Do you have some Liberty on hand that you are afraid to use? DO NOT FEAR! Use my simple tips for working with Liberty lawn, and add some handmade beauty to your life!
Tag Archives: tutorial
My dad’s birthday was last week. He is such a wonderful man, and our family is blessed to have him. And he has three daughters and no sons, so I think he’s an extra kind of special. The thing about my dad and holidays is that he never asks for anything. Or when he finally gives...
Posted in Custom, Fabric, Liberty of London, Patterns, PersonalTags: Birthday, cotton, floral, hankerchief, Liberty of London, man, neck tie, Purl Bee, tana lawn, tutorial
- CarlaApril 29, 2014 - 9:26 am
I recently made some pillows for a good client of mine as a sort of “I’m sorry it took me so long to make your twelve curtains” gift. I chose fabrics from the same line as the curtains which I hope to show you soon. The fabrics are from Amy Butler’s Belle collection, and I...
The past few weeks have been spent redoing Layla’s room with a little paint and a whole lot of Anna Maria’s new line, Hand Drawn Garden (the re-release of some prints from her Garden Party and Drawing Room collections). Since I had only done very small things here or there ever, it was more like...
Posted in Anna Maria Horner, Custom, fabic, Fabric, Needlepoint, Patterns, Patterns, Personal, PillowTags: Anna Maria Horner, cotton, drapes, fabric, fitted sheets, Free Spirit, girl's room, Hand Drawn Garden, paint, pillowcases, tutorial
- nicole_boldgoodsAugust 20, 2013 - 7:52 am
- Ashley @ MommyByDayCrafterByNightAugust 20, 2013 - 7:37 pm
- Stephanie @ Quarter IncherAugust 21, 2013 - 3:32 am
- HelenAugust 21, 2013 - 3:40 pm
Can I come and live it that room! Oh wow! That being said I would love to try out making a skirt for me, a bit like yours (could I go short too??)–As a mum of four, whose littlest is not quite 6 months, I get little time to sew and when I do it is usually for them or for one of my quilting bees. Would be lovely o make something achievable for me!! Thank you!ReplyCancel
- Alison GlassSeptember 10, 2013 - 1:54 pm
- The shared space : a work in progress » Olivia Jane Handcrafted – BlogNovember 18, 2015 - 8:07 am
Use my free and easy no waste cutting tutorial to make Anna Maria’s beautiful Feather Bed Quilt!
Posted in Anna Maria Horner, Custom, Cutting, fabic, Fabric, Giveaway, Patterns, Piecing, Quilt Pattern, Quilts, TutorialsTags: Anna Maria Horner, Art Gallery, cutting, fabric, fat quarters, Feather Bed Quilt, giveaway, piecing, review, strip piecing, tutorial
- KelleyMay 10, 2013 - 7:38 pm
Ok- fIrst- don’t enter me! Although it would be an awesome win, I dont know that I’d be able to tackle it anytime in the near future and I want someone who knows they will hop to it and bust out an awesome quilt to win. :) just wanted to say- 1- I LOVE this pattern. Once June actually naps for me maybe I’ll make one someday. ;) 2- no- no one compares to AMH. 3- I LOVE that you always keep it real. Thanks for your honest opinion on stuff. I’ve never sewed with AG fabrics but I hear so much about them that I’ve been curious. Anyway- wonderful tutorial- i’ll keep it in mind if and when I attempt this awesome pattern. Side note- I’ve always wondered what this pattern would look like if you were to make the feather pieces from one print- as opposed to stripped pieces. I’m lazy so I’m always thinking of shortcuts like that. Wonder if it would totally lose the feather look?ReplyCancel
- KirstenMay 11, 2013 - 9:55 pm
- Marci GirlMay 16, 2013 - 3:02 pm
- ChelsieMay 17, 2013 - 10:04 pm
- FEATHER BED QUILT TOP « make somethingMarch 2, 2014 - 10:49 am
- NickyOctober 14, 2014 - 2:11 pm
Olivia, thank you so much for the tutorial. I’m a beginning quilter and hadn’t thought of staggering my fabric strips.
