By Denise Baran-Unland For The Herald-News February 2, 2012 8:16PM

Chistery by Darcy Berg

They say every picture tells a story, but that’s especially true for stories on the faces of Darcy Berg’s handmade dolls and art quilts.

For instance, the images on Berg’s quilts are of “people on the street,” individuals with an intense aura about them, whom Berg obtains permission to photograph. One doll, on display at a Southern Illinois steak house, depicts the fictional story of a woman with too many cosmetic surgeries: she has huge lips and failed breast implants.

“Her name is Delores, but she wants everyone to call her Candy,” said Berg, of Plainfield. “I have a sense of humor and this is a creative outlet for it.”

Berg teaches and displays her work at Gallery 7 in Joliet and teaches the Photography Meets Art Quilt and Nature Photography classes at Joliet Junior College. She said her artwork is the marriage of two loves she began nurturing in childhood: sewing and photography.

At the Picnic by Darcy Berg

At 5, Berg played with sewing cards, but by 7 she was hand-stitching clothes for her Barbie dolls and finery for playing “dress up” with her friends. When Berg was 10, her grandmother passed down her electric sewing machine and an aunt presented Berg with her first camera.

“It was a natural combination from me and I just built from there,” Berg said. “The title of my blog is ‘Fear is Not an Option.’ You can’t be afraid to experiment with art. I’ll try anything, just for the heck of it. I feel that, if I’m going to charge people for my work, it’s my responsibility to give them something different and unique. I try to be on the cutting edge as much as possible.”

Merge and Flow Bee by Darcy Berg

Six years ago, Berg was already designing dolls when an acquaintance invited her to join a quilting club. She started with traditional quilting, but grew frustrated with its many rules and guidelines. Art quilts grant her greater flexibility, from size to media.

“I use paint, colored pencil, water color, screen print and dye my own fabric,” Berg said. “Some of my quilts are really small, about two inches by two inches. Some people use plastic thread and attach candy wrappers. The only limit is the door to your imagination.”

Although Berg, like many people, has been affected by the recession (she was laid off in 2009 from her job as a senior environmental planner), she has used this time to focus and further develop her creative process and is pleased at the progress she is making. She hopes people enjoy the stories she tells.

“People have encouraged me to write more,” Berg said, “but I just haven’t had time to do it.”

Visit www.darcyberg.com and Darcy Berg Art on Facebook.

By Kathryn Bassett kathrynb@kpcnews.net
Sunday, 16 October 2011 07:35

Lina Zerkle creates portraits or free-form images representing characteristics of individuals in her quilts.
Photo By Chad Kline

Lina Zerkle blends bold shapes, strong colors, patterns, textures and her own sense of humor to create unique, nontraditional artwork in fabric form.

“It’s more than just technique,” she said of her work. “Once you get the techniques down, you’re free to do whatever you want and break the rules.”

Fiber art is a style of fine art that uses textiles. Quilting, knitting, felting, braiding and flocking and among the forms of fiber art.

Lina Zerkle of Waterloo takes an improvisational approach to her work when making quilts and wall hangings.
Photo by Chad Kline

Taking an improvisational approach to her work, Zerkle, of Waterloo, makes quilts and wall hangings. In addition to abstract designs, Zerkle creates self-portraits, portraits of friends and family members or free-form images representing characteristics of individuals, she said.

Lina Zerkle of Waterloo has experimented with constructing three-dimensional fabric vessels and bowls. Photo By Chad Kline

“My abstract pieces convey moods and express feelings, communicate ideas or tell stories. It is my way to bring order out of chaos,” Zerkle said.

Influenced by her love for clay pottery, Zerkle also has experimented with constructing three-dimensional fabric vessels and bowls.

Zerkle’s work has been exhibited across northeast Indiana at locations such as Artlink in Fort Wayne, shows in Auburn, the Midwest Museum of American Art in Elkhart, the Elkhart Visitors Bureau and the Lerner Performing Art Center in Elkhart.

“Design, color, movement, energy, spirit, joy and humor are important aspects of my work,” said Zerkle. “I enjoy what I do.”

Fiber artist Cher Coburn of Auburn has created berets, bags, scarves and art pieces using the technique of crofusion.
Photo by Kathryn Bassett

Cher Coburn of Auburn has spent her whole life
in the arts.

Through the art of crofusion, Coburn found her voice expressing who she is artistically, she said.

Crofusion is a form of fiber art that involves felting
of crochet.

