Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Love Entwined Progress...Baby Steps

I bit the bullet and did the tiny circles surrounding the compass, and you know what, it wasn't so bad at all!  I admit I didn't do the patterns 32 circles but I am really happy with the result of my adjustment.  I have also stitched down all the triangels for the crown around the compass.



Late last night I put together the 6 petals for the applique I will do today.  I glued them down with Roxanne's Glue Baste so I could see how they look (the fabrics).  I think I like the fabrics I have chosen.


I really should have cropped that photo,oops!  Oh well, I am happy with the pink fabrics now I see them in this picture.

I've had a bit of a cold so I haven't done any stitching on my Whig's Rose but I will try to get some done later today.  I also have a quilt on the longarm but I haven't been able to decide how I will quilt it yet.  I'll show you when it's finished.

Have a great day.

Happy stitching ,
Rowena




Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Love Entwined compass Crown and Flowers

I had been waiting for a parcel to arrive so I could continue with the next stage of Love Entwined, a 1790 marriage coverlet Esther Aliu is offering as a free BOM.  Esther has suggested using a wash away fusible applique product I have never tried before.  I was unable to find the Floriani brand she suggested but did manage to buy a product that does the same thing, Wash Away Applique Sheets by C & T publishing.  I trace the pattern piece onto the sheet , cut it out sans seam allowance and iron it to the wrong side of the fabric eyeballing a seam allowance.  I then use Elmers glue stick to glue the seam allowance over the edge of the wash away fusible then stitch it as I would usual applique.  Once the quilt top is made you wash it and the fusible wash away does just that, it washes away leaving just a little fibre which gives the applique a very very slight puff, barely visible.  So far I am loving this. I have recently been using freezer paper in the same way but you have to cut away the back of the applique and background to remove the freezer paper, this new technique makes it possible to avoid that step, suits me!

Here is where I am up to now, the triangles forming the crown are just glued in place ready for stitching down, but I am so pleased with the result so far, I am enjoying this so much.  Those little stems were tiny little suckers!


The little flowers, someone said they look like they are blowing in the wind, lol.


I still have to stitch the tiny circles around the compass, after the crown triangles, ahem!

I have also still been appliquing my Whig Rose blocks, I am on the home stretch of block number 2, it's going to be lovely, I think.

Happy stitching,
Rowena



Monday, July 15, 2013

Compass progress for Love Entwined BOM

I stitched the centre on the compass block, a four patch cut into a circle.  I didn't like the look of it so unpicked it and started again but with a single print, much happier.  I also have sewn the narrow circular border on ready for 32 teeny, weeny circles!  I went to 3 shops today trying to find a circular paper punch the right size with great intentions of making the task easier, no luck.  I settled on some tiny metal washers from the local hardware store.  I will use the washers to make the circles then starch them very well before removing the washer so I can sew the circles down.


The second set of patterns have been released so had better get a move on.  I have bought the background fabric and had a look at some blues today but I am thinking I may do a very scrappy version and try to use up some of the fabrics I have accumulated over the years.

Happy stitching,
Rowena

Friday, July 12, 2013

Love Entwined, am I mad?

 Esther Aliu has a beautiful new BOM that started this month called Love Entwined.  It's a bit quilt with literally tons of applique.  I'm afraid I have succumbed after seeing all the beautiful work on the first block, a compass design.  I had never attempted a Compass block before yesterday so I decided foundation piecing would be a good way to go.  I didn't do too badly after messing about with a trial segment to re-aquaint myself with the process. Here's where I am up to .


I think the fabric choices ended up taking longer than the actual sewing!  I am pretty happy with the result.

I have also finished the quilt top I was making for my youngest son.  I have used a jelly roll by Minnick and Simpson, the border fabric is the same range.


I have another quilt top on the Longarm which I have to finish quilting before I can quilt this one.  I am still loving doing the applique on the Whig Rose but nothing new or thrilling to show yet.

Better get up and start my day, taking my daughter for her last visit to the Orthodontist today, pretty exciting for her.

Happy stitching,
Rowena