I have a question about this pattern. When you’ve sewn all the strips together and then cut out the feather sides, you are cutting through stitching. I’ve never done that before, and I wonder about the possibility of the seams unravelling. Do I need to sew over the seams after I’ve cut the feather sides to promote longevity of the quilt?ReplyCancel- MeredithOctober 14, 2014 - 2:27 pm
I’m glad the tutorial was helpful to you. Cutting through the stitched part is okay as long as your going to be stitching over it again. In this case, when you sew on the sides, you’ll be protecting that stitching you cut through, so there’s no need to reinforce it after cutting. My only other suggestion would be to use a stitch length of 2-2.2. :) Happy sewing!ReplyCancel
- Feathers for 2015 | West Side QuiltersJanuary 13, 2015 - 8:47 pm
- NickyFebruary 6, 2015 - 3:58 pm
Meredith,
I wonder if I could ask for some advice…
I am a beginer quilter, and I have completed 22 feather squares and am ready to assemble tem into a quilt… BUT… My quilt squares are not perfectly identical in size! I think something in my cutting or pinning or sewing was innacurate. They all look great, but vary by about 1/16″ in length. Would you suggest trimming them to the same size prior to assembling the quilt?ReplyCancel- MeredithFebruary 9, 2015 - 11:54 pm
Nicky, I’m so sorry to be so late in getting back with you! I would definitely recommend trimming the blocks to be equal prior to sewing. Even though they’re only off by a smidge, when they are all joined together it will probably be more noticeable. Basting and quilting will be so much easier if the blocks are even and the quilt lays flat. Good luck! I’m sure its going to be amazing!ReplyCancel
- Becky UApril 26, 2015 - 12:14 pm
Olivia, I am teaching myself to sew/quilt with online tutorials and blogs like yours. I just had to tell you that the feather bed quilt is one of the most beautiful and simple quilts I’ve ever seen. I just love everything about it. Thank you SO much for sharing your talent with those of us that really need direction and lots of helping hands! I printed out the feather pattern and one day I will make this for myself. Your work is beautiful. Have a great day!!ReplyCancel
- Paula BinghamJune 18, 2015 - 2:15 pm
- SandiJanuary 16, 2016 - 5:28 pm
- MeredithJanuary 22, 2016 - 12:30 pm
Hi there, Sandi! I have had to do a little detective work as I’ve had an influx of emails asking me where the link has gone. Apparently she changed her site, and now the URLs for everything are different. My links to her free pattern have been updated. You can also find it right here. Happy sewing!ReplyCancel
- Candy BJanuary 20, 2016 - 7:24 pm
- Susan PerkinsAugust 18, 2016 - 6:24 pm
Thank you taking the time to streamline the process. I have seen 1 quilt made like that and am excited to see if I can be as successful. I have a good stash to choose from so it’s on to washing and pressing. Hoping I can get the pattern downloaded correctly. I have made it a goal to work on new patterns instead of remaking the same quilts.ReplyCancel
- MeredithAugust 19, 2016 - 12:37 am
That’s awesome! You can find the pattern right here! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54af3fe5e4b06fead268b5fd/t/54d52966e4b0c433a9702ee4/1423255910958/Feather.Bed.Quilt%281%29.pdfReplyCancel
- julie perryAugust 12, 2017 - 1:47 pm
- MeredithAugust 13, 2017 - 5:09 pm
Hey Julie! A lot of people have had trouble getting to the link and I have no idea why. It seems that since she changed her site, it harder to find even though my above links are correct. Here’s that link again in case you need it. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54af3fe5e4b06fead268b5fd/t/54d52966e4b0c433a9702ee4/1423255910958/Feather.Bed.Quilt%281%29.pdfReplyCancel
- SharonOctober 10, 2017 - 3:07 am
Hmm it appears like your blog ate my first comment (it was super long)
so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I wrote and say, I’m thoroughly
enjoying your blog. I too am an aspiring blog blogger but
I’m still new to the whole thing. Do you have any helpful hints for rookie blog writers?
