Baltimore Grid

What is the "Baltimore Grid?"
Instead of cross hatching, I often hand quilt my applique quilts with the Baltimore Grid pattern. The Baltimore Grid forms an X in the center, and lines echo from that X. It is easy to do! There is a stencil available, but it doesn't fit every situation. (The same stencil is very handy to mark a Chevron border - you just use half of the stencil.) Here is a link to the stencil to see what it looks like: http://quiltingstencils.com/baltimoregrid16.aspx

The Baltimore Grid is easy to mark to fit any applique design. You can alternate direction on each block, or follow the X pattern across an entire quilt. Here is how I used the Baltimore Grid pattern on my Bluebird Basket quilt.

From the back:

How to Mark the Baltimore Grid
For a single block -- say you have a 12 inch block -- put a pin at each 1-inch on all 4 sides of the block. These marks will be evenly spaced across the block. A block seamline or sashing can be the stopping point or change of direction. Mark diagonal lines with a hera marker from point to point, or use blue painter's tape to mark the quilting lines. If you use a water soluble marker, you can mark dots at the inch marks to guide placement for each line of painter's tape. Be sure to quilt along the correct side of the tape.

For blocks that do not measure in exact full inches, cut a length of paper the same length of the block. Fold the paper into even sections (in half, then half again, etc.) until you have folds that are all equal, close to an inch or so. Mark the correct fold lines on the paper with a pencil. Use the marks at the edge of the paper to place pins or marks.

On my large center block, I used the red dogtooth as equal points, and at the center sides, center top and center bottom, I changed direction. Marking only a quarter of the block at a time, I used a long strip of blue painter's tape at vertical and horizontal to mark my center stopping points. I marked the lines with a hera marker along a clear plastic ruler. You don't see a center X because of the applique, but the diagonal lines sometimes continue through spaces between the applique.
 

There is also a feather vine here, which interrupts the grid, but the Baltimore Grid lines are all continuous, out from the center on this quilt and through the borders.

Here's another bonus - when you finish quilting the grid, maybe you will want to quilt some more, and decide to do cross hatching, or add quilting in some or all of the quilt. You are halfway there! That is exactly what happened with this little quilt. When I pulled out all the basting stitches, it just was not enough quilting to suit me. The quilt was nice and square, so I bound it, and then quilted between each line, all by eye - no more marks were needed.

Lori Smith Fit-to-Frame

To follow up on an earlier post,
http://baltimoregardenquilts.blogspot.com/2012/04/echo-quilting-by-hand.html
I finally finished binding this little quilt. The pattern was designed for Lori Smith's Fit-to-Frame series, but I decided to finish the wall hanging with no frame.
At Caron's request, here is the finished piece.

Echo quilting by hand is something I really enjoyed, and can't wait to try again!

George's Cherry Tree with Birds

The antique quilt featured in the book Baltimore Garden Quilt was made with a traditional red and green color scheme, with highlights of yellow. Block B1, which I call George's Cherry Tree, features four birds enjoying the cherries.

On the antique block you can see some wearing away of the fabrics. The birds' legs were stitched with black fabric, and that fabric is mostly gone, as well as some of the Turkey red. But I was able to capture all the details for the patterns in the book by following the applique threads that were left behind.

My red and green reproduction block of this block is pretty much identical, faithful to the original.

However, these patterns can be done in any colors you choose! Readers and friends have been sending me photos of their blocks, and WOW, they are beautiful!

Cynthia in Texas sent me a photo of her Block B1 -- She has flown in some different birds! Cut from a favorite fabric of hers, the birds on her Baltimore Garden block are strategically cut from the French Journal Collection by London Portfolio for Michael Miller. Of course, I had to go buy some of that! :-) Cynthia inspires me to try some broderie perse!

And here is my latest version of Block B1. Plaid fabrics are a favorite of mine, and I try to use them wherever I can. The yellow birds' wings are fussy cut from a flower. I wasn't quite sure how this background would work out either -- it is a little busy -- but hey, it was fun!

I wonder what the original quiltmaker would think, if she could see these new blocks today ...

Barbara

More Excuses to Buy Fabric

When shopping for fabric, if a fabric that catches your eye, or just looks interesting, buy some!
If you don't buy it now, it won't be there when you come back. That's my motto. You just never know when it might come in handy for fussycuts ...

