Quilt-As-You-Go Tutorial

Day 164: A couple of people asked for more detail on this quilt-as-you-go project, so I've put together a little tutorial.

First of all, you will need to cut your fabric and batting. It won't matter if you want to use larger hexagons. The stipulation is that the sides of the large one are an inch longer than those of the small one so you can turn a 1/4" border. I have used a 3" hexagon for the backing and a 2" one for the center. The batting should be cut to the same size as the center (top left image).

Turn the large hexagon face down. Center the batting on top of it, and place the 2" hexagon fabric on top of that (top right image).

Begin by folding one edge of the large hexagon to meet the edges of the batting and center. Crease it with a fingernail. Turn it again and place a clip in the middle of the side temporarily. Turn the second edge of the large hexagon to meet the edges again, then turn it a second time and crease it as before. You will notice that the corner automatically mitres. Place a clip on the corner. Repeat the process all the way around (left middle image).

When you reach the last corner, remove the clip from the middle of the starting side and place it on the corner. Now you're ready to sew the border in place (middle right image).

Take tiny stitches through the center fabric and just catch down the border with each one. Do NOT stitch through the large hexagon backing! At the corners, take a few stitches out to the edge, then pass the needle back through the fabric to emerge at the inside corner. When you have stitched all the way around, you're ready to quilt the centers. I prefer to poke down, poke up through all three layers as if I was doing needlepoint, but you can use a running stitch if you like. It's faster to use a running stitch, but the stitches on the back will be smaller than those on the front. When you've finished quilting your hexagon, stitch it together with another one, using an overcast stitch with the front sides facing each other. The quilting stitches will be more visible on the reverse side of the piece. Build your quilt as large as you like!

Pickin' And Grinnin'

Day 95: My readers have often heard me refer to the fact that I use the European method of "picking" when knitting, as opposed to "throwing" in the American style. Picking is a much faster system, particularly when working ribbing because it is much easier to bring the yarn to the front of the needle for a purl stitch. In picking, the working strand is held in the left hand. Depending on the individual knitter, tension is achieved by carrying the yarn over the backs of one or more fingers or by winding it around a finger. I prefer to wrap it around my pinkie. It then passes over the index finger from back to front.

To make a knit stitch (top), the working thread should be behind the left needle. The tip (only the tip!) of the right needle is inserted in the first stitch on the left needle in the normal fashion and is "picked" through to the front. The stitch is then slid off the needle. At this point, the knitter will see how easy it is to bring the working thread to the FRONT of the left needle for a purl stitch. To purl (bottom), the yarn is held in front of the left needle. The right needle passes through the first stitch on the left needle in the usual manner. A slight twist of the left wrist drops the working thread over the tip of the right needle from front to back, and the stitch is then taken off the left needle. There is no tedious transferring of the yarn from front to back as there is in throwing. Rather, it is how the needles are positioned which allow the stitch to be knit or purled as desired.

Picking is easy to learn whether you're right-handed or left-handed (I am right-handed), but for lefties, it is much easier than throwing American-style. Try it! You'll be pickin' and grinnin' in no time at all!

Hoya Orb

Day 228: It's been a while since I made an Orb. This is a fun bit of post-processing which is easy to effect with almost any halfway decent graphics software. A certain degree of artistry is involved, but not enough to be intimidating, even for folks who have just graduated from Windows Paint. You'll want to have an assortment of images to play with, if only to learn how to position your subject to get the best results. Flower photos are a great place to begin.

The first action you will take is to "promote the background layer" (Layers menu). Once this is done, crop the image into a square. Do this by changing the settings for "canvas size" (not "image size"). Let's say we're working with a 4320 x 3240 pixel image. Set the canvas size to 3000 x 3000 to give yourself a little "wiggle room." Now because you've promoted the background layer, you'll be able to slide your image around until you have your flower fairly well centered (centering is not a requirement, but until you get used to making Orbs, you'll get a higher percentage of attractive results). Once you have your flower in a good position, "merge" the layers (Layers menu). If you look at the image information at this point, it will tell you that you have an image measuring 3000 x 3000. Save the file.

Here comes the tricky part! Follow the directions exactly, because if you mix up Step 1 and Step 3, the results won't be an Orb. In the Effects menu of your photo processing software, select "Polar Coordinates." It may be a sub-menu under "Distortion" or something with a similar name. I use PaintShopPro, but other software should use similar terms.

READ THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY!

