Intermittent light rain has meant it is too damp to do orchard work, SO I have achieved many things inside.Yesterday morning I did a huge amount of cleaning in the lounge - Spring cleaning in Autumn...you know, turning chairs and sofas upside down and moving everything. ( it needed it )Then without guilt I could sew!
On Monday I had been to the city on other matters and had visited "The Barnhouse," my local quilt shop and purchased, 50/50 bamboo/ cotton batting; some blue fat quarters for the denim quilt and found the black background fabric for DH ( R's ) Jewelled Bird Quilt. ( I had had to put it aside till I got the background sorted )( I didn't want a mat black so got some NZ fern fabric that still looks black. Black is what R wants.)
Yes, I am working on 2 projects at one time - but can handle that .
Now I need some help please. I have never used iron on bias tape before (and found out what temperature to use by trial and error)and I want to know what I do next. This is going to be a quilt to use not a wall hanging, so, do I now stitch the tape down? ( By hand with neat sewing stitches that don't show? By machine on either side or down the middle? ) The reel of tape gives few instructions ( but in many languages - lol ). If any of you have used this Clover product or similar could you advise me what you did.
My next task is to sort out the ends of the quilt to make it the right shape. At the moment it is wide not long....so needs some borders, mostly at the top and bottom but a couple right round. I have plenty of all the coloured fabrics used on the bird and some more black. Some trials and auditions will be needed.
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*Thank you Granny K( Lynda), so far the rain has been very gentle.
*Gudrun - Yes the chestnuts are inside the very prickly cases while hanging on the tree - then split- but you need thick cloves to handle them as they really prick.I will take a close up photo of a walnut case to show you the difference.( most nuts grow on the tree in a protective outer case which splits open to drop the nut in it's shell.)
*Meggie, I will be getting back to the denim quilt shortly and will take some more step by step photos and tell you what I am doing.
Challenge is supposed to be good for us. It is how one grows - stepping out of ones comfort zone - guess that's right - I am doing 2 quilts using techniques not used by me before! So far so good. There is some puckering on the bird's wings - I must have stretched the fabric a little I think - but will live with it. If that is the only problem I will be pleased with my efforts.
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^ I hope you ALL have a safe and memorable Easter.l
I will be thinking of all the ladies who have travelled down to Wellington to the Quilt Symposium. Have a safe journey and a wonderful time. ( you lucky people ! )
I have used the Clover bias tape--in fact, jsut last week. Before I read what you had to say I enlarged the photo to see if that is what you had there.
ReplyDeleteYou could stitch it by hand if you really want the stitching to be totally invisible. I used a gold or beige colored thread to topstich carefully at each edge. This was on altar hangings, so it is not looked at from close by. I did the same on matching vestments,though.
You could topstitch with metallic gold thread as well. Metallic can be tricky. I have some that is not too bad, but do tend to avoid using it when I have other viable options.
Sorry, No advice from here since I've never used this tape, but I must say this: Your bird is gorgeous! Did you hand or machine applique all those feathers?
ReplyDeleteYou could go crazy adding borders to this! Diamonds, nine patches on point, snails tails, stars. With the black and all those jewel tones, it will look stunning whatever you choose to do.....I'm curious about how you [or he] decided to make this particular quilt? There must be a good story there.....
Your bird is stunning. He looks amazing against that black back ground. He feels kind of Egyptian to me, I can see Hieroglyphs in the border. Or is that just too many challenges?
ReplyDeleteI've never used bias tape, but would be tempted to stitch it on by hand, invisibly if possible.
Oh my, what a stunning design! It's absolutely gorgeous. I can't help on the bias tape, though. I've never heard of it before. It looks metallic in your pictures?
ReplyDeleteThe bird is GORGEOUS wow... I have never used this bias tape you are talking about! Have a happy Easter.
ReplyDeleteThe Jewelled Bird is stunning!
ReplyDeleteHave never used that tape, so can't offer advice. Glad it rained gently, so you could sew!