Earth Quilt 101: Lines XVII
Fiber Wall Hanging
Created by
Meiny Vermaas-van der Heide
100 % cotton fabrics, Marimekko and hand-dyed in a workshop with Heide Stoll -Weber. 100 % cotton batting. Made in 2001. The artist's quilt tops are pieced on the sewing machine, using the rotary cutter and a diversity of rulers for template-free quilt making. Their strong graphic appeal and "color magic" are trademarks in the artist's quilts, whereas the piecing is rather simple.
The sewing machine is also used for quilting. In preparation for the machine quilting, the quilt top, batting and quilt back need to be layered which can be done on the wall. Basting the three layers together is done with basting spray, making sure that the glue is evenly spread between the layers of the quilt sandwich. To avoid shifting and false pleats while machine quilting I iron the quilt sandwich on both sides with a steam iron before starting to machine quilt.
When machine quilting, the artist first anchors the quilt all over, mostly by stitching "in-the-ditch", where the seams meet. After that, the artist will come in again to quilt it more heavily, 1"-2" apart or whatever the enclosed batting requires, adding top stitching as well. Before adding the binding, the quilt sandwich is laundered in the machine using the gentle cycle and put in the clothes dryer to get most of the moisture out again. The still damp quilt sandwich gets stretched in shape on the floor or the wall for further drying. The above processes cause the quilt sandwich to shrink achieving the old-fashioned cotton "heirloom" look the artist desires for her contemporary work.
Quilts are finished with binding that is cut along the selvage to minimize stretching and to maintain a straight, flat "heirloom" quality for the work. Hanging sleeves on top and bottom provides space for a thin slat to accommodate hanging the quilt for exhibit. The bottom sleeve and slat are mainly there to weigh the quilt down during exhibit. Your newly purchased quilt is shipped in double walled telescoping boxes and ready to hang.
The sewing machine is also used for quilting. In preparation for the machine quilting, the quilt top, batting and quilt back need to be layered which can be done on the wall. Basting the three layers together is done with basting spray, making sure that the glue is evenly spread between the layers of the quilt sandwich. To avoid shifting and false pleats while machine quilting I iron the quilt sandwich on both sides with a steam iron before starting to machine quilt.
When machine quilting, the artist first anchors the quilt all over, mostly by stitching "in-the-ditch", where the seams meet. After that, the artist will come in again to quilt it more heavily, 1"-2" apart or whatever the enclosed batting requires, adding top stitching as well. Before adding the binding, the quilt sandwich is laundered in the machine using the gentle cycle and put in the clothes dryer to get most of the moisture out again. The still damp quilt sandwich gets stretched in shape on the floor or the wall for further drying. The above processes cause the quilt sandwich to shrink achieving the old-fashioned cotton "heirloom" look the artist desires for her contemporary work.
Quilts are finished with binding that is cut along the selvage to minimize stretching and to maintain a straight, flat "heirloom" quality for the work. Hanging sleeves on top and bottom provides space for a thin slat to accommodate hanging the quilt for exhibit. The bottom sleeve and slat are mainly there to weigh the quilt down during exhibit. Your newly purchased quilt is shipped in double walled telescoping boxes and ready to hang.