Sew Very Smooth Blog
Reintroduction And Appliqued Poppies!
by Steve Tippets on 02/16/18
I thought it would be a good idea to start today's blog with a reintroduction of myself. That way, if someone is tuning in for the first time and doesn't want to scroll all the way to the bottom they can know what this blog is all about!
My name is Kimmel and I am a now 36 year old (I just had a Birthday, yay!) mother of four who is teaching herself how to sew. I have been utilizing the amazing tools from Sew Very Smooth and any advice I can get from the experienced seamstresses and quilters out there! This blog is the journey that I am going on. It's been so fun and I can't wait to continue on and learn more!
This past week I've been working on applique stitching some poppy flowers for a table runner I'm making. I practiced my stitching last week and decided to tackle the real thing this week.
These are two of the four poppies I'm doing. The one on the left is pretty good. The one on the right has some flaws. From far away they both look great, but if you look too close at the one on the right the imperfections start to show.
To prove my point, here is the bottom of the stem. I don't know why the stitch decided to do a random straight stitch.
Another example of a mistake is this leaf. I miscalculated how long the leaf was and did one stitch too many which made me have to backstitch a bit.
Overall I'm happy with how these turned out. I like the zigzag stitch. I think it brings some texture to the block and helps distinguish the two colors of blue that make up the poppy.
I am also currently working on a block of the month quilt. My second block should be in the mail today or tomorrow. I'm excited to finish another block for that quilt and start assembling my table runner next week!
If that wasn't enough on my plate, I've also decided that I want to start a new tradition next year for Valentine's Day by hanging heart stockings on the first and then letting my kids write notes to each other to hide in the stockings the two weeks leading up to the holiday. My husband and I will also put a few little goodies and notes in there as well. They can then open the stockings on Valentine's Day and read all their notes from their family. I'm really excited about it, but I need to make six heart shaped stockings now!
I have some ideas on how I can do it, but I would love any suggestions or pattern ideas if any of you have something that can work! I have all year to get them done, but I'm excited to start planning and working on them when I can.
Making Progress
by Steve Tippets on 02/09/18With the completion of my block of the month projects I was able to turn my attention back to the table runner I started last month. I was able to use all of my new techniques I've learned to help make assembling the main blocks so much easier!
After laying each block out I glue basted them to together. I then used chain piecing to keep each segment organized. I would rotate between half square triangle pieces to the rectangular piece and back. Not only was I organized, but it went so much faster that way.
The finished blocks are interesting. My 11 year old thinks they look great. I'm not so sure. This was definitely a lesson on picking fabric. I was trying to stick to the color scheme of the example piece, but I should have just gone with my own route. I'll make sure and do that with the next table runner I do.
Those are just two of the twelve finished blocks. We'll see how it looks once it's all assembled.
Now that those are completed, I had no choice but to start working on my applique stitching again. After doing some more research I discovered I really do just need to go slowly and pivot when necessary.
To practice I cut out some leaves and circles and glued them to another piece of fabric. I then proceeded to stitch them with a zigzag stitch. I figure the zigzag will be easier to learn on then the blanket stitch.
I'm pretty pleased with how these turned out, so now I get to start on stitching the poppies for real. I have a feeling it will be incredibly slow going, but I'm excited to get them done and finally assemble this thing.
I'm So Happy!
by Steve Tippets on 02/02/18This has been a FANTASTIC week, in every aspect of my life! For starters, it was my birthday yesterday! Who doesn't love their birthday?! My husband and kids have spoiled me all week long, continuing into today! It's been the birthday that just keeps giving. It makes me not mind turning 36 too much.
In addition to my birthday, I was able to get a lot of sewing in and I finished up BOTH of my blocks for the block of the month! I am thrilled with how they turned out!
I've been utilizing all of the tips and tricks I've learned and all of the tools that I have. The results have been well worth the effort.
I received a bloc loc half square triangle ruler as part of my tool set for the block of the month club and it's amazing. It makes trimming everything so fast and easy.
I took the time to lay out my pieces so I could glue baste everything together. It made it so much easier to stay organized and make sure I liked how everything looked together.
I used my Ideal Seam Guide the entire time to make sure I had a consistent scant 1/4" with every seam. So important.
I spun my seams to prevent bulk. This was a technique I learned watching the tutorials for the block of the month and I cannot believe how much it helps with the bulk. I'm so glad I learned how to do this.
And the finished blocks. They aren't perfect, which you can't expect them to be, but for a first time quilt block I am pretty pleased. There are two areas that don't align well on the larger block, but after thinking about it for a full day I think I finally figured out where I went wrong. I'll have to adjust with the next block and see if it makes a difference. Basically, I made sure to line up along the seam, that they were nesting, but I forgot to make sure that the seams ended at the same point, if that makes sense.
I have seriously loved learning these little tips and tricks that make quilting easier and ultimately more enjoyable. Please feel free to let me know of any tips that you know that I haven't mentioned yet. Knowledge is power.
Now I have to wait a few weeks for February's block to arrive. I can't wait!