Sometimes it can be as subtle as a tiny green worm hiding among the green leaves and vines. I love to put surprises in my quilts.

But really now, do we EVER need EXCUSES to buy fabric!?!

No Sticky Stickers Please

If you ever make fabric kits, such as for a block-of-the-month, for group projects, or for someone else to use, please don't ever use sticky labels to mark fabric numbers to match with a pattern. Over time (and not a very long time) they will get gummy, and leave a residue on the fabric that cannot be removed. The fabric might be completely unuseable, especially if it is in the smack-dab in the center of the piece. If you absolutely must use a sticker, just put it in a corner, or on the back, but not in the center of the piece!
The sticky labels can also fall off the fabric. Staples are no better, because they can rust, leave holes in the fabric, and are difficult to remove without a tool.
If you ever purchase a kit with stickers on the fabrics, get the stickers OFF the fabric ASAP and re-label your fabrics some other way until you are ready to use them.
Recently I bought a block-of-the-month set -- a beautiful design with great fabrics -- second hand from someone who collected them all for that year. Every piece of fabric had a huge label, slapped down in the middle of each piece. Here is a solid black piece, where the sticky label left residue.



 So I went through all the fabrics, for the whole year, removed the big sticky labels, cut each one down to minimum size, and put them in corners. Here's hoping the fabrics will all be useable. (And glad I have stash to substitute.)


Here are some ideas to use instead:
* Lay the fabrics staggered far enough apart to see the labels, and take a digital photo, close enough that you can still read the labels. Print the photo and remove the labels.
* Clip off a small piece of the fabric, and glue or staple each fabric to a paper next to its label.
* If you are making kits, provide a color copy of this paper - well worth the extra few pennies.
* A full-color page of numbered swatches with fabric measurements can be used for assembling kits. The same fabric key, if included in a pattern, can be used by the quilter for fabric shopping or pulling from stash.

The Red and Green Poos Collection - Book Review

My friends and I all LOVE antique quilts, and I especially enjoy the 18th century red and green applique. Miss Polly brought an extra copy for me from her trip to Houston (probably so I would not drool on her copy). Thank you Miss Polly, my friend!

And now this book is available on amazon for sale. So I thought I would share the news with all my friends. Here are a few sneak peeks, and a quick synopsis of the book below.

Gathered for a European exhibit in 2008 from a private collection, thirty-one antique red and green appliqué quilts are shown in glorious color with full page photos. The quilts in this exhibit were made in the United States in the mid-1800s or earlier, and chosen for their beauty of design, color, and quality of workmanship. The skill and incredible time commitment required to stitch these quilts indicate that they were made to be loved by future generations, not for everyday use.

Some are classic, and some are unique. Some are quirky – who would expect to find a goldfish bowl, complete with fish, on a Baltimore Album quilt? Some have obvious “mistakes.” All of them are fabulous!

The collector writes about the regional differences of styles and designs, and technical background of the fabrics and techniques used on these quilts. Text and descriptions of each quilt are written in French and repeated in English. The author, Kay Triplett, also offers -- from her own wonderful quilt collection --  photos and instructions for five appliqué quilts and a separate pattern foldout.

Now stop drooling on my blog -- go buy it and Enjoy!

The Red and Green Quilts from the Poos Collection, by Kay Triplett

Fabrics on the Antique Baltimore Garden Quilt

My friend Ady is planning her own Baltimore Garden Quilt. She plans to use her backbasting method, and she is not sure she has enough of the same green fabric that is "perfect for it." Not to worry! My fabric measurements in the book were generous. "Better to have too much than too little," I always say.

However, regarding "perfect for it" -- remember that in the 1840s, quilters "made do."  The quilter (or quilters) who made this antique quilt used several fabrics! You might not notice because they are the same color, but there are different prints. The variety of dyes and dying techniques were much more limited than today. In the book, Baltimore Garden Quilt, compare the green fabrics on pages 6 and 77 and the yellows on page 3 and 77. 

Today I had some time to play, and photographed some closeups for you all. Keep in mind this quilt is 164 years old. The greens have held their color well; the yellows, not so much, and the Turkey reds are disintegrating, some gone to almost pink.   I think it makes any quilt, old or new, much more interesting to vary the fabrics! Don't you?

Thanks Ady, for a great question!

 

 

The last photo shows what happens every time I bring the old girl out to play. :-(

We have to remember, she is 164 years old, and very fragile.