I am hand quilting, have worked out to a wide border that has side setting triangles. The fabric in the side setting triangles and also in the border (soft green and white stripes) are the same fabric. I'm doing a lot of grid quilting that must be marked, and decided to try the Frixion pen. Of course I was afraid but ... the lines totally disappear with heat. Instead of using the iron for heat, I threw the quilt-in-process over the bed, and used the hair dryer. OMgoodness, those lines disappear like magic. The pen tip is just like a slender ball point pen. It's made by Pilot. I wrapped a big bulky rubber band around it to be sure it was not used for anything else. I'm very pleased.
If you have not done grid quilting (hand or machine), by all means ... plan ahead. When there are multiple places where you plan the grid, remember that it all has to be equidistant or creatively altered. I realized my 1 inch lines would NOT be perfect as it went from one space to the next, so some different ideas had to used - not brainy, just thought out. DH helped. 8-)))
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And here is new project, based on Karla Alexander's system, a spider web. She advertises the Creative Grids Rulers. This video is also on YouTube. She does a nice "ending" to her spider web, so they aren't just "cut off" at the borders, and that is what I learned at a recent trunk show she held at Pat's Creative Stitchery. Below is one block. 4 are needed for a completed spider web.
I've made this design before, but this is a different approach. Below are the "kites". When blocks are together, the "kites" provide their own design. Karla has written a number of quilt books. Her "thing" is sliced, slid, shuffled strips.
And .... wonder of wonder ...these are NOT scraps, I bought these FQs specifically for a "special" project, like this one.
I have seen those frixtion pens but never thought of using one for quilting! Thanks for the idea.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea to use the hair dryer on the pen's ink! thanks for that tip. what fun to see all your strata or panels of strips in gay profusion.
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ReplyDeleteI think I'll try a frixion pen! Of course I have heard about them for a long time, but since I rarely mark a quilt, I never gave it much thought. I recently marked a baptist fan quilt and had trouble with the markings going away. Maybe this would work better! I used a large baptist fan stencil and really like how it came out, so I might want to do it more often. And, I have been wanting to make a spider web quilt. I'm thinking about making one for one of my grandsons out of men's shirts. I have one quilt made for the brother (2 boys in one family 6 (in Dec) and 8. I'm thinking of giving them each a quilt for Christmas. If I can get one more twin size made! Thanks for the info.
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