What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

Two shapes arranged and rearranged to create two different block designs, add a simple quilting motif and the design above is what you get.

Simplify the more complex block design and add a dozen of them around the outer row of blocks leaving just four of the simpler block.

Cut out lots of one simple shape, arrange as desired!

Note that it makes it much easier to hold them in place if you add fusible webbing before you cut them out.

I love both of these designs, and note that I have used just one multi coloured fabric in the designs.to make them look scrappy in he virtual world..

My favourite of today’s pair of designs!

I should open up some of the older project files more often. There are plenty of designs in reserve, and I keep thinking of things I could do to add to the collections just in case I ever run short of designs to share. Sometimes I think I have barely scratched the surface of all the possibilities possible with Strings of Beads.

Very dainty.

Love the second design with all the seam lines between blocks covered with beads, though I would be tempted to make this a a whole cloth quilt with no seam lines until the border.

Applique designs using just a simple leaf shape as beads are the simplest form of applique I have found. I first saw String of Beads hand appliqued with seams turned under, but then fusible web came on the market and I found I could cut four layers at a time with scissors so it was quick, then iron them onto fabric and machine stitch. Quick and easy!

I like both of these designs, and have many others which I also like.

Interesting mixture of bead shapes in this project file.

I like the second design best … I think.

A fun way to use up lots of little scraps.

The applique can be done using fusible webbing and finishing with either hand embroidery or machine zigzag.

Love the second one!

Wow! Puzzle time!

If I was quilting these designs I would be adding some quilted lines of beads to link up the applique blocks.

Very pretty.

Almost the same, but I like the one block change!

Beads again, and I am back home again after a week with 30 like minded friends, old and new, sometimes stitching, sometimes talking, and often laughing.

The shape of the beads in these designs is my favourite applique shape … simple in itself, but can be used to create an unlimited selection of designs on projects from a pot holder to a king size quilt.

String of Beads designs are a great way to use scraps, or fabrics purchased for the project. They are also easy to applique by hand or machine if you use fusible webbing … not so easy if you do the needleturn method.

I love the simplicity of the second design, and the spaces which can be filled with quilting, but I cannot pick a favourite today.

Nice one!

The colour of the border/binding makes it look like it has just been added to a very old and faded quilt!

I do like the old part of the quilt though!

Lots and lots of little applique beads!

Not quite so many little applique beads, but more quilting.

My love affair with String of Beads began at the first quilt exhibition I attended soon after I fell in love with patchwork and applique and has no sign of fading away.

I have probably got enough beads left over from previous projects to make another one … but the colours would be a horrible mish mash of colours. It is always more fun to collect fabrics for a project!

Simple, applique and quilting … love it!

Forgot to add quilting to the border! Sorry!

Interesting tangle of beads!

An even more interesting tangle … love it!

Challenge for today … how many applique beads are there in these two quilts?

Despite it being a fairly big number, these are much simpler to make than most other applique designs. All the beads are the same… 2 inches long, .75 inch wide, cut from fabric with fusible web on the wrong side … arrange on the 12.5 inch background square, iron, stitch by hand or machine.

I love the second design!

I like it.

Much more interesting!

As it is I would make this as a tablecloth for a large square table with room for two places on each side. No quilting involved.

However, if I was making it as a quilt there is lots of room for some wonderful quilting! I noticed as I was starting up Electric Quilt this morning that the hint was about using applique motifs as quilting motifs … now, that is a hint I should take note of!

The second design has some wide open spaces which need some quilting too.

I like the subdued colours in this project file.

Love the second design. I think it would look good in bright, or pretty, or even dramatic colour schemes, not just the subdued shown here.