Special seam stitches

I'm going to do a post on the stitches I'm using on my USA flag crazy quilt seams, as that's really all there is to do now, apart from backing and binding.

Yesterday I rewatched How to make an American Quilt - which you can buy on DVD from Amazon here

http://amzn.to/1b6D2wU

Towards the end of the film they show the quilt that the character have been working on - maybe this needs a spoiler alert! - but there is a crazy patchwork piece. Despite crying like a sentimental fool by this point in the film, my inner quilter kicked in and I paused the DVD to look at the stitching and discovered a variation of blanket stitch that I hadn't tried yet!

Here it is on my quilt.

So you're thinking 'which stitch?' It's the one at the top of the gingham piece, that forms triangles. It's basically a blanket stitch, so here are some other variations of blanket stitch.

Here (above) the blanket stitch forms a fan shape.

Another very similar stitch is this one that forms a bow.

On this stitch (above) the blanket stitches are crossed over each other.

Here the blanket stitch is worked on alternate sides. 

It's amazing how many variations you can make with just one stitch!

By the way I finished the stitching on the seams tonight! Hurray!

Short burst of speed!

Having posted only last week about the current state of my USA themed crazy quilt, I am now about to post again! This is mostly thanks to the school holidays which means that I am able to get on a little more. (But only a little, as my mornings, a couple of afternoons and a weekend day are taking up with teaching English to foreign students!)

I was very pleased to finish all the red patches, and I made a start on putting the red pieces onto the backing.

As you can see my fabrics are mostly red, with hints of white, and include two fabrics that incorporate other colours. I wasn't sure if this was going to work, so I've just done a small section, and it's only tacked down at the minute. Actually this caused a crafting dilemma for me - all the fabric I've used so far has been from my stash of fabrics. I have only bought thread. I was battling with whether to try and stick with that, hence the fabrics with other colours, and the dominant red, or whether to try and find some white fabric with a red print or pattern. In the end I decided to use what I've got. It looks good, there's variety of pattern, and the white patches really stand out. Crafting can be a very expensive hobby, and I like to try and limit what I buy to stuff that I really need and haven't got in my stash already.

I also started adding the decorative stitching to the blue section of the quilt. My original idea was to use blue and white variegated thread on the blue section, and red and white combined on the red section. (Red variegated thread is inevitably pink...not the look I wanted!) However, when I made a start, I soon realised that you couldn't actually see the stitches. I think it's important that this detail stands out, so now I am using red on the blue section and blue on the red section. As an added bonus it helps the embroidered patches to stand out more.

Here's the first few borders!

What happened to that quilt you were making then Jo?

Waaaaay back in January I posted about a crazy quilt I was planning to make. It had a USA theme, and was going to be based on the Stars and Stripes. I had given myself the year to make it, and after that initial post I haven't mentioned it on the blog. 

So what happened? 

Well, I am very pleased to say that the quilt is ahead of schedule! I used an app called Priority Matrix to plan the quilt and that's helped me stay on track as I could organise what image I wanted on what colour, and allocate it a month.

As you can see, there are lots of green ticks :D 

So where are all these images? I've used the same process as for the eagle - find an image using Google (what did we do before Google?) put it into Adobe Ideas and turn it into a line drawing.

Print, trace onto fabric then stitch using stem stitch.

Here are the finished blocks. The blue and white ones are now stitched onto the backing fabric, which is an old sheet, along with other blue and white fabric.

Map of the USA

American Eagle

The White House

The Statue of Liberty

Chicago skyline

All the blue patches on the backing fabric.

The red and white blocks are still in progress, I've got one underway and 3 more to do. Then they can be stitched onto the backing fabric. Obviously because of the proportions of the flag, there are more red than blue blocks.

Orchard House - Louisa May Alcott's home in Concord, Massachusetts.

Sitting Bull

Fender guitar

Martin Luther King

American football player

Wolf

Mount Rushmore

Baseball player

Cowboy - I added a lasso.

Buffalo (or bison)

Golden Gate Bridge

Navaho pot in progress - you can see the pen lines, which will disappear over time.

Of course, once all the pieces are sewn on, then I will be adding decorative stitches, as I did to the Green Knowe quilt.

Some of the decorative stitches I used.

I think this may take the rest of the year!

USA quilt is underway!

It's taken a while to get going on this, despite my plan to do some each month, and I didn't want to get behind straight away!
I have now planned my embroidered sections, choosing images and then one of four colour ways. The images will be sewn in blue or red on white, and in white on red or blue. Scuppered a little by not having any white thread, I started with a blue on white bald eagle.
I used a photo from the Internet, and, inspired by Adrian's Christmas gift of iPad for Artists, I reduced it to a line drawing using Adobe Ideas. I transferred the image using a water and air soluble pen. I tried using the iPad as a light box, but as it's pressure sensitive that's a little tricky.
But here we are, my first patch ready for my American themed crazy quilt!

Finished bag and dress

Here's two projects that I've recently finished. The bag was seen in progress in my previous 2 posts. It now has its handles attached. The hardest part was working out how to attach the lining, which I just couldn't get my head round. I managed it in the end! I'm pleased with the pleats in the fabric at the handle, and also how much stuff I can fit in it!
The other project is the dress, which I made using a reprinted 1940s pattern. The hem still needs some work, and I needed some advice from Mum on fit, but as it's the first dressmaking I've done for ages I'm really pleased. I'm planning to wear it to a swing jive event, which will give me a chance to try out another newly acquired skill - lindy hop!

Nelson gets involved!

I put this down to have lunch and when I got back Nelson had decided to take a closer look! Perhaps this explains why everything I make has black cat hair on it!

Tag Tuesday

Ok, so not officially college work, but still creative. I am taking part in a Tag Tuesday challenge to create a tag on a different theme every week. I've managed three so far, and it's great to see my work alongside the work of others. I've given myself the extra challenge of only working on the tag on Monday night, so it doesn't take over. Here's my latest tag, on the theme of vintage.

Made using a card of darning wool from mother-in-law's workbasket.

To find out more go and have a look at the Tag Tuesday Blog. http://tagtuesday.blogspot.com/