New Orleans House Project

Saturday, April 28, 2018

A Little More Yellow with More Machine Appliqué

The Rainbow Scrap Challenge colors for April were yellow and gold.  I pulled out some scraps earlier in the month for on-going RSC projects and I wrapped up the month with some reproduction fabric scrappy appliqué.
The basket pattern is from Blackbird Designs - When the Cold Wind Blows.  I've been using the design to practice machine appliqué techniques.  

Inspired by a recent post by Barb (Fun with Barb), I decided to try using 100 weight polyester thread for machine appliqué.  Barb had tried the thread for machine quilting, but I reasoned it might be good for machine appliqué as well.

Barb used Invisifil thread, a product from Wonderfil.  The thread is advertised as "ultra-fine but surprisingly strong".  I ordered some small spools of Invisifil in neutral colors to try on my basket blocks.

For stitching, I used a universal 65/9 needle and 50 wt Aurifil cotton thread in my bobbin.  After I adjusted the tension a tiny bit, my machine was very happy with the new thread.  In this example, the neutral thread worked well with the fabrics and seems to disappear, although the stitching line is fairly easy to see.  What I like about the 100 weight thread is the matte finish.

I ordered my Invisifil thread from Red Rocks Thread, and while I was perusing the website I decided to see if there were any other 100 wt thread options.  I wound up ordering a spool of Superior MicroQuilter 100 wt thread.  The MicroQuilter thread is advertised as being very strong, but still good for invisible stitching. 

The MicroQuilter thread performed just as easily in my machine; I used the same needle and bobbin thread.  The stitching is more obvious in this example, but using a different color of thread might improve the "invisibility".   Again, the matte finish is a plus.  Both of these threads come in a multitude of colors, so getting a close match is possible. 

For comparison, I went back and photographed the stitching on an early basket.  This block was stitched with invisible nylon monofilament thread (YLI brand, but others are available).  The nylon thread is good for recreating the look of hand appliqué, but the thread does have a glossy look.  

OK, now that I've bored you with all my thread experiments, go over to the weekly Rainbow Scrap link-up for some scrappy inspiration!



Monday, April 16, 2018

More Flamingo Hexies

I've been in a hand-stitching frame of mind for the past two weeks.  My stack of prepared hexie pieces was calling out to me, so I got busy with needle and thread.  I managed to finish most of the blocks I had prepped back in October of last year.

My method is to choose a fabric from the flamingo hexie stash and cut as many variations as possible before I put the fabric away.  These blocks are two of the variations I've made from the paisley fabric.

Two variations from the green batik (sunburst) fabric.

Abstract orange flowers (?) on a fuschia background.

Flamingo admiration society?

This current batch of hexies will get added to the pile.  The project was inspired by Barb Vedder's Hex Vex pattern.  I still need quite a few more finished hexies, but if I keep taking small bites I'll get there eventually!





Saturday, April 7, 2018

Start with Some Gold Scraps

The first Saturday in April means it's time to focus on Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects.  This month's challenge is to use scraps in shades of yellow and gold.  Not all my current RSC projects need yellow or gold, but I'll have fun digging through the scrap bins anyway.

I started with the 49-patch blocks - a project I started last year.  I had one yellow block already made, so I added another yellow block and a gold block.  Since my Rainbow Scrap projects tend to focus on bright colors, the gold scraps are usually neglected.  I was happy to use a few of them for this block.  Maybe I should make another gold block just so this one doesn't feel like the odd man out!

I also pulled some chunks from the repro fabric bin and made these quarter square log cabin blocks.  I did some math ahead of time when I started making these blocks, so I know I need at least 5 of each RSC color in order to get a decent-sized quilt at the end of the year.

From the "You Never Know What Will Happen" department:  I volunteered to attend a work-related event this morning (you know - making brownie points by working on a Saturday 😇) and met a group of quilters by happy accident!  The quilters were utilizing another meeting room down the hall from where my work event was taking place.  I happened to walk past their room, and of course, when I saw sewing machines being set up I had to investigate.  Turns out they meet there every month, bring a pot-luck lunch and spend all day sewing.  When they found out I was also a quilter, they invited me to join them next month.  I'll be looking forward to that, for sure!

For more scrappy yellow and gold inspiration, check out the Rainbow Scrap Challenge link-up.