Filming “The Quilt Show”

I have been in Colorado Springs area this week to shoot an episode of "The Quilt Show" with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims. What a thrill to be on set with two quilters whose work I respect so much! “The Quilt Show” is an online TV show that can be viewed through the Internet by subscription. The shows feature fun interviews with all kinds of quilters and fiber artists, as well as lessons and information, and some great free stuff. 

I figured you might enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at my day. Ricky and Alex shoot some episodes on a set with a live studio audience, and some “on location.” On Tuesday, we were in the beautiful home of the very hospitable and kind Dee Dee and Hugh Eaton. Dee Dee is a quilter, and her husband Hugh is famous for having helped to start The Weather Channel. They live in Palmer Lake, just outside of Monument, Colorado (a short drive from Colorado Springs).

Here is the crew getting set up to shoot the interview portion of the show:

Ricky threw his signature hat down on one of my quilts:

C&T Publishing had kindly provided copies of both of my books, Appliqué Petal Party (2009) and Point, Click, Quilt! (coming out in July):

Actually, this is just a mock-up of my book (the cover glued to the front of another C&T title), since my book has not gone to press yet. Here is the producer, Shelly Heesacker (below) holding the mock-up. Shelly produces segments for Oprah, and she was fabulous to work with, and a lot of fun.

Make-up on, quilts up, Ricky and Alex comfortably installed on the sofa in the Eaton’s family room, me squirming in an armchair, cameras rolling! We sat down to review with the crew how the interview portion of the show would run.

The crew was BUSY!

Ricky was pretty serious most of the time, but was always good for a funny comment when we needed to loosen up.

About half way through the interview segment the director yelled “CUT!” Apparently my neck was bright red. Scarlet, in fact. This is something that happens to me a lot when I am excited or nervous. (When I was little, the boys used to have competitions to see who could make me blush the worst. I would turn purple.) So it was off to the powder room for some heavy makeup and powder by Lilo Bowman, the show’s coordinator (and a quilter!):

Okay, back on the set. Doesn't my neck look fabulous?

After that segment was shot, we moved to another room for the how-to parts of the show. Alex told me a funny story while I pressed the step-outs for the segment on creating bias vines that I shot with her:

Step outs are how you show all the different parts of the process you are demonstrating. (On a cooking show, they will show the ingredients, then some of them mixed together, then the batter in the pan, then the pan going into the oven, then the baked cake, then the iced and finished cake. Same concept here.) Lilo and I ran through the step outs together:

Ricky found a piano and of course Shelly and I had to join in:

We even shot a little bit of me singing with Ricky as a lead-in to my segment with Alex. I have not sung much since high school (I starred in a few of my high school musicals), except in the shower, so I hope I sounded all right!

Then it was back to work. Roll cameras!

Alex and Ricky made shooting these how-to segments really fun and easy. Before each one, we set up all the equipment, step-outs, and the things we would use or talk about:

Ricky patiently gave me a little lesson on how to use a high-end Bernina that has some features I was not familiar with because I don't have them on the Bernina I use at home. And yes, I had to free-motion thread sketch standing up!

Here is Ricky with the producer, director and crew watching me thread sketch to see if the camera was capturing everything from the correct angle:

And then we discussed how to shoot it to make it look clearer:

Yes! It looked okay after a few adjustments!

Here’s how we ended up shooting that part:

This is a shot of me holding one of the projects (Nestling) that I demonstrated, which will be available from The Quilt Show as a free project when my show airs. I don’t know yet when that will be, but it will be part of the next season, which starts later this summer and runs through the end of this year, I think! Stay tuned and I’ll tell you the details once I get them.

And here’s a nice surprise! Katie Pasquini Masopust was shooting that afternoon, so I got to see her again. We first met while she was closing up her term as SAQA president, at the Studio Art Quilt Associates conference a few years ago. You can tell from my big smile that I am also really happy to be finished shooting! What a great day!

I’m going to be on The Quilt Show!

I’m so excited… I’ve just been asked to be on The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims! The filming will take place in April, and the shows will air starting in the summer. 

Don’t know about The Quilt Show? You should! It is “the world’s first full-servic interactive online video/web magazine created just for quilters worldwide,” according to Alex’s website. The web “TV” show is produced just like a television show, but viewed online for a monthly or annual fee. Each show features quilting inspiration and instruction from well-known quilters. Some of the episodes are shot in front of a live audience, and others are shot at interesting locations. You can watch a free show on the website before you decide to join.

When I first started designing quilt patterns, I dreamed on being on Alex’s “Simply Quilts” TV show, which aired on Home and Garden TV (HGTV) for 11 years. I watched it all the time, and I was so upset when it went off the air!

Alex went on to create this amazing new show with Ricky Tims, contemporary quiltmaker, author, musician and quilting teacher. The Quilt Show’s website is an online community of quilters nearly 70,000 strong. They have contests, projects, a quilt gallery, classes, and a store. They also offer some amazing block-of-the-month programs like this fabulous “Ruffled Roses” by Sue Garman (one of my favorite designers; I just adore her stuff!), coming in 2011: 

 

I’ve been a reader of Alex and Ricky’s wonderful Daily Blog for a while. I also love their new magazine, The Quilt Life, which is produced through the American Quilter’s Society (AQS). You can read more about it, and subscribe, here. It has great articles, very high-quality patterns and instructions, and to top it all off, it is really beautifully designed and the printing and paper are also top-notch (as a graphic designer, I pay attention to these things!)

