Thursday, September 1, 2011

Appliqué Update for Sept.1

 I've mostly finished my first block of the Civil War Bride Quilt.  I have finished all those (darned) leaves and all the flowers.  I have a couple of buds and the centers of the flowers to finish.














I used a washer and did a running stitch around the edge of the circle, drew it up, hit it with some sizing, then ironed to make the circles.  But they're not quite round.  And the little pleats are unsightly.  So I'm going to have to redo them.  Any suggestions are certainly welcome...
And just in time for tonight's football extravaganza -- I got the pieces ready for the next block.  Those are ostriches!   This was my favorite block on the quilt that first made me fall in love with this pattern.  I waited to do it because I wanted to practice on those (darned) leaves before I attempted the complicated ostriches.

So tonight my two favorite football teams are both playing.  At the same time.  Oh woe is me -- which do I watch?  I think my TV has picture-in-picture, but that seems unnecessarily confusing.  So do I watch the Badgers in their season opener?  Or do I watch the Packers play the Saints in the final preseason game?   Or switch back and forth and miss all the best stuff?

For a look at some other appliqué, check out Angie's blog here.

9 comments:

Angie in SoCal said...

That is getting more beautiful with every stitch, Karen. Going to be a fabulous quilt. I, too, have trouble with circles. Going to have to keep practicing those.

BillieBee (billiemick) said...

I agree with Angie. This looks wonderful.

Robbie said...

You have to really 'spritz' with the spray starch and really pull those threads tight! Make sure you have enough fabric you've stitched your running stitch around to be able to pull it tight, tight tight! Then hit that bugger holding down your iron on it (no steam). Pull those threads off to the side while you iron/press!

Shelley: the Dread Pirate Rodgers said...

Instead of a washer (which has a certain thickness to it that interferes with the smoothness of the fabric wrapping around it), try using a cardboard circle. When you wrap the fabric around the cardboard, there's no thickness to make puckers.

Also, make sure that your gathering stitches are fairly small in length, as longer gathering stitches tend to result in puckers also.

It's looking rather fabulous!

Connie Kresin Campbell said...

Looking neat! Those ostriches are really going to look great!

Kit Lang said...

Wow - that's going to be amazing!

Beth@IHaveANotion.com said...

I have always used the NO Melt Mylar for my circle base. Much thinner than washers and much stronger than cardboard, it also doesn't mind being a bit damp from the starch. Wait until you get to those little Ostrich feet..... Oh BOY!!!

Barb said...

Those colors in that first picture is just awesome...

Chris Daly said...

Your sense of color is going to make this quilt shine! Beautiful work Karen. I still can't believe this is the block you ever appliqued.