Now, I also have a blog! http://irenabluhmdesigns.blogspot.com/
My missing/lost Quilt:
Full Bloom Extravaganza 87" X 98"
Last seen at HMQS 2008
from May 8th-10th 2008
I have no copy of an adequate or specific record of return shipping.
This quilt is a 9 awards winner. It is a whole cloth with raw edge applique and painted surface.
Faux trapunto has been used to create raised design effect.
Irena's teaching schedule is posted on her blog. Click on the link provided below:
Books and other items are available here:
Digitized patterns now available in all formats for computerized systems. Over 50 patterns available now and many more are coming soon!
Book samples:
Brand new book 'Bluhming Bugs' is shipping now!
Downloadable patterns in all formats are also available at:
You can also visit:
or join this group:
Now, I also have a blog! http://irenabluhmdesigns.blogspot.com/
Resources Links:
Wide fabrics, hand dyed, 100% cotton sateen: http://www.christianlanequilters.citymax.com
Longarm supplies, patterns etc.: http://www.longarmsupplies.net/LEQ/index
Classes on line: http://www.thequiltingschool.com
Gammill Quilting Systems: http://www.gammill.net
Irena’s Webshots albums:http://www.community.webshots.com/user/liebling112
Irenas’ digitized patterns: http://www.stores.digitechpatterns.com/-strse-Irena-Bluhm/Categories.bok
Join Irena’s Yahoo group: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/Machine_Quilting_Professional
American Quilter’s Society: http://www.americanquilter.com
Innovations: http://www.mqinnovations.com
Machine Quilters Expo: http://www.mqxshow.com
Kingsmen Quilting Supply: http://www.kmquiltingsupply.com
Superior Threads: http://www.superiorthreads.com
Plotter paper: http://www.pospaper.com/engineeringpaper.html
Unlimited Possibilities Magazine: http://www.upquiltmag.com
Versatex Fixer at: http://www.dharmatrading.com
Delta Ceramcoat: http://www.createforless.com
Jo-Sonja’s Textile Medium and colored pencils supplies: http://www.dickblick.com/stores
1. Jo Sonja's- the most liquid and the most translucent one of all three products that I have been using. Because it is so liquid, it can not be used just by itself on a quilt with very thin polyester batting, for instance. It will seep through to the back. I have learned that lesson the hard way. Other than that, it is
a very good quality textile medium.
2. Delta Ceramcoat-less liquid, versatile and user friendly. It is a little more opaque than Jo Sonja’s. Works well on thicker polyester batting because of the [liquid soap like] consistency.
3. Versatex Fixer-the thickest, most user friendly, can be used on any batting and very densely quilted areas. It is the most opaque, has soft hand and does not require heat setting. Versatex Fixer’s consistency is close to toothpaste. One of the reasons for adding the Versatex Fixer to any mixture is to eliminate the heat setting.
Delta Ceramcoat and Jo Sonja’s textile mediums require heat setting. You can use hair dryer and or just follow the directions on each of the two products.
Over time I have learned that the best of all about this technique is the flexibility.
Listen to this:
1. You can use each of the 3 products individually.
2. Neither one of the three brands, including Versatex Fixer, can be diluted with water.
3. Use each one of them straight from the bottle.
4. You can mix any two products together. Each one of them is water based and not harmful.
5. You can add Versatex Fixer to Delta Ceramcoat or to Jo Sonja's to eliminate the heat setting, and or
to just thicken them up if you feel like you need to.
6. You can mix all 3 of them. The formula is in the book “Quilts of a Different Color”, page 27.
7. You can use Jo Sonja's or Delta Ceramcoat to dilute the Versatex Fixer, if it seems to be too dry for application.
8. You can use Versatex Fixer to thicken either the Jo Sonja’s or Delta Ceramcoat textile medium.
9. The only thing that you can't do without getting in trouble is: using water to dilute any of the above listed products.
10. Just to make sure everything goes great, I would recommend using at least one layer of 100% bleached cotton or 80/20, bleached batting, any thickness is fine. High loft, or at least 8oz Polyester batting works fine with Delta Ceramcoat, if applied carefully.
11. There is no need to drench the colored areas with textile medium. All you need is to make sure that the treated area is covered and wet.
Keep in mind that 100% cotton batting does absorb any excess moisture best, much more than any other batting product available.
I have used double batting in most of my show quilts ever since I have learned my lessons the hard way. Now I am using bleached cotton batting on the bottom and Polyester on the top for the raised design effect.
Quilt marking:
When you fold the fabric and press on the folds using an iron as you need to, you don't touch the fabric with the blue marker, until you have all folds pressed.
Once you have all folds pressed, you unfold the fabric and use the pressed lines as a guide to draw your registration/reference lines using the blue marking pen.
Cautionary Tale:
After you have the lines drawn using the blue marker, you don't touch the fabric with iron as you don't want to heat set the blue lines onto your quilt top. They would be much harder to remove.
The blue lines disappear in cold water within few minutes. Spraying the quilt sandwich with water removes them temporarily. Blue stains will appear sooner or later coming out from the batting, as soon as you get a lot of humidity in the air.
After the quilting is finished:
After your quilt is stitched complete, you must soak the quilt in water for at least 10-30 minutes. Dry it flat or hanging [it doesn't matter], but you need to make the quilt lay flat before you start coloring. You can use a fabric steamer [not an iron with steam, unless you don’t use any pressure, just the steam] to steam your quilt flat. After steaming the quilt flat, leave it laying flat until it is completely dry [no pressing with iron]. Now your quilt is ready for color application.
Have fun.
Irena Bluhm
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