The Rhythm of Hand Stitching

I find that lately I've been doing a lot more hand-stitching than is typical for me.  It has been very comforting to sit by the fire in the evening and hand-stitch my Quilty 365 block for the day or add some quilting stitches to a wall hanging project.

I've been keeping up with my daily circles for the Quilty 365 project.  Today is my sister's birthday, so I pulled this scrap of fabric in honor of her alma mater.

 

I've already chosen tomorrow's fabric in honor of Martin Luther King Day here in the U.S.  I'm using Karen K. Buckley's Perfect Circles technique for prepping my applique pieces, so I get the benefit of two different types of hand-stitching on each circle!

 

I took a class in back-basting from my LQS earlier this year.  I liked the technique so much, I made one of the projects from our textbook, Back-Basting Applique, Step by Step: By Hand or Machine.  I finished the applique last year, but just recently began hand-quilting the project.  I did simple outline and cross-hatch quilting on the applique panels.  For the border, I plan to just follow the geometric designs in the fabric.  Purple, green & gold are the traditional colors for Mardi Gras here in New Orleans, so I'm trying to finish this in time for that celebration - February 9th.  I haven't done much hand quilting in the past few years, and it has been very soothing to get that stitching rhythm back in my fingers!

Since today will definitely be one of those hand-stitching days, I'm linking up with Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching.  I'll be checking in there during my stitching breaks to see what hand-stitching everyone else is enjoying.

Slow Sunday Stitching on the Porch

I have been industriously practicing my back-basting applique technique this week.  I have steadily improved my technique, and as the technique improved I found myself enjoying the process more and more.  I've been using upholstery thread for my basting; I don't know if that has helped by making the fabric perforations more visible and amenable to needle-turn applique, but I'm happier with the results.

 

Here's the completed flower from last Sunday's entry on back-basting.  I was inspired to keep practicing, so I chose another project from the back-basting technique book I've been using. 

 

This is one panel of three which will be a wall hanging.  I'll be adding a green bird and a purple bird, plus dog-tooth borders.  So far, I'm really enjoying the process!

 

I had the pleasure of some Slow Sunday Stitching on the porch at our camp today.  A lovely rainstorm popped up and made the outdoor temperature bearable.  I grabbed my portable Ott light to make up for the low light due to the storm.  I love stitching here, as I can watch the birds (we have about 5 feeders in sight of the porch), sip my coffee and just generally enjoy the opportunity to be outdoors! 

Kathy asked about long-term hand-stitching projects this week.  I truly don't mind long-term projects, and I get great satisfaction from finishing something, especially if there has been some challenge in terms of difficulty or new technique.  My only problem is staying focused on a long-term project.  Case in point, a hexie quilt project I inherited from my maternal grandmother.  I always say this is the year I'll finish it, but it always seems to get eclipsed by other, newer projects.  You can read more about it here - a Slow Sunday Stitching entry from almost a year ago! 

I'm linking up with a host of others who enjoy long-term projects over at Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching.

 

Slow Sunday Stitching: Practicing a New Applique Technique

Since starting work on my Eagle Quilt project, I have developed a desire to try more applique projects.  So far I've only used the freezer paper and starch method for preparing my applique pieces.  I like the technique because it gives me a well-defined shape to applique to the background fabric.  The drawback is that it requires a fair amount of preparation: making freezer paper templates, ironing them to the back side of the applique fabrics, then cutting the shapes and using starch and an iron to press the applique seam allowances into submission.

I had heard about an applique technique known as back-basting, so when my LQS offered a back-basting class I decided to take the plunge.  Class participants were encouraged to get a copy of Back-Basting Applique Step by Step by Barbara J. Eikmeier.  The book has been a good source of techniques and tips, and I've appreciated having an extra teacher to help me along at home.

Back-basting is sometimes called "template free" applique.  The applique shapes are traced onto the wrong side of the background fabric.  The fabric to be appliqued is positioned on the right side of the fabric, covering the shape traced on the back of the fabric.  Using a large needle and a heavier-weight thread, the applique shape is basted to the background fabric.  The large needle (such as an embroidery needle) and heavier-weight thread (such as glazed hand-quilting thread) create perforations in the fabric which then make it easier to do needle-turn applique.

 

On the right side of the applique piece, the excess fabric is trimmed away from the applique shape.  The basting thread is snipped and pulled out a few stitches at a time as the raw edge is turned under and appliqued in place. 

 

So far, my applique pieces are a bit wonkier than I like.  I definitely think practice will help improve the accuracy of my stitching. I like the technique because the prep time is shorter than other applique methods.  It doesn't take much time to get everything ready to begin stitching the applique shapes.  

I've been enjoying some Slow Sunday Stitching today as I attempt to improve my back-basting skills.  It's been too hot for much slow stitching - sitting under a quilt while I stitch the binding or do some hand-quilting is not a fun activity even in an air conditioned house!  I'm going to keep practicing my back-basting technique and maybe someday I'll be sharing a finished project.  

Linking up with more Slow Sunday Stitchers and enjoying a piece-ful Sunday evening!