Aug 28 11
Scenes From a Quilt Block
I’m about to finish all the free motion embroidery and trapunto on this center block, so I’m pretty close to being able to add the side and corner setting triangles that will return this quilt to its square shape. The center heart is fairly “poofy” with a layer of wool batting underneath. I also added some gold “highlights” by outlining shapes within it and I love that “bling” detail:
And here’s a shot of one of the more complex stems. Again, my goal with shapes like this is to use a shiny thread in a color that does not match the background for the “showy” areas but use a very lightweight and non-shiny thread for the internal teardrops, as I really don’t want to draw attention to that stitching:
The birds and feathers have a very thin polyester batting behind them, so they won’t “puff out” nearly as much as the tulips and central heart:
(Oops! It looks like I need to trim that fraying fabric on the wing!) Here’s my tip for saving time when you’re finishing the edges of a flower where there’s an “interruption” between the petals…I don’t end my stitching lines after each petal, but take some very short stitches at the extreme edge of the petal, then “skip” to the next petal:
All those travel lines of stitching need to be trimmed before the next row of petals can be stitched. Here’s one of those flowers in its finished state:
I can hardly wait to add the setting triangles so I can add some more fusible applique to fill those! In the meantime, this week will be heavy on sewing and quilting (yippee!!!) so expect some great posts! I am working on several different projects, each quite different from the others, and will post at least 4 more posts within the next 6-7 days. To whet your appetite, here’s just a taste of one of them:
As usual, all I can say is YUM!
Wow….I need more control with my outlining….mine is way off…and a glass of wine doesn’t do it….perhaps a case will…LOL
Love the heart…very pretty!
Smiles,
Kelly