKED UP BY THE BOOKBINDERS AND PASSED DOWN FATHER TO SON, AND IT'S, ALL THROUGH ITS HISTORY, HAS BEEN KEPT VERY SECRET.

SO WE FEEL LIKE WE'VE... KIND OF REINVENTED THE MARBLING PROCESS.

IT PRETTY MUCH DISAPPEARED AND HAS BEEN REVIVED IN THE '80s.

YOU CERTAINLY HAVE DONE YOUR PART TO BRING IT TO THE PUBLIC AND TO MAKE IT SO MUCH FUN AND SO ENJOYABLE.

IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE FOR ME TO BE IN TWO WORKSHOPS WITH YOU.

NOW, HOW DID YOU GET INTO IT?

YOU HAVE A HISTORY OF--LIBRARY-- I WAS A LIBRARIAN AND INTRIGUED WITH IT AND TRIED TO FIND OUT HOW TO DO IT FROM BOOKS AND FAILED.

BECAUSE THEY WERE SO SECRETIVE, RIGHT?

RIGHT.

WELL, IN PERFECTING THIS FORM OF WORKING WITH PAPER AND CLOTH, ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOU HAVE A DAUGHTER IN IT.

MIMI, HOW'D THIS HAPPEN FOR YOU?

I WAS LIVING IN HOUSTON, SAVING UP MONEY FOR A CERAMICS STUDIO, AND PATTY ASKED IF I WAS INTERESTED IN LEARNING HOW TO MARBLE BECAUSE SHE WAS HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF DIFFICULTY KEEPING UP WITH THE DEMAND FOR HER WORK, SO I DECIDED I'D GIVE IT A TRY, IF ONLY FOR MY OWN USE.

I WASN'T VERY GOOD AT THE BEGINNING, BUT AS I GOT BETTER, I STARTED TO GET HOOKED.

WELL, NOW YOU'VE MENTIONED PRODUCTION MORE THAN ONCE.

WHERE DO THE END PRODUCTS GO?

WHAT HAPPENS TO WHAT YOU DO?

WE SELL A LOT OF PAPER TO BOOKBINDERS AND TO FRAMERS, WHO USE THEM FOR FRENCH MATTING.

PEOPLE BUY THE PAPERS.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DO WITH IT, ALWAYS.

WE SELL TO OTHER CRAFTSPEOPLE...

RIGHT.

...WHO MAKE A PRODUCT OUT OF IT.

WE KNOW WHAT QUILTERS DO WITH IT.

IT'S VERY HARD TO PUT A SCISSOR TO, I'LL TELL YOU THAT.

IT REALLY IS.

I KNOW THAT JUST IN TALKING TODAY, YOU'VE COME UP WITH THESE NAMES.

ARE THESE TRADITIONAL PATTERN NAMES THAT HAVE GONE DOWN THROUGH THE YEARS?

TELL US ABOUT THOSE, MIMI.

THIS PATTERN HERE IS CALLED A STONE PATTERN.

THIS IS AN UNCOMBED PATTERN, AND IT'S CALLED A STONE PATTERN BECAUSE OF THE VEINING THAT RESEMBLES MARBLE, AND HENCE THE NAME "MARBLING."

STONE PATTERN IS AN UNCOMBED PATTERN, AND THERE'S A VARIETY HERE.

THEY'RE SO CLOSE TO NATURE, AREN'T THEY?

YES, THEY REALLY ARE.

I THINK THAT'S WHY PEOPLE ARE SO ATTRACTED TO MARBLING.

IT'S THE NATURAL QUALITY OF IT.

THIS PATTERN IS CALLED A NONPAREIL.

THIS WAS NAMED BY THE FRENCH.

NONPAREIL MEANS "WITHOUT EQUAL" OR "WITHOUT COMPARE."

AND THE NONPAREIL IS A VERY IMPORTANT PATTERN, BECAUSE MANY OF THE OTHER PATTERNS ARE BASED ON THE NONPAREIL.

