String Quilting (Primers and Patterns!)

In honor of this Memorial Day weekend, I am expressing my hope for freedom and peace, with liberated string quilting. I have always believed that each of us is connected by energetic and spiritual heartstrings and that those heartstrings stretch and reach between each and everyone we love or have loved, whether living in this physical dimension or not.

My belief is that any kind of quilt made with strips and strings... of any kind, represents the heartstrings between myself, as the quilter, and those I then give the quilts to. I have always loved piecing with strips and strings and with heart-felt and love-filled patchwork!


I joined in the fun of creating my own patriotic quilts using the liberated string quilting that goes back in time to many of the earliest quilters and brought into more modern times by such quilters as Gwen Marston and Evalyn Sloppy.

My own patriotic quilts have been primarily donated to wounded veterans at Madigan Army Hospital in Washington state, the Veteran's Hospital in Portland, Oregon and to the Salem Veteran's Outreach Center, here in Salem, Oregon.

 

My patriotic strings are the most popular and have been overwhelming loved and well-received. But I do love string quilting of any kind and have made a number of string quilts in a lot of variations!

String quilting, whether done straight across, or on the diagonal, is simply the sewing down of a variety of strings, or strips of alternating fabrics of many colors into blocks. Diagonal strings have a tendency to stretch on the bias, so underlying foundation blocks are more essential for them, but not required in simple straight piecing.

By simply cutting foundation blocks out of scrap fabric, one can add strips and pieces of varying sizes, piece by piece until the block is 'all filled up.' To create a pattern in the final quilt top, I am using blue for the first center strip. But any repetitive color can be used as an anchoring strip.

1. To begin, I used a 10" foundation pieces and a variety of cut strips of many colors. Others prefer blocks as small as 6" or as large as 12 1/2"...the choice is yours. Larger blocks multiply spatially a lot quicker! Lay down a center strip of any color, diagonally across the foundation piece. (I iron a fold into the center of both the foundation block and this first string piece for matching the two pieces' center alignment.)

2. Sew down the second strip, right sides together.

 3. And the third...

 4. and the fourth....

 Pressing each strip flat after each one has been added  in to your string quilting block!

5. When strips fill the foundation block, iron flat, then align and trim to size desired.

6. Lay out completed blocks on your design wall or floor ;) and select arrangement and desired size of quilt top.

Optional:
7. Finally, you would attach block seams in rows as desired, using additional strips to fill in size differentials around center panels or other additional blocks, sashings or cornerstones.

And there are so many different ways you can combine strings, with panels or without, with or without cornerstones and other strips for all kinds of fun! Or even just r regular
strips  like stripes, logs, or versions of log cabin strips around and around a center square...with or without foundation fabrics if not pieces on the diagonal bias.

Join in and try this today, it's great fun and a wonderful way to create heartstrings between you and a loved one!

I've made patriotic strings, potholders, bags, pillows.....you name it..for both gifts and donations to veterans!                                                  

 And of course, strings don't have to be patriotic, though they make up so quickly for donation!  I've made many other patterns for donation in all the colors of the rainbow!

And they don't have to be complicated! Use the same foundation piecing onto a piece of batting and you have a simple horizontal strings baby quilt, as shown above!

My own links:

String Quilting (Primers and Patterns!)

String Quilting (Additonal How to's and Ideas)

My own heart shaped or themed tutorials:

My String Pieced Prayer Pocket Pillow make with strings or solids and use the little pocket in the back...for sending good wishes of any kind!

Making a (Cardiac) Heart Pillow

perfect for post surgery for either cardiac or breast cancer patients, hugging a pillow over the heart after cardiac surgery or under the arm after breast surgery have been shown to help significantly with post-operative pain.

Making a Heart Pillow: Breast Cancer, Cardiac or Recovery of Any Kind

 

 My patriotic strings links:

Free Patriotic Quilting (And Sewing!) Patterns

Making a Blue Star (all active military) and Gold Star (died in service) Banners

St. Patrick's Day, Shamrock, or Irish Themed Free Patterns

String Quilting Patterns:

Amish Stripes and Strings Instruction Sheet (PDF file)
Click HERE to Download Happy String Flowers for Baby (.pdf)
Basketweave Strings
Bonnie's String Quilting Primer
Chinese Coins ~ Coins Border
Chinese Coins ~ Easy Version
Chinese Coins ~ Easy Version #2
Chinese Coins ~ Uneven Version
Kaleidoscope String Quilt Tutorial
HeartStrings Quilt As You Go Blocks
Lattice Quilt
Out on a String
Spiderweb Quilt
String Block tutorial here for the instructionsString Diamonds
String Quilts
String Tumblers
String Fish Aquarium
Strips & Strings Log Cabin
Strip Twist
Strings ~ Half Square Strings
Strings ~ Hearts
Strings ~ HeartStrings - Red Centers
Strings ~ HeartStrings Quilt
Strings ~ Patriotic Star
Strings ~ Purple Project Quilt #1
Strings ~ Purple Project Quilt #2
Strings ~ Rectangle Strings
Strings ~ RWB Coins
Strings ~ RWB HeartStrings Block
String-X
String Quilting
String Quilting: QuiltsvilleString Spiderwebs
Strip Twist
Victoriana Quilters Free (String Quilting) Charity Quilt Pattern
Wonky RWB Rails (PDF file)



*Comfort Quilts
*String Pieced Prayer Pocket Pillow Tutorial


Free Quilt Patterns: Updated 2013 (and preparing for 2014)

 http://www.with-heart-and-hands.com/2007/10/free-quilting-patterns.html