Class Sewing at Beales

I have had such a busy weekend, working hard on the garden, I love tinkering with the positions of plants and nurturing them into flowering, but with such a big garden the watering and deadheading becomes a lengthy task.

Today I am busily trying to get my list of chores out of the way so that I can focus on my hand sewing class which is tomorrow. I have some lovely pictures of things that the ladies have made but I'm going to focus just now on our current project together.

Needle Turn Applique

I have used my trusty quilting software and produced two patterns for my students to choose from. They are all very good hand stitchers with varied experience so we have one simpler project and one with a little more fiddle! So here is the fiddly one today!

I've put a rail fence block design for the background. I really like this traditional style of applique block. This would be so nice if we had four blocks together for a hanging.

Here are my fine nosed micro serrated appliquick scissors! You can see them here next to my normal Olfa small snip scissors. These smaller ones make a very accurate tiny snip in those little valleys created by a flower shape petal - just seen behind. If I had one complaint ( my husband would say "Only one?") It would be that they should make the finger holes larger and more comfortable. I would recommend these scissors if you fancy a treat, but they will set you back about £22.00. Thank goodness for birthdays!

This is as far as I have got. I hope to have done a little more by the end of the day, ready for class tomorrow. I will need to write up Part Two of the instructions today too so I better had get cracking! I am really enjoying hand stitching this little block and actually I am really enjoying teaching the class. Everyone is enthusiastic and we all have a different preference with colours which is so refreshing. I love that about sewing with other people, seeing how one person puts colours together. It's very easy to keep sewing in your favourite palette, so I am very conscious to keep switching about. I have a tendency towards blue if you hadn't noticed!

New Project: Happy Dance Quilt

Hello, hello!

It's been my birthday and among other lovely things I have received some very nice new fabric, printable, dissolving freezer and the most divine fine nosed micro serrated scissors! My world is very happy and very small!

But before I show any sewing stuff, here is a picture of my garden by the conservatory. I have planted it for Spring time so we can enjoy the flowers even on a rainy day. The pictures don't do it justice. If only I could include the sweet scent of the honeysuckle and all the flittering birds.

So I have been preparing my next project! First, print the templates and cut and stick together..

Look at that, this will be the centre part and then there are free downloads for all the following blocks. I really like this simple design. Here are my chosen fabrics, Ambleside by Moda. I'll throw in some extra colours too as these greens may not be "green enough" when cut into leaves.

Making Circular Flower Middles

Applique: Mylar circle templates

The designer of this quilt has a different method for circular flower middles to the one I usually use. I like to use Mylar heat resistant plastic circles and a circle of fabric cut a little larger. Stitch gathering stitches around the fabric with the mylar glued in the middle. Draw up the stitches, iron it with plastic inside, remove the plastic and you have a perfect circle.

Applique: Wadding circle templates

So I am trying out this method and I am not so sure about it yet, but maybe because this is such a large circle it's not such an accurate finish. So I am going to keep going. Here's what you do:

Bondaweb circle of the finished sized circle, ironed onto wadding, cut out. Now bond the wadding to the middle of a slightly larger fabric circle and run gathering stitches around. Draw up and press. Hmm, mine went a bit wobbly and the wadding didn't hold the shape so well. Maybe she uses different bonding glue. They are nice and puffy, just less crisp around the edges. Maybe once they are stitched down it all sorts itself out. We shall see. One draw back is though that, if you are like me and constantly change your mind you can't re-use a made up circle because it's bonded to wadding.

Here's what I've got so far

 And that's it for now, laundry calls ..

Blue Quilt Applique Done

Where have I been? Whatever have I been doing?! We've all been sewing away behind the scenes .So on the 2nd June with a chilly breeze outside and gusting winds howling across the top of my chimney pot there will be no gardening distractions for me today!

I have been sewing up my blue quilt with all the applique. Every border is different, which I thought would make it easier and more interesting but the only thing is they have to look balanced. Butterflies came to the rescue and filled up the gaps and I love them anyway. So here is a pic of the completed applique.

 I wanted some of the colours to fade in and out of the background, however this isn't the best picture I'm afraid. I have then added french knots to the flower middles. I'll be back with some detailed pictures later. This quilt has been a real challenge in letting go of perfectionism and I don't think I have worked on anything with such determination before! What follows are the quilting details and I will be back with less technical sewing updates later.

Quilting In the Ditch

Here I have ditched all of the blocks in the centre using a quilting needle 70 and a transparent polyester thread by Superior Threads which was definitely the best option as the colours vary from dark to light. The thread is very fine, like hair! and disappeared into the seams so there is no ugly plastic shine. It wasn't a problem to stitch with a slightly lower tension, however for starting and finishing I used micro length stitches forwards and then backwards instead of knots or having to tie and bury knots by hand. 
Machine set to:  normal stitch length, walking foot engaged.
In the bobbins I used Shade colour: Pearl, Brand: So Fine Thread by Superior Threads. Bobbin Genie plastic washer.
So with all the blocks in the middle stabilised I can take out the pins. I started out with the curved small basting safety pins but I do find that they can pucker up the back if I'm not careful enough, plus I don't have many. So I resorted to the following and would recommend it.

Basting the Sandwich

Long, fine Clover pins, flower head or glass headed. Then you can use Pinmoors to stick on the sharp ends. OR I tried cheap ear defenders which seemed to work just as well. These are much quicker to take off as you sew and perfect for the applique. I removed them once I had outlined the applique so the bulky ear defenders didn't get in the way.  I like the curved safety pins for stitching in the ditch of the blocks.

I taped the backing fabric to my large table and smoothed on the cotton batting and well pressed top. I thought I'd try not using the basting spray this time as I wonder if it causes more thread snags as I free motion. Now that It's done, I think my technique has vastly improved and so there were far less thread breaks!

Work Space

My best friend during this quilting bonanza has been Pledge Polish!! And its the only time I shall be polishing so regularly! Keeping lint and fluff from the work tables and machine area is key. A smooth slippery surface that the quilt can glide across as you work is much easier to work with and aids smooth stitching lines. Supreme Slider for the free motioning too.

I created an L-Shaped work station to support the quilt as I stitched and had this butted into the corner of the room so that the quilt didn't flop onto the floor creating weight and drag. I take my shoes off to operate the foot pedal. I also noticed it was far easier if I kept the quilt "fluffed and puffed up" rather than laying flat, immediately around my stitching bed. The advice is often to roll the quilt up into the harp of the machine, but I have repeatedly found this to make the quilt cumbersome to handle and hard work repeatedly re- rolling, so I don't bother with that anymore! Just stuff and puff it!

Machingers quilting gloves, even for the stitching in the ditch make the quilt so much easier to handle. I have a little table to my right with all my notions easily to hand but not easily knocked to the floor by the quilt or my elbows! I tape a plastic bag to the right of my sewing table for all the threads and fluff.

So, on a sunny day I'll take some nice pictures of the good bits!

Other updates will include the Class stitching updates, some shots of my garden and the stitching exploits of my cabin visitors, not to mention 2 more finished items and 2 new projects of mine! So, bye for now, I'm off for a blustery run with the dog!