NOT ALL THE PATTERNS ARE NAMED.

EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, WHEN I COME ACROSS A PATTERN THAT I LIKE THAT DOESN'T HAVE A NAME, I JUST NAME IT MYSELF.

SO YOU'LL FIND THERE ARE A LOT OF MARBLERS WHO HAVE DIFFERENT NAMES FOR THE SAME PATTERN.

THIS IS CALLED ANGEL'S WING.

THIS IS A MINIATURE BOUQUET PATTERN, AND THEN THIS IS A LARGE BOUQUET.

OH, BEAUTIFUL.

NOW, EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE SHOWING ON PAPER, WITH THE SAME BATH THAT YOU CREATE, CAN YOU PUT CLOTH IN THAT AND COME UP WITH THE SAME DESIGN?

THIS IS TURKISH WATERCOLOR MARBLING, AND YOU CAN USE THE SAME PATTERNS WHEN YOU'RE MARBLING FABRIC.

YOU JUST CHANGE THE TYPE OF PAINTS AND THE MARBLING BATH THAT YOU'RE USING.

I SEE.

YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO MARBLE WITH WATERCOLORS ON FABRIC, BECAUSE YOU WOULD WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAND WASH OR DRY CLEAN AFTERWARDS.

I SEE.

ACTUALLY, YOU CAN MARBLE WITH MANY DIFFERENT THINGS, ANYTHING YOU CAN GET TO FLOAT AND TO TRANSFER.

IS THAT WHY WE SEE TENNIS SHOES AND SOCKS, AND T-SHIRTS ALL MARBLED?

I SEE.

OK. YOU CAN MARBLE ANYTHING YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON.

WONDERFUL COLORS HERE.

THIS IS A WAVED ICARUS.

THIS IS MOST EXCITING, AND I LOVE THE CONCEPT HERE OF TAKING THE SAME COLORS BUT TREATING EACH CLOTH WITH ONE OF THE DIFFERENT PATTERNS THAT YOU'VE JUST SHOWN.

THIS FABRIC WAS DONE FOR A QUILTER.

BECAUSE MANY QUILTERS, I FIND, LIKE TO FIND THE SAME COLORS BUT DIFFERENT PATTERNS.

THE FACT THAT WE CAN PUT THEM IN A VEST, AND OF COURSE, THERE ARE NATURAL LINES TO FOLLOW TO QUILT BY, WHETHER YOU'RE JUST KEEPING IT PLAIN OR WHETHER YOU'RE TAKING AND DOING SOMETHING FUN, WHERE YOU WOULD BE EVEN CUTTING AND LETTING THE RAYS OF FABRIC AND DIFFERENT COLORS COME THROUGH, OR IN A WALL PIECE OR A WHOLE QUILT, WHERE YOU CAN ASSOCIATE THE MARBLED FABRIC.

THE VEST YOU HAVE ON.

TODAY, WE'RE GOING TO SEE THE PROCESS, AND GIVE US A LITTLE BACKGROUND HERE NOW.

WE'RE GONNA START WITH CLOTH.

HAS THAT CLOTH BEEN PREPARED?

YOU CAN'T JUST BUY A YARD OF MUSLIN AND START.

WHAT HAPPENS FIRST?

THE CLOTH HAS BEEN LAUNDERED, BEEN WASHED, SO THAT THERE'S NO SIZING IN IT, AND IT'S BEEN TREATED WITH ALUMINUM SULFATE, ALUM, WHICH IS NOT YOUR GROCERY-STORE ALUM.

IT'S YOUR DYER'S ALUM.

AND, UM...

IT HAS BEEN PRESSED AND--DRIED AND PRESSED AND IS FLAT AND READY TO GO.

MARBLING TAKES A LOT OF PREPARATION.

YOU DON'T JUST DECIDE, "OH, I THINK I'LL MARBLE."

WE BASICALLY SPEND ABOUT A DAY PREPARING FOR EVERY TWO DAYS THAT WE MARBLE.

