Tag Archives: #quilters

Don’t Ruffle My Feathers

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We were sent some beautiful batiks by Michael Miller Fabrics for the Peek into Batiks Monthly Sew Along. Check out the program here Peek into Batiks

These are the fabrics being used. I LOVE THEM! While waiting for the program to start, we just couldn’t keep our hands off.We made this cute 12 1/2″ block, “Don’t Ruffle My Feathers”.

In the Michael Miller Ambassador box we received in December, there was a bunch of ruffles included, 1″ Ruff Ruffles. My first response to the ruffle was, “What the heck am I suppose to do with this?”. Challenge accepted. We used the ruffle for the owl’s chest! The ruffle is a 100% cotton with a raw edge. Lora decided to try a permanent marker dye technique she had read about. Too fun!

You’ll need about 2 yards of ruffle. Start by wrapping the ruffle around a piece of cardboard. Then select Sharpie Markers in the colors you’d like to dye your ruffle. My ruffle is with tan speckles. Lora’s ruffle is yellow, orange, and pink to match the batik she wanted to use.

After you speckled the heck out of the white ruffle, spray or sprinkle Rubbing Alcohol on the dyed ruffle. This blurs the pen inks. Rinse with water until the water runs clear. Allow to dry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lora’s ruffle turned out great! It matched the batik fabulously. While you’re waiting for the ruffle to dry. Print out the appliqué pieces here. 12×12.DontRufflyMyFeathersOwl.Applique, DontRuffleMyFeathersOwl.AppliqueSheet1, DontRuffleMyFeathersOwl.AppliqueSheet2 (Limited time only so don’t wait to download!) Be sure to tile at 100% size the 12×12 sheet and print 100% size the pieces sheets. Cut your background square at 12 1/2″.

I really like using Heatn’Bond EZ Print Lite Fusible sheets for double sided fusible appliqué. You can put your reversed appliqué images (already done for you in the download images above) on the glass of your home inkjet copier/printer. Then put one sheet of the EZ Print Lite Fusible product in the tray. Copy your images directly to the fusible web!! No tracing.
Next you’ll trim out your images, 1/4” from the outer edges and then “window pane” the larger images by trimming a 1/4” on the inside of the lines. This gives your appliqué a soft feel instead of being stiff from too much fusible product.

Fuse for just a couple seconds to the wrong side of your fabric. Trim out on the line.
Trim your dyed ruffle just a bit wider than the chest of the owl. Beginning at the bottom, sew a ruffle on about every inch allowing about half an inch of ruffle to show with each layer.  Lora added 11 rows of ruffle. Trim off the excess ruffle on each side. Remove the fusible paper around the edge and it is ready to fuse to your background! 
Since the background is dark, it is easier to layer your appliqué pieces on a white fusible teflon sheet on top of the 12×12 positioning sheet. Position your owl and branch pieces and then lightly fuse the pieces together with a light tap of the iron. Just enough to hold the pieces together. Then peel the entire fused unit off the teflon sheet. Lay on the 12 1/2″ square and fuse into place.

Add a blanket stitch in coordinating threads around the edges of the appliqué pieces.
Yes, Lora put the 12 1/2″ square on her long arm. Quilt as desired, bind and enjoy on your wall or stand or make into a pillow or tote!

Too much fun! Yes, I suppose we’ll have to order more fabric for the Sew Along, but I’m okay with that.

Absewlutely,

Lisa Norton

DYSLEXICS UNTIE!

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Yes, I’m dyslexic. So is my son, sister, brother, and other family members. Where I’m more on the moderate to mild end, my brother and son tip toward the moderate to severe end of the dyslexia scale. Dyslexia is genetic and it has been estimated that 15% of Americans are affected by it.

What is Dyslexia? The Mayo Clinic defines,

“Dyslexia is a learning disorder that involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words (decoding). Also called reading disability, dyslexia affects areas of the brain that process language.”

Also from the Mayo Clinic, some common dyslexia signs and symptoms in teens and adults include:

  • Difficulty reading, including reading aloud
  • Problems spelling
  • Mispronouncing names or words, or problems retrieving words
  • Spending an unusually long time completing tasks that involve reading or writing
  • Difficulty summarizing a story
  • Trouble learning a foreign language
  • Difficulty memorizing
  • Difficulty doing math problems
Esher

Bummer man. What they don’t tell you is that a huge number dyslexic adults that grew up in the US educational system, believed they were stupid. Yet, dyslexic people are just as intelligent as the non-dyslexics. Dyslexic’s brains are just wired differently. I’ve been reading a lot about dyslexia lately and have found numerous articles online about the BENEFITS and the GIFTS of dyslexia. Yes!

Did you know dyslexics have a spatial genius, an ability to see patterns, and take in a whole scene far quicker than “normal” learners? In The Upside of Dyslexia by Annie Murphy Paul she wrote,

“in some situations, it turns out, those with dyslexia are actually the superior learners.”

Wow. Feeling a little validated there. Thanks Annie.

I’ve had many students that are thrilled at their ability to excel in quilting, confess to me they always thought they were stupid because they couldn’t excel in school. Taking a quilt class was a huge personal risk because of their academic history. The more students I met, the more I found students with dyslexia. I was quite surprised that dyslexia only affected 15% of Americans. It felt that I had at least 30% in my classes.

Annie Murphy Paul also wrote, that although people with dyslexia are found in every profession, including law, medicine and science, observers have long noted that they populate fields like art and design in unusually high numbers. 

Ah hah!! That’s is why my classes seems high in dyslexic quilters. We’re artists!

Echer quilt, 1997, by Ineke Poort (Netherlands)

If you’re a dyslexic quilter, you rely more on the diagrams than the written word. If the instructions are written, read them a couple times, even out loud. It will help. Or get your non-dyslexic quilting friend to help you figure out the instructions.

If you’re a non-dyslexic quilter, grab a dyslexic quilting friend when you’re laying out your blocks. She’ll be able to see the ones upside down or to help spread out the color placement of your blocks.

If you are one of those dyslexic adults that fear failing or cringe at the thought of critical teachers because of your scholastic history, shrug that off and take a class. Check out my class list here and check out the classes available at your local quilt shop. Remember, in some situations, it turns out dyslexics are the superior learners!

Absewlutely!

Lisa