Fiber artist Cher Coburn of Auburn entitled this piece of crofusion “I Felt Like Scrumbling.” The piece, which takes on the form of a bag, is Coburn’s favorite creation.
Photo Contributed

“I identify with it because its beginnings are like the many threads of my life crocheted together, looking much like ugly ducklings. However once fused together, (they) form the beautiful basis of my world,” Coburn said.

“Finishing with beads, baubles and more represent the many blessings and people in my life and, because of them, the pieces become completed works.”

Fiber artist Cher Coburn used the technique of crofusion, which brings together crocheting and felting, to create this poppy. Photo Contributed

“I’ve crocheted since (age) 16,” Coburn said. “I never followed patterns, and I wanted to do something different. I never followed the norm.

“I have a friend who does free-form crocheting and a friend who was doing felting. I thought the two things together would be really cool.”

Cher Coburn took first place in a contest at the Texas State Fair with this bag, which she created using the technique of crofusion.
Photo Contributed

Bags, berets, scarves. wall hangings and other art pieces are among Coburn’s crofused creations. Her work can be seen at Expressions Gallery in Auburn and Sozo’s in Kendallville.

Martha Snyder of Topeka spends a lot of time at her sewing machine to piece together several sections of fabric to create award winning quilts.
Photo By Chad Kline

Martha Snyder of Topeka expresses herself artistically through the technique of applique. A day does not go by that Snyder is not working on a quilt or applique project, she said.

A seamstress all her life, Snyder began quilting in the early 1980s after taking a class in New Haven.

“That got me started. I’ve been quilting ever since,” she said.

Snyder now focuses her talents on needleturn applique work. Using a pattern, Snyder cuts out pieces of fabric and hand-stitches them onto a background.

Martha Snyder of Topeka uses needleturn appliqué in her quilt designs. Using a pattern, Snyder cuts out pieces of fabric and hand-stitches them onto a background. Photo By Chad Kline

Using the applique technique, Snyder has created a series of mural quilts that depict scenes of lighthouses, churches and covered bridges, barns and trains. Snyder said she uses different types of stitching, embroidery and fabrics on these works.

“You find different fabric that looks likes stone or grass, hills, water and sky,” she added.

Snyder’s favorite piece is entitled, “Ladies of the Sea,” and shows 16 Old World ships from different countries, surrounded by an applique border of flowers. The quilt was judged best of show at the 2010 Shipshewana Quilt Festival and received the viewers’ choice award at the 2010 Appleseed Quit Show in Fort Wayne.

What is your favorite style of fabric art? Have you created your own style?
Share it here with us, we’d love to hear from you.

By Terry White

Quilters are an emotional group of people. We tend to fall in love with a thread, a pair of scissors, a sewing machine or fabric. After we love it, we defend it and try to convince everyone that, “mine is the best!” Please keep this in mind when I give you advice…I am suggesting materials for the beginner. When you get to know all the products available, then you will make informed choices.

The variety of threads available today is wonderful! I have almost never met a thread I didn’t like. However, I didn’t like the 4 for a dollar thread…it was bad thread.

The problem with too many choices is, “What do you need?”

You Need:
• Thread to sew patchwork together
• Thread to stitch appliqué shapes onto fabric
• Thread for the bobbin
• Thread to baste the quilt
• Thread to quilt the quilt
• There are even more choices when it comes to
decorative stitching on the surface of the quilt!

Sewing Patchwork

When you sew patchwork on the sewing machine, you want a thread that is of consistent high quality and will give you a good even stitch.

Coats&Clark Dual Duty regular sewing thread – this is a polyester thread of good quality that most people use. Many good clothing designers and manufacturers use this thread, also.

100% cotton thread – some people feel very strongly about piecing cotton fabric with cotton threads. This thread is also used for appliqué and quilting.

The picture shows a group of 24 colors of STAR cotton thread which I designed, King Tut, Gutermann, Metrosene are favorite threads for piecing.

I use regular sewing thread for patchwork. It is economical and because this thread doesn’t “show” in the work, it doesn’t have to be fancy. Use a thread that blends well with your fabrics so that it doesn’t show.

Stitching Appliqué

Appliqué shapes can be stitched with any good quality thread – depending on the look you want. I think that you should start with either cotton or rayon as these threads behave well in the sewing machine.