SO THE BATH HAS TO BE MADE AT LEAST 12 HOURS IN ADVANCE.

THE FABRIC OR THE PAPER HAS TO BE PREPARED, AND THAT'S ALL BEEN DONE FOR YOU BEFORE YOU CAME TODAY.

WONDERFUL.

AND THEN THE...

WHICH PATTERN ARE WE GOING TO DO TODAY?

IS THAT THE, UM... YOU'VE GOT IT RIGHT HERE.

IT'S THE WAVED ICARUS.

ALL RIGHT.

TO THE STUDIO.

EVERYTHING IN MARBLING TAKES PLACE ON THE SURFACE OF THE BATH, AND THE SURFACE TENSION... ...IS IMPORTANT.

THIS IS ONE REASON WHY MARBLING IS AFFECTED BY THE WEATHER.

ON HEAVY... OVERCAST DAYS, YOU GET WONDERFUL RESULTS WITH MARBLING.

MARBLING'S ALSO VERY ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY DUST, AND ON HUMID DAYS, THERE'S LESS DUST.

YOU SEE HOW EACH PAINT THAT YOU ADD MOVES THE OTHER PAINT OUT OF THE WAY, AND SO THE MORE PAINT THAT YOU ADD TO THE TRAY, THE SLOWER THE COLORS WILL SPREAD BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO WORK HARDER TO DO IT.

AND THE COLORS THAT I PUT ON EARLIER WILL BE MORE INTENSE AS THEY GET COMPRESSED INTO A MORE BRILLIANT SHADE AS THE OTHER PAINTS EXPAND.

WE USE COLORS IN SEQUENCES.

THERE--I THINK MIMI'S USED THREE OR FOUR GREENS... TWO BROWNS... A RED AND A BLACK SO FAR.

Georgia: OOH!

HOW DOES SHE REMEMBER EACH TIME, PATTY?

DOES SHE-- IS THIS JUST IN HER HEAD?

OR IF SHE WANTED TO MIMIC THIS AGAIN-- IF SHE WANTED TO MIMIC THIS AGAIN...

I'VE LAID MY PAINTS OVER HERE IN EXACTLY THE ORDER THAT I'VE USED THEM SO IF I DO WANT TO REPRODUCE THIS PATTERN, THEN I CAN DO THAT.

SEE, THESE LITTLE DRIED PIECES OF PAINT HAVE TO COME OUT OF THERE.

WE CALL IT SPECK INSPECTION.

I SEE A BUBBLE DOWN HERE.

IS THAT A PROBLEM?

IT'S TOO CLOSE TO THE END.

I THINK IT'S ALL RIGHT.

WHEN YOU'RE MARBLING, YOU JUST HAVE TO BE CONSTANTLY AWARE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE TRAY.

WE'RE GOING TO MARBLE A PIECE OF WHITE FABRIC, AND SHE JUST ADDED SOME WHITE, AND THAT WILL JUST KIND OF RESERVE PLACES ON THE WHITE FABRIC.

I LIKE A LITTLE OF THE WHITE TO SHOW THROUGH.

THE NEXT STEP IS TO LINE UP THE PAINTS INTO A STRIPE FORMATION.

THE PAINTS NEED TO BE LINED UP IN STRIPES IN ORDER TO GET A REPEATED PATTERN WHEN WE DO THE COMBING.

AND I THINK WE'RE READY.

NO.

I DON'T REALLY THINK THEY'RE MOVING MUCH, SO LET'S GO AHEAD.

THIS IS A HANDY-DANDY LITTLE TOOL.

BECAUSE OF THE METAL CELLULOSE IN THE BATH, THE BATH IS THICKENED, AND WHEN I MOVE THE PAINTS, THEY STAY... WHERE I'VE MOVED THEM.

OK, NOW WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THIS FINE-TOOTH COMB AND COMB THROUGH THE STRIPES.

YOU CAN LOCK YOUR FINGERS IN PLACE ALONG THE EDGES OF THE TRAY TO KEEP FROM SINKING THE COMB.

