Oct 17 09
First Experience with a New Product and a VERY Enthusiastic Book Review!
(Remember to click on all pictures to see them as full size). I tried a new fusible product for the first time this weekend and I am very happy with the results. The center section of the quilt top above was fused to the background with an ultra-thin line of glue called Liquid Stitch, see below:
The remarkable part of this product is that you are left with NO STIFFENING because that glue line is so very narrow! I began by fusing my shapes and then trapuntoing them as I finished the applique edges. (I DID use Wonder Under for these shapes because I wasn’t worried about any stiffening there.) Notice how boring this center section is when it still has a rectangular shape:
…and here’s what the backside looked like at that point:
So, my goal was to create an interesting edge for this center section by introducing some nice curves, then fuse the edges only to my background piece. I first used a pencil to draw some gently curving edge lines on the backside of the piece; these would eventually be my cutting lines. Next, I followed that drawn line with my trusty tube of Liquid Stitch and you can see the glue lines in this next photo:
I waited about 20 minutes for the glue to dry (it dries clear, by the way), and then I placed an applique pressing sheet on top of it and ironed over those glue lines. I did this because I thought this would flatten the glue lines, but truthfully, the applicator tip on this tube is so small that they didn’t really even need to be flattened! I then took a pair of scissors and cut out my center piece, really trying to cut in the center of that tiny glue line. Once I was done, I placed it where I wanted on top of my background fabric, then fused it in place. I finished the edge using the EKG stitch (the thread is a color called “Grass” and is part of the YLI Variations Line of trilobal polyester threads-I love that colorway!) Once I was done, I cur away the background fabric that was behind the green center section:
To get an idea how much this added to this quilt top, compare it to this picture, where the rectangular center is laid on top of the background fabric-what a difference!
Now, if you read my blog, then you know that I am all about having fun with thread and using thread in cool ways to add interest and texture to your quilt. I have been excited for many months to see Sarah Ann Smith’s new book, called Threadwork Unraveled:
This book is incredible! If you are eager to learn all kinds of different techniques that utilize thread, this book is for you! If you already spend a lot of time playing around with thread, you’ll learn new information and you’ll love the photos and illustrations! I am hard-pressed to come up with any quilter who wouldn’t enjoy this book! Before I bought it, I really had no idea of the scope of this book; it’s full of great information about virtually all kinds of threadwork using your machine. The other thing about it that’s nice is that Sarah’s warm personality really shines through; it’s not written as a manual, but rather, like you’re sitting down with a quilting friend who’s casually explaining what she knows. Truthfully, some parts of threadwork can be kind of boring and dry, but Sarah’s enthusiasm shines through and none of it seems dry here. On top of that, it’s filled with beautiful photos of quilts, with lots of great closeups to reveal the threadwork:
…and also has great diagrams to get you excited about fun free motion designs:
This book would make a great gift for any quilter and if you don’t read Sarah’s blog, that’s another great source of information and inspiration!
Oooh. Thanks for the great tips!!!
What a wonderful and well deserved review of Sarah’s book! I’ve been following her progress (and occasional setbacks) since she began this project and couldn’t be happier that her hard work seems about to pay off.
I’m waiting eagerly for my copy to arrive.
Patsy… I am TOTALLY BLUSHING, and thank you so much for your VERY kind words (and the bazillions of your readers who are surfing over to my blog!). I’m SO GLAD that you like the book so much. It is heart-warming, especially after so much work over so long a time, to know that I have succeeded in reaching out and sharing my love for quilting.
I’ve just this week uploaded a free download… “From Sarah’s Bookshelf,” which is an annotated bibliography (in pdf form) of my favorite quilting books. There are plenty of other good ones out there too, but these are the ones I return to time after time, and why. There wasn’t room for it in the book, so this was my solution…give it away!
Thanks again for all you do to promote what we both love…the quilting! Cheers and thanks again, Sarah