The picture shows rayon threads from several different companies. As you can see, rayon thread has a lovely sheen like silk. It actually is a silk substitute (silk thread is very expensive). Rayon thread will shrink and fade after time and it isn’t as strong as cotton. That is why many people use it decoratively in machine embroidery and to enhance appliqué.

The polyester threads that have recently come on the market are quite superior to the old polyesters and give the same look as rayon. They are very good for quilting.

Bobbin Thread

This term can be confusing…there are specific threads called, “bobbin thread”; and any thread that you put in the bobbin will be called “bobbin thread”. Threads called, “bobbin thread” are usually a lightweight thread that is used for programmed machine embroidery. For our purposes, the bobbin thread is that which is put in the bobbin.

When sewing patchwork, use the same thread in the bobbin that you will use in the top of your sewing machine, or, “the needle thread”.

When stitching appliqué shapes to the top of your quilt, use a regular sewing thread in the bobbin, even when you use a cotton or rayon in the needle thread.

When quilting, the bobbin thread should be the same thread as in the needle thread.

Basting Thread

When you baste, you are stitching the quilt top, batting and backing together with very large stitches. This keeps everything in place as you quilt. I use a very strong hand quilting thread for this. I like to use a thread that is similar in color or as light in color as the quilt.

Quilting Thread

There are many threads labeled as “machine quilting” threads…they are all good. The polyesters and cotton threads are the same as described above. Don’t use hand quilting threads, they don’t work well in your sewing machine.

For more information for the beginning quilter,
and free projects by Terry, click here.

by Terry White

Cotton Fabric
When you are new at something, it is best to use the easiest materials. When it comes to sewing a quilt, the best material to use is 100% cotton fabrics. It is very easy to find cotton fabric for quilting these days. Walk into any fabric store and they will have a whole section for quilting. Look at and feel these fabrics. The feel will be a medium weight fabric with body. This is different from lightweight fabrics or upholstery fabrics. There will be a natural feel to the fabric as well, not slippery or heavy or rough. So, this fabric is perfect for cutting out shapes for appliqué or cutting and stitching patchwork.

You will see a beautiful variety of colors and patterns in these cotton fabrics. Where do you start? My first advice is to start with your favorite colors and styles. You will enjoy the process with every quilt you make if you use fabric in the colors and patterns that you love. Here are three representative groups of fabric:


The first group of fabrics is of Japanese design and interspersed with small printed fabrics. The Japanese patterns are rather large and spray across the fabric. The smaller prints sort of contain the large prints and work well together in a patchwork quilt. The colors of the small prints also bridge the colors of the large prints. So, if you like Japanese style and bright intense colors, then this group may appeal to you.


This second fabric grouping is of more old-fashioned or traditional prints. You will find this type of printed fabric in quilts made in the early to mid 1900’s. The fabrics in the photo are reproductions of those old-fashioned fabrics. Quilters who like this style of quilts tend to like a muted color palette and traditional quilt patterns.


This group of fabrics is called Batik. Batiks are made in India and the prints are made by printing the fabric with wax and then they are dyed in various colors. The wax is then melted away, leaving the printed image. So, the prints won’t be perfect even though they are perfectly beautiful. Batik is more tightly woven then regular cotton fabric and some of the wax residue will remain, so they are a little tougher and stronger than regular cotton prints. This group is also very bright in color and appeals to some quilters.

I have shown you three different groups of fabrics, each of which is very popular among quilters. There are many more and lots to learn. You must make your own choices. The more quilts you make (or look at) the more you will learn about how the colors and prints of fabrics work together.


The pattern you will use for your first quilt will also help to determine what fabrics you choose. For example, if you make a pattern which requires high contrast among the fabric pieces, then it will be important to choose dark, medium and light colors to create that contrast. The example to the left is a detail from a Seminole patchwork quilt. The high contrast is created by using colors that contrast as well as dark, medium and light of one color (blue in this case).

Pre-wash your fabrics
There are several reasons to pre-wash your fabric before starting a quilt. Cotton fabrics are finished with assorted chemicals to make them look good in the store, help prevent wrinkles and adds a sheen.

The chemicals can:
1. be harmful to one’s skin over long periods of exposure;
2. hide the real qualities of the fabric by filling in the weave of the fabric and giving the appearance of a finely woven material;
3. be holding in dyes that may run when washed.

