The top strip was cut 5 1/2 inches by the width of the fabric (WOF)
The second strip was cut 2 1/2 inches by WOF and the bottom strip was cut 1 1/2 inches by WOF. Wrong side was folded together and the raw edges basted together about 1/8th inch from the raw edge along the length of the strip. DO NOT PRESS, you want to keep the folded edge pliable. This step will keep the layers in place while you mark and stitch. If you are using the Coin Ruched Blossom Guide and circles of fabric, no basting is required.
These Piecing Pals Coin Ruching Guides are designed by me, produced by Quilting Creations International and are available at most quilt shops and online outlets. The guides are used to mark the stitching line for gathering the fabric into petals. Each size and style has complete instructions included in the packet. A strip the width of fabric will make a 2-3 inch blossoms with the Small (TR400) or Large Guide (TR500), 2 strips of fabric are needed for the 5-6 inch (TR700) Jumbo size. The Blossom Guide (TR600) is for 7 3/4-8 inch circles.
Create a bold bouquet of blossoms with our NEW Jumbo Coin Ruching Guide TR700, produced by Quilting Creations International, and bring spring into your home early. You can make the flowers for Big Ruched Bouquet and Doily #1601 or embellish quilts and apparel. Big blossoms make a bold statement adorning hats, purses and tote bags. The possibilities are endless for decorating with these easy floral beauties.
Tulip Fields, #1401 is a fun dimensional applique, wall quilt in my pattern line. Tangled Threads Quilt Shop in Lynden, Washington, made a model for their shop. This is a close up of the cute little ladybug button they added to their wall quilt. It fits in perfectly, adding additional embellishment and interest to the quilt. The dimensional tulips are a variation of Ruched Blossoms, made with the Piecing Pals, Coin Ruched Blossom Guide TR600, from Quilting Creations International. You can find more pictures of Tulip Fields on my Facebook page and on my website. Pictures of the trunk show Tangled Threads recently hosted may be found on their Facebook photo page. Laura Estes Stencils and Coin Ruching Tools may be found on Quilting Creations International website.
I find it inspiring to see what additions quilters make to the quilts they create from my patterns. A pattern is a guideline to get you where you want to go. Unless you are a quilt shop you’re probably not going to hang the pattern up with the quilt, and even then, your ideas can provide inspiration for your customers.
Punkin, our Manager of Operations, overseeing the making of name tags for my class participants. The name tag base is cut from brown bags, and adorned with a gathered blossom. Student tags are pinned on, but Punkin prefered one to hang around his neck.
These are just a few of my designs on display at Experience Quilts! in Odessa, WA for their Grand Opening March 1 and 2. They carry the full line of my designs. Pictured here from left to right, Dresden at Heart, Suzanne’s Garden and Tulip Fields, any of which would look lovely done up in the fabric grouping pictured in the foreground.
All of these designs feature applique and Coin Ruching. Dresden at Heart may be made in a larger size for a bed quilt.
What fun I have had creating projects for our new book due out in August. Shown here are fabrics from In The Beginning Fabrics and Moda, that we used in the samples of pintucks, pleats and Coin Ruching.
There are several styles of Ruching. When most people hear Ruching, they think of the traditional zig zag style made with ribbon, but Ruching can be done with all types of fabrics, laces and other trims. In this photo I have a prepared strip (basted and marked with the scallop stitching line using the Piecing Pals Coin Ruching Guide), a strip that has been stitched and gathered and a flower formed from a gathered strip.
2. Learn how to size pictures for WordPress, so I can show you the before and after.
By following my own advice, of keeping projects and tools handy to work on in bits of time, I have managed to finish a number of projects, in between writing sessions for my new book. There remains several piles of things to put away, a couple of Trunk Shows to ship out and project leftovers hogging my work space. Today it goes!
Sizing photos for WordPress is kind of a mystery, but it will be solved today. Meanwhile, you may visit laurassagecountryquilts on Facebook to see a little bit of what I and my little helper Punkin have been up to.
How do you organize your applique projects to optimize quilting time? How do you keep your quilting space organized?
Applique, ruching and dimensional embellishments of quilts
Punkin, our Manager of Operations, overseeing the making of name tags for my class participants. The name tag base is cut from brown bags, and adorned with a gathered blossom. Student tags are pinned on, but Punkin prefered one to hang around his neck. 
