This is the first side I’ve started of the embroidery. I’m using perle 8 thread and chain stitch. I’m going all the way through the quilt and anchoring the thread by weaving it through the stitches instead of using knots. I suppose I should grab a shot of the underside!
I’m still here!
Work has been keeping me busy and exhausted! But that didn’t stop me from translating this image from a Quiltmaker email into an Inklingo-able quilt!
The block measures 16″ because the orange peel collection contains a 4″ unit, making the center block 8″. The 4″ HST is available in the 12″ Storm At Sea collection and the centre triangle can be made by cutting 8.5″ rectangles and sewing the printed triangles to them. The sashing is 4×16″ finished with 4″ squares, which are found in the orange peel collections AND the 12″ Storm at Sea!
I’m making my through the embroidery on the Irish chain wedding quilt. Yes, the transfer method worked reasonably well, and look, here is a picture of my joining the dots!
I’m also making my way through the Winding Ways but progress on both have been seriously impacted by tiredness from busy, busy days at work.
Transfer methods
So I need to transfer the poem extract to the quilt. I did some research and decided against using tulle, sewing through the paper, and various products conveniently available for sale and pricey. The carbon paper I have appears to have permanent properties, so I put that away. I decided that I was quite happy quilting through the wash-away pen, so however I transferred the design, I wanted to finish with the pen. This evening I tested out a few techniques. I tried the prick method but didn’t have any pounce, so I tried just stabbing through the holes I made with the wash-away pen. I had limited success with that. Then I tried the cheap carbon method where you take a pencil to the back of the design and then trace onto the fabric with a pen. I need a much softer pencil because that didn’t show up at all!
I found some old interfacing that used for a pattern to test with. I thought maybe the pen would go through as easily as tulle. Not the first time, but the third go over the same line proved moderately successful! Further experimentation proved that holding the pen in place for a second would allow enough ink to flow through the interfacing to the fabric beneath.
So this is my plan for transferring the text to the quilt:
1. Trace the words onto the interfacing.
2. Lay the interfacing on the quilt, maybe use some spray adhesive to keep it in place.
3. Dot the wash-away pen in 1cm intervals.
4. Remove the interfacing and connect the dots
5. Embroider!
I’ll hopefully be able to get all four sides marked up this weekend.
Some more Alabama Chanin projects
Flat bunny! This is how the bunny looked before getting stuffed. Such a quick project to complete! Once I had all the pieces the right size, it was really fun to put together.
And here it is, full of stuffing. I think more stuffing might have been good, but I didn’t want it to be too firm.
These portable tables were on sale and they really are quite handy for providing an instant workspace on a nice day.
I created the facets stencil out of felt and since I still haven’t broached the airbrush hurdle, I thought I would use a sharpie to transfer the design. 
This will eventually be a tunic from the third book published by Natalie Chanin.
Winding Ways coming together
My progress has been slow, but I am enjoying sewing these blocks together. Best part: no clipping!!
Progress on the Irish Chain
Two nights ago, I thought this was all the quilting I had left. I was so excited to spray out all the blue marker lines, but was dismayed to discover that I missed a tiny, tiny portion. But that’s okay, I’ll quilt it before I start the embroidery of the words.
Here is the print-out of what I’ll be embroidering on each side of the quilt. I bought some red perle 8 thread. I haven’t decided whether to ignore the thin-thick lines and just use back stitch or to attempt some satin stitch. I might wimp out in favour of time and my lack of experience with satin stitch.
Some time has passed
Since I last posted. I’ve been busy quilting and quilting! Here’s a picture of my current method of quilting.
I’m now quilting without a hoop at all! I feel I am able to because I used Sharon Schamber‘s method of basting. It is fortunate, too, because the weather has been ridiculously hot and having the quilt on top of me would have been in possible. Instead, I’ve been laying the quilt over a little folding table and quilting the drape. I’d better supply a picture of that, too!
In the meantime, I’ve also been playing around with a new plug-in for Lightroom that will export directly to WordPress. This means that I’ll be able to post better photos more easily!
Winding Ways cut out
All the pieces cut out using a small rotary cutter and rotatable cutting mat. Took a lot less time than scissors!
Winding Ways Printed
It took about 2 days to complete, but it’s done and waiting to be cut and sewn!
So much printing! All up, 108 pieces of fabric ironed with freezer paper and printed on. Total number of shapes: 300. Monkey’s cheat sheet was invaluable!
The importance of scale
I decided to make this cute little bunny toy as a quick baby present for my friend because it’s looking likely that the baby quilt I’m planning won’t be finished before she is born. So I downloaded the pattern from the Alabama Chanin site and printed it up, cut out the pieces. But they didn’t make sense when you put them together. The pocket is massively huge, the apron doesn’t reach the sides of the body piece and the ear insides are bigger than the actual ears. To illustrate, I overlapped the pieces.
I checked the book that the pattern is originally published in and the scale is the same as the scale in the downloadable file. I found this completely aggravating as I had to recut three of the patterns (keeping the original body size) before it would look remotely like the photo they provided.
After rescaling, you can see the difference is significant.
This isn’t the first time I’ve bumped into difficulties with Alabama Chanin patterns. The other pattern was the Indigo Star Throw (which I still haven’t finished!) where the supplied “templates” refused to match up to a logical size. I ended up buying the Inkling0 6″ Le Moyne Star collection as a compromise.
Here is the Bunny Rabbit pattern with the pieces in correct scale with each other.
It’s more than a little disappointing that I have to do this.
One project down, two to start!
My projects keep multiplying but my free time seems to be halving. Gah!
So this skirt is finally done! It basically took a year from receiving it. The facets pattern is great, but there are a lot of shapes to sew around and cut out. My next Alabama project will be to attempt airbrushing and making another tank dress. I definitely need more of those!
I got the go-ahead on this design, so now I’m busy working out fabric requirements and cost. At the moment, purchasing materials for this quilt will have to wait until next year, but she wants to go scrappy, so this will be fun!
As far as the Winding Ways baby quilt, I’m planning to buy fabric for that soon, though I’m considering ordering from overseas if I decide to go down the designer fabrics. They are more than twice the price in Australia, and shipping doesn’t really justify the jump!