Backing Fabric
You want to use the same high quality cotton fabric for the back of your quilt as for the top. Some people use sheets, but this isn’t a good idea because sheets usually have a polyester content in them which causes the needle to skip when machine quilting. If the quilt is to be hand quilted, needling through polyester/cotton mix is very hard. If the sheet used is very high thread count cotton, this is just as hard to work with as the poly/cotton blend. If you have a 100% cotton sheet that feels like your regular cottons used for the top, then this will be fine to use.

Next: Quilt Battings & Threads.

For more information on quilting, especially for the beginner, click here.

By RaeAnn Rex

If you have even basic sewing tools such as scissors, needle and thread, you can successfully learn how to appliqué designs onto your next project. However, there are some great tools out there, some of which are made with a very specialized purpose, that can make appliquéing a simple process. If you’ve ever run from an appliqué project because you didn’t know how to appliqué more difficult pieces, these tools may just make you change your mind.

Tools for Planning and Stabilizing

1. Clear Plastic – When planning your work, it can be helpful to see the big picture. Some appliqué work may be pieced from several smaller pieces, as in the case of adding people or flowers. Using a marker, trace the design onto clear plastic, so that you can determine the placement of each smaller piece before sewing them into place. While the drawing will not have any seam allowances shown, be sure to leave a small allowance on each smaller piece for sewing.

2. Fusible Web or Stabilizer – When working with stretchable fabrics, it is essential to stabilize them in order to prevent pulling and stretching. Other fabrics can also be easier to work with when using a fusible stabilizer, to keep the item in place while stitching. Fusible web will not need to be removed, but some of the fusible stabilizers will. These can either be placed on the wrong side of the main fabric the appliqué is being applied to, or they can be ironed to the wrong side of the appliqué to stabilize it. Stitch the piece down normally until you have enough of it in place that you don’t need the stabilization, then remove the paper with hemostats or tweezers before finishing it off. Freezer paper can be used as an inexpensive stabilizer in this manner.

Tools that Make Difficult Sections Easy

3. Tube Turners – Making a tube with right sides together, you can use a tube turner to pull it back through. These all work on the premise that you push them through the tube and then pull it right side out.

4. Bias Pressing Bars – To avoid turning tubes, try using a pressing bar to make your tubes. Sew the tube wrong sides together, then insert the pressing bar, scoot the seam over to the middle, and press it flat. You can then put the seam side down, and appliqué it to the project easily!



5. Circle Rotary Cutter – These little cutters are much like a compass. There is a measuring guide to allow you to choose the size of the circle, and the rotary blade makes cutting circles easy. Set the size first, then position the center point in the center of the circle you want to cut. With the blade in, make a quick circle to check that you have enough fabric, then pop the blade out, and with even pressure, cut the circle.

6. Circle Templates – Once you have your circles cut, put in a quick running stitch around the edge of them by hand. Insert a circle template into the middle, and tug the thread gently to gather the edges tight around the mica template. Adjust the gathers to be sure they are even, and press into place. You can then add a liquid stabilizer and let dry, press again, and then remove the template when it is cool. Be sure to keep the running stich thread in place so that you can easily open and close the circle again to remove the template.

Learning how to appliqué while using tools designed specifically for the job at hand can save time, and make more difficult projects open to even the less experienced sewers.

What are some of your favorite tools for qppliqué, sewing, quilting, etc.?

Unique Exhibit on Display in Santa Paula

By Annie Eitman 10/13/2011

The California Oil Museum boasts an extensive display of local history consisting of antiques illustrating our region’s legacy in the oil industry. Soon, amid the various vintage tools hefted over the years by muscular and muddy derrick workers, the museum will be hosting a rather unusual exhibit. Just past the antique gas pumps and the authentic drilling rig built of cast iron and timber, the public will be able to view quilts crafted by men.

Red Eyed Tree Frog Quilt by Rob Appell

“Men Quilting! Quilts Made by Men,” is the theme for the 13th Annual Heritage Valley Festival of Quilts. This unusual collection will be on display from Oct. 16 through Feb. 5 at the Museum.

Influenced perhaps by our uncertain economic times, quilting has enjoyed a bit of a comeback. Quilting offers both creativity and comfort, an artful outlet while serving a functional purpose. The stereotypical quilt is often a quaint, common throwback to the days when life was simple, and when people took otherwise wasted bits of material and fashioned them back to life.

More than 200 years ago, men who quilted were a common occurrence in places such as England. Quilts constructed by English soldiers were prominently displayed during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Today there are at least 21 million active quilters in the United States, but their profile has changed substantially. The average quilter is about 62 years-old, college educated and female, but there are exceptions.

