Wednesday 23 October 2013

WOW mainly Lily Rose, my start

Hi Everyone,
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.


With Lilies in place I have added the Rose and leaves that sit over them, no markings necessary as my other shapes are my guide.
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

Wednesday 9 October 2013

WOW on Wed 9th Oct

Hi Everyone, No time to blog last week as my work decided that all the stores had to do manual stock takes. We had to do these before work and could not open until the day's area was done so some 5.45 am starts. This week I have spent two days attending a first Aid Course for work. Last time I did this was 15 years ago and things were quite different, much easier to retain especially the new CPR requirements.
Am very glad to have done the course as - you ever never know when or what may happen!!
I have been making slow progress with my Love Entwined. I have finished part 4 and while waiting for part 5 have been planning and trying out variations with my fussy cut fabric's
Here is where I am up to.


Only stitching has been around my berries which I am happy with although more might be added on the right and am not sure about the top flower and may change it once Esther release's part  5 as I like the shape very much. It is taking a lot of time just looking at my fabric and thinking what other part can I use to get a slightly different effect, and there are two more corners to go after this Lol.
I want to stay with my established color palette but think a little red will come into this corner, and then some very deep burgundy into the next two against my yellow vases.
All I can say is every spare minute I want to work on LE.

For those of you who follow the Quilting Gallery show and tell, I have been a guest judge the last couple of weeks and there have been truly wonderful quilts on show. Congratulations if you entered, making a decision is very hard and I don't read names those weeks.

 This week I have entered my wall hanging Whirling Stars. I think it meets the theme of Modern Geometric (solids)
"Solids" is the bit I am not so sure about but it is a tessellation pattern or unending geometric shapes.




A design by Maureen James called Whirling stars this pattern can go on forever. I did not have enough fabric for a forever quilt  in my stash, so used only a portion of the pattern. A mixture of foundation/paper  piecing and a technique I often use called appliepiecing. One edge folded under and then  a tiny zigzag stitch to secure. I cannot for some reason sew curved lines and have them lay flat.but I can applique them
I have given this wallhanging many names, It was Kaleidoscope when I exhibited it at Dargaville which is this photo. Armageddon springs to mind most often to me as it feel it is like looking at a meteor on it's way to destroy our planet. It feels to sad to call it that, when it really is an explosion of color.
I now stay with Whirling Stars as I used the central shape as my quilting template. There is black sparkled net held within the stars and stitching lines to spin them. Net also where my fabric choice was wrong in the dark stars, a quick but perfect fix.
My only purchase was the graduated yellow/orange fabric for the border. My DH helped me design the border to show the explosive forces contained within, again made with paper piecing.
Currently on our lounge wall and gets heaps of comments.
Please visit quiltinggallery.com this week and vote if you like it.
I have two more days off so will be in the garden if its fine or playing further with LE if its wet.
Cheers Everyone, Jenny