THIS IS A PATTERN CALLED NONPAREIL OR SOMETIMES FRENCH MARBLING, BECAUSE THE FRENCH LIKED IT SO MUCH.

BUT WE'RE GOING ON TO ANOTHER STEP AND DOING A WAVED ICARUS.

WE'VE GOT TO CHECK THE BOTTOM FOR THREADS.

WE'VE GOT A BIG ONE HERE.

AND YOU GENTLY LOWER IT ONTO THE SURFACE.

THE CENTER FALLS FIRST... AND THEN THE EDGES.

AND AS SOON AS IT'S WET, IT'S PRINTED.

SO UP WITH IT.

Georgia: OH!

BEAUTIFUL!

BEAUTIFUL.

THIS IS WHAT WE CALL INSTANT GRATIFICATION.

HA HA HA.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PROCESS, CONSULT THEIR BOOK "MARBLING PAPER & FABRIC" BY MIMI AND PATTY SCHLEICHER AND LAURA SIMS, EDITED BY CAROL TAYLOR.

YOU'VE DONE THE MARBLING, AND THEN WHERE DOES IT GO?

WELL, YOU CAN SEE IT IN AN ARRAY OF PROJECTS HERE.

BERNICE BROOKS FROM DUCKTOWN, TENNESSEE, PUT IT INTO A SMALL WALL HANGING, AND IT REALLY WORKS THERE, VERY GEOMETRIC IN STYLE.

OR MEET FRANCES.

WELL, SHE'S HERE IN SPIRIT.

THIS IS A WONDERFUL JACKET MADE BY FRANCES BAKER, A FRIEND OF MINE FROM HILTON HEAD, SOUTH CAROLINA.

SHE HAS COMBINED SEMINOLE, A LITTLE HINT OF BEAR'S PAW UP HERE, AND LOOK AT THE WONDERFUL GLITZ AND METALLIC TYPE FABRIC, TINY SATIN RIBBONS THAT ALL BRING THIS JACKET TO LIFE.

IT'S BASED ON A VERY RICH, SILKY TYPE BLUE FABRIC.

AND WE'RE GONNA SEE IF FRANCES-- I KNOW SHE WANTS TO SHOW YOU THE BACKSIDE, TOO.

LOOK HOW THE BACK... JUST WONDERFUL PLAY OF PATCHWORK AND, OF COURSE, THE MARBLED FABRIC THAT SHE DID HERSELF.

NOW, FROM GARMENTS-- AND OF COURSE, I MIGHT MENTION THE WONDERFUL VEST THAT PATTY SCHLEICHER NOT ONLY MADE, BUT THEN PRESENTED TO ME-- SO I'M A VERY LUCKY OWNER OF THIS VEST.

LOOK AT WHAT KAREN PERVIER DOES.

WHEN SHE'S NOT WORKING IN OUR CONTROL ROOM AND HELPING US OUT OR TEACHING QUILTING, SHE HAS A CHANCE TO DO SOME THINGS FOR HERSELF, AND I RECOGNIZE SOME OF OUR OLD BLOCKS-- OLD MAID'S PUZZLE THAT HAS GONE FISHY ON US OR EVEN THE PINWHEEL.

BUT IT GAVE HER A CHANCE TO NOT ONLY PLAY WITH MACHINE QUILTING BUT TO USE THE MARBLED FABRIC THAT SHE DID.

I ALSO LIKE WHAT SHE'S DONE HERE IN THE BORDER.

LOOK HOW TWO BLOCKS HAVE PINK AND AQUA, AND THEN THE OTHER OPPOSITE BLOCKS START WITH THE AQUA AND END WITH THE PINK.

A WONDERFUL PLAY OF BORDERS GOING ON HERE.

AND NOW FOR OUR BLOCKS OF THE DAY.

THE PATTERN IS CALLED WHEELS, THE BLOCK SIZE IS 15 INCHES, AND THERE ARE 5 TEMPLATES.

VIEW THIS BLOCK WITH US FROM THE TENNESSEE STATE MUSEUM.

