Spinning Spools--ASK QUESTIONS HERE

[Helen W.]

Which background.Dots or triangles?

sewskeel, I like the black dots. The triangles look gray, but there are gray fabrics in the project if you have the quilt kit. It would be fun to see them with a block already stitched . The colors are so vibrant in the spools that the dots just seem to go with that better in my mind. In a perfect world, I would go with the dots in a smaller size like the size of the triangles. But both would
make for a beautiful background so you can't go wrong. HelenW

[Jackie M.]

How did you guys cut your borders? WOF or lengthwise?

[Anne B.]

How did you guys cut your borders? WOF or lengthwise?

I always cut them lengthwise, if I can. It makes the quilt hang straighter, with less rippling.

[Anne B.]

Pure curiosity: What is the Brackman ID that Alex used for this pattern?

It's called London Bridge, and it's number 1523, on page 178 of the third edition of Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns.

[Anne B.]

Which background.Dots or triangles?

I like the triangles better. The dots are overpowering.

[Anne B.]

Anne, go to Quilters Select website and read about both. They have different purposes.

Thanks, Barbara, but AppliQuick stabilizer isn't made by Quilters Select. It's from the company that produces the AppliQuick Rods.

[Anne B.]

Anne, Like Barbara said read about both. On the Quilters Select Cutaway you tube, at min. #1 Aex shows using it for turned applique. It is like the interfacing type of process. You cut the the shape in fabric and then again in the cutaway. Put the cut away
fusible side up on the right side of the fabric. Stitch your seam allowance, clip a slit in the cutaway and turn it inside out. Then place on your project fuse in place and edge stitch the applique. With the Appliqick stabilizer you make turned edge applique by cutting the stabilizer to the finished size of the shape. Fuse it to the back side of the fabric. Cut the fabric with a quarter inch seam allowance. Use the glue stick and the Appliquick rods to turn the seam edge over the stabilizer. Both could be used with this project.

If you use Cutaway with applique, it is best to use for shapes with gentle curves and large enough to turn inside out.
Appliquick Stabilizer can be used with really small applique and points that are fiddly to turn the edge on. I love using the Appliquick rods
and a glue stick for doing turned edge applique. If you have not watched Rosa Rojas show ( I think it is 1912) it is a must see if you like appliqué. Since Alex flowers, leaves and center circles are good size either would work. HelenW

Thanks, Helen, but in this project Alex has us using the Quilters Select Cutaway exactly like Rosa Rojas uses her Appliquick Stabilizer. That's why I'm wondering why she's recommending the QS product. If it's because her name is on it, fair enough. I'd just like to know whether the Appliquick will work as well with this technique.

[Anne B.]

Does anyone know whether the refills are interchangeable between the Quilters Select glue sticks and the Fons and Porter ones?

[Jackie M.]

Yes,, they are all interchangeable.

[LLT]

These is the tally I came up with (looking at Alex's quilt): Little Petal - 22, Big Petal - 40, Big Leaf - 15, Little Leaf - 22, 1/2 Flower Center - 4, Small Rd Flower Center (dots) - 22, Medium Rd Flower Center - 5, Large Rd Flower Center -10

Has anyone calculated how many inches needed to do the bias vine?

[LLT]

Geez. I don't know what I was counting when I posted this tally, but if the doubling of the petals big+ a little is done like Alex has done, then 67 of the Little Petal is needed. The 67 includes the smaller three flowers of 5 Little Petals ea, the stem end flowers of three Little Petals ea, and the 40 Little Petals to top on the Big Petals.

[LLT]

What is the best way to stitch on the vine? Straight stitch or blind stitch? Those of you that have completed this part of the quilt top, what did you do?

[Sue R.]

I used the single blanket stitch that Alex showed. Also, set your machine to hover mode if you have that feature and it’ll go much easier.

[Elaine K.]

I also used the single blanket stitch for the vines, and everything else.

[Arta B.]

Hi! I have my spools done and borders on. I'm confused on how we are to attached the vines and flowers on if we have already sewn the borders on to the top? I do not want to unsewn the borders, as I don't have enough of the white fabric. Please help ? I like this design but getting frustrated with little instruction. Thank You.

[Helen W.]

Hi! I have my spools done and borders on. I'm confused on how we are to attached the vines and flowers on if we have already sewn the borders on to the top? I do not want to unsewn the borders, as I don't have enough of the white fabric. Please help ? I like this design but getting frustrated with little instruction. Thank You.

I would use the washable glue sticks to put on the back of the vines and flowers. Heat set with the iron and then edge stitch.
A blanket stitch looks good. Also an almost invisible stitch is a tiny zig-zag stitch. 1.0 for length and 1.0 for width. The needle goes
one side of the zig on the background and the zag on the applique. If you have hover mode or a knee lift onto machine that is really helpful. Stop with the needle down in the fabric and pivot as necessary. It is much easier to put most of the applique on
before you attach your borders and stitch that, then put the borders on. You can also user a ripper to take the borders off, and then
iron it flat again and use the same fabric. Since you have your borders on, I would put on the applique all except the ones that should
overlap onto the quilt top and the corners where the vines run from one border piece to the next. Try maneuvering the whole quilt and edge stitching the applique. It it is just too frustrating and bulky to move around, take the borders off and edge stitch the applique on each border separate. Then reattach, and glue down the corner pieces and the overlaps onto the quilt top and edge stitch them the hard way with the whole quilt assembled. I think Alex was going to cover how to do the applique on Mon. June 14. Everything is free
for the instruction, just be glad she is providing it, even if it has to fit her time line not yours. HelenW

[LLT]

Can the flowers be "preassembled" prior to placing them on to the vine? Maybe by stitching the Little Petal to the Big Petal and then glue basting the center to the five petals? All that layering of fabric with the fuse lite too seems so thick, are there any parts that can be cut away to reduce the bulk?

[LeeAnna S.]

I am thinking of machine appliqué the vines down first then adding the flowers and leaves and applique them down next. this would be done prior to adding borders to quilt top. What do you think? I'm waiting for wed class to decide the appliqué method. Still have lots of leaves and flowers to create anyway.....LOL

[JulieOh]

I am thinking about using sewing notions for the applique shapes on the Spinning Spools quilt rather than flowers-I am a fairly new quilter and would appreciate hearing if this is a good idea