Kai Johnson of Moorpark is 8 years old. This past summer his grandmother helped him piece together his first quilt, which will be on display at the California Oil Museum. His grandmother is an avid quilter, participating each year in the world’s largest outdoor quilt show in Sisters, Ore. His first quilt follows traditional patterns, but incorporates youthful colors. “My favorite part of quilting is choosing the colors and patterns of the fabrics and piecing the quilt together,” says Kai.

Today’s quilts don’t always follow the patterns of the past. Pictorial quilts often leave the rhythmic color play behind, opting instead to illustrate an event or idea. Roget Nguyen of Ventura will be exhibiting his quilts, “New York” and “Paris.” Both evoke the hustle and bustle of grand cities and remind one of modern art. Quilts in their creation, but cubist in their execution.

Bengal Tiger Quilt by Rob Appell

Rob Appell, owner of The Cotton Ball Quilt Shop in Morro Bay, will have a few quilts in the exhibit. Appell’s works showcase his varied interests in surfing, design, science and protecting endangered species. One of Appell’s quilts features a dramatic, colorful close-up of a Bengal tiger. Like many of the exhibit’s displays, Appell’s quilt offers a rhythm not seen in traditional quilting — the tiger’s stripes form a jagged but repeating pattern, its bright green eyes challenge us. The tiger is part of a series dedicated to endangered species, with a portion of the revenue generated from sales of the quilt patterns donated to the World Wildlife Fund.

Appell notes the surge in male quilters: “I must admit I feel a bit confused by the guys starting to make it public that they make quilts. When I first started years back there were very few of us guys who were brave enough to confess that they made quilts, and now it is no longer such a rare thing. I love being recognized for my art, and yes, being a young male who makes quilts helps me to get recognized.”

“Men Quilting! Quilts Made by Men,” Oct. 16 through Feb. 5 at The California Oil Museum, 1001 E. Main St. in Santa Paula. The public is invited to attend the opening reception on Sunday, Oct. 16 from 1 to 3 p.m.. Light refreshments will be served. A short gallery talk by guest curator Linda Wilkinson will be held at 1:30 p.m. Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.

eitman@mindspring.com

by Terry White

My brother, Wally (the carpenter) gave me 20 old printer’s trays. Then, I received a beautiful set of Havel’s scissors….I know….I’ll make cool displays for my scissors! The first one I made is now on the set of Quilting Arts TV. So, I took photos of step-outs for my second tray. I still have to make another to replace my first one…..that’s okay, because this is fun!













So, the first thing to do was to lay out the scissors in the best arrangement. This grouping of scissors includes 9″ Professional Dura-Sheers and 9″ Serrated Dura-Sheers. Good scissors are essential to my fiber work.












Next, I pulled out my cool notion collection. The way I feel about it is that, if I don’t use my cool notions, then someday, somebody else will buy them in an estate sale!










As I began to lay things out, the colors and graphics of the Kohinoor Snap Card set the tone for the work. So, I exchanged some of my first ideas and used strong graphic design pieces.











After getting an idea of where things would go, I placed them on a large corkboard. I was careful to place them in the same arrangement.









I wear my safety glasses when doing this kind of work – using a chisel and mallet, I made angled cuts in the center of each little partition slat. Then, I cut the slats at the intersections.









When all my cuts were made, I sealed the tray with “White Lightening”. It is a white stain and a sealer; very easy to use, just brush it on. From this point, I can paint with acrylics and use my hot glue gun to add my pieces.









I attached some of the notion cards with “HandiTak” reusable adhesive. It doesn’t hurt the notion card – just in case I find out that one of these antiques is a National Treasure!









This could be a weekend project, but I like to work on a project like this over some time. It gives me a chance to think about the little vignettes I can create, and consider design choices.

Here is Terry’s first print tray scissors storage holding Havel’s Sew Creative Line.


To see more projects by Terry White click here.

You can make this project with fused scraps, or by selecting the fabrics that you desire from your own stash. I would suggest that you choose 6-8 different fabrics that are the same value, but have contrasting colors, so that when you make your design, the colors will pop when placed side by side.

