Today's guest has one foot in Minnesota
and the other in New York City.
She ties her two lives together through her amazing quilts.
I'd like you to please welcome Victoria Findlay Wolfe
an extraordinary quilter who uses
a double wedding ring quilt pattern
as her palette to tell her life stories.
Welcome back to Sewing With Nancy, Victoria.
Thank you, Nancy.
Thanks for having me.
If my grandmother and I were able to
make a quilt together
this quilt, Greatest Possible Trust
is probably what it would look like.
The design is a contemporary double wedding ring
and it combines modern and traditional quilting.
It brings the two worlds together.
"Double Wedding Ring Quilts"
That's what's coming next on Sewing with Nancy.
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We're going to start with Victoria's quilt
Remembering Christmas Past
which is filled with images from her childhood.
The concave square of the double wedding ring design
is a perfect palette to showcase memories using fabric.
With this quilt as a backdrop
learn her secret to piecing this traditional design.
We're going to get back to the Greatest Possible Trust
that dramatic quilt that you saw in the beginning
but this is a great place to showcase how
the double wedding ring design is sewn together.
And Victoria, you know
people sometimes steer away from this design
but if you break it down it's really quite manageable.
That's one of the things that I'm trying to get people
to let go of the fear.
Sure.
The curved piecing is really not
that it's a hard thing to do
but it's a patience builder.
And we all need more patience.
I like that terminology.
It's true.
Where you have your memories showcased in fabric
is this middle section called a concave square.
A concave square.
This whole quilt, the pieces are pretty standard.
That was the concave square
this is the solid arc shape that we're using.
And the melon.
And the melon on the inside, and your setting square.
The rest is just duplicating
to make this main element of the double wedding ring.
Now we have the pieces cut out.
You can use templates
as Victoria has done on this quilt
or you can use a die cut machine to cut the pieces.
Our grandmothers probably used templates.
What do you think?
The probably used paper templates.
The fancier templates that we have now
for the precise piecing on these curves
makes things much easier to go together.
So here you can see some of the elements
that are cut apart
and you first sew the squares to one of the arcs.
Exactly.
It's a nice easy place to start.
You get those little straight seams done.
You can chain-piece all of the squares
to your arcs in one go, right?
We have that together.
Then anytime that you're doing curves
you want to find the centers of your shapes.
You should always pin your centers first.
We have them nicely marked there already
so we can just go ahead and pin our center.
Then we're going to pin the end.
I find, after having made almost 30
double wedding ring quilts now
that I can get away with just three pins.
The reason I like to do that, and it makes it
very obvious when I get all of them pinned.
I'll get this little guy on here.
Because you're working with mirror images on the curves
if you just pin those three points
your fabrics will magically line up evenly
your raw edges together.
Let's share with our viewers this little end
because you extend the melon piece this 1/4".
Exactly.
A little bit of a quarter over the end of the fabric.
And here is Victoria stitching this curve.
You use a straight stitch.
A straight stitch, 1/4" seam.
And when you're finished with that
tah-dah, it looks like this piece.
Exactly.
Once you've got that down, that's what's happening next.
You're going to place the arch with the squares on it
to the melon piece.
Yes.
And one of the things I often get is
how do you remember which way this goes?
I always say, floppy-toppy.
Okay.
Floppy-toppy goes on the top, right?
Belly on the bottom.
They call it the belly piece.
So I'm going to just pin that
and on the bottom here you're going to be
lining up this seam
with the seam that you've sewn.
I like to pin directly through that seam
so things line up
exactly where I want them to be.
I'm pinning 1/4" down
exactly where I'm going to sew.
Then I'm going to pin
through this seam 1/4" down.
Okay, stacking them up nicely there.
Get my pin in flat.
Okay?
And here we go again.
Victoria's stitching this curve
after she's pinned the other end.
It just takes a little time, with a shorter stitch length
to create that curve.
Yes, and to be patient when you're sewing that.
Make sure that the fabrics stay in place.
Don't rush it, just sew it slowly together.
