Wednesday, January 18, 2012

January's Tart Kit: Closing the Gap


This month's Tart kit is all about closures and the lesson is about designing around a single element or elements. Use any or all of the included fasteners and close the gap! Make your quilt relevant to the supplies. Be humorous or literal. Use the fasteners as intended or use them in creative ways. Have fun!



We have included a short demo in making frog closures and a Chinese button. Google frog closures and you will find several tutorials to help you build your frogs. It is easier to build your frog onto a surface that you can stitck pins into. By measuring the distance between loops and placing straight pins in your surface, you can get a balanced frog.




Think of the side that you can see as the back. Baste the loop intersections with matching thread before you remove the pins. One set of loops will be sewn to one of the pieces you are closing. The second set remains free and will connect the gap with a Chinese button or other button.

To make a Chinese button: Create several intersecting loops and weave one end of the cord over and under the loop sides, keeping your work open and loose.


Gradually pull both ends of the cord, allowing the loops to close up.



Cut the cords fairly close to the knot and tack them to the wrong side of the button so that they become invisible. Sew the button at the place where the frog loop will close your gap.
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