Materials
• 1/2 yard of wool blended felt
• Fused scraps
• Mistyfuse
• Goddess sheet or parchment paper
• Thread for free motion machine quilting
• Adhesive Velcro
• 2 straight pins
• Comfort Rotary Cutter
• 8″ Havel’s Scissors for precision cutting

1. Cut 2 pieces of wool blended felt 17 1/2″ long by 6″ wide
with a rotary cutter on a mat with a ruler. Set aside.



2. If you don’t have any fused fabrics, you can use Mistyfuse – lay the fusible web on the wrong side of the fabric, making sure none of it goes over the sides.



3. Cover with parchment paper or a Goddess sheet and press with a dry iron on the wool setting. Pull the parchment paper or Goddess sheet away immediately.
Let cool, and then trim the edges with a pair of Havel’s scissors
for precision cutting, so that the fusible goes to the edges.



4. Scraps – I store all of my scraps by color in bin drawers.



5. In looking at your fabric selection, find the one that stands out the most for the 2 sticks that you will use at the end. My selection was lime green fabric,
and they are cut 2” long by 1/4″ wide, cut 8 pieces.



6. Proceed to cut your fabrics into a variety of squares and rectangles from 1” to 2”,
with either a rotary cutter or a pair of scissors.



7. Begin placing the cut fabrics onto one piece of wool blended felt. You can overlap the edges with the fabrics. When you have the design that you like, iron them into place.



8. Add the fused sticks throughout the design.



9. Flip the piece over and trim excess fabric from the edges with scissors.



10. Cut a piece of Mistyfuse to put between the 2 pieces of wool blended felt and iron into place, like a sandwich. Iron both sides to keep it from separating.



11. Press the fused fabric side with your iron, so it remains flat.



12. Thread your sewing machine with your thread selection. I used black thread for this project. Lay the fused piece under the foot, and anchor your first stitches into place,
and then proceed to zig-zag all around the piece to secure the edges.



13. With a free motion foot, anchor your starting stitch by sewing it into place,
backwards and forwards. For free motion quilting, I sewed free flowing stitches
of leaves and stems, over the entire piece.



14. See the detail stitching on the fabric side.



15. See detail stitching from the felt side.



16. Get your Kindle out, and place it on the inside (the felt side),
and measure the flap, it should fit just over the keyboard, about 2”.



17. Pin into place, remove Kindle, and sew the sides using the zig-zag stitch
on your sewing machine.



18. Cut the adhesive Velcro 2” long, and trim it just slightly lengthwise.



19. Flip the cover down towards the tab to measure where the Velcro
will meet up, and adhere into place.



20. Let each Velcro piece cure separately to the fabric for a bit, by pressing it
under a book for about 30 minutes before closing them onto each other.



Now you have a great cover for your Kindle or to give as a gift.
Here is another one that I made using silk scraps.

Jamie Fingal is an award winning artist who lives in Orange, California and the author of “Embellished Mini Quilts”. Her whimsical and abstract work has been juried into International quilt exhibitions and featured in many books. She has written articles for Quilting Arts, Cloth Paper Scissors, Gifts, and Studios magazines, and she has two instructional DVD’s. She’s been a guest on Quilting Arts TV in Series 200, 400, 700, 900, and is most known for her playful approach to quilt making with zippers, houses, abstract and faces. Her work is in private, public and corporate collections. She is also a grown up Girl Scout and her artwork is featured on an Ecco-Bag for ABC Bakers for the 2010 Cookie Sales. Her piece “Soul Sisters” won the grand prize in the contest for the Alliance for American Quilts in 2011. Jamie says, “I believe in giving back, and coordinate the “Welcome Home” house quilt project with Furnishing Hope. I also co-curate art quilt exhibits and teach at the National level with Leslie Tucker Jenison for Dinner at Eight Artists.”

Be sure to check out Jamie’s blog jamiefingaldesigns.blogspot.com,
and if you’d like to contact her, you may email her at jamie.fingal@gmail.com
or snail mail: 960 N. Tustin Street #253, Orange, CA 92867

To see more free quilt projects click here.

For a printable PDF of this project, click here.

– Posted: Saturday, October 15, 2011 2:30am

There’s a lot of “quilting” going on in Le Roy these days – not the kind that involves fabric – but quilt designs painted on plywood and hung on the sides of barns.


It’s the beginnings of a barn quilt trail that will help mark the Town of Le Roy’s bicentennial in 2012. About a half-dozen quilts have already been erected around town with more in the works and a goal of at least 20. The quilts range in size from a 4′x4′ to 8′x8′.

Le Roy Historical Society Director Lynne Belluscio says the project is an appropriate way to celebrate because Le Roy is an agricultural community.