When I was discussing my segments with Alex this morning, she told me that they are offering a free membership to The Quilt Show for the month of December. This is a great way to try it out for yourself before you decide to join. Just click here, fill out a short registration form, and you’re in. Enjoy!

Finishing an art quilt with a non-mitred facing

Front of the a quilt finished using a non-mitred facing
“Snow Shadows” by Susan Brubaker Knapp

I taught two workshops on Wholecloth Painting to members of the Charlotte Quilters’ Guild this week. Each time I teach a class on an art quilt method, I inevitably get questions about my finishing techniques. So I decided to get my act together and do a few more tutorials on the subject.

Over the past few years, I have started finishing most of my art quilts using one of three methods; a non-mitred facing, a mitred facing, or a pillowcase turn. I now have directions for each of these techniques in PDF format available on my blog. (Look in the column on the right-hand side, under the “Free Stuff” heading, then click on the PDF you want to download.) I have tried to provide clear, easy-t0-follow instructions, with lots of photos. 

To download a PDF now, click on the links below:

Non-mitred facing

Mitred facing

Pillowcase turn

In this post, I’ll show you how to do a non-mitred facing. There are many methods for facing a quilt. This one is a combination of methods I have learned from others, and is the one that is the easiest facing technique for beginners. 

Non-mitred facing

1. Quilt your quilt, and then, as you would with a traditional quilt, trim through the top, batting and backing, squaring up the corners, so that the backing and batting are even with the edge of the quilt.

2. Measure the top of your quilt and cut two 2"-wide facing strips this length. Measure the side of your quilt, and cut two 2"-wide facing strips this length minus 2".  (For example, if your quilt is 15" wide by 20" long, cut two facing strips 2" x 15" and two facing strips 2" x 18".)

3. On one long edge of each of the four facing strips, turn under ¼" toward the wrong side of the fabric, and press. Pin the unfolded edge of the top strip to the raw edge of the top of the quilt, right sides together:

4. Put the walking foot on your machine. Starting at the top of the short end of the strip, and with a ¼" seam, stitch down to ¼" away from the corner, pivot, stitch the length of the side to ¼" away from the corner, pivot, and stitch up to the top of the other short side. Backstitch at the start and stop.

Clip corners close to stitched line:

5. Stitch the bottom strip on the opposite side of the quilt next, in the same manner:

6. Place one of the side strips along one side of the quilt, with the unfolded edge of the strip next to the raw edge of the quilt, right sides together. Center the strip along the edge, and pin: 

This strip should overlap the facing strips you have already sewn on, but should not extend all the way to the corners:

7. Stitch a ¼" seam the length of the strip, back-stitching at the start and end. Your seam should align with the seam for the top and bottom strips:

8. Fold back the two side facing strips and press. From the front side, stitch along the edges about 1/8" from the seam, through the facing and the seam allowance, and back-stitching at the start and end. This seam, often used in garment construction, will help the facing turn more easily to the back:

9. Fold back the top and bottom strips, and use a blunt-tipped tool to push out corners. From the front side, stitch along the edges about 1/8” from the seam, through the facing and the seam allowance. It is impossible to stitch around the corners; simply stitch up as far into the corners as you can.

10. Bring the facing strips around to the back and pin so that the side strips are tucked underneath the top and bottom facing strips, with their raw edges hidden. This usually requires heavy pinning:

 The facing strips should not show from the front; a small bit of the front of the quilt should show on the back of the piece:

11. Hand stitch the facing in place along the inner, folded edge of the facing strips on the back. You should only be stitching through the facing strips, backing fabric, and batting. Make sure not to stitch through the front of the quilt. 

12. This technique creates a nicely finished piece that looks more like a piece of art than a quilt: 

Back of the finished quilt

Front of the finished quilt
“Snow Shadows” by Susan Brubaker Knapp

The PDF with the instructions is free; feel free to print it out and use it, and it share it with others. I just ask that you keep my name, website and blog addresses on the directions when you do so. Thanks!

How to make a quilt sleeve

Nearly all quilt shows require a 4" hanging sleeve for quilts exhibited. This 4" size accommodates most hanging rods or slats used at shows. Lake Norman Quilters will have its first quilt show November 2-3, and there are some quilters in our group who have never exhibited a show before who have asked about how to make a sleeve to hang their quilts. So here are some basic directions for the process I use. For a copy of these directions in a PDF format that can be printed and distributed, click here.

1. Measure the top edge of your quilt, where the sleeve will go, about 1/2" from the top. My quilt measures 13". See photo below.



