Following Your Muse... or a Random Act of Quilting

I have not been sewing much lately... and thus not much blogging either.  We had a wonderful time this past week with our friends, Kathy and Tom, visiting from New Mexico.  They moved there from New Jersey about 5 years ago and we really miss them.  So we were really looking foward to their visit for so long... and now it's hard to believe it's over. 

So I finally got back to some sewing over the weekend.  I have been playing with some designs using old lace pieces, old cutter quilts, etc.  I decided to follow my muse and see what came of it.

I started with a piece of blue and white old quilt - a cutter quilt.  And believe me this was truely a cutter quilt - with most of the backing in shreds and part of the quilt top missing.  Even the cotton batting was bunched up in spots.  Certainly something that has seen better days and perfect for repurposing.

 I started with my bluebird and added some embroidery.

Then I added some flowers, leaves, more embroidery and mother-of-pearl buttons.

Antique lace was perfect along the right side and the bottom.

I added a nice polka dot border and big stitched around the edge.

 

Here is my finished Blue Bird quilt.  It is small and sweet and so much fun to make!

 

This will probably go up in my Etsy shop shortly.  It was just a fun piece to satisfy a random act of quilting!  I might have to make another!

 

Happy Stitching!

Deb

Sunday Stitching - A New Technique!

I wanted to show you what I have been working on.  Now, as you know, when it comes to traditional applique, I am needleturn appliquer and almost always applique by hand. I am not much for machine applique - unless on a kid's quilt, art quilt, etc.  But I saw this technique and cute table topper in the current issue of BH&G American Patchwork & Quilting and thought I would give it a try just to see what it was like.

This is a pattern by Kim Diehl.  I must admit that the applique process was much quicker by machine, but the prep work was a little more labor intensive.  Once my four blocks had the bias stems machine appliqued, I joined them together into a 12 1/2" block.

Pattern pieces are traced onto and then cut out of freezer paper.  The pattern piece is placed dull side down and the seam allowance pressed onto the shiny side of the freezer paper.  

With monofilament thread in the upper part of the machine and regular thread in the bobbin, I machine appliqued with a very small zig-zag stitch around each piece.







Pattern pieces were held in place with a tiny bit of fabric glue from a glue stick.

 

Once the stitching was done, the back of the applique was cut away and the freezer paper removed.  I am not a big fan of cutting way the back of the applique, but I know a lot of quilters applique this way.

Here is the back of my block after it was pressed. 

I love using red & green non-Christmas fabrics in Christmas projects!

I am pleased with how this block turned out even though some stitching is somewhat visible even with the monofilament thread.  It was, of course, much quicker than needleturn applique.  So it is great for certain projects!

Now onto the flying geese pieced inner border!

Of course the perfect way to spend a November Sunday afternoon is wrapped in a quilt made by Mom. : - )

Happy Stitching!

Deb