What a week, Esther releases LE part 5 and Lily Rose, then my DH decides to start building a front deck so we can enlarge the lounge. Luckily I have had 5 days off in a row so can spread myself around, sort of!!
Firstly my second vase of flowers. I started working on this from the original photo well before Esther released the pattern.
Decided my fabrics were already "out there" enough to have blue leaves and I had a medallion that fussy cut perfectly for them. I tried circles for my red flowers but didn't like the look so changed to a slightly curved shape then instead of more leaves added another gold flower in a smaller version
When Esther released part 5 I finally got the background shape for my top flower, the center is fussy cut from fabric that Glenda so kindly sent me. I really wanted to use it but my attempts at it's outer border just did not work, Esther's pattern did!!!
NOW I have stopped working ahead on LE, happily waiting for the pattern for part 6.
Why, Lily Rose will fill in my time.
Thank you Esther it is a wonderful pattern and I am loving it.
Have decided to make Lily Rose half size and already it is a challenge.
Mainly because my thumbs don't work as well as they should. It is not the stitching, my wonderful machine does that for me but the lack of Steam a Seam fusible web in NZ at present is an issue for me
This fusible web is wonderful, the backing paper comes off easily after it's fused, and it will adhere under finger pressure for placement. The available alternative I struggle to separate the backing paper from the fabric and it has less adhesion for initial placement.
My background fabric is much more yellow than it looks here and those tiny dots in it are a bright aqua.
Decided I was over little berry circles with LE as there are plenty more to come, this fabric gives me heaps of little hearts instead of circles that I have to stitch.
I nearly thew away this vase as I thought, not enough contrast but it was fiddly to put together so decided I would use it.
After stitching it's value altered so be careful what you decide to do.
The top of the vase is cut in one piece from my burgundy fabric with the blue fabric placed on top.
The base is the reverse, cut from blue with the burgundy strip added on top.
I haven't added the blue to the handles as I like the slightly heavier look.
Yes, a Woman with hands on her hips as some of you commented.
These are my chosen fabrics for the inner half ovals and my frames.
I have cut my background fabric to 18 by 16. Because I am making the half size version I have added a first batting layer now before any stitching. I love the padded look so my background fabric has a layer of Vilene H 640 15sec + damp cloth, fused to reverse of it, it is a great stabiliser for applique.
Don't think it would work as well for the full size version as it does not come in a wide enough width.
Have trimmed my pattern a quarter inch outside Esther's outer pattern line, you can just see on my background where I have marked in bottom corner the edge of my pattern sheet.
I have marked all 4 corners and line up my pattern for placement as I prefer to use pencil dot's for important points not a full pattern transfer.
Have only stitched the top edge of the tablecloth, rest will be under the half ovals or the frame so does not need stitching.
We all have this, the scrap stash, mine has come back out. I have a perspex drawer for each major color,
you don't need much for applique so don't throw those small scraps away.
A Rose, Remember to reverse your pattern if you want your vase to be a copy of Esther's, I use a light box but you can just tape your pattern to a window, study your pattern and draw in your underlaps.
Baking paper placed over Esther's pattern, this piece has been well used, should probably replace it but waste not want not Lol.
This rose and leaves have to go under other flowers so has to be placed early, but not yet, other flowers go under them, see the lily at the top of the rose.
Oh Esther you are so right, I only just spotted the Lilies go under, at half size it is not a beginners quilt!!!!
Now to stitching.
Have placed the first leaves and drawn a pencil line for my stems. This is the view without my magnifying lens. Shows my metallic thread on my vase applique well. That stitch is satin stitch 63 on my Bernina 440.
Default for the stitch is .3 length x 1.4 width. for this I used .5 x 1.1 with upper tension approx .5
The standard upper tension setting for straight sewing is 3.5, I normally use 3 but I have found you can't use any where near this for applique as it will pucker your fabric.
These leaves are quite small so for the sake of my thumbs I decided not to use a different fabric for each half, but let my stem line show with a brighter stitching thread.
Similar camera position and you can see the edge of my magnifying lens, it doubles the size of my stitches. Look at the distortion on the vase, not huge but very significant when working with small stitches.
If you use a lens just don't look outside it.
Blanket stitch 45 on my 440 stitch, reduced to 1.9 length x 1.4 width, and upper tension approx 1. Default is 2.0 length and 2.7 width. I can't reduced the length much as I need to be able to stitch the curves without overlapping my stitches, sometimes happens though. The very reduced width give me a tiny sideways stitch, and I try to make sure my forward stitch is right at the edge of, but NOT on my applique fabric. It is slowly but surely and moving the fabric every few stitches. This is why I like the iron on pellon for small work, it moves easily over the bottom teeth and you don't have to foot up as often., I have never been able to work my knee lift successfully so do the manual lift.
In this photo my stitching is complete for as much as I can do before adding more flowers.
First of my Lilies cut out and numbered to match my pattern, I didn't number in placement order but just how I traced them.
My Lilies assembled so now I can place my next layer ready for stitching.
This is my way but it may not be suitable for a beginner to applique, you may want to transfer the pattern completely to your background. With my paper pattern positioned to the corner dots on my background fabric I just carefully pin through the pattern and gently lift and mark major points JUST inside the pattern lines with pencil. Here there my 4 dots, two for each Lily, when placed I have no markings to worry about.
So this is where I am at lunchtime Wed. Back at work tomorrow but have plenty of stitching to keep me going when I have a spare minute or two.
Would love to know if this is of help to those of you planning to machine applique Lily Rose.
Was going to add Spring garden and house destruction photo's but as am going to link this to Esther's Lily Rose Page also will leave them till next week.
Cheers Jenny