I’d definitely appreciate it.ReplyCancel- MeredithOctober 11, 2017 - 12:14 pm
Hi there, Sharon! Thanks for you comment. My advice is to be consistent in your content and frequency of your posts. So not what I’m doing at the moment! Readers appreciate consistently and honest content. Good photos are very helpful too. I find a lot of people like tutorials and how-to’s, but truly all you need for a loyal audience is to be faithful in posting. I hope that helps! Enjoy blogging! It’s a great outlet. ReplyCancel
- DebbyJune 1, 2018 - 6:54 pm
- ConnieJuly 14, 2019 - 2:04 pm
I to have been making feathers but I never get the free pattern i tried many times and my daughter did also it say s free but we got no where and Stacy works on a computer for work so it’s not like she’s stupid so what gives? I just found a way to make them by looking at the pictures but I think I could have done better if I could have gotten the pattern but love and learn.ReplyCancel
- DonnaSeptember 2, 2019 - 6:36 pm
- JudyDecember 11, 2023 - 12:02 am
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Welcome to Olivia Jane Handcrafted! I'm Meredith and this is my creative journal. Here you'll find loads of inspiration for a handmade wardrobe, home decor, bags, and quilts. I even have plenty of projects and tutorials to get you started or help you along the way.
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seriously awesome! everything i ever wanted to know about sewing with liberty and then some. must try the aurifil thread…do you use ordinary needles or the microtex?
Just a universal 70/10… and I’m sure you know WAY more about all things Liberty than I do!!
Thanks so much Meredith! Conveniently I ordered a set of Aurifil threads from Massdrop – they’re on route so I’ll hold off sewing until then! Such a great post x
I do have a stash of Liberty I’m nervous to cut into…I’m now thinking a rotary cutter might make the difference. I always love to see your photos of liberty fabrics, it makes it much easier for me to choose what to buy. Thanks for all the great tips!
I bought my first bundle of Liberty of London tana lawn fabric. I haven’t even received it yet, and I’m worried about sewing it. Do you prewash and then starch your fabric before cutting? I’m using the fabric for quilts. The first one I want to make is Elizabeth Hartman’s Fancy Fox quilt.
Camille! Its taken me forever to reply to comments, and I’m terribly sorry! So with Liberty I never prewash or starch when making clothing or quilts. Give it a good pressing, and you’ll be ready to sew. :) It won’t shrink.
Excellent entry. I am currently hand piecing small Liberty hexagons, and am having trouble finding the right hand sewing needle to piece Liberty without leaving gaping holes at the seams. Do you recommend a hand sewing needle/size for piecing (not hand quilting) with this fabulous fabric? Many thanks.
For binding and really fine fabrics I use a long, extremely sharp needle that’s very fine and has a small eye called a straw needle. I’m not sure who manufactures them, but I get them from my local quilt shop. I’m assuming if you google “straw needle” you would find something that’s at least similar. I’m sorry to be so vague, but I don’t have any of the packaging on hand, as all of those needles are currently living in a pincushion.
Just the answer I needed. Thanks!
[…] Sewing with Liberty Tips from Olivia Jane […]
[…] but aren’t sure how to use them. In addition, if you are new to sewing with Liberty, I have a great post written up on everything you need to know about sewing with this high quality, beautiful […]
I’m not familiar with aurifil thread; can you recommend a comparable product?
What do you use to interface a collar on a dress?
Thanks.
I’m glad to read that you don’t prewash the Tana Lawn before sewing as I hadn’t planned on doing that. Do you pre-wash the Free-Spirit solid voile?
Nope! I only prewash things like quilt weight cottons if they are destined to become clothing. Voile and lawn don’t shrink and they are easy to work with unwashed.
Thanks! Very helpful. I just received my Free Spirit voile and it’s even silkier than the Tana Lawn! I keep touching it and finding it hard to believe it’s really cotton!
When sewing garments, do you use a regular stitch length or reduce the length because of the thinness of the material? I am getting a little puckering, so I will try using a smaller needle and perhaps changing the thread, but I was also wondering if changing the stitch length would help as well.
I don’t reduce the stitch length. I use about a 2-2.5. Getting a smaller needle and thread should take away any puckering.
Regarding basting Liberty lawns for a quilt, do you use a spray basting material or pins? The basting pins I have seem way to huge to not leave marks in the Liberty. Thank you!!
I detest basting spray. I know I’m in the minority as so many boast about how fast it is. I just use regular curved safety pins. They aren’t big- just normal size and I don’t have any issue with them leaving holes or marks.
