Welcome to the Fanciful Stitches blog tour!

If you are a fan of bright hand dyed fabrics, fusible applique and beautiful embroidered stitching, you have arrived at the right place.

Today, I am sitting down with my good friend Laura Wasilowski for a little chat about her new book

Fanciful Stitches, Colorful Quilts
11 Easy Appliqué Projects 
to Embroider by Hand.

Please, pour a hot cup of tea and make yourself comfortable.

Laura seated in the infamous blue chair

Judy:  Laura, your pattern transfer process, where you trace the pattern piece onto the silicon release paper and then iron it to the fused side of the fabric, is brilliant!

I am guessing, that was one of those happy accidents that you discovered along the way of making fused quilts?

Laura:  Yes! It’s a miracle! Discovering how to transfer a specific shape to fused fabric by drawing the shape on silicon release paper was a happy accident. I had written some numbers on release paper, then ironed fused fabric to that same paper. Voila! The numbers transferred to the fused side of the fabric. I then realized you could use release paper and a Sharpie marker to transfer pattern shapes to fabric. 

Here’s a link to my recent blog post on how to transfer patterns:

There are so many great stitching ideas!
with easy to follow stitching diagrams.

Judy:  Do you have another great tip or technique that you always recommend to your students for fusing success?

Laura:  Thou shalt not kill the glue. 

Fusible web is a heat activated glue. Every time it feels the heat of the iron, it melts, and then re-solidifies. Exposure to too much heat for too long will burn the glue into the fabric. When that happens the fabric gets really stiff, may look like it has oil stains, is hard to stitch, and may no longer glue into place.

Practice safe fusing. Apply only 5 seconds of heat at a time while building your fused composition. When finished with your art work, steam set it to the batting for 10 seconds in each spot. The steam sets the glue.

Go here for more fusing tips:    

Judy:  What is your preferred method for hanging your small fused quilts?

Laura:  My favorite method of hanging small quilts is a little loop that is sewn into place on the back in the upper center. These quilts have a wrapped binding around batting and Timtex so they are rigid and have wavy edges. They hang flat and I don’t have to deal with a stupid rod pocket!

Here are directions for the wrapped binding.

Judy:  Have you come up with a theme song to go with your new book?

Laura:  Of course! It is sung to the tune of the Battle Hymn of the Republic:

Mine Eyes have seen the glory of embroidery on quilts,
How a simple stitch can take your quilt from flat to fabulous,
Whether running stitch or French knots, or the mighty herringbone,
One stitch is all you need.

Glory, glory to the stitcher,
May your quilt tops look much richer,
Be proud of what you do for your work is artistry,
All hail embroidery!

Thanks Judy! May your edges be free yet stuck for ages.

Leave a comment for your chance to win a copy of Laura’s new book! (sorry U.S. residents only, publishers request)

Be sure and check back Friday when the winner will be announced and in the meantime check out all these other fun stops on the tour.

The Fanciful Stitches, Colorful Quilts Blog Tour! rolls on:

April 19  Annie Smith 
April 23  Melody Johnson
April 24  Jane Moxey 
April 25  Lyric Kinard 
April 26 Judy Coates Perez
April 29  Jane LaFazio 
May 2 Susan Brubaker Knapp 
May 3  Frieda Anderson 
May 4 Connecting Threads

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97 responses to “Welcome to the Fanciful Stitches blog tour!”

  9. What a great interview and wonderful ideas. I’d love to win a copy of the book. Looks like a creative combination of quilting and embroidery.

    Reply

  10. Fun interview and thanks to Laura for sharing some techniques! Would love to have a copy of the book.

    Beth
    BPier12(at)aol(dot)com

    Reply

  17. Thanks to Laura, I’ve started adding embroidery to some of my smaller works. What a difference it can make!

    bsherwood(at)cox(dot)net

    Reply

  37. I love her work and tutorials, and want to do more fun, art pieces. I am working with a lighter weight fusible and realized that glue does act differently than on the heavier weight, need to use less heat.

    Debbie

    Reply

  38. I just came back from a self redirected tour of Laura’s blog. I love it too! The book looks delightful and Laura~what a campy sense of humour you have. it is so much fun…..
    Linda

    Reply

  39. I love the Battle Hymn of the Embroiderer! Laura is so much fun, I wished the two of you lived next door. Wishing you both a wonderful week.

    Reply

  44. LOL! Love the song and the statement about “may your edges be free and forever stuck” (that was close right?) I loved reading about this process. Very cool stuff.
    -Barbara Z

    Reply

  54. I love Laura’s work and I love her quirky sense of humor. I wish I lived next door to her because she is so much fun and I could learn all of her tips and tricks first-hand. It doesn’t look like I’ll be her neighbor, but if I could win her book, I could pretend she was next door!

    Reply

  55. Every time Laura speaks I learn some technique or hit.
    And now she’s wearing a wonderful tree skirt poncho. :^)
    Thanks, Judy, for the great interview with Laura.
    Hugs,
    Gerry
    I’m following.

    Reply

  56. What a great book…I love it! And love the interview. Laura is so much fun. I heard her speak not too long ago in Santa Rosa, and she is hilarious! I would love to win a copy of her book!

    Reply

  57. Good interview with good tips – thanks to you both – I do so want to win Laura’s book so can have it sit in my lap as work along on my first fusible projects. Thanks for the chance to enter.

    Reply

  65. Thank you for all the helpful information in your book and on your blog! Bright cheerful colors, embroidery and a giving heart, too!

    Reply

  75. That was a lovely interview, Judy! Fun, entertaining, and I learned a lot too! Can’t wait to take Laura’s class when she comes to St. Louis in September.

    Reply

  76. Thanks Judy, that was a fun interview. I follow Laura’s blog so I would love to win this book.

    I also have seen you on television and always learn something new when you are on. Thanks for sharing your talent and ideas.

    Reply

  78. I love Laura’s work. I enjoyed her recent postings on her blog about this wonderful book. I have a New Jersey mailing address. Thanks for counting me in, Judy.

    Reply

  85. I love the look of this book. The kind of quilts I like to think about making anyways. If I won this book I’d probably do one. If I don’t I may end up buying it.

    Reply

  86. I love the internet and the learning opportunities it affords! I can’t get enough of creative blogs like yours Judy, and now, my goodness Laura Wasilowski! Her book would be an inspiration in my library!

    Reply

  92. I took Laura’s class at Quilt in the Desert and was hooked on her techniques and sense of humor. It was the first time I tried any form of improvisation in my quilting, and I lived to tell about it! Hooray for the Chicago School of Fusing!

    Reply

  93. {Squeal!} I would *love* to win a copy of Laura’s book! And thank you so much, Judy, for participating in this blog-hop give-away and giving me a chance.
    =-)

    lupansgirl(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply

  97. This is one of the most incredible blogs Ive read in a very long time. The amount of information in here is stunning, like you practically wrote the book on the subject.

    Reply

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