I GUESS WE COULD SAY THIS IS AN OLD PATTERN THAT'S BEEN KEEPING QUILTERS GOING AROUND IN CIRCLES FOR YEARS.

WE LOOK AT IT TODAY AND REALIZE THAT THE CIRCLE IS NOT GOING TO BE TOO HARD TO DO BECAUSE WE'VE BROKEN IT UP INTO FOUR SECTIONS.

IT'S A FOUR PATCH.

THERE WILL BE SEAMS IN THE BACKGROUND FABRIC HERE.

THE TEMPLATES ARE YOUR BACKGROUND-- AND NOTICE THAT THAT IS ON THE FOLD-- A LARGE SLICE OF THE PIE, AND THEN TWO SMALLER SECTIONS THAT WILL BE PIECED AND THEN EQUAL THIS SAME SIZE, AND THEN THERE'S A CENTER CORE, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A FEW MINUTES.

TO DO THIS, I WOULD PRESS AND FIND THE MIDPOINT ON THIS PIECE AND ON THIS PIECE.

WITH THOSE LINED UP, I CAN START SEWING WITH MY LITTLE FACTORY SETUP.

I KNOW THAT'S GONNA BE MEETING THERE, AND I WOULD SWING THIS AROUND ALL TO HERE, AND THEN I'M READY TO START SEWING.

I WOULD, OF COURSE, PICK UP MY LITTLE STILETTO.

THAT REALLY MAKES IT EASY.

AFTER ALL, WHAT I'M DOING IS KEEPING THOSE SEAM ALLOWANCES PERFECTLY EVEN, AND TO DO THAT, SOMETIMES I'LL DROP THE NEEDLE INTO MY FABRIC, AND THAT ALLOWS ME TO REALLY SCOOT THAT EXACTLY THE WAY I WANT IT.

I DON'T LIKE TO SEW OVER PINS, SO I PULL THOSE OUT.

NEEDLE DOWN, AND THEN SWING THIS AROUND, AND AS I DO THAT, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN I COME DOWN HERE TO THE END, WHAT I'M HOPING FOR IS THAT THAT GREEN WILL LINE UP EXACTLY EVEN WITH THAT BLUE.

AND OF COURSE, I WOULDN'T STOP AND CUT.

I'D JUST PICK UP MY NEXT ONE AND KEEP GOING.

I WOULD DO ANOTHER ONE.

ONCE THOSE ARE DONE, I KNOW THAT THIS WOULD COME-- AND DECIDE HOW YOU'RE GONNA PRESS THAT, EITHER IN OR OUT, AND I'D DO ALL OF THEM THE SAME-- I WOULD COME AND LINE THIS UP, MACHINE-STITCH, AND FLIP THIS BACK, KNOWING THAT THIS SEAM RIGHT HERE-- YOU'VE GOT A WONDERFUL MIDPOINT SO THAT THIS SEAM CAN LINE UP RIGHT HERE VERY NICE, AND YOU SIMPLY HAVE YOUR QUARTER SECTIONS TO PUT TOGETHER.

WHAT YOU'RE GONNA END UP WITH IS A HOLE IN THE MIDDLE, ISN'T IT?

AND IT'S THIS LITTLE PIECE THAT'S GOTTA BE SET IN.

BUT YOU REALLY WON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS AS LONG AS YOU HOLE-PUNCH AND GO AHEAD AND MARK THAT WITH A PENCIL, THOSE POINTS, ALL THE WAY AROUND.

YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 POINTS.

THOSE POINTS WILL THEN LINE UP WITH YOUR SEAM ALLOWANCE, AND OF COURSE, I WOULD SEW ON THIS SIDE, BECAUSE I CAN SEE READILY WHERE TO STOP AND BACKSTITCH.

ONCE THAT'S IN, YOUR WHOLE WHEEL PATTERN WILL BE READY TO GO INTO YOUR SAMPLER QUILT.

NOW, I HAD SOME FUN TAKING HALF OF THE WHEEL.

