Sister's Choice Quilts

And Then This Happened.

This is Jan Patek's block number 4 for the Moda BlockHeads Sew Along.  I had decided I didn't want to do it because it is appliqué, and made an alternate pieced block instead.

You all know I have been playing around with a new machine appliqué project on my Bernina 740.  After making some stars and basket handles using Heat and Bond fusible interfacing, I thought to myself:  "Nicole.  Stop being such a wuss and make the darn appliqué block".  I also heard somewhere that Jan is going to come out with six more appliqué blocks for this project, which could be a super cute addition to the quilt. 

One of my hesitations about making this block is that it looked wonky in just about every version of it I had seen.  It is supposed to be part of its primitive charm I suppose.  Only I can't do wonky very well.  My mother would straighten crooked pictures when she was a guest in someone's home, so I guess I come by it honestly.  It was pretty simple to make the pattern pieces symmetrical.  I traced them as they were, folded them exactly in half and cut with my scissors on the drawn line.  Kind of like cutting hearts when you make valentines.  Voila, each piece was symmetrical.  

I cut my gold strips 1 1/4" and sewed them with a  quarter inch seam.  I pressed those seams open.  I layered my three cut out appliqué pieces and fused them to the 6 1/2" background square.  I used invisible thread to do the appliqué, because Heaven help me, I could not match that gold to save my life.  I really like how forgiving the invisible thread is and will use it on the future appliqué blocks in this sew along.

I am super happy with how this little bee skep block turned out.  I am also thinking that maybe machine appliqué will become more a part of my projects, now that I have a machine that knows how to do it.

Applique Prep

I am making a colossal mess in my sewing room getting my star blocks prepped to machine appliqué.  I have little snips of fusible paper everywhere, and all available surfaces are covered with fabric, scissors, and interfacing.  This is certainly an activity where you want to break things down into steps.  First I will prep the 24 star blocks, then the basket handles.  I will do batches of appliqués based on the color of my thread, to avoid changing things up on my machine too often.  After the appliqué is done, I will move on to making all the half square triangles for the basket blocks.  Then, make 25 basket blocks and I am done!

Somebody was sick this weekend.  Eva is feeling quite pitiful as she curled up in my brown chair.  She rarely is ill, so I was very surprised when I got a call from school to come pick her up on Friday.  She was pretty miserable for about 24 hours.  I am happy to say she is all better!

Stars and Baskets

I got to thinking about appliqué yesterday.  I had avoided doing an appliqué block for the Moda BlockHeads project, thinking I needed to "gear up" for appliqué.  I made a pieced block instead.  I was a wimp.  Can't you hear me whining?  "Applique is too haaaaard".

I have had the kit shown in the photo above for a couple of years.  It is so darn cute, but involves appliquéd stars and basket handles as you can see.  It has been a nice decoration/eye candy on my book shelf since I bought it.  Time to change that.

To "gear up" for doing appliqué, I have been watching YouTube videos.  Honestly, you can learn anything on YouTube.  First I watched Kimberly from Fatquartershop make Orange Peel appliqués with a product called Heat and Bond (another one of those mysterious interfacings).  Then I watched Edyta Sitar and Kimberly make some super cute umbrella appliqué blocks.  I went to JoAnns and bought myself some Heat and Bond, then went home and watched more YouTube videos on how to do appliqué on my new Bernina 740. The best Bernina videos are by Heirloom Creations.  I cannot recommend them highly enough.  I learned about what foot to use, what needle position to use and a whole slew of other tips on how to make the most of my gazillion dollar machine.  

I won't lie, there is a lot to doing appliqué.  A lot.  I had to make a plastic template for my star shapes.  I had to get out my light box and trace my shapes on the Heat and Bond.  I had scissors for paper, scissors for big shapes, scissors for small shapes.  I had to find a pencil for Heaven's sake.

This is my pattern instructions on the light box.  You can't see it, but there is a circular shape for the basket handles that I am tracing onto the Heat and Bond.  I really liked the Heat and Bond by the way.  It is similar to Steam a Seam 2 I think.  It worked really great.  Lots of waste though, because you end up cutting away that whole center of the oval as well as the center of the star!