1) Convert POLAR to rectangle.
2) Flip the image top to bottom.
3) Convert RECTANGLE to polar.

The most common error in creating an Orb is to start with Rectangle to POLAR because most photo processing software lists it first. You must convert POLAR to rectangle in Step 1, or the Orb will not work out right.

Orbs remind me of those wonderful glass paperweights. Make yourself a whole collection, because this version won't ever need to be dusted!

Making A Paper Ball

Day 86: You'll find instructions for this origami figure in almost any book or website offering a basic introduction to the art of paper folding, however, what I'm showing you here is just one component of a kit given to me as a Christmas present from my good friend Patty. When I have all the balls folded and inflated, they will be installed along a string of lights, and hopefully, I'll have them done in time for New Year's Eve. Patty was curious how you got from a flat sheet of paper to a cute little ball, so I promised to take pictures of the steps.

First, fold your piece of origami paper on the diagonal (white to the inside). Unfold it, and fold it again along the other diagonal. Lay it out flat. You will see that you have fold lines which intersect in the middle of the paper. Now turn the paper over, and fold it in half across the width of the paper (color to the inside). Only make one fold. Now we'll collapse the figure. Lay the form on the table, colored side up, and push the edges in so that the intersection of fold lines rises as a peak. Flatten it out, and you'll see that you've created the triangular form shown in the second image.

Next take the outer points of the triangle to the center of the peak and crease the folds on one side of the form. Do the same for the opposite side. You now have a square. Fold the side points in to meet at the center (bottom of the third image) and crease them well. For simplicity's sake, the images from here on only show the fold on one side of the figure. Repeat the identical folds on the opposite side of the form.

In the first of the middle row of images, you can see the points folded in during the last step. Above them, you will fold down the top points to make a crease. The top points should be returned to their previous position after creasing. Now following the second image, fold the tips of the points down to meet the center junction. The third move in this series is a little tricky. Those points must be inserted into the little "pockets" in the side folds. It helps if you curl them slightly with a thumbnail. Once you have them seated in the pockets, be sure they are well creased. Your form will look like the first figure in the bottom row.

To inflate the ball, open it out as shown in the center bottom photo. At one end, there will be a small hole where the paper edges meet. Put it up to your lips and give a quick, firm blow. The ball should puff out into its inflated shape! Have a ball making your own origami light string!

Braid With No Ends

Day 227: How can you braid the middle of a leather strip if you don't have loose ends to work with? Why, just like you'd braid anything else, right over left, left over right. Don't believe me? Here's how!

For practice, cut a strip of suede one foot long and one inch wide. Mark lengthwise lines at 1/3 and 2/3 inches, fold the piece in half and make a small snip at the center of each division. Unfold the leather, insert your scissors in the snip and cut along the line until you're one inch from each end. Do not cut all the way through the ends! (See the first illustration.) Now begin braiding, passing the righthand strip over the center, followed by the farthest left strip over the center (second image). Do these two moves two more times until the strands return to their original positions (third and fourth images). These six moves constitute one full sequence.

But oh, golly! Look at the mess on the other end! It braided itself while you weren't looking! Now you have to straighten that out!

Hold the braided section in place firmly with one hand, securing all strands in their original positions. This is the critical step, shown in the fifth image. See the back (unsueded) side of the leather with the pencil line on it? That's the "tail" you'll be using to unbraid. With your other hand, feed the "tail" back through the tangle, following the intuitive line of travel. You may find that some strands twist in the progress of the work. Just keep fussing with it until they straighten out (sixth image). But remember, you must hold the braided section in place! Don't let go, or you'll have a bigger mess. You may want to hold the braided section against the table until you get the hang of unbraiding.

Once you have the tangle sorted out, you're ready to do another full braiding sequence. Remember, there are six moves to each sequence. When you've done all six (seventh image), secure the braided section with one hand, and with the other hand, unbraid the tail again. Keep repeating the braiding/unbraiding sequence until you have a comfortable, relaxed braided section (eighth image). If the strands want to lay over on their sides, you've done too many sequences.
When your piece is done, work the strands with your fingers until they lay more or less smooothly (bottom left). If you'd like, you can press them between two big books to flatten them out. Or you can unbraid your practice piece and re-do it before starting on a serious project. The little bookmark (bottom right) is half an inch wide and contains only a single braiding sequence. A few beads, and you have a nice little personalized "thank-you" gift for someone.