applique wreath

I haven't done any applique for the best part of a year and was having withdrawal symptoms so pulled out a block to prep. This is block number 10 from the Beyond The Cherry Trees quilt. The pieces you can see in the photo are now ready for sewing down onto the background fabric.

I had to think about how to tackle the circular wreath in the middle and decided to use the starch and iron method of preparing the applique pieces.
I cut the paper circle from two thick layers of freezer paper and ironed it to the fabric. I then ironed the outside seam allowance after starching it. After that was done, I cut out the excess fabric from the center and did the same to the inside seam. I'm using a hard pressing board I made from an Ikea lazy susan and thick linen fabric.

 Here you can see I've managed a pretty accurate circle which I've glue basted down.

There's a lot of information regarding the starch and iron method on you tube from Simple Bird Applique (click) if you're interested. It suits me at the moment as the stitching seems to go faster and its not as hard on my weakened right hand. I also like to use the Clover mini iron.

Fussy cutting for Applique

I can't believe this is my first post of the year even though we're well in to February. How time flies but then I've also had a bad start to the year with a few lemons thrown my way. Enough said on that!

I thought I'd show how I've been working slowly on my Baltimore quilt and fussy cutting for leaves. I managed to join two borders onto the top and finish one corner.

Some leaves are made from a tone on tone fabric and don't need to be fussy cut and others are more realistic looking.

I cut out the freezer paper template starting with the dotted line. What you get is the template plus a window template. I use the window template to audition on the fabric. It's then a simple matter of ironing the leaf template inside the window template and removing the window one. you can then mark around the leaf using your favourite fabric marker.

Just recently I thought I'd try the freezer paper and starch method to prep my pieces and it turns out that I rather like it. I even made a pile of leaves to go. It does mean that I have to make my freezer paper templates in reverse and the window template the right side up and use a small light box for correct placement. it sounds complicated but it's really not once you get your head around it.

I even used this method to fussy cut petals for the roses. Fabric choice is harder because there has to be a difference in value where petals meet. I have to say that the stitching goes a lot faster and placement is easy too. I'm also not having any distortion problems with the fabric because of the starch.

I'm going to concentrate on getting this top finished, it's been on the slow burner for years and years. I've had a bad start to the year with not a lot of stitching going on but hopefully I'll be back up to speed soon.

Until next time, Janet

Giving applique a bath

I got busy doing some prep for two applique borders before Christmas so I could sit and relax with some stitching. I feel like I've been productive now that two are done. The first is for my Baltimore and the second is for the Aunty Green.

The Baltimore border has lots of embroidered stems which I did using a wrapped stem stitch. You might be able to see if you click on the photo above.

I draw the pattern on the background with my special pens and I do use basting glue so my applique needs a good bath when I'm done.

I generally fill a sink with warm water, not too hot and leave the piece to soak for anything from 15 minutes to half an hour depending what else I'm busy with. I do swish it around in the water a couple of times and I'll only add a dye catcher sheet if I'm concerned about some of the fabrics bleeding. I don't need to use them to catch the ink in the pens. I pre-wash most fabrics but sometimes those reds bleed regardless. 

You can see how the water has changed colour from the ink,it's suspended in the water and has never affected my fabrics or run onto them. They are acid free and non toxic. Sometimes I steam press my applique with a hot iron and that doesn't even affect how effectively it washes out. I have left ink in a quilt for a couple of years and it still washes out beautifully. For more information, see this post.

I rinse a couple of times in cold water and then squeeze, not wring the excess out. I then flatten it out on a towel as in the photo above, roll it up inside the towel to get more water out and leave it flat to dry.

Once it's dry, I'll double a towel on the ironing board and give it a good press with steam. The soft surface stops the applique from pressing too flat and it helps to get the wrinkles out between the applique shapes.

 It's hard to get a good photo of long borders but you get the idea. I've left quite a bit of negative space to fit some nice quilting in and I also didn't want the border to be too busy looking. There's still more to do to turn the corners at each end but I can't do that until later when sides are joined.

I finished another border for the Aunty Green quilt and thought I'd show you more close up photos so you can see the fabrics. The above is the center section.

The right side

And lastly, the left. I have to do some math now and do some trimming before I join the last four borders to the center medallion. After that I guess I have to get on and fill the corner applique parts in. That could take awhile.
Until next time, happy stitching, Janet

A new old quilt and little cotton rabbits

Happy New Year to you all!
Now that Christmas gifts have been unwrapped, I'd like to share with you this red and green antique quilt that my husband gave to me.
It's one of my favourite patterns in my favourite quilt colours. I know it as Whigs Rose but I'm sure it has other names depending on the political affiliations back in the day.
It was made around 1860 and was definitely pre-loved as the red fabrics and binding are looking pretty worn.

