As you may have noticed, some of my favorite crazy quilt seams are created with the buttonhole stitch.
Last night, I looked at Sharon B.'s Crazy Quilt Templates Set 2 to see if there were any that would help me space my buttonhole stitches more evenly. (In the past I used straight pins and a small sewing gauge to measure them out. My thread caught on my pins if I was not careful, but it worked.)
I opted to go with this edge of one of the templates. I traced a straight line down. (Can you see the light pencil mark on the far left?)
Before stitching the seam, I wanted to make sure the motif I had planned would not interfere. If you click on the image above, it should enlarge, making it easier to see the quote by Pablo Picaso that says, "The purpose of art is washing away the dust of everyday life off our souls." (I believe this was a Fabric Elements Words fabric that I purchased at JoAnn Fabric.)
While planning this section of the block, I knew I wanted the quote to show, but I needed a motif to cover the section of fabric to the right. A tree seemed like the perfect solution. So, I sketched a couple of trees. My hubby agreed with me. This was our favorite of the three I drew.
It was dark outside, so taping my tree to a window and tracing it on the block was not an option. Instead, I used a trick I learned from Kathy Shaw.
Using a large needle, I punched holes along the lines of the tree. Next, I lined the tree up in the desired location of my block and used a mechanical pencil to mark each of the dots the holes created.
Seam threads used: green (#320) DMC size 8 pearl cotton + red (#498) DMC size 8 pearl cotton + white (#B5200) DMC size 8 pearl cotton.
Seam stitches used: uneven buttonhole stitched green stems + straight stitched green leaves + detached chain stitched green leaves and clusters of 3 red petals + colonial knot white centers on detached chain stitched flowers and red flower buds.
I did learn to be more careful about following my traced lines. The first set of "short" stems in the seam were a little too tall. That being said, I am still having fun playing with Sharon's templates!
My January block for the Crazy Quilt Journal Project (CQJP) 2016 only has 7 more seams and 11 more motifs to stitch! (Yikes. 12-inch blocks are sounding more than a little intimidating right now. I am determined to finish CQJP this year, though!)
Thanks for stopping by!
Renee
9 comments:
Looks fantastic!!
Looks great Renee, you're obviously learning a lot of new techniques as you make these blocks!
This is a fabulous seam and motif Renee! I just know this block is going to look wonderful! Christine x
Looks great, the tiny flowers and the tree. Clever idea to trace the branches of the tree with small needle holes.
What great fabric and what great planning. I love how you've made your design to compliment the saying.
xxx
Looks great! I especially love that tree...beautiful.
You have taken great advantage of the tools and tricks of the trade. The result is great!
Well, my January block isn't even made yet! This week. I spent Saturday stitching the embroidery for the center of it. Love your tree. In a pinch, you can use the light from the TV, too, especially if you can get a blank station of white or light behind it. I've also been known to place a piano light under a glass coffee table. If you have an oven door with a window and a light in the oven .... =) Where there's a will, there's a way!
Love your seam and especially the tree. Don't be surprised if you see a version of it on my block someday. =) It's so nicely balanced. I like the larger flowers - sort of fully blooming - alternating with the buds. This is going to be such a pretty block. I can hardly wait to see what's next! Stitch-In Days shows the postcard center I did.
thanks for sharing your progress and how you are using the templates. I'm loving this block. I like your tree design a lot. I especially like embroidered trees for some reason.
xx, Carol
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