Quilted Pillows

As much as beautiful a piece of fabric would be, add underneath some batting and a backing and quilt it ! You will end up with emphasised pattern and beautiful texture.
I made these pillows:

Oricat de frumoasa ar fi o bucata de material, prin quiltuire se obtine un model accentuat si o textura frumoasa. Eu am facut aceste perne:

Small bag

Since I discovered quilting, 8 years ago, I told myself and everyone: " All my life I will make quilts and only quilts ! " And now, I am making bags ! But my bags have something in common with quilts: they are made from quilted fabrics.

In fact, I discovered that I enjoy making anything with quilted fabrics.

De cand am descoperit quiltingul, mi-am spus mie si tuturor ca toata viata am sa fac quilturi si numai quilturi ! Si acum fac posete ! Dar posetele meu avea ceva comun cu quilturile: sunt facute din materiale quiltuite.

De fapt, am descoperit ca imi place sa fac orice din materiale quiltuite.

This is a small bag : 10.5 x 11 inch ; (26 x 27.5 cm) - without handles
The fabric under organza is taffeta.

Gifts from the heart / Cadouri din inima

My dear friend Sanda wanted to be "invited writer" on my blog and tell the story of my newest creation.
Buna mea prietena Sanda a vrut sa fie "scriitor invitat" pe blogul meu si sa spuna povestea ultimei mele creatii.

Me and Sanda on our first meeting - August 2005
Eu si Sanda la prima noastra intalnire, in August 2005

If there is something which can provide a true meaning of the title of this blog (cadouri-din-inima= gifts from the heart ), these are the gifts that I have received during the years from Geta. Since I have first met her, she was the most generous person I have known. The gifts she offered for my birthdays or without any special occasion were always quilts, but each time I discovered something new and different, as everything she passionately sews.

When I went to Bucharest several years ago to meet Geta and Mircea (Geta's husband) at a quilting stand she had in a winter fair, she offered me a small table quilt, with wine and beige colours. The quilt stays on my coffee table ever since. It fitted with the table and the room as it was there from the beginning.

Daca ar fi ceva care sa arate semnificatia din titlul acestui blog, acestea sunt cadourile pe care le-am primit de la Geta de-a lungul anilor. De cand ne-am intalnit, a fost cea mai generoasa persoana pe care am cunoscut-o. Cadourile pe care mi le-a oferit de ziua mea sau fara vreo ocazie speciala au fost intotdeauna quilturi, dar de fiecare data ceva nou si diferit, ca tot ceea ce coase cu pasiune.
Cand am fost la Bucuresti, acum cativa ani, sa-i intalnesc pe Geta si Mircea (sotul ei), la un targ de iarna, ea mi-a daruit un mic quilt. De atunci, sta pe masuta mea de cafea, de parca acolo i-ar fi fost locul dintotdeauna.

Next year I have received a gorgeous applique pillow and a very fine hortensia card. We were frantic about the textile cards at the time and it seemed to me that I have never seen such a beauty.

Anul urmator am primit o perna-applique si un card cu o hortensie. La acea vreme eram innebunite dupa carduri textile, mi s-a parut o frumusete.

The card is a broderie perse.

A delicate and intricate quilt from the trapunto series "Feathers and Friends" stays on a small table near my bed and I admire it every night.

Un quilt delicat din seria trapunto "Feathers and Friends " sta pe masuta de langa patul meu, si il admir in fiecare seara.

I am also the lucky owner of two exquisite shadow trapunto pillows, with the design of Geta's quilts that crossed the Atlantic to participate in the Houston quilt show.

Sunt de asemenea posesoarea a doua pernute shadow trapunto, un design al quilturilor Getei care au traversat Atlanticul, participand la expozitia de la Houston.

And their sister, a great bag, with shadow trapunto flowers and the rainbow colors just landed into my house. I am amazed of such beauty!

Si a sorei lor, o geanta frumoasa, cu flori shadow trapunto, in culorile curcubeului. Sunt uimita de asa frumusete !

I really cannot express my feelings of admiration and gratitude for the heart-felt sentiment in all these wonderful quilts. I only wish that many many people all over the world meet in person the beautiful quilts made by Geta, and be raved by their grace and harmony. I hope that Geta participate in many shows and present her magnificent quilts to everyone, because they truly are gifts from her heart!

Thank you my dear friend!
Sanda

I thank you, Sanda ! I am lucky to have you as a friend !

Chiar nu pot sa imi exprim sentimentele mele de admiratie si recunostinta pentru caldura inimii care transpare din toate aceste quilturi. As vrea doar ca multe persoane din lumea intreaga sa vada in realitate quilturile Getei, si sa se bucure de gratia si armonia lor. Sper ca Geta va participa la multe expozitii si va arata tuturor quilturile ei minunate, pentru ca ele sunt, intr-adevar, cadouri din inima !

