Quilt Project Design Help - Attn Cross Stitchers

What about using one of the Dye Magnets? I know we usually use them before,
but several posters have mentioned using them after to help remove dye that
ran.

Dee in LeRoy, NY

"Polly Esther" wrote in message
k.net...
And here's a warning from grumpy old Aunt Polly. I was "hunting" and came
across a piece of cross stitch I did many years ago. I had been afraid it
had gotten tossed when we moved. It was more than a little grubby so I
washed it by hand and stretched it flat to dry. The dyes in the floss
bled.
A lot.
I tried lots of things to correct it but there's still some bleeding
there. This is not something that's going to cause me to go fall on my
sword
or anything. Just wanted to warn you. You might want to find out what kind
of washability you have with your cross stitch before putting it into a
quilt . . . if washing ever is part of the plan.
Also, maybe backing the aida with silk organza would control the
fuzzies
and add no more than a whisper of weight. So sorry but one more warning
here - the first time I was searching for silk organza on the net, I got
overwhelmed with amorous responses. Apparently that's a code name for a
kinky group. Polly

"Don/Gen" wrote in message
...
You might want to use very light iron on interfacing on the back of the
blocks to stop the batting from coming through. this won't add much
bulk.
Gen

"Charlotte Hippen" wrote in message
news:8gtWb.282447$na.446480@attbi_s04...
At first it may not seem on topic but bear with me please.

Last night I pulled out one of my many cross stitch project after many
months of not working on any of them. It's a Precious Moments design
by
Gloria and Pat. Over the years I have made several of their designs.
I
started cross stitching as a kid so since I really liked the precious
moments these patterns were perfect. Now I stitch them when I want a
fairly
fast and easy project to stitch so I've gotten a small collection of
them
over the years. When I was younger my mother made the suggestion of
make
enough to make a quilt with and I thought yea. I hadn't put much
thought
into it until last night stitching. I am thinking about making small
frames
of fabric for some of the smaller ones and maybe even a very small one
for
the larger designs but haven't decided on that it may just end up
being
some
plain muslin to make them all the same size even though they are
close.
I
am thinking of attaching them together with sashings. I have a couple
of
questions on how to accomplish this quilt though.

1)They are all stitched on aida (cloth with holes in it for those who
don't
cross stitch). I assume I will need to put something behind them like
muslin to keep the batting from popping through. Will this be too
bulky
especially since the aida is thick to begin with? Will I have
cosmetic
problems due to the differences in bulk?

2)Like I said, I'm thinking about connecting the pieces with sashings
so
some quilting can be done there, but I'm wondering what to do with the
blocks/pictures. I don't want quilting in the middle of my cross
stitches.
Any ideas how this could be handled? I'm sure it will have to be
machine
quilted because the bulk of the aida would make hand quilting a bit
hard.

Again TIA for your help and ideas!!
--
Charlotte
http://community.webshots.com/user/charh108

I'd back them with a lightweight fusible interfacing. I think then,
you'd be able to quilt through them okay.

Maureen

Charlotte Hippen wrote:
.

1)They are all stitched on aida (cloth with holes in it for those who don't
cross stitch). I assume I will need to put something behind them like
muslin to keep the batting from popping through. Will this be too bulky
especially since the aida is thick to begin with? Will I have cosmetic
problems due to the differences in bulk?

On Thu, 12 Feb 2004 01:07:36 GMT, "Polly Esther"
wrote:

And here's a warning from grumpy old Aunt Polly. I was "hunting" and came
across a piece of cross stitch I did many years ago. I had been afraid it
had gotten tossed when we moved. It was more than a little grubby so I
washed it by hand and stretched it flat to dry. The dyes in the floss bled.
A lot.
I tried lots of things to correct it but there's still some bleeding
there. This is not something that's going to cause me to go fall on my sword
or anything. Just wanted to warn you. You might want to find out what kind
of washability you have with your cross stitch before putting it into a
quilt . . . if washing ever is part of the plan.

Although this is not going to help your old cross stitch, maybe it
will help in the future. If a cross stitch project bleeds badly,
don't give up. Put it back in cool water before it dries, add a
couple of drops of mild soap, and allow to soak overnight. Rinse.
Check for bleeding, and repeat as long as it bleeds. One person I
know had success after leaving her cross stitch to soak for two days,
changing the water every 8 hours or so.
Debra in VA

Hi Charlotte,

Ask Tia Mary! I say that because she put together a HUG quilt for Brigitte
Pohlmann that was a combination of pieced blocks and cross stitched blocks.
It was beautiful. It was a few years ago now, but I'm sure she'll be able to
tell you what she did. You there, Tia Mary?

Secondly, a point about the wear and tear factor. Yes, the stitching will be
a little less hardy than straight fabric, but you might be surprised at how
it holds up. I have stitched onto clothes and towels that have survived for
years. All have been thrown in with the regular wash, on a regular basis. I
stitched their names onto towels for my niece and nephew just after they
were born. I believe they're each still using those same towels (though
perhaps not every day now...) - at 10 and 12 years old!

--
Leigh
Perth, Western Australia
Real email is bearleigh at bigpond dot com

"Charlotte Hippen" wrote in message
news:8gtWb.282447$na.446480@attbi_s04...
At first it may not seem on topic but bear with me please.

Last night I pulled out one of my many cross stitch project after many
months of not working on any of them. It's a Precious Moments design by
Gloria and Pat. Over the years I have made several of their designs. I
started cross stitching as a kid so since I really liked the precious
moments these patterns were perfect. Now I stitch them when I want a
fairly
fast and easy project to stitch so I've gotten a small collection of them
over the years. When I was younger my mother made the suggestion of make
enough to make a quilt with and I thought yea. (snipped)