A Pillow - Finished

It's always good to get something completed, and here is Aidan's applique and silk ribbon pillow all done. The "A" monogram from the Alphabet Soup pattern was enlarged about 200% to create the size needed for the applique design. The letter fit nicely on a standard size sheet of printer paper. The finished pillow is around 14 inches square. You can view the process in recent prior posts.

A Pillow - almost done...

Well, if you paid attention yesterday...you'll note that I have (again) changed my mind. Got to thinking about that upholstry fabric that I used for the outside strips...and that I should have made a little pillow for my niece, since it would match her nursery. But, my little niece would need an "E" and not an "A" for her pillow. So, I un-sewed the pieces....and found another floral cotton print for Aidan. It goes just as well...maybe even a little better...with the gold of the applique monogram.

Yes, my cutting table IS piled high with stuff...so stop looking at the top of this photo. Hugs!

 Next, it's time to get the monogram stitched down...with a basic applique stitch. Here is the gold silk thread I mentioned. It is distributed by Clover...and I've had it for years. I love working with it.  Applique can be done in or out of a hoop. I like out of hoop when there aren't several layers to sew through. But, for this project; I'm just going to do a two-motion stitch and work in the hoop.   My first stitch is to come up from underneath...making sure that my needle goes up into the applique and comes out at the edge of the letter...not on top...at the edge where the fabric bends to turn under.

 Then, I go back down through the layers...with the point of my needle slightly under the applique letter. Not next to it, I don't want a vertical needle...I want it under the edge. Then, when I tug on the thread...it will cause the fabric to slightly roll under, hiding my stitch. You can click on these photos to enlarge, and see better.

See here?...I started at the center bottom of the post of the "A"...and have done a few stitches up the right side...but, they can scarcely be seen. Of course, the matching thread color does help...but it is not the key to the stitch...it's the position of the needle coming out of the applique and going back into the background.  Note: A good way to practice is to take a circular shaped applique piece and a high contrasting background (like a black applique piece and a white background). Use another contrasting color in thread to do your stitching. You will really learn to perfect your stitch by seeing what you are doing. And, when you can applique a black circle to a white background with red thread...and not see the stitches...you'll have a near perfect (there really isn't a PERFECT anything) applique technique. Don't believe it can be done...well, it can...and when I get the time...I'll prove it. Hugs!)

 Okay, here is the letter all appliqued down. Next is to embroidery the stem and leaves.

 The stemstitch is used to create the stem...and I'm using #5 perle cotton this time because I want the stem to have some volume since the design is a large scale. I thought about couching some green cording down; but I like to do the stemstitch.

 Next the leaves...yes, these are yet "another" set done in fly stitch. I can't help it...I just love this stitch for leaves. These beautiful real stone beads are such a rich red...they are really pretty. I added them to the center of the woven roses because I liked them so much.

 And, after weaving the 13mm dark red ribbon this is the finished embroidery monogram. 

 Next, will be adding some lace...

 and I think two layers will be good...

 Won't this be pretty when completed. I'm sure that Aidan will enjoy it. So, I'm off to the sewing machine to stitch down the lace.

A Pillow - More

Yesterday, the applique monogram was prepared and lightly applied to the background fabric. Now that the applique monogram is on the background fabric, I'm ready to add some borders to the square. This extra fabric will also be helpful when hooping...so, I want do go ahead and add them now, rather than wait until the embroidery is done. And, since I'm not sure just exactly what I'm going to be doing to embellish the monogram...I might need the extra room to work on. I also want the front of the pillow to be a little dimensional when I stitch, so it will need a little thin batting. And, there needs to be a layer of fabric for me to hide my knots in...so, I begin the layering by putting a piece of loose weave muslin on the cutting table.

 Then, the layer of thin muslin on top of that.

 Last, the linen pillow center.

  Next, I draw a box around the monogram...making sure that it is centered inside the box. This will give me a good line to use for alignment of my borders. The lines are not my stitching lines...they are guides for the cut edge of the border strips. All of the layers are pinned together, along these lines...so that they won't slip around when I'm sewing the borders on.

I'm using some left-over upholstery strips from the curtains I finished for my niece last week. Waste not...want not! And, they are already precut...long strips. I just cut a length that is plenty for covering the side of the pillow. Using the pencil line just drawn, the first border is pinned in place (I removed the prior pinning and included the border, then re-pinned).

