# String Quilt



## CraftyDiva (Aug 26, 2003)

Okay, I maybe hooked into quilting (something I had no interest in doing btw) because of the PBS series "Craft in America" which aired last night. Three, count them 3 hrs of crafts in America, running back to back.

Anyway, in the fiber arts/craft segment they showed a group of quilters and one elderly lady had a "String quilt" that really spoke to me. Sooooooo, on the web I go searching for string quilts and find a lot of pieced blocks but not like the quilt that was shown. It was all vertical stripes from top to bottom amd side to side (no borders). Think Joseph'e coat of many colors and you pretty much get the idea. Do any of you fine quilt artists (yes it's an art form) have a site you can share that might show how this is done?

This is one of the quilts from the group that was featured that even comes close to what I'm trying to find.
http://www.msculturalcrossroads.org/CrossroadsQuilters/Quilts/Store/Bed/Bed33.htm The stripes on the quilt were much narrower, more like ribbons and were not blocks.

If you missed this show (check local listings), they'll probably rerun it again in the coming week. I highly recommend watching it, well worth the time (3 hrs).

Fiber section of the show
http://www.craftinamerica.org/fiber/


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## QuiltingLady2 (Jan 3, 2007)

Yes, I also watched the quilting portion of the PBS program. Just ran into it last night. Wow. Just wonderful.

I'm also a saver. Strings or rather the small strips are kept in their own bag. When I have enough I make a quilt with them. It's usually a baby quilt or a lap quilt. Not really a keeper quilt.

Ok string piecing my way. 

Cut a foundation piece of fabric that is the size of the block you would like to use in the quilt plus 1/2 inch. 

Place your 1st string roughly in the center right sides together. Stitch 1/4 inch accross the block. Fold back and gently press. Cut off the remaining sting and 'save' 

2nd string - place right sides matching edge with the 1st string and stitch. Again cut off the offending remainder and save. Fold back and Press - No steam, dry iron. Don't rub or pull the fabric you're just pressing. 

Continue across one side of your block. Then finish the other side.
Turn the whole block over and gently press again. Now trim the block to the foundation piece size. 

If you like the 1/2 block look of many of the quilts on the pbs program.....
Cut your foundation block in 1/2 on the diagonal line. Use a rotary ruler and eyeball it, or draw a line and then cut. 

Now you have your blocks. I've seen and done this so many ways. If you find a wonderful old embroidery block(s), use them as centers in your quilt. Add the string block half's with accent strip boarders. Then use the accent strip as the framing boarder piece. Make the binding from the 'too small to use' strips that are left over. (stitch them together to make a binding.) KWIM? 

Oh, I do love string quilts. Garage sales and second hand store with all the old shirts and clothing become a great place to pick up extra fabric for strings. 

I hope this helps you. I wish you were here. We'd just have a little quilting bee and I'd show you how to.  

Remember - Have fun and enjoy the process.


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## Calico Katie (Sep 12, 2003)

I love, love, love string quilts! You can do so many different things with them, too. Here are some online sites with instructions and patterns.

http://www.geocities.com/quiltfrenzy/sunshine-shadow.html

http://www.craftown.com/quilt/diagonal.htm

http://quiltville.com/diamondstrings.shtml

http://quiltville.com/stringquiltingprimer.shtml

http://quiltville.com/spiderweb.shtml

http://quiltville.com/stringx.shtml

http://www.quiltchannel.com/strippy.htm

And this one is the best of them all!
http://www.geocities.com/quiltfrenzy_archives/stringpiecedstar.html


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## crashy (Dec 10, 2004)

Kewl!!! I like em!! :dance:


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## tallpines (Apr 9, 2003)

Aaaarrrrrggggg!

"Sew" many projects! Too little time!

I love these quilts!


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## MsPioneerGal (Feb 16, 2003)

You were reading my mind Crafty Diva ( good thing it was working at the time!!!  !!!!!)

I have been tossing around the idea of doing a string quilt for my husband's neice in preparation of a surprise wedding! They are not a close family or crafty, but I thought a string quilt made in the shape of 'hearts' would fit the bill. The label would say.....the strings of our hearts ......yadda yadda! Haven't figured out that part yet!

So now you have me thinking more seriously! Thanks for all the other links ladies, very helpful!


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## amyd (Mar 21, 2005)

Here's a good link:

http://quiltville.com/stringx.shtml

I started one like this and it's quite easy once you get going.


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## CraftyDiva (Aug 26, 2003)

Thanks QuiltingLady2 for explaining your technique for string quilting. I guess I can adapt it to a non block quilt.

Calico Katie and Amyd, thank you for the links. I'm sure the others will find them useful as well. 

Although I haven't found a quilt that matches the one on the show (see OP) I think I can figure it out. See if this makes any sense.............. what I think would work. Taking stripes of fabric and sewing them end to end (like making a bias tape) long enough for the lenght of the quilt and sew them together side to side to make the width of the guilt. This would give me the top, from here just go on as a regular quilt with batting, backing and finally the quilting itself (which would be stitch in the ditch). Or would sewing the stripes to a sheet (to stabilize ) be better? Since these would be scraps, some maybe cut with the grain of the fabric, and some against it. Some even on the bias.
Thoughts?



