BOM 2018: Morning Glory Part 1 Border Frame

All my TEMPLATES for the zig zag border are prepped and stacked, ready for sewing. I always love this stage of applique - the putting it all together.

I managed to get my 4 x corners created this morning and I'm delighted with how they look. I am in love with this fabric. I'm using Crystal Farm by Andover and it's totally gorgeous. This year I decided to select a range and try to stick with it. I made this decision because I am chronically indecisive when it comes to fabrics. I hoard lots of little bits from lots of ranges and then feel stuck when an actual project looms. As I'm making 3 BOMs, I really don't have the time to irritate myself and waste time dithering over lots of different fabric ideas. Last year I picked a range that was too soft for my eye and I regretted it almost straight away.

So this year I was a bit nervous, but I think I've finally broken my bad habit. I love the look of Morning Glory and my Kaffee Fassett Love Always is simply impossible to do wrong.

 Here's my front and back view of the corners

OK, time for some serious sewing!

Morning Glory is my current paid BOM. It's an applique and pieced quilt. 

You can start this BOM today! 

Simply click the quilt image to learn more.

BOM 2018: Morning Glory, Prepping Part 2

All prepped up and ready to sew! 

You'd think that after Love Entwined, I'd never want to see another zig-zag border? Nope! I love a zig zag border and sewing a new light and dark contrasting shaded one for my Morning Glory makes me completely happy.

Of course there is all the pesky preparation that has to happen first, but once I've got that done, it will all be plain sailing..

Watch this space..

Morning Glory is my current paid BOM. It's an applique and pieced quilt. 

You can start this BOM today! 

Simply click the quilt image to learn more.

BOM 2018: Morning Glory Pounce Update

You know how I discussed using pounce last week, as a technique to trace my pattern onto my dark background? Well, the wheel I used above is a tad too thick, and makes a messy outline, below. I really liked the firm puncture holes, but it seems that I could have easily used a smaller puncture wheel for a neater line. So don't worry if you can't find an old model like mine. I know lots of you contacted me asking after the gauge.

The other update I have is my technique. I actually 'patted' the paper which resulted in strong transfer, you really only need to 'swipe' over the paper. Again, I just over did it.

Perhaps I'm just so keen that I got carried away with myself!

Anyhow, it doesn't matter and I'm not bothered enough to iron it out and start again, I'm just reflecting on the fact that it could have been neater.

And now that I'm all traced out, the real fun can begin!

Morning Glory is my current paid BOM. It's an applique and pieced quilt. 

You can start this BOM today! 

Simply click the quilt image to learn more.

BOM 2018: Morning Glory Background Blues

Although it looks almost black in this picture, this is my navy blue background that I'm using for Morning Glory. I purchased a whole bolt of it in a fabric shop a few years ago. I fell in love with the colour and just knew it would be perfect for a future project.

Well, I was right about wanting to use it, but what I didn't know is that it has a grain warp through the whole bolt. Initially I thought it was a fold line, due to how the fabric was wrapped around the bolt. And I thought this could be relaxed away. But no washing has budged it, so I really wonder if it was just manufactured like this.

I washed and then soaked the fabric to try and relax the fibres, but it didn't help.

And then I noticed these notices throughout the fabric at various intervals.

I'm so annoyed. 

So, I'm going to see if I can get enough unblemished length to work with and make a start..

It's a lesson for me, bolt bargains aren't worth the headache later on.

Have you ever been stung by a fabric treasure turned tarnish?

Morning Glory is my current paid BOM. It's an applique and pieced quilt. 

You can start this BOM today! 

Simply click the quilt image to learn more.

WOW: Showing My DH Some Love..

WOW= WIPs On Wednesdays

"Roses are red, see how I bother

I used up some Tilda to make good your collar"

It must be true love. I have three WIPs sitting on my design desk, but instead of working away at those, I'm behind the iron, spending my precious quilting time updating the collar of my DH's shirt. 

It's a lovely shirt in a muted pink shade. It's new, but somehow I ruined the collar. I blame the washing machine, because although I don't know how, the tips of the collar were suddenly frayed, in really no time at all. Perhaps 4 washes. With no way to match the collar which looks shabby on an otherwise excellent shirt, the only real way to save the shirt is to replace the collar. 

There's no way I'd ever be able to match the fabric, so I opted for some Tilda from my stash (above). I think it's a perfect match without looking too feminine. So this morning I'm fixing up the collar, using the original collar as my template. 

And being a pink shirt, it'll be perfect for my husband to wear this evening when I send him out to collect some TakeAway. No cooking or dishes? Now that's something I love!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

What's Your WOW?

An InLinkz Link-up

WOW: Tracing Love Always

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

Talking about WIPs, did I mention that I'm making 2 x full size Love Always quilts at the same time? Crazy? Maybe! Perhaps all this bright and cheerful Kaffee Fassett stash surrounding me is giving me renewed enthusiasm?!

I don't know how I'm going to fit it all in, but I feel determined. Oh, and I've decided that I'm going to turn edge applique both of them because otherwise I know it will drive me crazy later on if I don't. So today I'm getting some preparation out of the way. 2018 is going to involve a lot of prepping, so I may as well make a start.

What's Your WOW? 

An InLinkz Link-up

BOM 2018: Tracing Onto A Dark Background

I haven't worked with a dark background before, so tackling how to trace my applique position onto the background fabric posed a new challenge. I thought I could get around it with a light box but that didn't work, my navy background is really too dark for any cheat methods to work.

So my next thought was to try using pounce powder. I've had this block for years. I purchased it back when I was experimenting with quilting - or I should say, had plans to. But, as a freestyle domestic quilter, I just never got around to trying it out. Lucky for me, I stashed it for 'one of those days' and I'm happy to say, one of those days finally rolled around. Now, in my household, that's like saying 'the cows came home' because I stash a lot of things and no one in my family believes they will ever serve a purpose. Well, as you can see, they are wrong, the cows really have come home and I will continue stashing things as and when I please (and shelf space allows).

This is a tracing wheel and I decided to test it out on the nearest block I had to hand. This is Part 6 of Morning Glory, so don't worry if you don't recognize it yet.

The tracing wheel worked better than expected around curves and I think it's because I did my tracing with a soft thick cloth beneath my block which really allowed the spikes to puncture deeply.

Then I rubbed the pounce block over my punctured block

and here's my block, traced and ready for working with.

What I love about pounce powder is that you can handle, scrunch and work with the fabric normally, just like you would when preparing applique onto a background, and it won't come off until you iron it off, or rub over it with a lint free tissue. This means that if you make a mistake during the tracing, you can simply wipe it off and start again.

I have my colour scheme, my fabrics and my method of tracing down the background, next it's time to make a start and show you some progress.. stay tuned. 

But if you can't wait for me, be sure to visit my BOM Group over on Facebook - there's lots of progress going on over there to inspire you. 

Morning Glory is my current paid BOM. It's an applique and pieced quilt. 

You can start this BOM today! 

Simply click the quilt image to learn more.