WOW: LE: Pepping Up My Crosses

WOW = WIPs On Wednesday

I love the fabric choices for my LE crosses, but I was thinking that the yellow on pink was a bit lost, it needed pepping up. I used the rusty coloured thread, which I just loved and had wanted to use on my polka dotty crosses before I found the pink I finally settled on. So I used it here, to outline the inner cross hole.

This is my "before" shot

this is my "after"

 It's a small difference, but I think it makes a big impact!

What's Your WOW ?

An InLinkz Link-up

LE: My Flower Leaves

I was thinking of applique from a range of green fabrics for my flower leaves, and although small, I was planning to needle turn each and every small shape into a leaf. I was umming and ahhhing over several greens when I found this fabric - isn't t gorgeous? And luckily, the leaf print here - including the vein impressions are ratio correct for my vases. I am delighted with this unexpected find! Of course, I still have to needle turn tiny pieces, but the fabric is wonderfully detailed and saves my stitching in or drawing the vein details I set my mind on. For some of the pattern pieces I am cutting the smallest leaves directly from the print, and for the larger leaves, I am fussy cutting across the print for the desired effect. I am following the pattern throughout. 

This is a fabric from my stash, so I can't tell you if it's still available. I'm sorry about that as I would have loved to direct you to finding some for yourself - I think its such a simple and elegant solution. But you can recreate this idea with any suitable leaf print fabric. 

I am cutting out the tiny pattern shapes using wash away fusible and then cutting around the leaf shape, enough to turn. The method is the same as my Freezer Paper Applique Method (see my tutorial side bar) - the main and time saving difference is that I don't remove the paper afterwards. It washes away. It's time consuming and fiddly, like so many pieces in this quilt, but definitely worth it. 

Have you made your leaves yet? How did you do it?

LE: My Berries

They're done! All hand stitched and looking lovely. I'm really pleased with how they turned out and I even like the fabric more now then when I first chose it! It fits in beautifully with my other fabrics. The berry shapes are lovely and round. It feels so good to be ready to begin the flowers. 

I have to say that I am loving my Hungarian Stitch more and more as time goes on too

I'm so happy with how it looks

the yellow dots in the fabric make a tiny, but lively difference

 

It feels so good to be here and have all this work behind me. I've been thinking about how long each stage is taking me: the berries alone took over 16 hours of dedicated attention. I don't know if it's a good idea to quantify the quilt in time allocation because personally, I think its a bit daunting! 

At over 16 hours, that's about 10 minutes each on average for every single berry. This includes the tracing, cutting out, circle shape pulling, application and hand sewing x 100 odd berries (actually I made 104, but you know, roughly). There are probably faster ways...and possibly slower ways too. 

 How did you make your berries? 

WOW: LE Stitching Down the Berries

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays 

I've completed turning my berries, and now it's time to sew them down. I'm really happy with their shape and I have 96 to sew down. This will take me all of today and probably another two or three days too. It's slow going, but I'm going to put the Quilt Show on my computer in my sewing room and enjoy myself, listening in, whilst I work. Its a nice distraction I often use to help me get through the hours.

I've talked about my habit of running my computer for company whilst I work on these long repetitive tasks before. When my cat Mooshy was alive, she would keep me company and have a good inspection of everything I was doing. I must admit, I do miss having my quilting companion cat nearby at times like these.

How do you entertain yourself when performing repetitive tasks?

What's Your WOW ?

An InLinkz Link-up

Love Entwined Part 16 is Launched

It feel so good to be this close to finishing Love Entwined... this month we make the last applique blocks, the corners for border 4.

As we approach the end, remember how important details are. So relish your last zig zags and flowers for we have reached the end of the applique required to make this quilt. Wow!

This is where we are up to:

the final borders will be added next month in our final installment

See you over in the Bom Group!

‘Love Entwined 1790 Marriage Coverlet’ is a Free 18 Month Historic BOM

Each ‘block’ of the month is released monthly, on the 15th of each month. 

All ‘blocks’ are available for download via my Yahoo BOM Group only