So that's been sewn.
Then the completed melon unit
goes to the center square.
The concave square.
And when we put this up on our backdrop
this is a finished circle, double wedding ring
but to create rows to sew this together
we will sew a concave square
to a completed double wedding ring.
Then add, at the bottom--
So you're not going to make
circle after circle after circle.
The row is going to start at the top
we're going to have the concave square
the circle, concave square, and the circle.
And the opposite happens on the other side.
So what you're seeing is a nice gentle curve.
That's kind of the little Readers' Digest version of
working with the double wedding ring stitching.
Victoria and I
opened the show with an image
of this great, dramatic
improvisational quilt called--
Greatest Possible Trust.
Greatest Possible Trust
with, as you mentioned
if your grandma could make a quilt with you--
If we could have made a quilt together
what would that look like?
And that was kind of my challenge
that I was working with
two different concepts of modern and traditional.
The most traditional double wedding ring
we can find on here is
I think, right in this area.
I think so, because here you're going to have
your setting of a standard melon, right?
You've got your setting stones
and your arcs and your small melons
attached to your concave square to the inside.
I was really looking at how I could change the story
of melding the tradition and the modern together
by putting in some negative space
putting in some whites, playing with some made fabric.
This was the '70s
so getting out all my vintage fabrics that I collect
and making some made fabric out of those
to put it all together.
And to share with our viewers if they missed our first program
that Victoria received a quilt from her grandmother
for her graduation present.
Here's a close-up of that quilt
patchworked together, all done by hand.
And in polyester.
Polyester.
So this is not polyester.
This made fabric, this pieced fabric
and then cut into a template form
was that inspiration.
Exactly.
And if you missed that program you can go to nancyzieman.com
and watch it online or watch it on DVD as well.
But now as we go to the next double wedding ring
we can see some additional
improvisational accents.
Exactly, trying to bring all the techniques together.
My grandmother was also very good at crochet and embroidery
so I wanted that to be an element
inside of the quilt as well.
So here, where I was doing
more of a traditional quilting pattern
I went back and I chain- stitched all the lines.
By hand.
By hand.
Not a sewing machine or a serger, nope.
But putting in that little detail in where it hits the red
to help tell that story.
You know, and kind of crossing over
the modern straight lines of the modern quilting.
Then going back in also and making sure
to have handwork involved
having some hand-quilting here and there.
You know, we can't teach improvisational
because what I would improvise with
would be different than what you would.
But to give you ideas, I think that's what
this whole program is about.
Exactly.
So this is yet one more technique
that I wanted to be able to add is having some applique.
On most of my quilts you'll find a small touch of applique.
In here I did the red on red of the flowers
that related to the traditional quilting.
But it's very subtle, so you don't
necessarily see it right away until you're up close
and get to really inspect the quilt.
The surprise that comes with further investigation, right?
Exactly.
And as we go up the quilt you'll see that
introducing more color--
The white now is white on white.
And we can also look at the border.
Here at the binding at the outer edge
not the border, excuse me
you have the triangles coming outward.
But as we move up, this is an interesting--
I would hate to bind that, Victoria.
But then as it goes around
you've left those behind
and this is the traditional way
of binding a double wedding ring quilt.
Exactly, and that's kind of the final thought that
I like to do on a quilt is to look at the edge of the quilt.
So on the red, solid, modern side
you're going to find a different edge
than you're going to find at the top, white portion
traditional quilted side of the quilt.
Combining that modern and traditional.
The surprise that comes in the lower corner
to me, is that
the melon and one of the arcs
is with this made fabric, the patch fabric,
and cut out with a template.
And then the surprise of just one arc.
It's just such a interesting quilt to look at.
You just don't see it in one glance.
Exactly.
There's a lot to investigate in this quilt
which is what I used to like to do on
my grandmother's quilts, was to trace through and find
all my favorite patterns and colors in her quilts.
So I'm always trying to find
that sort of busy-ness that happened in her's
to happen in my quilts.