FOLLOW ME OVER HERE, AND I WANT TO SHOW YOU AT THE DESIGN TABLE...

CHOSE SOME WONDERFUL COLORS, AND I LOVE WHAT HAPPENS HERE.

I GUESS YOU COULD SAY IT'S A TABLE RUNNER, BUT I GOT SO CARRIED AWAY WITH THIS, I THINK I'M GOING TO MAKE IT INTO A WHOLE QUILT.

CAN YOU SEE THE WHEELS?

HERE'S HALF OF THE BLOCK, FROM HERE TO HERE, AND I'VE JUST SCOOTED IT DOWN.

IT'S FRAMED WITH SOME WONDERFUL, REALLY PRETTY SILK COLORS, AND TO DO THAT, I DID PUT AN EXTRA STABILIZER ON THE BACKSIDE.

AND YOU'LL BE LEARNING MORE ABOUT THAT FROM, OF ALL PLACES, HOLLAND.

OUR NEXT PATTERN IS FANCY DRESDEN PLATE, ANOTHER CIRCULAR DESIGN BASED ON A 16-INCH FOUNDATION.

THERE ARE THREE TEMPLATES, AND THE EXCITING THING IS THAT THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO GO WITH THIS PATTERN, INCLUDING JUNGLE PRINTS.

HERE, I'VE CUT OUT THIS WEDGE 16 TIMES BY TURNING MY WEDGE AND POSITIONING IT EXACTLY THE REPEAT PLACE EACH TIME ON THE BUTTERFLY.

THEN WHEN I TAKE IT OVER HERE AND SET IT UP, LOOK AT THE WONDERFUL DESIGN THAT I'M GONNA HAVE.

I'VE ALMOST MADE NEW FABRIC.

BY LOOKING THROUGH THIS WITH MY DOOR HOLE PEEP, THE KIND YOU'D BUY AT A HARDWARE STORE, I CAN DISPLACE THAT FABRIC, AND, OH, IT EVEN GETS MORE EXCITING.

SO I HOPE YOU TRY THAT WITH JUST THAT ONE WEDGE DESIGN.

NOW, PUTTING IT IN OUR SAMPLER QUILT, I'VE CHOSEN, OH, A COUPLE OF THE FABRICS FROM ALL THE BLOCKS THAT I HAVE BEEN CUTTING OUT.

IN TRYING TO PLACE THESE, I KNOW I WANT TO BALANCE THE FABRIC, AND I CAN SEE ONCE AGAIN BY LOOKING THROUGH HERE THAT I'VE GOT TWO DARKS OVER HERE.

SO IF I'D GO AHEAD AND MAYBE GET IT BALANCED HERE AND HERE, I'D BE MUCH HAPPIER WITH THE FORMATION.

YES, IT IS FANCY, ISN'T IT?

IT'S GOT A LOT GOING ON HERE.

IT'S GOT THE CURVES OUT HERE.

ONE LITTLE TIP THAT YOU CAN DO-- AND I FOUND THIS OUT WHEN I WENT TO THE MINIATURE-- IS THAT YOU CAN HAVE A MORE TAILORED LOOK ON THE OUTSIDE OF YOUR DRESDEN PLATE.

WHY, JUST TAKE YOUR TEMPLATE AND EXTEND IT ON EITHER SIDE STRAIGHT, GIVING YOURSELF A FULL INCH AT THE END.

THAT STRAIGHT EDGE IS THEN CUT OUT IN FABRIC.

AND WITH THE TWO RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER, YOU'RE GONNA MACHINE-STITCH.

I ALWAYS SNIP OFF THAT END THERE, TURN IT INSIDE OUT, MAKING CERTAIN THAT MY SEAM IS CENTERED.

I'VE GOT A NICE TAILORED POINT ON THE DRESDEN PLATE.

WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE SEWING MACHINE AND SEE HOW TO STITCH THIS TOGETHER.