The project also helps to create a sense of community pride, she said.

“We want people to feel good about the community they live in. When they hear about the barn quilt project they say, ‘Hey, that’s a neat idea.’ In Genesee County and Le Roy the agricultural heritage is so important,” says Belluscio, who has a quilt on her barn at her home on North Road.

Enthusiastic Response

She says she did not know much about barn quilt trails and how to develop them until she went online and searched for “barn quilts.”

“I was totally blown away,” she says.

Belluscio learned that barn quilt trails got their start only about 10 years ago in Ohio.

“Now almost 30 states have barn quilt projects,” she notes.

Among them, is a barn quilt trail in Kendall that began in 2006. Belluscio visited with Lora Partyka of Partyka Farms to find out how the project came together. “I had a lot of questions and I wanted to find all that out,” Belluscio says.

Armed with her recently acquired knowledge, Belluscio approached Shelley Stein of Stein Farms in Le Roy to get her reaction to the idea of a barn quilt project for their community.

“She was extremely enthusiastic,” Belluscio says.

Together, they had “a ‘quilting bee’ in my garage,” Belluscio says, to work on the first barn quilt and see what it took to put one together.

Stein, who painted a quilt for her barn on Conlon Road and is working on a second for a Gulley Road barn, says the project is a great undertaking for Le Roy. Not only does the project celebrate the town’s bicentennial and increase community awareness, but it also highlights “the history and heritage of the are through agriculture.”

It’s also a project that can carry on into the future, she says.

“The outpouring of creativity is so, so special,” says Stein. “It’s a wholesome project. It has set everybody on fire with enthusiasm.”

Quilts Tell Stories

Stein said the story behind the quilts is fascinating because each participant has chosen patterns and colors with significance for them. Stein’s first quilt, on a yellow family barn on Conlon Road, uses a pattern called “Nonesuch.” The design was taken from a quilt owned by her great-grandmother.

The project’s first quilt was up by Labor Day weekend for a family reunion at Sylvia Fraser’s home (Matthews Farm) on Route 5 just west of the Village of Le Roy. The barn is in a highly visible location on the north side of the road.

Fraser chose a pattern known as “Friendship Circle” or “Dresden Plate.”

“I like the title,” she says, “because of the many friends that are part of the Le Roy Historical Society and because people in Le Roy are so friendly.”

Fraser’s family worked together on the quilt. Her niece, who is an architectural engineer, enlarge the pattern to the 8′x8′ size.

It was a fun project, Fraser says. “I would encourage other people to do it,” she says.

A Community Project

The entire community is embracing the idea. “As people learned about it, everybody wanted to do one,” Belluscio says.

Belluscio is working to get the community’s business involved. Potter Lumber is providing plywood at a discount and Crocker’s Ace Hardware on North Road is helping with paint. Crocker’s, on North Street Road, has added a quilt block using the “Railroad Crossing” pattern to one of it’s buildings, and Potter is also planning a quilt, Belluscio says.

Belluscio would also like school kids to get involved designing their own quilts.

“Families can get involved,” she says. “It’s a postitive, exciting thing.”

History Included


The barn quilts provide an opportunity to remind people that the barns are still here. The history fo the the barns will be a part of the project, says Belluscio, who is willing to help residents do any research involved.

Belluscio is designing a community barn quilt that will feature and eight-point “Le Roy Star.” The interior of the star will include 200 diamond shapes to represents the town’s 200 years. Symbolic colors will be used in the pattern.

“Blue for Oatka Creek, red and black for the school, light blue for Ingham University,” she explains. “I would like to have community members come and help oaint the quilt, possibly during festivities that will likely be on June 8, 2012 – the date that makes the 200th anniversary of New York State’s passing of legislation creating the town.

The Le Roy Star quilt might eventually hang on the town’s Highway Department buildings after being displayed at Town Hall, Belluscio says.

Looking Ahead

Next summer’s exhibit at Le Roy House will also feature quilts and will include tie-ins to the barn quilt project, she adds.

Belluscio says she can help those interested in having a barn quilt get one up. Participants can get as involved as they like – from doing every step of the process by themselves to having the Historical Society complete an entire quilt for a fee.

Belluscio hopes the Historical Society will have some 4′x4′ barn quilts ready to auction off early next year.

There is already a barn quilt on display at the Jell-O Gallery. Appropriately named “Jell-O Jigglers” it features all the bright colors of the popular dessert invented in Le Roy.

