Home Sweet Home

By Barb Adams and Alma Allen

Best-selling authors Barb Adams and Alma Allen are back, this time with quilts and projects celebrating the home, community and friendships! The featured quilt has nine blocks reminiscent of early American sampler designs. Two versions of the quilt - one by Barb, one by Alma - are included. PLUS there are a total of 13 other projects ... other quilts, a table runner, hooked rug and more. Every page a delight.

• Language: English
• Publisher: C&T Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 1, 2005
• ISBN: 9781617458392

Barb Adams

Barb Adams and Alma Allen began Blackbird Designs in 1999 to share their love of color, pattern and fiber. Their books and patterns are available at your local quilt and cross stitch shops. Blackbird Designs also has a line of fabric with Moda. Their fabric may be found at your local quilt shop. blackbird-designs.com

Book preview

Hand Appliqué Instructions

Make templates of the appliqué shapes using freezer paper or plastic template material. Do not add any seam allowance to these shapes.

If using plastic, trace around the templates on the right side of your fabric. Use a marking pencil that will show up on your fabric. This drawn line indicates your seam line. To cut reversed pieces, flip the plastic template over and trace the reversed shape to the right side of the fabric. If using freezer paper, trace the shapes onto the dull side of the paper. Iron the paper templates, shiny side down, onto the right side of the fabric. Trace around the template. Peel the paper template away carefully, as it can be reused. For a reversed piece, trace on the shiny side of the paper.

After the seam line has been drawn on the right side of the fabric, cut out the shapes, adding a 1/8 – 1/4 seam allowance.

Fold the background fabric in half vertically and horizontally. Finger-press the folds. Open the fabric.

To help achieve placement of the design, refer to the block diagram located with the templates. A one-inch grid is placed over each diagram to indicate position for the pieces. If you look closely at each quilt, you will notice they are unique. The pieces were placed on the block in a whimsical fashion.

Center the design on the background block using the fold lines or tracing paper as a guide.

Baste the shapes into place on the background block with glue stick or appliqué pins. Larger shapes require basting stitches to hold the shapes in place securely.

Use thread that matches your appliqué piece, not the background. Use a two-ply, cotton thread that is 50 or 60 weight.

Cut the thread length about 12–15. Longer lengths of thread may become worn and break as you stitch.

For concave curves (curves that go in) clip to the seam line, then turn under the seam allowance. This will allow the fabric to lie flat. Convex curves, or curves that go out do not require clipping.

Sew the pieces that tuck under another piece first. For example, sew the stems first. Next, sew the flower or leaf that covers the end of the stem.

Using the point and edge of your needle, turn under the fabric on the drawn seam line and appliqué the shape to the background fabric. Try to achieve about 7-9 stitches per inch.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME / SUPPLY LIST:

1 3/4 yds. light woven stripe (#1709-21 green from Moda fabrics)

3 1/2 yds. light sampler print fabric (#2565-11 green & cream from Moda fabrics)

1/2 yd. each of 4 different red prints for the houses and swag border

1/2 yd. pink stripe for the houses

1/2 yd. of a tan and pink print for the houses

7 fat quarters of different black/brown prints for the roofs, shutters and doors

1/2 yd. each of 3 different green prints for the yards, leaves and vines

2 fat quarters each of different green prints for the pieced blocks

Scraps of several greens for leaves and vines

4 fat quarters of different blue prints for the pieced blocks, roof, stars, moon, date, urns, and berries

Scraps of 3 blue prints for the birds and urn

4 fat quarters of different light prints for the fencing, pieced blocks, windows, window panes and snowflakes

Scraps of purple for the thistle

Scrap of a red print for the strawberries

Scraps of pink for flowers, butterfly and