I hope that this quilt will inspire you
to try to incorporate many techniques in one quilt.
If you ask most quilters, what's your go-to fabric?
My guess is that polyester double knit
will not be the response.
Yet polyester knit is what Victoria chose for this quilt.
The look is modern, the stretch in the fabric
makes piecing curves a breeze
and the durability is second to none.
This is an amazing quilt.
Different design, a little stretched out.
A little bit.
Changed.
And it's kind of fascinating because it has
many of polyester double knit
tied like 1970's quilts.
So explain it.
That's pretty much the way my grandmother's quilts were made.
First with polyester, and then she would usually
just turn the backing to the front for her binding
not a separate piece of fabric.
Sure.
And then tying the quilts to finish them off.
But usually there's two layers
of polyester batting inside of them
so they're nice thick quilts to sleep underneath.
On this quilt, I wanted to redesign
that pattern a little bit
take a little liberty with the shape.
I widened it out
and then turned the concave square and put it on point
to give you a whole different look to the quilt.
I like to be able to look at that
this is just one melon of this double wedding ring
which is usually only about this big.
We're now up to here.
And by turning it on point you're now getting
sort of this TV screen sort of a shape
which really does some interesting, different
looks to the pattern of the quilt.
I was able to just turn the variation a little bit.
Now the fabric colors are--
Challenging?
Fascinating, they're fascinating, not challenging.
Using double knit, recycled,
some of it found, I'm sure
at second-hand stores, whatever.
Yes.
It's just an interesting color combination.
You know, to look at your inspiration
this is a nine-patch.
Yeah, this was one of the other quilts
that my grandmother made.
We would sit and cut the squares out
for her so she could run them through the sewing machine.
Everything's pretty much re-purposed.
I know this fabric.
Here's a photo, taken a few years ago.
Oh, just a few years ago, yes
where myself and my grandfather and my brother and my cousins
all had matching shirts made out of them.
That fabric.
Yes, yup.
And I'm sure you can go through here
and have some fabrics that tell stories.
Absolutely, I know exactly
which article of clothing came from which member of my family.
And what a great jumping-off point
to tell a story.
I think what we what to show in this program--
It's not your traditional Sewing With Nancy program
where we're showing you exactly how to piece it
because you're not going to have these fabrics.
Exactly.
But to know what to work with what you have
and how you can kind of stretch the envelope
to use an over-worked term.
Yup.
So tying, you know, I grew up with tied quilts.
Right.
You obviously did the same.
And there's nothing wrong
with tying them.
Nope, absolutely not.
Actually, when I finished making this quilt
my daughter said this was probably her favorite one
because it's so light and airy
when you don't have all that quilting involved in it.
Oh, sure, sure.
And it can be done without--
I can be, many times
tied quilts are done in groups
and with family members and friends, and so forth.
So that will make it work for you.
So we have the big mama.
She's a big mama, yup, she sure is.
And you know, one of the other things too
was again, tying the story together.
My grandmothers nine-patch sort of a look
and putting that into the piecing
in a few of the arcs
that go inside of the quilt.
So this was pieced as a nine-patch and then cut
which we did a lot of in the first program to show.
So you can re-cut, make your own fabric
whether you're working with cotton
which is more traditional.
But polyester, it's okay to use polyester.
Absolutely.
I was pleasantly surprised with it.
It went together so easy.
I was very surprised.
So retro, another way of looking at quilting
even with double wedding rings.
150 fabrics make this scrappy quilt extremely lively.
The Bright Lights Big City quilt
vicariously tells the story of
Victoria's move to New York City
and the life built there.
This also is a study in pushing a design
combining the New York beauty quilt element
with a double wedding ring design.
This quilt defines the term improvisational quilt.
Color, that's what I thought of immediately
when I saw this quilt
and color in many fabrics.
Absolutely, so 150 fabrics.
How do you find all those fabrics?
Go raid your stash and you pick
every single color and fabric that you love.
And that's what you did.