A barn quilt trail website is active at www.leroybarnquilt.org. The website provides information about each quilts pattersn and the barns, with more to come.

“We hope to have at least 20 up by next year of the big ones,” Belluscio says, “that would make a really good driving route.”

Where to Look

Le Roy’s barn quilts can be found at:
Matthews Farm on north side of Route 5, just west of Le Roy. Features “Dresden Plate” or “Friendship Circle” pattern.
Stein Family Barn on Conlon Road. The quilt pattern and color scheme was taken from a quilt owned by Shelley Stein’s great grandmother. It is known as “Nonesuch” or “Friendship Pattern.”
Jell-O Gallery, 23 East Main St. The 4′x4′ square is named “Jell-O Jigglers.” Its colors represent Jell-O flavors of lemon, lime, grape, strawberry and orange.
Lynne Belluscio’s Northview Farm, 8148 North Rd. The barn quilt is easy to miss because of the trees, but it is the “Whig Rose” pattern. The pattern was painted by Belluscio from a quilt that she sewed for her granddaughter.
Crocker’s Ace Hardware, 8457 North Street Rd. The quilt pattern is “Railroad Crossing.”
Walters Barn, 9306 Summit Street Rd. Town Historian Irene Walters painted the patriotic “Star of Hope” or “Sunflower” pattern.
Crnkovich’s Farm Market, 8041 East Main Rd.
West Bergen Road, between Randall and Selden roads, features a red barn with a red, white and blue “Starburst” patterned quilt.

For more information, contact Lynne Belluscio at (585) 768-7433.

by Leslie Jenison

In this tutorial I demonstrate how to use sheers to build a layer over the surface of a project. For this project I took scraps of fabric that had been used for a previous project and fused them to a base-layer of cotton cloth with Mistyfuse fusible.

After fusing the initial layer, I machine stitched about half the strips into place with a combination of straight stitches and variable width satin-stitch.

Micro-serrated edges add the needed "grip" to handle slippery fabrics - here is a piece of fused organza.

Using more scraps from a previous project, in this case, a piece of silk organza and silk charmeuse (both notoriously fussy to handle) that were pre-fused with Mistyfuse fusible, I used my Havel’s 7″ Serrated Sewing/Quilting Scissors to free-cut small irregular rounded shapes. These shapes were used to build another layer over the fused strips, thus adding depth and focal interest to my piece.

Since the micro-serrated edges hold the cloth in place, the curved cut is smooth.

Cut pieces are positioned on the surface.

Using a Teflon pressing sheet, the pieces are fused into place with a hot dry iron.

Additional small pieces of fused organza are fused into place to create a layered focal point for the quilt.

The edges of the fused organza are free-motion stitched around the edges.

Once fused into place I chose to free-motion stitch around the edge of each piece to assure stability. After each piece was stitched into place and secured with a lock-stitch, I used Havel’s Snip-A-Stitch to clip the threads very close to the surface of the cloth by holding a small amount of traction on the top and bobbin threads while clipping. The rounded tip makes it possible to get very close to the fabric surface and clip without risking a cut into the cloth surface. It is very important to lock your final stitches in place with several close stitches prior to clipping. The added traction will cause the clipped threads to be “buried” in the quilt layers.

Using the snip-a-stitch and holding traction on the two threads (top and bobbin),
it is possible to trim the threads so they are "buried" in the quilt.

The surface was stitched wherever there were raw edges on the quilt surface,
then the outer edges were satin stitched to the felt.

The edge of the quilt is sewn into place with satin stitch.

With needle down, it is possible
to turn the stitch line 90 degrees.

Corners can be "mitered" by slowly increasing
the satin stitch width.

A second layer of felt was added below the first, this layer one-half inch larger than the first layer all the way around. The second layer of felt is secured into place by straight-stitching around the perimeter of satin-stitching, 1/8 inch from the edge.

Another layer of felt is added that is 1/2 inch wider around the perimeter.
It is stitched into place by sewing a straight stitch 1/8 inch outside the satin stitched edge.

Silk charmeuse is notoriously difficult to handle. The micro-serrations in the scissors make cutting these shapes very easy! Here is a second quilt, using silk charmeuse cut into irregular shapes and fused to the surface, then stitched by machine.

These small quilts can be framed or hung by adding a hanging device to the back.

To see other ideas for quilted wall art just click here.