TO START YOUR PIECEWORK, I WOULD PIN EIGHT PAIRS TOGETHER, KNOWING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO START AT THE NARROW END AND THEN STITCH UP TO THE WIDER PORTION, BACKSTITCHING AT THAT DOT.

LINE UP YOUR RAW EDGES, KNOWING THAT YOU'VE GOT THAT 1/4-INCH MARK TO STOP AND BACKSTITCH TO, AND THEN I JUST LIFT UP ANOTHER PAIR.

NO NEED TO CUT YOUR THREAD.

YOU GET YOUR LITTLE FACTORY GOING AND JUST START AGAIN.

WITH A PAIR SEWN TOGETHER, I CAN NOW PIN FOUR SECTIONS TOGETHER AND STITCH THOSE SO I'LL HAVE FOUR QUARTERS.

THE FOUR QUARTERS CAN BE PINNED TOGETHER AND SEWN, WHICH WILL THEN LEAD TO HALVES.

AND OF COURSE, WITH THE TWO HALVES, YOU KNOW THAT THOSE CAN BE SEWN TO MAKE THE WHOLE DRESDEN PLATE.

WITH YOUR CIRCLE COMPLETE, YOU CAN PLACE IT ON THE FOUNDATION ONE OF TWO WAYS.

MAKE SURE AND CREASE THE MIDPOINTS, AND THEN YOU CAN EITHER LINE UP THAT SEAM LINE OR SCOOT IT AROUND SO THE CENTER OF YOUR WEDGE IS ALIGNED WITH THAT CREASE POINT.

NOW, YOUR CIRCLE COMES TOGETHER VERY EASILY AS LONG AS YOU TOOK THAT OVAL AND FOUND THAT MIDPOINT AND LINED IT UP AND SCOOTCHED THAT AROUND SO YOU CAN EASILY MACHINE-STITCH THAT IN.

IT'S GONNA CREATE THAT CIRCLE.

AND YOU CAN POSITION THAT IN PLACE WITH EITHER AN APPLIQUE, OR PUT THE TWO RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER.

MAKE CERTAIN THAT IT LINES UP WITH YOUR BLOCK, TOO.

MACHINE QUILTING HAS OPENED UP SO MANY NEW DOORS.

IN THE "TRUE COLORS" QUILT, I EXPERIMENTED ON EVERY 18-INCH AREA.

LOOK AT THE NOSEGAY BLOCK.

I DID A WANDERING HEART DESIGN.

THEN WE GO UP TO THE WHEELS BLOCK THAT WE DID TODAY, AND I DID A SPIDER WEB COMPLETE WITH A SPIDER IN THE CENTER.

THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO MACHINE QUILT.

WITH YOUR FEED DOGS UP AS IN NORMAL SEWING, YOU WOULD PROBABLY USE A WALKING FOOT.

IF YOUR MACHINE CAN DO DARNING, THEN YOU COULD REDUCE THE FEED DOGS AND USE ONE OF THESE FEET.

TODAY THEY EVEN COME SUPER LARGE WITH A LOT OF VISIBILITY.

I'M GOING TO PUT THAT FOOT ON MY MACHINE.

I THINK THE BEST WAY, IF YOU'VE NEVER DONE IT BEFORE, IS TO START WITH SOME FLORAL FABRIC, BECAUSE YOU CAN FOLLOW ALL THE WONDERFUL LEAVES AND COLORS.

USE A LARGE HOOP BUT A NARROW ONE.

MAKE SURE THAT THE OUTER PORTION OR THE OUTSIDE GOES DOWN FIRST, AND THEN YOU FIT YOUR THREE LAYERS INTO THAT.

PUTTING IT UNDERNEATH YOUR AREA FOR STITCHING, AND WITH YOUR FEED DOGS DROPPED, AND I LIKE TO USE THE SAME THREAD IN THE BOBBIN THAT I USE ON TOP.

I PULL UP MY BOBBIN THREAD.

YOU DON'T WANT IT TO GET CAUGHT INSIDE.