The Heirloom Creations video was so helpful.  I learned to move my needle position over to the far right, and therefore was able to use the "toe" of my presser foot as a guide to do the blanket stitch!  Go ahead and enlarge that star photo.  Those stitches are great!

Heirloom Creations also showed me where to find the proper blanket stitch on my machine.  I used number 1329, which gave me perfect results.  I swear I would not have even known the machine had that stitch except for the video.

I did a star with good results.  I did the basket handle oval with good results.  This Bernina 740 is such a dream to sew on.

So, my final thoughts on appliqué is that it IS a huge production.  These two blocks took me the better part of a day.  But if you have the right materials and a sewing machine that does a good stitch, you can achieve really good results and even have fun while you are at it.  

I am working on some ideas as to how to streamline this process.  I am thinking I should paper piece all my half square triangles in advance.  Then, get all the appliqué stars and handles prepped and ready to sew.  I can do the same color appliqués all in one go (so I don't have to change out the thread in the machine too much).  Then assemble the basket blocks.  If you break a job into smaller tasks, it doesn't seem so formidable.  And you know what?  With all this rigamarole involved in doing machine appliqué, I'd prefer it any day to fussing with hand appliqué!!!  But that's just me.  

Viola Stems

These funny looking things are my Viola Stems.  The idea is, you cut them in half diagonally and have sections for two vase units.  

The appliqué part went pretty well.  I used regular neutral Aurofil thread in the bobbin and invisible poly thread on the top.  It is like sewing with a transparent hair, so yes, it is invisible.  

The part that didn't go so well is that those curvy bias stems, they, well....they want to curve.  I had a heck of a time getting that long center strip to lay flat and straight diagonal to diagonal.  I have some that are very wobbly, and I am thinking I may re-do them.  Corner to corner, the strips line up where they are supposed to (at the ends).  However, along the way to the corner there is some serpentine wiggling going on.  That is the nature of a bias strip I suppose, but in this case, I am pretty sure the intent is for them to lay arrow straight.

Bummer.  I wanted this step to be over with quickly, but it looks like I may have some fiddling to do.

Just a note, if any of you are following along and making this pattern with us:  There is an error where the pattern says the half flower units should measure 5 1/2 inches.  They do not.  The half flower units measure 8 inches square.  

Crop Circles: Step 783

Wedges done, edges pressed under, circles made:  Start your engines and let the appliquéing  begin!

The first order of business is to cut those perfect circles into quarters.  For some reason that was hard for me.  But I did it.

There are a couple of ways to proceed with the wedges and quarter circles.  You can appliqué the quarter circle to the wedge, then appliqué the whole wedge/circle unit onto the background.  Or, do as I preferred, which was to use the background square as a guide and position first the wedge, then the quarter circle.

I am using a new to me tool by Sewline.  That pink pen like thing in the photo above is a glue stick especially designed for appliqué.  It is blue, but dries clear.  I am applying it to the edge of the underside of the wedge and circle shapes to position them in place on my background square for appliquéing.  I really do like it.  I got mine on Amazon.com and it comes with one refill.

I am trying not to get the glue right at the very edge of the appliqué piece because I don't want to sew on it and get my needle all gunky.

I am appliquéing the four squares for each block in sets of five.  I managed to complete 10 blocks (40 segments) on Thursday afternoon.  The appliqué process is going great.  In a nutshell, here are my machine settings etc:

70/10 needle in machine (it is smaller and the holes aren't as big)
clear poly invisible thread on top, regular thread in bobbin
foot #20 for the Bernina (open appliqué foot)
stitch #7, the blind hem stitch
stitch length "1"
stitch width "1"
tension "1"

And I am here to tell you, that machine appliqué stitch is really invisible.  The blind hemstitch takes three or four tiny stitches in the ditch between the appliqué piece and the background, then takes a "bite" out of the appliqué piece to secure it.  Every one of them is coming out fantastic.  Go ahead, enlarge that photo.  See what I mean?  And that isn't my best effort, I just picked that example up randomly.  I think this method is better than hand appliqué because it doesn't show and it is fast.   

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend all of you!  I guess you know what I will be doing!

 

What's Not to Like?

