Another Baby Quilt

 I have finished another little quilt. I didn't really do it to a particular size, just made it to a size that appealed to me. 

It is based on a quilt I did a few years ago, using squares cut into triangles and then the pattern being made depending on how I laid out the pieces. I decided on a different layout from the previous one. 

I should have read my previous post more carefully - I didn't use starch spray on the squares and there was some stretching of fabrics in the square. I don't think it is too noticeable but I will try to remember next time. 

This time, I used orange and green as my base colours - not very babyish. I hope the parents like it - they will never tell me if they don't, of course. 

The only piece of fabric I had to purchase was for the backing and the borders. I am slowly getting through my stash.

Of course, I have cut too many pieces again - I'll have to see if I can come up with another design. 

Fabric Collage again

Well, I wanted to go to my Free Motion Machine Embroidery group today with something to show and tell about. So I beavered away yesterday and have finished the piece. It is only A4 size (about 21 x 29cm). I had envisaged the background fabric being visible but then I sewed it and some edges were complete and some not, so that wasn't going to work. I had to make it a bit bigger in spots so that it would wrap around the edges. Now it is a fully collaged piece.

I cut a piece of foamcore to slightly less than A4 (that was the size designated by the online group that inspired the piece). 

Then I sewed it on the back with the trampoline stitch (I really must look it up and check that I am actually using the correct term). Then I sewed a piece of calico onto the back to hide all the strands. 

I will put it in the upcoming Embroiderers Guild's Members' exhibition. It also fits the challenge for one of my online groups. Then I might put it in the Christmas (so soon!!) exhibition for the Alcove Art Shop, at the Box Hill Community Arts Centre. So, even if it doesn't sell at any of the exhibitions, it will have been useful. 

I have not used any sticky products to assist me with the collage. I cut the tiny pieces of fabric, laid them out, steam-ironed them to the background - a piece of linen with interfacing on the back, not sewn. Then I free motioned the pieces on. I find that the steam iron helps to hold them in place so that I don't need to use pins or any product with glue.  I learnt this from Kathryn Harmer Fox. I have done a couple of her workshops. And I hear that she is coming back to Australia again!

I haven't been feeling all that creative recently, so am pleased that I have finished a piece. Yay me!

Fabric Collage

 I am trying to get back into some creative work. 

I did a paper collage a while ago and have used that as my inspiration. 

A group I belong to on FaceBook came up with a challenge, based on Place. (Have you noticed how many challenges have had that theme recently??)

This one is based on the very many walks I did along the Yarra River during the several lockdowns we have had. 

I went away for the weekend, taking my sewing machine and a selection of scraps. I had decided that I would just have to make do with what I had, no worrying about something I may have left at home. 

I managed to make a base using what was there, now I am trying to sew over it to make it look more like a drawing or painting. It is a bit of a struggle still, finding the energy to get into the sewing. But I am making some progress.

I have some seriously wrinkled background fabric, due to the uneven thickness of the sewing. I've decided not to worry too much about that at the moment, I'll try to deal with it when I come to mounting it. It will need to be mounted, I think, so I can stretch the background and try to make it less wobbly.