THEN JUST STITCH IN PLACE A FEW TIMES-- THAT LOCKS IT IN PLACE-- THEN I CAN START BY SIMPLY GOING AROUND THOSE LEAVES.

REMEMBER, I CAN GO IN ANY DIRECTION.

I PUT MY NEEDLE DOWN IN AND THEN COME AND CLIP OFF THOSE THREADS, AND I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO GET TANGLED UP.

THAT ALLOWS ME TO MOVE MY HOOP.

I COULD DO THIS WITHOUT A HOOP, BUT I LIKE THE CONTROL AND THE NICE, EVEN BACKGROUND THAT I GET.

AND I'M SIMPLY GOING AROUND THOSE FLOWERS, KNOWING THAT I DON'T HAVE TO STOP AND PUT MY NEEDLE DOWN.

I CAN GO IN ANY DIRECTION THAT I LIKE.

ONCE YOU'VE GOTTEN THE CONFIDENCE, YOU CAN GO ON AND DO A WHOLE QUILT, AS I DID "TRUE COLORS."

TO DO THAT, I'M USING THE MONOFILAMENT THREAD.

LET ME PUT THIS IN THE MACHINE FOR JUST A MINUTE.

I'M MACHINE QUILTING THE LAST PANEL FOR "TRUE COLORS."

NOTICE THAT I'M STARTING IN THE CENTER OF THAT LONG ROW AND WORKING TOWARDS EACH END.

BECAUSE THIS IS THE OUTSIDE EDGE, I CAN MACHINE QUILT ALL THE WAY TO THE RAW EDGE.

HOWEVER, ON THIS INSIDE ROW, I CAN ONLY MACHINE QUILT UP TO A HALF AN INCH.

SO I'VE GIVEN MYSELF SOME MASKING TAPE SO I'LL KNOW WHERE TO STOP.

NOW, YOU WANT TO CREATE CONTINUOUS QUILTING LINES WHEN YOU'RE MACHINE QUILTING.

NOTICE IN THIS PARTICULAR BLOCK, I HAVE QUILTED "MEOW MEOW MEOW" ALL THE WAY ACROSS.

AND IN THIS PARTICULAR BLOCK, I'M DOING THE FLAME STITCH BECAUSE IT'S SO BRIGHT AND COLORFUL.

IN THE SWEATER I'M WORKING ON, I'LL BE CHANGING TO PINK THREAD IN BOTH THE TOP AND THE BACK, AND I'M DOING A CONTINUOUS THREAD DESIGN GOING RIGHT THROUGH THE SPOOL AND THEN CROSSING OVER.

YOU CAN SEE HOW IT'S BEING DONE OVER HERE.

ALL RIGHT, I'M GONNA CLOSE TODAY BY JUST LETTING YOU WATCH ME DO SOME MACHINE QUILTING, KNOWING THAT I DROP THAT NEEDLE AND COME UP AND FIND WHERE THE BOBBIN THREAD IS, AND THEN GOING UP AND DOWN.

NOW, YOU HAVE TO LOOK CLOSELY, BECAUSE WITH THIS MONOFILAMENT THREAD, YOU CAN HARDLY SEE THE DESIGN.

COMING UP AND COMING DOWN.

I GO JUST A WAYS AND THEN PUT MY NEEDLE IN TO GET RID OF THOSE THREADS.

I DON'T WANT THOSE TO GET CAUGHT.

YOU JUST NEED TO RELAX THOSE SHOULDERS AND JUST ENJOY AND WATCH WHAT'S HAPPENING.

"LAP QUILTING WITH GEORGIA BONESTEEL" IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY GRANTS FROM OMNIGRID, THE ORIGINAL, PATENTED BLACK AND YELLOW RULER, BY FAIRFIELD PROCESSING, MAKER OF POLY-FIL BRAND PRODUCTS, AND BY COATS & CLARK, SERVING AMERICA'S SEWING NEEDS FOR OVER 125 YEARS, FEATURING COATS DUAL DUTY PLUS SEWING AND QUILTING THREAD.