I didn't feel like doing any sewing on Friday. My brother hurt his back at work, so I needed to spend some serious quality time at the hospital with him on Saturday. At least it is a muscle sprain and not a broken bone. Apparently it is a family trait. Or maybe it's an old people trait. Don't know, don't like it. I called my sister to let her know, and she was in a talkative mood, so Saturday was a sewless day as well.
Notice how I am moving on to Gift #4 even though I haven't shown you finished Gift #3? That's because it isn't done yet. Since I decided to make the project bigger, I had to think of something to add to all that empty space. First, I decided to switch backgrounds - from white to purple. That meant that I needed to change the purple on the applique to something else that wouldn't blend in with the background. Since I was using Heat and Bond instead of Steam A Seam (I ran out), I thought I would test out all those rules about using the reverse side of the pattern, etc. for you all over again. Yep. They still apply.
Then I decided to add a bird. After tracing and playing around with different bird shapes, I managed to get a feel for how to draw a bird, and cut a pattern piece bigger, since I could always trim. It looked great the size it was, so I'm leaving it the way it is. The Heat and Bond glued just fine to the applique pieces, but it is having trouble sticking to the background fabric. I tried sewing, but it does gum up the needle, and that messes up the tension, so sewing is out of the question. Right now, I am washing the background fabric, in case it hadn't been done before, and tomorrow I'll apply extra heat, if necessary. I don't want to burn the fusible, but this thing has to stick. Hopefully it will be kinder to me tomorrow.
Okay, for Gift #4 I decided to make another warm wall hanging. I bet my family members are afraid to tell me what they want, because they will get the same thing several times in a row. This will be Warm Wallhanging #3. I have a batik Bali Pop, which is like a jelly roll, which means the strips are already cut. I was thinking simple squares would be good, but then decided on bricks. Rectangles would be even faster than squares. Not staggered bricks, which would require lots of sewing, but rectangles sewn in rows, which could be strip pieced.
Then I got the bright idea that I could make a bargello. I've never made one before, and it's been on my to-do list for a while. The rectangles are smaller instead of bigger, but I don't think it will be too much added work. I wish I could imagine quilts in my head better, so I could see what would have been better, random rectangles, or a bargello, but all the strips are sewn together now, so randomness is out. I think a bargello would look better with both vertical and horizontal symmetry, but I'm not sure if I have enough fabric in one strip to do that, plus I already sewed the strips together. I think it will look fine though, just squares and rectangles in a pattern. I need to sew the rows together, and hopefully things will go smoothly on that quilt.
Gift #3 is pending, waiting until I borrow a staple gun from my sister. Here I present to you Gift #4. It is a wall hanging for someone who already has and appreciates the two other warm wall hangings I made for him. He showed a fondness for batiks, so this one is the first one that is completely batiks. The strips were already cut, because it is a Bali Pop, so it was quick and easy to grab the warm colors from the kit, and sew them together. It came together easily. I was not able to free motion quilt, so I squiggled some lines using the walking foot. Quick and Easy. He had asked for patchwork and applique, but I think I'm going to call it done now. I've got other things to make.
The backing fabric is brushed cotton. So soft and comfy. The fish batik is a gift from a fellow quilter, and I thought it would be a good addition to put a little surprise on the back. I added a couple of darker Bali Pop strips for the binding. I put the hanging corners on all four corners, so he could decide which way was up.
I'm still trying to think of ideas for the other gift recipients. I know there are lots of things I can make, decorations, bags, etc., but trying to pull from that list something they might want is hard.
Even though it isn't Friday, I am posting this for Amy Lou's Sew and Tell Friday. You can click on the link to see what other bloggers are Sewing and Telling.
