Dena Crain: Artist & Teacher in Kenya

Faced with a rather 3-d quilt top in need of quilting, I was stymied completely until I realized I did not have to machine quilt this piece in the usual manner. I could simplify the job, save a lot of time, and still add interesting detail to the piece.

I secured the layers of this quilt by adding tiny bar tacks, so small they became almost circular. Worked by machine with black thread, the tacks took very little time to execute and absolutely no effort was wasted by marking in advance. I simply placed them randomly but evenly distributed over the surface of the quilt. In no time at all, the work was completed!

Detail of "Mosaic," a Design Lines quilt by Dena Crain

The funny thing about this piece is that for the last month we have had swarms of tiny black beetles every evening due to unusual weather patterns. These beetles are so tiny even the window gauze screening does not keep them out! In 18 years of living at Lake Baringo, this is the first time I have experienced these tiny insects. Isn’t it interesting how the things that happen all around us can influence our work in remarkable ways?

Sorry – I’m not yet ready to display the entire piece, as Mosaic is still a quilt art work in progress. But I hope you will take note of this tip for a quick, easy, and attractive quilting technique. Perhaps you will find a place for quilting with bar tacks in your own quilt art! If so, the only requirement is that you secure the threads well by taking several stitches in place, beginning and end.

Happy tacking!

PS:  This quilt sold during the Quilts of East Africa Exhibition at Cotton-by-Post in Ailsa Craig, Canada, in October, 2008.

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