Ella's Round Robin Applique

WARNING!!!

*** NO LOOKING ELLA!!!****

I cut in line to add Ella's name to her center.  I thought I should do the hand work before the quilt became too big!! ;D

For Ella, I added her name using a Celtic Knot tutorial I was given by my neighbor.

I used a pressing bar to make the bias tube.  The strip is 1/4" wide.

This border by Amber ROCKS!!  They are little paper pieced spools!  WOW!

Ella did an awesome job paper piecing her pink sewing machine :)

More of these AWESOME spools!

One last close up of my hand stitching :)  Not too shabby ;D

Maggie's Monogram

*****MAGGIE!!!  DO NOT LOOK AT THIS POST!!!*****

For two of the ladies in our Round Robin Medallion group, they requested I add a monogram to their quilts for my addition.

This is Maggie's medallion.

She paper pieced these awesome spools for her center.

For her "M" I used a back basting needle turn applique method.

Natalie is turning it on point for her turn. ....pun intended.  She let me sneak in and add my monogram before the quilt top got too big.  She had her "on point" corners all ready, so I had to add them and take  a picture :)

Small Matroyshka Dolls

I started to make these for a pillow for my bed :)

 I need to make two more.

My buddies at the SLMQG think I should use googly eyes ;)

These are all made with back basting needle turn applique :)

Emily Herrick designed the pattern and it will be available soon.

Needle Turn Applique Sampler

At the Peteetneet Quilt show this year, I attended an template free, back basting, needle turn applique class by Pasty Wall.  She is an AMAZING quilter and artist!

(notice the "Dr. Seuss" Style star points ;) ...I'm told I'll get better with time)

She provided everyone in the class a sample to make.  I went right home and got to work!!!

I decided to turn it into a little wall hanging for my sewing room :)

Not bad for a first time attempt?

I am pretty sure sure I am in love with this technique ;)

First Hand Applique :) [tutorial?]

*** If you are looking for Operation Sunshine click HERE :)  Thank you!!!***

By now, you must know how much I love to do hand binding.  I am kind of a freak by most quilters definition.  I love the look of it, the feel of it, the process.  [It's OK if you think I am weird.]  Anyhoots. I have always been afraid to try turned applique sewn on by hand (is there are correct term for this?)

Well, several weeks ago, a new session of the Utah County Modern Quilt Group started up and the challenge quilt for this session is a medallion quilt.  I googled images of Medallion quilts and could find no inspiration :(  I finally received inspiration for my medallion quilt. [Do you see the heavens parting and hear the angels singing?]  I decided to do a hand appliqued monogram for the center block and set it like Kristin set her FABULOUS tree.

Now for the tough part...HOW DO I DO A TURNED MONOGRAM????  As usual, I turned to my trusty teacher, Google, and read many tutorials and watched videos.  Per my usual MO, I missmashed several different ones to find a method that would work for me :)

First I went into Word and found an "M" I like.  Not to skinny or curly ;) [We like things chunky around here]  I made it about 700 (whatevers) and printed it off.  Using my spray basting, I adhered the uncut "M" to one side of a file folder (no card stock to be found).  I carefully cut it out then removed the printer paper (I didn't want the ink to run on my fabric).  There was spray adhesive left on the file folder "M" and I used that to adhere the card stock "M" to the wrong side of my fabric :)

Next I cut the fabric to be an eyeballed 1/4" larger than the "M".  Using Best Press spray starch and an iron, I folded the fabric over the template and pressed it in place.  This took some careful finger maneuvering to keep from getting burned ;) ...and a lot of spray starch ;)

See how nice it looks from the back. L.O.L.

...and the front. [the side that counts]

Once it was dried and cooled, I carefully removed the card stock template.

 Now the question came up, "How do I stick it too the back ground fabric?"

As luck would have it, I had a large cardboard box right there :)  I flipped the box over and laid the "M" right side down and gave it a light spraying of basting spray.  Then I carefully placed it on the center of my backing fabric.  I used a few pins for good measure :)

Now for the hand stitching.  I used some of my super strong, super thin bobbin thread for the job.  It worked beautifully :)

Ta Da!  It was stitched in no time. [The "M" is about 9-10" tall]

Pre-pressing.

Post pressing with a bit of Best Press for good measure.

Now today, I get to finish the block :)  I am very excited.  The whole quilt will be green and white with a titch of pink here and there for good measure.  [Pink and green are my favorite colors]  Each month at guild we will get a new border pattern to choose from.  I have decided that each border will represent a member of my family.  I am kind of getting excited :)