Thank you!! I’ve never spray basted and am reluctant to. Thanks again!
Have a bag of Liberty scraps to practise on before I get down to some serious projects with my beautiful Tana Lawn fat quarter bundle and dress fabric. Can’t wait to get started. Thank you for all your very helpful tips.
Very nicely written informative thread!
Thank you, Karen!
Thank you for the tips. I was wondering about “holes” made during the quilt process. When I work with regular cotton quilt fabric, my little knots that get tugged through the top layer while quilting leave a tiny opening, hole, in the fabric. These disappear after the first washing. Will the liberty fabric be as forgiving about these tiny openings after washing? Thank you!
Absolutely. I generally use 8 weight when hand quilting Liberty. It has a much higher thread count than standard quilt weight cotton so it’s much more forgiving.
Hello Meredith,
I enjoyed your article. My mum loved Liberty fabric so it has special memories for me. The information on mixing fabrics was helpful.
May I make a small correction? You used the phrase “through the ringer” but it is actually “through the wringer”. It refers to an old-fashioned clothes wringer or mangle, which were pretty tough on the washing, not to a bell ringing.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangle_(machine)
There are some beautiful designs of mangles, but washdays were hard work back then!
Thanks for that. :)
When using liberty in a quilt along side a cotton fabric, should you line the liberty with solid voile or is that just for dress making?
That’s just for garment making. Good question!
Looking to purchase Floriani thread. So far I am finding only what is called embroidery thread. Is that what you use for garment construction with Liberty fabric?
Yep! That’s what I use.
Thank you for sharing your expertise. I am contemplating sewing a Liberty tana lawn dress, and I am having a hard time finding a source for the Free Spirit solid voile online. Can you recommend a source? Thank you!
Absolutely! So they stopped manufacturing what I think was their best product ever, so I’ve had to find an alternative. I have been using this voile from Robert Kaufman http://www.jonesandvandermeer.com/products/robert-kaufman-vanessa-silky-voile.html or if you would like a greater variety of colors and want your lining to match your lawn exactly, Liberty does have a range of solid tans lawns https://www.fabric.com/find?searchText=Liberty+solid+lawn
[…] Sewing with Liberty Tana Lawn […]
Great post–glad I found it! I usually hand quilt with size 8 perle cotton and a size 6 embroidery needle. What do you recommend needlewise for hand quilting Liberty?
Really helpful blog . Never used Liberty fabric but it is so luxurious and I want to make a dress to wear to sons graduation. It seems so thin so assuming I should line. If I sewed a maxi dress with 2 tiers for the skirt part, would I need lining for top body and also the skirt tiers? The tiers will have gathers hence why I was wondering if lining the tiers will be appropriate. Thanks
I would line the top portion of the skirt. I highly recommend Vanessa Silky Voile which I buy here: https://www.jonesandvandermeer.com/products/robert-kaufman-vanessa-silky-voile.html the price is unbeatable and it behaves just like the lawn which is the best way to line, in my opinion!
Your work is lovely. DO you mean that when you make a liberty quilt, you add an additional layer of voile? Or do you just pair it with voile? I want to make a liberty quilt but don’t want it to become threadbare too quickly.
I started sewing with Liberty about 5 years ago. Just started small and started a collection of their prints. I knew I wanted to make a quilt someday. Well then I started smocking and found out how beautiful Liberty prints were to sew garments with. I then was on a mission to make myself a Liberty dress. Fast forward 5 years, we traveled to London and the Liberty store was my first stop. I now have yardage for a dress and blouse. I love all your tips and plan on starting after the holiday rush. I loved reading everything you posted about this subject.
Hello, I’m making a quilt top with Liberty Tana lawns and I am trying to find a suitable solid to pair with them.
Would the Robert Kaufman silky voile work for a quilt top? I’ve also read the Pure Solids are s good match. Are there any others you can recommend aside from the Liberty solids? Thanks very much.
my favorite is the silky voile! I love Free Spirit solid voiles as well, though those are not as easy to find these days. Kaufman voile is much more affordable that Liberty solids and I do find it comparable. I personally do not like Art Gallery fabrics, but know that is a preference based on what I’ve worked with.