Embellished Sweatshirts - Just in time for Fall!

Our next Choo Choo meeting will be this coming Monday, October 20, and the program will be on Embellished Sweatshirts. Nancy Allen and Cristy Clark of Team Beverly will be presenting several different techniques to make colorful, cozy sweatshirt jackets. It's fun, and you are guaranteed to get compliments every time you wear your jacket!

Left: The sweatshirt jacket that Cristy has now worn 5000 times!
Right: Quilted sweatshirt with a woven cotton lining.

Raw Edged strips quilted to sweatshirt

This program will be mostly demonstration and examples, so no supplies are necessary. If you have a sweatshirt already and you want to know how to get started - bring it along! We'll offer tips for all aspects of this project.

Also - just a reminder: Our Challenge Quilts are due at our November meeting. You still have plenty of time to join in the fun. The Paint Chip Challenge Rules are posted here.

We hope to see everyone Monday at 6:30 pm. at Valleybrook Presbyterian Church.

Hand techniques featured at this summer's guild meetings

Throughout the summer, the Choo Choo Quilters examined more quilting techniques done by hand. The July program was about embellishing quilts and wearables.

Delores discussed many options for embellishing quilts. 

Delores Dady showed myriad examples of surface embellishments she has done on her quilts including hand embroidery, couching with yarns and ribbons, attaching buttons, fabric tubes and found objects, and beading. 

Fabric beads and silk ties were re-purposed
to embellish this small wall hanging.

Guild member, Veronica Hofman-Ortega (left), had a beaded project published in this book, Creative Quilting with Beads. 

Delores Dady (right) showed examples of beaded embellishments on quilts.
She referenced "Creative Quilting with Beads," a book in which
fellow guild member, Veronica Hofman-Ortega (left), had a project.

This art quilt is embellished with re-purposed silk ties, tie labels, beaded buttons and eyelash yarn.

Embellished quilt with recycled materials.

Betty Galbreth talked about hand embroidery during the crazy quilting era.

Betty embroidered the Dresden motif on a pillow
to coordinated with the Dresden Plate quilt.

Hand embroidered crazy quilt blocks.

Other options for creative embellishment came during Show and Tell. Cristy Clark (left) used a fused foil technique to embellish a summer dress. Joanna Lienti (right) recycled and overdyed a shirt to extend its life.

Cristy Clark (left) with embellished dress.
Joanna Lienti up-cycled a man's shirt by overdoing it.

Appliqué was the focus at the August guild meeting. The program featured several techniques and tips for hand, raw edge, and fusible appliqué.

Ginny explained various appliqué techniques.

The August program provided examples and tips for appliqué.

Hand applique. 

Applique created from a drawing in a children's coloring book.

The buttonhole stitch is one option for covering raw edges.

Guild members used a fusible technique to appliqué fabric to the cover of a small notebook.

Fusible applique.

The Choo Choo Quilters always have an interesting and diverse Show and Tell at guild meetings:

Janet shows pieces from a workshop with Gwen Marston.

Melody's art quilts on painted box frames.

Betty's 4-patch kaleidoscope quilt.

Hand quilting on a Gee's Bend style quilt.

Hand quilted nine patch bed quilt.

Close-up of hand quilting. 

Modern style sailboat quilt.

Strippy Cuddle Quilt in a rainbow of colors.

Appliquéd holiday door hanging.

Improvisational piecing with gentle curves.

Four-patch kaleidoscope quilt.

Beautiful hand appliqué bed quilt featuring fruits.

As you can see, we're always having a good time at our meetings!