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## bugstabber (May 12, 2002)

I've been saving them for years. The one I saw in an old craft magazine had a dark triangle on the two corners (opposite each other, the other two corners had a strip going through them). It really plays a trick on the eyes, as you try to figure out how it was put together. In fact, if you sew the middle strip of the same color fabric it would really stand out. I have tried a sample square or two, and you may want to try cutting your base squares on the bias.


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## CraftyDiva (Aug 26, 2003)

bugstabber said:


> I have tried a sample square or two, and you may want to try cutting your base squares on the bias.


I really wish I could find a picture of the quilt I'm talking about, it would be so much easier. It was/is a "Non-Block" quilt, which is the reason I liked it. There were no quilt squares, no uniform pieces all the same size. 

Let's see if this will help............... Picture Vertical Blinds, the kind that go from ceiling to floor, covering a large window. Now picture those "slates" that make up the blind, still with me? Picture those same slates (only in fabric) all different widths from say 2" to 4". I'm hoping your getting a visual here.  Sew those "fabric slates" together and you have the quilt.

The quilt was like a vertical blind, no blocks, no squares, just long stripes going from top of quilt to bottom of quilt. They were made of scrapes of fabric sewen end to end.


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## bugstabber (May 12, 2002)

I think I've got the picture now. The pieces in each strip (slat) would be the same width top to bottom, but the next row of strips might be wider or thinner. That's a neat concept. I can see how you could sew that right onto an old sheet. Thanks for the idea!


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

I sure have enough fabrics around here to give that a try. I'll have to remember to do it.

Angie


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## CraftyDiva (Aug 26, 2003)

bugstabber said:


> I think I've got the picture now. The pieces in each strip (slat) would be the same width top to bottom, but the next row of strips might be wider or thinner.


You got it now! Whew! I was hoping my explanation wasn't coming off as clear as mud.  


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## Calico Katie (Sep 12, 2003)

Found this one today while looking through JoAnn's site.

http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog.jsp?CATID=cat13853&PRODID=xprd73894


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## southrngardngal (Oct 18, 2005)

CraftyDiva said:


> I really wish I could find a picture of the quilt I'm talking about, it would be so much easier. It was/is a "Non-Block" quilt, which is the reason I liked it. There were no quilt squares, no uniform pieces all the same size.
> 
> Let's see if this will help............... Picture Vertical Blinds, the kind that go from ceiling to floor, covering a large window. Now picture those "slates" that make up the blind, still with me? Picture those same slates (only in fabric) all different widths from say 2" to 4". I'm hoping your getting a visual here.  Sew those "fabric slates" together and you have the quilt.
> 
> ...


I was trying to find a picture of a quilt like the one you described. My sweet friend, Mrs. Gladys (passed away 1-9-07) made quilts like this that she called string quilts. They were always so pretty. The only difference in hers than what you described was if she didn't have a strip long enough to sew to another she would piece them and sometimes use different colors. 

One strip may be green and the next strip be 3/4 yellow and 1/4 pink. Sounds odd but the quilts always looked pretty when she finished with them.

Jan-southrngardngal


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## QuiltingLady2 (Jan 3, 2007)

I've seen that done before. Very nice.

Grandmother and friends would make what they called, Servicable quilts, out of narrow rectangles of fabric scraps, wool, in this same way. Then they tied those quilts. We still have one. It has civil war wool scraps in it. Just amazing. 

Hope you can post a picture when you are done. 

You know you're hooked now.....don't you? It's an addiction and you will never be cured!


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## Kmac15 (May 19, 2007)

I have heard several people talk about making string quilts with muslin or white cotton as the base, I have always used newspaper as the base/form, this is what my grandmother used and great grandmother, is the use of material as a base new or just a different way?


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## Calico Katie (Sep 12, 2003)

No, I don't think it's not a new idea. During the '30s there were a lot of string quilts made because they used every scrap they laid hands on. Using the newspaper backing was cheaper than 'wasting' good muslin for the foundation. Also, it was easier to quilt a string pieced top if it wasn't sewn onto muslin. If you wanted a light weight summer quilt (basically a pieced bedspread), you could use the muslin for the foundation and just finish off the edges to put it on your bed.

I have a Dresden Plate summer quilt that was made in the late '30s or early '40s. It's just the blocks sewn together for the body of it but it has a pretty ice cream cone border that is lined so that the edge is finished off.


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## westbrook (May 10, 2002)

just a few more links to add:

http://www.angelfire.com/va3/jclane/String Piecing/String Piecing.html
http://www.kirkcollection.com/stringpiecing.pdf
http://www.quilterbydesign.com/bagofstrips.html

string piecing is a fun way to use up all those strips of scraps.

I used wax paper to sew it on to but have also used scrap paper too.


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