What I like showing in the progression
that we did today
this is the same pattern
that was in the retro/mod quilt with the polyester
but now it's cotton.
Yup, the same pattern, shape just using cottons this time.
The idea that when I'm making a quilt
that every time I'm making
if it's the same pattern or not
that I'm changing one thing within the pattern.
So this time was taking
the element of the New York beauty
since I live in New York City
add in that little sparkle of city lights.
That's a traditional paper piece pattern
but now you placed it
in one of the arcs of the big mama.
Yup, my big mama double wedding ring pattern there.
Yeah, so adding in that little element
just giving it a little extra flavor.
It's not a hard thing to do, but yet another great technique
to take a few minutes to learn.
Looking at this quilt you can always find
something different and new.
When I look at it I think
oh, I didn't see that fabric before.
Well, with 150 fabrics, of course not.
But we're going to start in this area to show
some of your unique combinations.
Right, so I'm still trying to tell my story somehow.
Obviously, I live in New York City
but I'm the farm girl, right?
Gotta have my little country girl in there.
Country bumpkin still is present.
So finding fabrics that will help
tell that story as well.
You know, using some vintage fabrics
mixing them with modern fabrics and traditional fabrics.
Where I live, in the garment center of New York City
it used to be kind of a seedy little place
side of town before it became residential
so we had to give a little sassy flavor
going on inside there.
Again, adding some retro fabrics
that will kind of help tell the story.
And just my love of all fabrics
vintage fabrics, reproduction fabrics
modern fabric, bold color...
Pattern, print together.
All of that, because it's all fun, right?
We love to buy fabric
and touch and all that good stuff.
And I think one of the things that I'd like to stress--
Or not stress, but encourage you
is when you're quilting, when you're sewing
you don't have to stay
within just a color palette.
Victoria, you certainly stretch the boundaries.
This in particular, orange is my favorite color.
Really?
So that was a great place to start.
So if I'm going to tell my story of New York City
it's got to have some orange in it.
That's one of the things I like to encourage people though
is that when you are doing a scrappy quilt
is that put all the different colors together.
Clearly, there is every single color
inside of this quilt and they live happily together.
So if you're picking fabrics and colors
and things that you love
you will have a quilt that you love
when you're finished with it.
Well put.
When I look through my scrap box
I see a lot of greens and blues
and maybe a little touch of yellow
but yet when you put them together
not a bad combination.
Not a bad combination.
Well, it has been so enjoyable to have you as my guest.
Thank you, I so enjoyed it.
To share your improvisational quilts
to give our viewers the encouragement to--
Try something new, throw some fabrics together
and see what you're going to get.
So double wedding rings, there's certainly ways
that you can create them and not always have them
be traditional but add a modern flair.
Thanks again, Victoria.
Thank you.
Several years ago I featured
the Wisconsin Nicaragua Partners Project.
Women from my state donate their time and talent
to teach others sewing
in their partner Central American country
with a goal of providing a skill and income.
Please welcome Dixie Thoyre
who is one of the volunteers of this good will project.
Thank you, Nancy.
Thanks for being here and updating us.
Not everyone watched that initial interview.
What we need to explain is what
the Wisconsin Nicaragua Project works with
with the women in Nicaragua.
Well, volunteers go down
and they teach the ladies sewing skills.
Lynda Pracht had taught them
how to make these lovely dolls' dresses.
Then we have found them
a market here in the States
that they will fit the 18" doll.
We go to craft shows
throughout the state of Wisconsin and Minnesota
as well as our online services
in order to sell the dresses for the ladies in Nicaragua.
Now what I think is so fascinating
is that these dresses
are made, many times, on treadle sewing machines.
Yes, correct.
They do all of this embroidery work
on a treadle sewing machine.
They take the fabric and they put it into a hoop.
And then they take the presser foot
off of the treadle sewing machine
and they actually stitch back and forth
on a treadle sewing machine
to do all of this work that they do.
And these are called Chica Nica.
Chica Nica doll dresses.
Thanks for pronouncing it correctly.