2. Cut a strip that is 9" wide and the width of your quilt plus 1" (for my quilt, this is a rectangle 9" x 14").

3. Fold in the short ends 1/2" and press. Fold in again 1/2" and press. See photo below.



4. Sew a seam along these short ends. See photo below.



5. Fold the strip in half with the wrong sides together, and press. Note that by using this method, you do not have to turn the tube inside out after you sew it together. If you have a wide quilt, and a long sleeve tube, it can be difficult to turn it right side out. This way, you don't have to, because the seam is hidden between the sleeve and the quilt backing.

6. Along the raw edge, stitch the long edge together with a 1/2" seam. See photo below.



7. Press the seam open, center it, and press. See photo below.



8. Along one of the long edges, fold down and press about 1/4". See photo below. This allows for a little slack so the quilt will hang better on a rod or slat. Without this slack on the back, you may have a buldge on the front of the quilt where the hanging rod goes through. You can see this slack more clearly on the side view photo below.





9. Pin the sleeve to the back of the quilt, about 1/2" from the top. See photo below. Take care to place the sleeve low enough that it will not show from the front once the rod is inside and the weight of the quilt pulls the sleeve up toward the top of the quilt. This is even more of an issue if the quilt is uneven at the top, as mine is, rather than straight.



10. Hand-stitch the sleeve to the quilt. See photo below. Go around all four edges, even the short sides. Your stitches should only go through the backing and the batting. You should not see them on the front of the quilt.



11. To display your quilt at home, place a dowel rod, metal cafe curtain rod, or a strip of lath (wood slat) through the sleeve. Nail nails or place screws into your wall, and prop the rod on top.

Asheville Quilt Show

I just got back from attending the Asheville Quilt Show at the North Carolina Arboretum, and it was wonderful. One of the best things is that the show is open to any quilter in the U.S., so it attracts a lot of national talent. (But the local quilters are plenty talented, too.) This year, there were 240 entries by 169 quilters from 15 states. Total money awarded was $8,300.

A few miles away, the Rotary Quilt Show, held in conjunction with the Asheville Quilt Show, but in a different location (Biltmore Square Mall), boasted quilts by the Shady Ladies of Waynesville and the Fiber Arts Alliance, as well as more wonderful vendors.

My quilt “Lepidoptera” took a Merit Award for Outstanding Use of Color, and the Pandora’s group quilt “Motherhood” took an Honorable Mention ribbon in the Group category (yea, us!).

Here’s a look at some of my favorites at the show:

Chicory by Ruth Powers of Carbondale KS.

I love Ruth Powers’ work, perhaps because I cannot fathom how she pieces it, or how she manages to make so many different fabrics work together. Here is another:


Lazy Afternoon by Ruth Powers of Carbondale KS.



Lazy Afternoon (detail) by Ruth Powers of Carbondale KS.


Red Art Festival by Deborah A. Morgan of Waynesville NC.
This beauty featured fabric beads tied in each rectangle. Simplicity and repetition, and a very nice color sense.


Rocky Mountain Memories by Wendy Bohen


Baskets in Bloom by Holly Greene and the Foothills Quilters Guild of Shelby NC
This is by the Foothills Quilters Guild. A great bunch of women I met last year when I spoke to them. Beautiful applique, quilting and trapunto!


Abundant Life by Susan Webb Lee of Barardsville NC
I love how Susan Webb Lee broke through the black borders of her quilt with bits of color.


Sun Bonnet Sue Does Hollywood by Linda Cantrell of Fletcher, NC
Crowds were gathered around this quilt by Linda Cantrell, as everyone tried to guess which movies were portrayed. In each scene, Sun Bonnet Sue is standing in for the heroine. What a riot.


Murphy’s Law by Linda Nichols of Waynesville, NC
According to the program, Linda persevered through many obstacles to make this quilt: “First block was lost, border ran when washed, cockscomb block caught on fire. I didn’t know when to quit but friends encouraged me on!”


Glorious Survivor #1 by Maureen Kampen of Asheville NC
This quilt chronicles the journey of a survivor of domestic violence. The portrait pulls you in, and then you start reading the details and understanding the pain. Beautifully done and very thought provoking.


Icing on the Cake by Linda Roy of Knoxville, Tenn.
Linda’s intricate, hand-stitched quilts are a wonder. This one was inspired by antique wool coverlets. I know Linda has won Best of Show in Asheville at least once before.


Swamp Hibiscus by Judith Heyward of Hendersonville, NC
Amazing thread painting, intricate borders and beautiful machine quilting won Judith Heyward the Outstanding Machine Workmanship award.


Amazing Arcola by Elizabeth T. Miller of Charlotte NC
Many of Elizabeth’s recent quilts feature antique quilt blocks she has purchased at antique stores (in this case, the stars around the outside). She made this quilt after a trip to Arcola Illinois. Elizabeth, who is a quilt judge, has a great sense of humor; I love how she uses commercial novelty and conversation prints.


Room to Breathe by Elizabeth T. Miller of Charlotte NC
Here’s another of Elizabeth’s recent quilts, very different in style and tone from Amazing Arcola above! Those are slices of actual stone in the water (under the blue heron). It is dedicated to her friend and fellow artist, Joan Colvin (1933-2007).