This is another Kim Diehl project.  I joined up for her Simple What Nots program again.  This is Season Two, Month One.  Those little hexies are appliqued on.  I am such a klutz when ironing the applique pieces around the freezer paper shapes, and good grief, what a mess I make with the glue when I am positioning the pieces on the background.  Afterwards, I have burned finger tips and am sticky all over.

I used Kim's invisible machine applique and was fairly pleased with my effort.  It was simple and went together in just a few hours.  You can purchase last year's Simple What Nots kits on Fatquarter Shop (all on sale now), and join Season Two if you are interested.

Don't Kim's designs and fabrics express her style perfectly every time?  She is so true to her own tastes when she creates.  If you didn't know, you would look at that and think, "Hmmm, that looks like a Kim Diehl design".

I am finding this Simple What Nots program very enjoyable, and am so glad to have a chance to practice my machine applique.  I have to say though, I always feel like a bit of a mad woman when I am clipping the background away from underneath the applique shape in order to tear out the freezer paper.  I hate hacking away with sharp scissors on a just completed project.  Plenty of ways to go wrong there.

This project is super tiny.  It only measures 12.5 by 14.5 inches.  I think it is the perfect size to put next to my tv table as a coaster for my wine glass and remote device or perhaps under a candle.

I think it is pretty cute, and I plan to quilt it and bind it this week and find a place for it!

 

Dresden Place Center Circles

I am so interested in doing applique these days.  I have got to get my Dresden Plate project finished.  I only have two more plates to do and the blocks will be done. 

There is a great method for turning perfect circle edges that I have been using.  I think I have blogged about it before, but here is a re-cap.  

You cut your circles using Perfect Circles plastic templates.  Trace around the template that is the size you need for your project--trace on the wrong side of your fabric.  Cut it out, leaving an approximate quarter inch seam allowance.  Do a running stitch all around the circle, about an eighth of an inch from the cut edge.  Lay the template over the traced line of the circle and pull the threads taut.  Dab the edges with spray starch on a small brush and carefully iron the edges.  Don't iron directly over the bare plastic template because it will warp and be ruined.  Don't ask me how I know this.

And there you go.  They aren't kidding--Perfect Circles! 

Oh Dear, Which Way To Go?

I spent the entire day, I mean the ENTIRE day yesterday, experimenting with various applique techniques.  I had a basic pattern from Moda Bake Shop, for a 4.5 inch block unit that I was using for a template.

And here's my issue.  The orange peel section is too big for the 4.5 inch square.  There isn't enough seam allowance to sew it to another block.  

I got out my June Tailor plastic template.  Beautiful.  From what I read, the tip to tip measurement of the orange peel unit should fit perfectly on a square one half inch larger.  I thought I had it all figured out, but this is the result:

Seam allowance too big. I must have figured wrong.   Also, making these 4.5 inch square units was making me crazy because the orange peel section wasn't lining up just right to match the others.

I decided to use one consistent background square so I could more successfully match up those points that come together in the center.

Whew, that is so much better.  Ferrgetabout scrappy backgrounds.  Not doing it.

I am still not sure if my template for the "peels" is the right size.  It seems to me if it were 1/16th or 1/8th inch smaller, things would be better.  But that would be a weird measurement.

I am not kidding, I tried about a dozen applique methods, trying to decide did I want to do this on the machine or by hand.  I used starch, I used glue (huge messes with both), I did freezer paper, double freezer paper, tracing a template and drawing a line on the right side of the fabric, using fusible interfacing, using fusible interfacing with the center trimmed out (what a waste of fusible), using machine applique with freezer paper and having to slash the back of the unit to yank out the freezer paper (HATED that method the most), and who knows what else.  I did it on the machine, with a zig zag stitch and with a blanket stitch.  I did it by hand.  I tell you, I could have half an orange peel quilt made with all the experimenting I did yesteray.

Here are my conclusions at this moment in time--the method I prefer to use for applique is simple needle turn.  You trace your template on the right side of the fabric, stick it to your background with glue or pins and start sewing.  No starch, no mess.  No hours and hours and hours of prep.  No wrecked manicure.  And you get to sit down and start sewing right away.  And if your thread matches your applique piece well, your stitches are invisible.  Stitching the blocks is so quick with this simple shape.  FIve to ten minutes per unit.  By hand!