No worries about how to turn the corners on the borders, it looks like they were just placed at whim, I love that but I'm not brave enough to do it to my own quilts.

There are feathered wreaths quilted between the blocks and in a couple of other places. They don't show up very well because of the shrinkage and cotton batting. It's pretty expertly quilted with triple lines going through all the applique. Who quilts like that now?

The applique stitches are tiny and even, done with beige thread stitched in an overcast manner. I think this quilter must have been an accomplished sewer.

I put my hand in the photo to show just how tiny those berries are. This will be a quilt for display every Christmas now.

 

I can show you what I had been busy making for the grand children for Christmas now they've received them. I think they have a competitive streak when it comes to soft toys and cushions on their beds so these were well received.

It started off with this wee fella. The patterns are from Little Cotton Rabbits. I've always secretly coveted the rabbits Julie makes to sell so I was very happy when she started releasing the patterns which you can find here.

It didn't take much to talk me into making one for each of the kids despite never having made a kniited soft toy in my life. Every one came out looking a bit different depending on the wool used for the rabbit and that also seemed to determine the size and shape of each one.

 

Until next time, Janet

It's been ages

We've been having major Internet issues here, it seems there was a voltage leak up the road that kept making the Internet drop out and go ultra slow. I'm sorry if you missed my posts but hopefully I can update more regularly now. I sure have missed visiting my favourite blogs.

I have been fabric bombing in the sewing cave, it seems I can't play with fabric in a tidier fashion and there's no point in folding it neatly until I'm done with it anyway.

I've been keeping myself busy with a ton of drawing. I had an idea for a quilt and spent a lot of time on that.

I even shopped for Japanese fabrics for it. I proceeded to hand piece one compass and then abandoned the whole project.

At some stage I came to my senses and decided not to start something new. Guilt made me pull out an old sleeping beauty that has to be finished or it might end up never being done.
I did draw some borders for the old Baltimore quilt which I showed back here. I knew I wasn't that happy with them and so I put pencil to paper and started again. It took days which is why I put it off.

This time I used one of Sue Garman's urns from her Friendship album with some adjustments and drew the floral arrangement using some of the flowers in the quilt.

Once the drawings were finished it was time to start colouring with fabric.

Here's a peek of the first section. The corners have to be done last after they are mitred and joined to the top plus I have some embroidered stems to do as I go. I've left plenty of space to do some quilted feathers later on which I'll most likely trapunto.

I'll be back next time with an update on how I'm going on my other applique project, the mighty Auntie Green.

 

Happy sewing, Janet

Fabric fail

Sometimes the fabric that you think will work brilliantly fails dismally. Such is the case with the basket in the Auntie Green center.
Since I could see my pattern markings from the back, I tacked  the underlying pink fabric on from the back of the piece just outside the sewing line. The next stage was to sew the bias strips through the layers.
It's all going smoothly until I took a long hard look at my progress from a distance, as you do.

The brown and cream fabric doesn't look right to me, I would say because there seems to be an equal amount of cream and brown in the print. It was getting blended with the pink and looked kinda mushy to me.

Check out the picture below of the real Auntie Green basket.

If I can't live with it, it has to come out and here was the perfect opportunity to try out my new seam ripper. It has a rubbery end on the ripper and the case and the idea is to rub back and forth over the broken stitches and voila, they loosen and pull out.

It might seem a bit gimmiky but it actually worked quite well and I do hate picking little wee thread ends with my fingers.

Here's the basket all finished with the new brown fabric which I'm a lot happier with.

In case you were wondering, I appliqued the inside edges of the two outside pieces, trimmed the excess pink fabric and bias stems off and then proceeded to applique the outer edges if that makes sense.  That way I knew I wouldn't have to worry about covering everything or being too short on my seam allowances. It's happened to me before so it pays to leave more on than you think you need.

I just need to audition a couple of fabrics for two center circles on the blooms but that can wait until later.

I just can't sem to get a better photo of the colours in this one but you get the idea. It looks creamier in real life.

Class is tomorrow and I'm enthusiastic to get the next stage of the pattern to work on.

