Manifestation Quilt Blocks

Two blocks for the manifestation quilt group project. I hope they look good with the other blocks, I’m not sure what they are yet. Hopefully it will all come together and look nice.
The heart block is purples, gold, & orange colors. I chose this block to represent Love and Peace.
This is another Phoenix block that was requested I make for a future project. The dark purples didn’t photo well but it includes greens, blue & purple colors. The appliqué is raw edge with batik fabrics and stitched close to the edge. I placed the pieces a little differently. Now I might have to revisit this piece…..ugh, it happens to us all.
Ok, I didn’t want to remove the wings in case there was still some adhesive there so instead added more wings. Now I just need to stitch them down. I think that makes it ‘flame’ a little more and brings out the purple in the sashing.

New group project

I’m working on a couple blocks for a quilt that will be for a specific person. It’s called a manifestation quilt. Each block in the quilt will represent some personal growth or goal for the recipient. It could be money, health, education etc, but is made with a specific persons life in mind, sending good “vibes” their way.

I have not met the person that will be getting this quilt. I’m relying on the information from other friends and family. I do know she likes purple so I’m putting a little purple into the block. I chose to do a Phoenix block, the idea of “being reborn and emerging from the ashes, new life” being the symbolism. Here’s my block so far. I will be adding some crystals after the quilting. It will be fun to see some of the finished blocks and what others working on the quilt will come up with.

The Importance of Pressing

Pressing questions come up a lot when I meet with quilters. When a quilt tops arrives at my door they may have been pressed but often they have not held the press. When the seams pop up the quilt doesn’t lay nice and flat for quilting. I often cannot reach under and flip them to lay flat or they change direction mid seam. It makes a huge difference in the end result when a quilt is well pressed. The seams are properly pressed, stay pressed and lay flat for quilting.

Not holding a press
After a quick press

If you want to take your quilting to the next level I suggest taking a look at the way you press. When and the direction you press matters. If you wait until it’s all sewn to press, how do you know which way the seams should go? The seam is not fully open for sewing to the next piece. If there is an issue it will be found sooner than at the end and can be fixed. Pressing during block construction will also make the final press easier.

Once the quilt is well pressed, carefully fold it and place it on a hangar. I cannot stress enough… don’t put it in a bag. They just don’t hold a press when in a bag.

Not pressed well enough, changing direction mid seam will also pop up
I had to press it while on the machine to get the seams going the same direction and lay flat, and I cannot press down on the fabric when its on my quilt frame.

I found a great article about pressing with step by step photos. Here is a link to it: https://shop.mybluprint.com/quilting/article/how-to-press-quilt-seams/

There is always more to learn when quilting. Be open to trying new things. Grab your favorite beverage and give it a try! It might end up being your next favorite thing.