One strip pinned at the top...and one at the bottom. Sew using a bit more than a quarter inch seam, then press these borders away from the center of the pillow. Rotate the pillow, and pin the other two side borders and sew these in place.

 

Then press these away from the center of the pillow....and, the pillow front is ready for the embroidery.

All of these layers are place into my large embroidery hoop (which is also my small lap quilting hoop)...ready for some stitching.

The monogram will be appliqued in place with some gold silk thread I have that was purchased just for applique work. I have black, gray, tan, gold, and dark green...and one of these is always close enough to use for applique...so I save them just for that. The thread is really thin so creating tiny stitches is easy. More on that next...

A Pillow Start

Thought I'd get a couple of projects started, that will travel well so I can have something to stitch while on the road. Here is the beginning of a pillow for Aidan. The initial is an enlargement of the "A Block" from the Alphabet Soup pattern.  The size is as big as I could get it and still fit on a piece of letter size paper. After enlarging, I traced the letter to the back of the paper too...creating a reverse image. That was then used as a pattern to trace the image to heavy fusible, which I then applied to heavy interfacing (sounds heavy huh?)...sorry, couldn't resist.   That created a fusible letter of heavy interfacing. This was ironed on to the back side of my fabric for the letter. The interfacing will give the initial some "lift" and dimension above the other embroidery work. I'm hoping and thinking that this will also help it not to become overpowered when I add the silk ribbon embroidery too.

 Next, the fabric is trimmed close to the letter...leaving a scant quarter of an inch of fabric to turn under. Using some scrap news print, and my glue stitck...

 the fabric is rolled over the edge and temporarily stuck to the back. This is just a regular children's washable glue stick...not fabric glue stitch. They are both the same thing...one just costs more. Both adhere lightly, can be ironed dry, and wash out when the item is laundered (this won't be however).

So, the letter is now ready to put on the background fabric of the pillow, and hand or machine appliqued down. (Yep, I choose hand...)

So, I grab the glue stick again...and add some to the back of the letter. It doesn't take a lot, I just want it to remain in position on my pillow center while I add the borders to the center block, and so I can applique it down without a lot of straight pins to contend with.

Here is the letter all "glued" to the background fabric of the pillow. I'm using some more of the linen fabric I have used for other recent projects...as I have about twenty yards of it...and it's a dream to work with. And, it's neutral in color...and is light enough to easily see any pattern through on my light box.

And, back to the lightbox it goes...so I can trace the remainder of the enlarged embroidery design. For this project...I'm only needing the vine. The other parts (leaves, buds, flowers) are still in the "thinking" phase...and I'm not sure what I want to do to create the design. So, for now...only want the general shape to the vine for embroidery.

More tomorrow...hopefully...
 

Alphabet Soup - Top Done!

This went together so fast, and I like the final result. I wasn't sure about the fabrics I had chosen after I got to going...but now, really like them. And, so does Mom!

 Now, have to get the quilt all layered and quilted. That's a "new" task on my list of things to get done!  It's always better to see an "actual" quilt completed, than just the artist rendering. So, this little quilt will be my show quilt for the pattern when I travel to teach or go to retail events.

More Alphabet Soup

After Aidan left on Saturday afternoon, I sat down (needed too!) and stitched a little more on my Alphabet Soup blocks. Got three finished and thought you might like to see my progress. The fabrics at the top will be my solid blocks. The middle one looks really orange in the photo, but it is more of a dark coral, pink, yellow. Here is a closeup of the "K" embroidery block.

Simple embroidery...stem stitch, lazy daisy, French knots, fly stitch, and wrapped rose. They are working up pretty quickly and have been a good little project to work on in the evenings. My muse is also working...I'm not even finished with this little quilt top and already she wants to do one totally in redwork with the fabric blocks done in four-patch triangles of reds instead of solid squares. Now, that's a good idea...and I'll probably do that at some time. But, she has not stopped there...she wants to do one in pastels with shabby chic fabrics done in crazy patch for the solid blocks. NOW I'm in serious trouble...I REALLY want to do that. But, you know how many other projects I have going...she always has such great ideas...and I always have so little time!