What I am not sure about is what template to use.  With this block, you want your seam allowance to be just so, and I am not entirely satisfied with my results.  I guess my final results are close to a quarter inch, but it would be nice to have just a teensy bit more room for play.

Any of you out there who are using an Orange Peel template--what is working for you?

UPDATE AT DAWN----

So I am up at the crack of dawn continuing the experiment and using your tips, and here's what works--

Make my scrappy background squares 4 3/4" instead of 4 1/2".  Now my template fits better.  Sew four scrapy background squares together.  Mark a dot 1/4" in from each corner.  Do needle turn applique and everything comes out great!

These pieces aren't stitched down, but you can see they will fit on the backgrounds much better.  Brilliant advice everyone, thanks!  I went through almost an entire charm pack with this experiement and was afraid I had had enough of my Orange Peel experience, but now I am raring to go on a real project!

Orange Peel

I am dying to make an Orange Peel quilt.  There are any number of methods one could choose to do it, and I am on the fence as to which way I am going.   Moda Bake Shop has a printable, for both machine applique or needleturn applique, which as you see I have printed out.  You end up with a block that is 8.5 inches square, unfinished.  If you are into curved piecing rather than applique, you can opt for a three piece acrylic template set.  Baycreek Templates has a nice one with three size options, 8, 12 or 16 inches square.

There are also numerous options of how to lay out the block units.  You can end up with a cool flower petal design, or the circular design shown on the pattern.  You can also go with a one fabric choice for each block, or scrap it up.

There are some fabulous images of Orange Peel quilts on Pinterest, Flickr and on the internet.  Seriously, go online to Pinterest.com  and search for Orange Peel Quilts.  It will blow your mind.

Jessica at Quilty Habit organized an Orange Peel Quilt Along this summer, and there are tutorials for various methods of construction on her blog, as well as links to lots of gorgeous results.

  Cindy Lammon at Hyacinth Quilt Designs can always be depended on to make terrific projects, and I recommend you check out her version.

This is Cindy's Orange Peel.

This image is Amber's from A Little Bit Biased.  This version is simiar to Cindy's but look how she has used scrappy backgrounds.  Amber's work is awesome, and if you don't already, you should follow her blog.

The Orange Peel below was on Pinterest, and Elizabeth Hartman of  Oh Fransson! was referenced as the maker.  How about an orange Orange Peel?

 

The one below is striking in black and tan scrappy Reproduction fabrics.  Norma Whaley of Timeless Traditions

had this one pictured on her blog.  From what I gather, her friend Leslie made it. 

All I know, is an Orange Peel quilt is in my future.

 

Idaho Lily Applique Finished

 

The machine applique of my Kim Diehl Idaho LIly project is done!  It wasn't too bad, really.  My skills are not the greatest, but I think with practice I could be a lot better.  The thing that makes this thing pretty fool proof is 1) getting your  machine zig zag stitch just right, 2) getting your applique piece edges turned under perfectly, and 3) using Sulky Invisible thread in the color Smoke (for the dark fabric pieces).  I swear the combination of those three factors makes the stitch truly invisible.

Tips:  (1) machine stitch settings for most sewing machines are- zig zag stitch width "1", stitch length "1", and tension "1".  Kim said if you have a Bernina, thread the bobbin thread through the little eye of the bobbin cover and you may not need to adjust your tension.  "1"s across the board worked for my little Janome.

Steady Betty helped me with tip (2).  Also I really liked using a regular glue stick to make those crisply pressed edges stay put.  

As for the thread  Tip (3), --Sulky Invisible Smoke (I got mine at Joanne's) is absolutely invisible.  You may want to ask a grand child to thread your needle.  I seriously could not see the thread to put it through!  It is like sewing with a hair or spider web.

So, if you follow those guidelines, even if you are an amateur like me, you will get good results!

In much sadder news, did you hear that Rosie of Miss Rosie's Quilt Company passed away a week or so ago?  She had been Carrie Nelson's faithful companion for 15 years.  Carrie named her company for Rosie, took her just about everywhere, and if a dog could have been any more beloved by its owner, I just can't imagine it.  I was greatly grieved to hear that Rosie is gone.