Multumesc, draga mea prietena !

Sanda.

Eu iti multumesc, Sanda. Sunt atat de norocoasa sa am o prietena ca tine !

And some details of the tote:

I hardly sewn the bias binding on the curves !
I will never make a large quilt with scalloped edges !

Si iata detalii ale posetei:
Ce greu am cusut bindingul pe bie pe marginile valurite !
Niciodata n-am sa fac un quilt mare cu asemenea margini !

I added even my "signature" !
Mi-am pus si "semnatura " !

Well, I think we all make quilts to warm our hearts and to share them with our loved ones !

Ei, cred ca toti facem quilturi pentru a ne bucura sufletele si a le imparti cu cei dragi !

Wholecloth quilts again

This is not a pieced quilt, just a wholecloth! I made it 2 years ago.
The fabric is polyester, even more slippery than taffeta.

The magic happens after the quilting is complete !

I love the texture after the quilting is done.

Gorgeous Colors...

Could someone resist to these colors ?
Poate cineva rezista acestor culori ?

Sure I can't !
Though it is taffeta and it is a very slippery fabric, I managed to cut squares ( but only one square at a time !). I will make something with these ...

Eu nu ! Desi e tafta si e foarte alunecoasa, am reusit sa tai din ea patrate (dar doar un patrat odata...). O sa fac ceva din ele...

2 years ago I made this wholecloth bed quilt. A simple fabric like taffeta turned out in this gorgeous quilt:

Acum 2 ani am facut acest quilt "wholecloth". Un material simplu ca taftaua s-a transformat intr-un quilt minunat:

Tutorial - quilted basket

I am in love with quilts and little baskets. So in the last months I made a few quilted baskets !

Here it is a tutorial for you, I hope the instructions and pictures are clear and my English is not too bad !
Happy sewing !

15.5 " x 6.5" x 5" deep

Add in the basket a doll and a mini quilt and a little girl will love you !

Let's start sewing !

1. Sewing the panels for the outer basket:

From white fabric, cut 20 strips ( 1.5" x 6 " );
From colored fabric, cut 24 strips ( 2" x 6" ).

Following the next pictures:
- start sewing with colored strips and use half of strips;

- sew with 1/4 inch seam allowances !

You have to sew 2 pieces like this:

From each piece cut a rectangle 5" x 17 " (see the next pictures).


For other projects, if you want more complex designs, you can join more sets.
Arrange sets with the tips oriented in the same direction :

or in different direction.

Sew to each pieced piece:
- 1 strip 1.5" x 17";
- 1 rectangle 5.5" x 17".

Underneath each piece add batting and backing and quilt as desire.
If you want a sturdy basket, use a heavier fabric as backing or double a light-weight fabric with interfacing.

My quilting:

After you completed the quilting, square up the pieces (make sure they are the same size). These will form the outer basket.

Cut 2 pieces of lining, the same size as the 2 parts of the outer basket.

2. Sewing the outer basket

In the next steps we will work with thick fabric, so it is helpful to use a suitable needle ( I used a Jeans/Denim needle ).
Also stitch using 1/2 inch seam allowances.

Place the 2 pieces right sides together and sew 1/2 inch from the bottom edge.

Stitch the seam allowances in place to keep the seam open (or just press it open).

Sew the right and left edges, press the seams open.


3. Boxing the corners
For each corner, align the side seam with the bottom seam:

Match a line of a ruler over the seam and draw a line 2.5" from point; pin fabric into place.

Stitch the corner following the line that you marked and trim the excess.

Repet the operation for the other corner.
You will have corners like this:

Additional stitches to form the bottom:

It looks very nice !

4. Sewing the lining

Sew the 2 pieces of lining following the same steps, but leave an opening on the bottom seam(about 6"-7").

5. The handles

Cut 2 strips 4" x 13".
Fold and iron ( with steam ) the strips in this way:

Sew the edges and make sure the handles have the same length.

Sew the handles to the outer basket:

Turn the lining wrong side out; place the outer basket inside the lining and pin around the top.

Stitch 0.5" from the edge.

Turn the lining right side out.

Topstitch around the green strip.

Sew the opening in the lining, either by hand or by machine.

Check out to see if the lining has the proper size; if it is larger than the outer basket, sew additional stitches on the bottom (like we did on the outer basket).

The quilted basket is ready to go and make happy a little girl !

• If you need help, please ask me !
  
• If you will make a basket like this, please let me know ! I would love to see it !
  
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Would you like to try something new ?  

 Retro Fun bags

Pockets with Love - fabric origami

Building Fun quilt

 Nina's Garden quilt