Working on Little Pony

While I plug away making apple cores, something else needs to capture my attention because making just apple cores can get a bit boring.  Enter this project.  The last time you saw it, there were no hearts.  They have now been added and it is time to get the final borders on.  There is still a bit of appliqué (a few butterflies) and some embroidery to do, but that will be quick and easy to add.

Can you see my split apple cores in the top right corner?  They are being worked on also.

Have a great day!

Apple Core Edges

Since I have been asked how my apple core edges were done, here is my step-by-step 'how to'.  Enjoy!

My edges are made from strips of red fabric (2-1/4" wide) and they are appliquéd to the edges of my apple cores.  Some of you thought that I cut out a whole bunch of red apple cores, sewed them on and then squared up the edges to get a straight edge.  Nope, that was way too much work!  :o)

This is the one edge of my apple cores.  Where you see the white arrows, these edges have to be clipped and basted or turned under.  Since I don't do needle turn, they were basted instead.

When clipping, I always like to clip from the back so that my cut doesn't go too far.

Then I baste under those clipped edges.  The drawn curved line is my guide for turning under.

There, my edges are all turned under and I'm ready to start pinning and sewing them down.

To determine the amount of fabric needed to place my apple cores onto the strip of fabric, a bit of measuring is needed.  I place my ruler on the valley part of the apple core (see black arrows) and move it so that there is 1/4" for seam allowance.  Then I see on the top of the hill part of the apple core my measurement looks to be 1-1/8" in height.  To round off, I will chose to go with 1-1/4" and that will give me extra fabric to pin the valley edges to the red fabric..

On my strip of red fabric, I will mark off 1-1/4" from the bottom edge.  You can barely see the line, but just look at the arrow for guidance.

Then, I place my apple core (the hill will be right on the 1-1/4" marked line.  A lot of pins are used to secure the cores in place.  My pins will only go to where you see the vertical pin (see black arrow) and that is my stopping point for sewing.  There is a reason for this.

Below, I'm just appliquéing the edges to the red fabric.

Many of you have asked what thread I prefer to use for appliqué and for EPP.  Over the years, many different types of thread have been tried and discarded.  This brand of thread is my favourite.  It doesn't tend to tangle, it doesn't slide out of the needle, it doesn't get caught on the rough skin on my fingers and it doesn't fray.  This is my go-to thread all the time.  For my apple cores, this colour of thread was used throughout.  I did not switch to matching colour for every core.  It worked quite well.

The reason for stopping at the intersection between the blue and neutral print fabric is so that I have room to attach the next piece of red fabric (see the black arrow).  I can move the sewn apple core section out of the way.

My next red strip of fabric has been sewn on.  Yes, this is an odd area to have a seam; but this is the only way it will work because of the 1-1/4" marked line.  The corner apple core looks odd, but it is perfectly aligned.

My next section of apple core edges have been pinned in place and is ready for appliquéing.

This is what it looks like from the back once the edges have been appliquéd on.  Don't remove those papers just yet.  They are left there to act as a safety zone so that when trimming, you don't accidently cut into the apple core fabrics on the front.  Hmmm .... how do I know that could happen?  :o)

Following my appliquéd line, the excess red fabric is trimmed away leaving a good 1/4" seam allowance.

Once the excess fabric has been trimmed away, this is the time now to remove all the papers.

So, here are a number of my edges all sewn together.  I love it!

Did you see that missing chunk of section in the photo above?  Well, here it is ready to be worked on.

I still have another step that you need to know about, but I can't describe it to you at this time.  I need to make a whole bunch of apple cores and sew together the remaining 1/4 section and take photos for you to see.  This post will be edited when that time comes.

Have a great day!

Busy Marking

In a serious attempt to get a few tops ready for hand quilting, this top was up first. 

After it became a flimsy, it was obvious that the pumpkins needed some vines.  Those got doodled on and then embroidered.  Now it is officially a top and I can get started on basting this and then get going on hand quilting.

For my markers, I'm using Crayola Washable markers.

Have a great day!

Apple Borders

While I'm still working on the bottom left hand section of my apple core top, it was time to start thinking about borders.  This is the result and I do like how the red helps to define the curves of the apples.

Have a great day!

Tumbling along

I've taken up the leader/ender project that Bonnie Hunter is doing.  A tumbler quilt has been on my to-do list for quite some time.

Borrowing a template from a friend has helped speed up the process.  Thanks Jeanne.  My strips of fabric are 3-1/2" and I just place the top of the template on one of the edges and trim on two sides of the template.  Same process is repeated for the red fabrics.

Left over strips of red fabric will be cut into 3-1/2" squares for a charm quilt.  Since I was cutting the red fabric up, I might as well cut out squares at the same time and they will become another leader/ender project in the future.  Smart, eh!

Using my scrappy method, the tumblers are being cut out and placed in the four different containers.  Section A is up on the design wall in the top photo.  This way, it will have a uniform look.  This method has been used quite a few times now and it really works for me.  My scrappy quilts will never fit into the true definition of scrappy because a lot of my fabrics show up at least four times in my quilts (one for each section).  Does that bother me?  Not a bit.  These are my quilts and I will do whatever my heart desires.

This will be a twin size quilt.  Red and beige to go with my other quilts of the same colour.

Did I have to start another project?  Nope.  I just wanted to do this one.  Besides, it is a leader/ender project.

Have a great day!

Cottage Quilting

In the past few weeks, my time has been mostly spent at the cottage and visiting relatives.  So, what have I been doing?

My triangles are now mostly in rows and sections.  Great progress has happened.

My last two rows are in these baggies.  Ohhh .... getting excited!

What else to work on at the cottage?  My apple cores have come out once again.  I'm on Section C of my scrappy method.  The link is for a different project, but the method is the same regardless of which project I'm working on.

Also, my split apple cores.  Same scrappy method applies here as well.

Lately, I have received questions about my triangles and where to get the pattern and what thread do I use for applique and for doing EPP.  Both these questions will be addressed in an upcoming post.

Have a great day!