It's phenomenal what they can--
The workmanship, the artistry on these dresses!
Yes, it is.
And to think that they
you know, they don't have
a computerized embroidery machine.
They do it all on the treadle sewing machines.
They draw a little design
on the fabric and then they just go
and move it back and forth in the embroidery hoop
and do each stitch individually
on a treadle sewing machine.
True artisans.
Yes.
And this provides them, as we mentioned, an income.
They've done, I remember from the last time
a lady was able to add on to her home.
Yes.
Provide for her children.
What a wonderful service.
Yes, yes.
It is wonderful that we can continue Nancy's work.
We have volunteers in our Stevens Point office
that work with and coordinate with
the ladies in Nicaragua.
They will tell them what orders we need.
Like, if we need so many first communion dresses
or Irish dresses, or whatever we need.
Then they communicate that to the ladies in Nicaragua.
Then they let the ladies know.
Each particular lady is well known
for a specific dress.
Oh, sure.
They communicate that to them, they make the dresses
and then they send them back to us.
And how we do a lot of this is there's always
a Partners volunteer group that's going
to some area in Nicaragua
and so what we do is then we can
take the materials down
and they can make the dresses.
Then the dresses will come back
in somebody else's suitcase for us.
Then they also communicate to us
what supplies they need, because they don't have
this beautiful white fabric that we have
or all of the trims and garnishes that we have here.
So they will relay to the home office in Stevens Point
what supplies they need
and then they communicate that to me
and I'm the professional shopper as well as--
That's a great job.
Yes.
As well as attending craft shows
to, you know, display their products.
And you also go to Nicaragua.
Yes, I've been to Nicaragua twice.
I plan to continue to go as long as my health--
I don't think I'll make 39 times as Lynda did
but I do hope to continue every year.
Now what I find fascinating
to add to the story of the Chica Nica dresses
is that now women are paying it forward.
Yes.
Two of the ladies, Patronilia and Sandra
who make these dresses
are now giving back
to their communities
because they have started--
There's a burn center that is operating
out of our Managua office.
These ladies are actually making
dressings for burn victims.
Custom fit.
Yes, custom fit.
They come in and they measure them
and they take the measurements
and they sew the garments.
Then they come back and they measure--
Of course, this is all under the supervision of Dr. Leandro.
And they can help these patients
because these patients have no funds
to be able to purchase them.
Again, the Wisconsin Nicaragua Partners
and these seamstresses
are providing great service to the community.
It never fails to amaze me how the art of sewing
can be so helpful, can help so many
in a variety of countries.
Just knowing how to put needle and thread together
is an amazing feat.
Yes.
Well, Dixie, I thank you for sharing the story with me.
Good luck on your next trip to Nicaragua.
And thank you so much for having us, Nancy.
You're certainly welcome.
I hope you've enjoyed this two-part series
with Victoria Findlay Wolfe on working with
the double wedding ring quilt.
It was fun to work with her.
If you'd like to re-watch this program
hear this interview again with Dixie
you can go to nancyzieman.com
and click on videos.
Watch any of the Sewing With Nancy programs.
Thanks for joining me.
Bye for now.
Victoria Findlay Wolfe has written
the "Double Wedding Ring Quilts" book
that serves as a reference for this two-part series.
The book includes double wedding ring basics
plus full-size patterns for ten quilts.
It's $18.99, plus shipping and handling.
To order the book, call 1-800-336-8373
or visit our website at: sewingwithnancy.com/2823.
Order Item Number CT11100
To pay by check or money order
call the number on the screen for details.
Visit Nancy's website at nancyzieman.com
to see additional episodes, Nancy's blog, and more.
Sewing with Nancy
TV's longest airing sewing and quilting program with Nancy Zieman
has been brought to you by
Baby Lock;
Madeira Threads;
Koala Studios;
Clover;
Amazing Designs and Klassé Needles.
Closed captioning funding provided by Pellon.
Sewing with Nancy is a co-production
of Nancy Zieman Productions and Wisconsin Public Television.
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