 

Until next time, happy stitching, Janet

I'd love some advice

I finished stuffing all the trapunto on my Coxcomb and currants quilt and spent several evenings carefully trimming the muslin off the back. I couldn't be happier, it's turning out just how I imagined in my mind. Excuse the photo, it had to go on the washing line but you'll get the idea.

I've been mulling over how to proceed for the last week. My dilemma is the backing and I have ordered a red bird toile. Who knows if that's coming, I've had no communication with the online shop to tell me they have enough or if it's been shipped.

Of course it's going to be hand quilted and I want to quilt inside the applique with red and green threads. I thought that if I used a solid off white wide back, it might look ugly with those threads on the back but then again, it would show up the trapunto.
If I use a patterned backing, it wouldn't show up the trapunto. I haven't seen enough antique applique red and green quilts to know what they did in those times but you might.
I would love to hear what your thoughts are. What would you do if this was your quilt?

Less blogging equals more sewing

It seems like ages since I fed the blog, I do have excuses but I'll spare you and give you a little update of the quilty kind instead.
I decided to pay a little more attention to just a couple of projects instead of my usual rotation that doesn't get me any closer to a finish. Don't ask me how long it will last because I don't set rules for myself.
I was pretty conflicted about whether to do the one inch squares for the sashings as in the pattern or use just one fabric.

I  happened to find a large enough piece of this vintage Kaffe Fassett in the cupboard which no doubt I had other plans for but it seemed like a good fit for this quilt and I was more than happy to use it.

I'm currently working on the bottom border and started with this tree which took a long time to applique with all it's innies and outies.

This one was a walk in the park, the hardest part was deciding which fabric to use.

 I love this one, it reminds me of a big palm tree.

The bird bath was quick and easy. I'll finish putting all the large elements on this border and then add in the colours that I think it needs with the birds and the gazillion circles.

I may not blog as often as I have in the past but I'll try to be better about catching up with my blog reading. I seem to love making quilts ( plural) that take a really long time to make and have a lot of hand work to do. This means that I have less to write about or show, age might be catching up with me, sigh.

There's a little write up about my quilting over on one of my favourite blogs, Quilting The Town Red. Annemart does some wonderful posts called in the limelight where she features different quilters and it makes for great reading which I love.

I have a top

Remember this trapunto I was doing for the Coxcomb and Currants quilt? Well the good news is that all the blocks have been done so it was time to put the top together.

You have to excuse the not so great photo but you get the idea. I had a hard time getting it all sewn together.

I decided not to do the usual sized setting triangles with a separate border. I did it tough and made really over sized setting triangles to make the quilting design on the border easier with less seams to quilt through. I hope I don't ever have to do this again..

If I manage to get some time over the next few days, I'll be drawing the trapunto border which will mimic the trapunto in the alternate blocks. Lots to do yet but it's progress and I'm loving how it's looking so far.

Coxcomb and Currants

All nine blocks are done, tra-la-tra-la. I think I hear birds singing.

Ignore the yellow pen on the alternate blocks, I have a bit of trapunto to do before these can be assembled. When that's done, I have the trapunto pattern for the border to draw up but that can wait.

As a rule, I don't count things like how many applique pieces etc that I do but I was curious as to the number of circles I stitched and 396 is the answer to that.

I'm off to the sewing cave to play with something more colourful, you'll have to wait and see.

I'm still here

It's been ages since I popped in to visit blogs let alone feed my own. I've been feeling so unwell due to some new  medication that had some unpleasant side effects but I'm all sorted now thank goodness.
On days I felt well enough, I got stuck into some sewing that's been on the list. This is dress number two out of the Gnomeville fabric. It's for Miss Sophie who is six. I'll never buy another Burda pattern after this one, it seemed to miss some steps and I'd rather not have to think too much and fill in the gaps. My Bernina played nice for the buttonholes which are my little phobia.

I seem to be stuck in all things red lately. These are the first lot of blocks for the Just Takes 2 quilt along. I'm doing mine in the red and white but there are others doing it and using lots of colour.

Progress has been steady on the Coxcomb and Currants project, I've done another two of these blocks and I'm currently working on the last one.

Is there anybody who is stitching the Trailing Vines quilt with me? I've uploaded the third panel for you. Just click on the Trailing Vines page underneath my header to go to the page with the links for downloading the patterns.

It's motivated me to draw up another panel to get stuck into this coming week but I'm also wondering if I'm putting lots of time into something that's not being used since I can't get any stats on the number of downloads. I'd love to hear of anyone making it.