Bohin Quilt Marking Tool

Simply the coolest, greatest, most awesome new item found at International Quilt Festival in Houston. This mechanical quilt marking pencil by Bohin, a French Company, will revolutionize marking tools. My friend, Mary C., and I came upon their small booth because she was looking for hand applique needles for a class. Bohin is a noted needle maker. While we were there, we watched a demonstration of the new marking pencil. The 'leads', which are actually colored chalk, come in yellow, gray, and white. They are interchangeable, just like a mechanical pencil. I used them to mark this block on the Hawks Aloft raffle quilt, which will be awarded on Dec. 8, tomorrow evening. The lines are clear, easy to see when stitching, and not messy. Like other mechanical pencils there is uniformity in width. In the above photo, I did not remove the marking so that you could see just how wonderfully well it works. Check it out yourself. The pencil comes with white chalk, but you can buy refills. I have not tried the other colors yet, but the white showed well on this busy red print. As I understand it from the company you can remove one chalk and replace it with another, while still saving the first chalk for another use. It retails for about $13.00.

Stitching the Layers - the quilt stitch and the BSR from Bernina

The final part of the quiltmaking process is stitching the layers together, or quilting the quilt. Thanks to modern technology and innovative thought, Bernina has developed a sewing machine and a presser foot that ensures that each stitch taken is exactly the same size, even with free motion quilting. I have been practicing this technique on the Hawks Aloft Raffle Quilt in preparation for the special design I am working on for Bernina of America (you will have to wait to see that one).

This photo shows two of the three photo images on fabric, created by Soft Fabric Photos, Denver, CO. They print your images on Pima Cotton, and they are the best quality of any I've seen, and well worth the price of having them print it. They also sell kits and directions to do it yourself. Click the link in the upper right corner of my blog to visit their website at www.softfabricphotos.com The photos were taken by my good friend, David Powell, wildlife photographer.

But, back to the BSR foot! I found that the BSR1 setting works best for me. This is the one that is controlled with your foot pedal, and it can be used with needle down. I don't have to worry about accidentally moving the fabric and taking a few extra stitches.

I still have to stitch the detail on the birds, the eagle and the Sandhill Cranes, but I am quite pleased with the background stitching, and I gain confidence each time I use the foot. I hope to complete Bernina's special quilt by the end of this month. Stay tuned for that photo.

Here, Sarah Keller checks out the quilting on the photographs.

Hawks Aloft Raffle Quilt - 2007

I was a quilter before I became enamored of birds, and before there was a Hawks Aloft. Each year, we make a quilt in one weekend at the cabin. I design it, and my friends help me to prepare the foundation papers and select the fabric. The guys all like to come to the cabin too, but on quilt retreat weekend, they are welcome only if they actually work on the quilt! We now have some exceptional male quilters among the volunteers at Hawks Aloft! This photo shows the quilt top in progress in early February, before the side borders were added. The quiltmakers for this weekend are (from Left to Right), Chuck Brandt, Connie Martinez, Anita McSorley, Mary Chappelle, Ruth Burstrom, Steve Elkins, Ed Chappelle, Tom Taylor, Gail (that's me!), and Patty Phillips.