November | 2017 | Simple Bird Applique

For those of you who are participating in the Friends of Baltimore/Baltimore Squared BOM, you should have received your first block by now. So, as promised, here is how I constructed the basket for Block 1. In a couple of days, I will do another post to show you how I finished the block.

OK…here we go….First I started by taping the pattern together. You can make a personal photocopy (for your use only) so that you have a master copy. You never know, you want to make these blocks more than once. Next, I traced the pattern onto the background with a clover Water Soluble Marker (the thick one). Take note that I only trace the outlines of a design and I don’t trace the inside detail. Once you place the first unit on the background, you will cover up the inside markings. And you will say to yourself… “Well, I just wasted my time tracing things that didn’t need to be traced”. Trust me.

So I was laying in bed the other night thinking about baskets. Specifically, baskets that are made from strips of bias. And the fact that they are usually appliqued right onto the background. And I wondered…”Where are the stems? If the basket shows the background, shouldn’t I see green stems from the flowers?” So then I thought…”I wonder what it would look like if I added a layer of light blue fabric to the background, and then applique the bias strips on top of that. And then the stems would be “in” the basket”. So that is what I did. Which is why I did not trace the stems onto the background (just in case you were wondering haha!).

Maybe you have never made bias strips before. You probably think it is really difficult. Well, I am here to show you how easy it really is. First, you lay your ruler on the edge of the fabric so that the 45 degree line is lined up with the edge of the fabric. It should look like this. Here is a post you can read about how I make my bias stems.

By the way, we are cutting our bias strips on a 45 degree angle. Each one of those lines on your ruler represents a different angle, so make sure you are using the correct line.

When I cut my freezer paper template for the light blue piece that sits under the dark blue bias strips, I did not include any seam allowance along the sides, but I did include it on the top and bottom.

Next, I removed the freezer paper template and traced the stem lines from the paper pattern onto the light blue fabric.

Then I glued the light blue piece in place making sure the top and bottom were lined up properly.

Now I am ready to glue the strips in place. You will notice that there is a bit of “over and under” going on with the stems so you’ll have to pay attention. Clearly I wasn’t paying attention, so I had to loosen the glue a little, but now it’s all good!!

Yes…..it’s all good!

Til next time….

Kerry

I have making very steady progress on my “Hugs and Kisses”, a quilt designed by Sue Garman. I have chosen this quilt because it is a good example of a quilt made of very simple shapes, yet appears more difficult than it really is. Trust me!

All of the shapes are symmetrical, so that means I don’t have to trace a thing. I am simply photocopying the pattern onto freezer paper to make my templates. It is that easy.

Also, I am not tracing the pattern onto the background. I am placing the background on top of the pattern and gluing all the shapes onto it before I take a single stitch. Very efficient.

First, I started with the stems that I made using a 1/4″ bias maker.

Next, I added some leaves.

Then I prepped the large and small flowers. This fabric is directional so I made sure the grids are all going the same way. It’s all about the details!

Next I prepped the yellow flower centers and glued them in place. As you can see, I don’t clip right to the freezer paper. And I only clipped once in each curve and never on an outer curve.

I prepped these pieces and glued them in place.

Sweet!

Freezer paper templates can be re-used many times. So when I am doing units that have more than one layer, I trim away the outer layer (in this case, the orange circle) and use the template again (in this case, the yellow flower). Saves time and freezer paper:)

So here is the (almost) finished block. Now I can go make a pot of tea and stitch the day away. “Hugs and Kisses” is a Block of the Month that will start in January. Each month for 12 months you will receive the pattern and fabrics to create all 12 super-simple blocks and the swag border. Details are on the website.

Speaking of stitching the day away, I have become addicted to hand stitching these 60 degree diamonds together. I am not sure what I am going to do with them, but does that matter?