Sweet 2016: Making Raspberry Charlotte

Once you've read through and accurately printed and constructed your pattern this month, it's time to consider fabrics. I'm not going to say this part is easy - fabric selection is one of the hardest things for me! I was thinking about a beige range of fabrics, but once I set my eyes on these stash options in streaked gold and mottled gold, I knew I'd found my outer biscuits. Then I set out some pinks I thought could work as my raspberry part and put them out to look over as I consider the best way to create my applique pieces.

Here I am, my pattern pieces carefully drawn on fusible and cut out with a scalpel. Use a light box if necessary to trace the pieces accurately - you really need to keep an eye on tracing the pattern pieces correctly. You don't want your shapes to 'grow'. To have a nice neat finished block, every little piece needs to be kept in check at every stage.

Here are all my cut out pieces

I'm using the fusible applique method - it's the easiest and fastest way to get the shapes down

especially when dealing with so many thin flimsy pieces

and you don't have to turn edge if you don't want to - raw edge is fine

I had actually planned on making all of Sweet 2016 raw edge, but forgot when I started my macaroons and then found myself turn edging everything! What can I say? After LE, turn edging has become second nature to me!

These slivers are the shaded biscuit area that create depth between the biscuits. I had considered a darker gold (which would have worked) but ended up deciding on this deep chocolate with gold detail to tie it in. I just liked the contrast.

Here are the two shapes that create each biscuit

The gold outer biscuit and the lighter inner shape below. 

Here I am carefully turn edging each shape. I'm using glue to keep it in place. I only ever use Elmer's Glue for this as it's not a glue, but actually a starch which washes away easily. 

You can see how I leave the fusible in and turn my edge on it

I mention this because, over the whole shape of the block, turn edging can add mms on each shape which can add up by the end. To stop this happening, I cut out my shapes on the line, instead of immediately next to it. and this takes off an extra 1-2mm which will be added when I turn my edge. It sounds like such a small trick, but it really helps keep my applique pieces accurate. 

and this is how it looks against my pattern. I check every single piece as I'm making it

I pin the pieces in place as I move onto the next overlapping ones

If any shapes have grown, I immediately re-adjust the edge until it fits the pattern

front and back of the biscuits

coming along nicely

and once the biscuit pieces are all dine, this is what they look like from the back

when I'm sure my biscuits are right, I add the biscuit edges - the contrast shade from the back

and it looks like this

and here is the front

Remember that each dome has it's own size each month - so follow the pattern. Don't make any ahead or assume they will be the same - they aren't. 

Because of the light, you can't see my dome so well in this image, but I have opted for a milky background and on this dome I have not added any lacing or fringe - whether you add a decorative fringe on your own dome is a matter of personal preference. 

And here's the happy dollop of cream to top my lovely Raspberry Charlotte

For now, I've pinned my dome in place on my current but temporary background. 

I haven't decided on my final backing fabric, but am having fun plating around whilst I look. 

'Raspberry Charlotte'

'Sweet 2016' is my current Mystery Applique BOM

It's just $3.95 per month

Delivered digitally, to your email inbox each month

And don't forget to join my Sweet 2016 BOM Group over on Facebook too!