by Sandra | December 4th, 2009
First: Book News
I have some book news for those of you who have been asking. Tentative scheduled release is Fall 2010 with AQS. Which month this will occur will be nailed down later in the editing process and of course I will let you know as soon as I know.
Embroidery Detail Time
I have all of the applique finished for the center circle portion of Jason’s quilt and before I move on, I will do the embroidery details. I always work in “sections”. Meaning when the applique is finished for a specific section of work, I immediately follow with the embroidery detail. If I left all of the embroidery to the last when all of the applique was done, quite frankly, I would lose interest in finishing.
Working in “sections” keeps the project interesting. Think of it like breaking a large project into small design areas that, when completed, do give me a sense of instant gratification much like a small quilt would. If you notice, my quilt designs have very few repetitive images so each step is new, fresh and interesting. If I had to do multiple applique blocks that were the same thing over and over and …., I would NEVER finish.
To be honest, I would have abandoned applique a long time ago if I had to do that. This is also why I have never had a love for doing pieced quilts. Too repetitive and geometrically constrained to hold my interest. My hat is off to those who create pieced quilts and stick with it.
I love those plastic boxes I pick up at Joann’s for organizing my floss color selections for a project. You can see I organize by color and then value. It makes it easy to spot the right color when I am working. I don’t know what the exact perfect color choice will be in advance so I select a bunch in the color range of the fabrics I am using. I also keep a notebook by my side and make a note of which color number, thread type, number of strands and stitch type while I am working.
My short term memory is almost nil (seriously) and when I have to go back and refine, add or correct in a section later, I know exactly what I did with no struggling to remember. Anything that makes it easier ya know?
Everyone have a great weekend and find time for yourself and needle and thread.
all contents ©2009 Sandra Leichner all rights reserved
I don’t think you have to worry too much about your memory with such good organizational skills !
I guess I’ll have to stop being so lazy and write some notes too.
I keep telling myself I will but I don’t ! I’m too excited to get at it ( the fun part ) to be that displined . You wouldn’t want to see my embroidery thread . It is kind of a big ball of messy string. I have to say I did buy some of it that way , in this weired shop , long ago. I just add to the mess by throwing it all in the box . !
I’m so excited to see what your going to do with the embroidery .
But where’s the bird ?? ?????? are you keeping it for a surprise ? ; )
The bird is, well, black and although the fabrics are really cool and worked well, it looks….black at the moment. I am waiting until I get the embroidery details done and then I will show you.
I was also going to create a post showing the individual fabrics and how they worked to create a more life like bird. I was surprised myself by the fabrics that made the cut.
Boop I used to keep mine all wadded up too. The first time I had to go back and fix something was when I realized I had better find a better system! LOL
Excellent organizational tips – throwing my flosses in a basket are just not working. Will add your suggestion to my growing shopping list. I was also struck with a light bulb moment when realizing the floss would be more protected from our constant airborne sheltie fur!
Love our pooches but buy sticky rollers by the gross:o)
And so exciting to read about your book update – 2010 has been designated as My Year Of Applique – I will work on this & improve. Your book will be a gift to myself – can hardly wait.
Have a lovely, creative weekend.
I am thrilled the book has a tentative release date for Fall 2010. I cannot wait to see that crow once you get the embroidery details done. Please do post showing the individual fabrics and how they worked for a life like bird, I am finding all your posts so helpful. If I could arrive at even 1% of your ability in selecting the perfect fabric I would be very happy, but I feel I am making real progress now. I love the idea of organizing the thread by color and then value and keeping a notebook for reference. I ordered the batik fabric, fingers crossed it will arrive today. Not ready to use it yet, just want to play with it!!!!
Oh Pat, I have the same issues with the companions! I buy my rollers at Costco in bulk. LOL.
Denise, I am so glad to hear you feel you are making progress and learning. I will show the fabrics and how they were used on the crow because black is difficult to use effectively without looking flat. It is the most challenging when it comes to monochrome color. (shade if you want to be technical).
There you go, with a teasing photograph! Can’t wait to see it! And isn’t it amazing that as we get older, we have to adopt some pretty finite methods of organization, or else we just lose it – sometimes quite literally?!
I do have a question for you, tho – on process. Everything I see/read has you with a thumb on top and a forefinger on the back to hold the fabric piece being appliqued – how do you do that with such a big piece of fabric? You just wad it up, scrunch it up, grab a handful and go?
Michelle,
Wad it up, scrunch it up, and grab a handful and go is exactly what I do. I try not to have anything larger than 36″ square area to work on, but there are times when I can’t avoid it.
I have really small hands and so far this has been do-able. After awhile of doing applique, you get reallly good finger dexterity from the “exercise”. If only I could find as much fun to exercise the rest of my body.
Is the pumpkin piece only 36″ square?! Wow. thanks – I have small hands, too, and was wondering how you handle that. As soon as I can get all the Christmas festivities out of the way, I’ll be jumping into the fray. Hopefully, nothing else will pop up to allow me to further procrastinate…
I really am enjoying your tutorials. Wonderful advice offered up in a very companionable way. Do you have any idea yet what your Asilomar class will entail? I realize that it’s far in the future, but was wondering what was running thru your head, project-wise and stitching-level-wise (intermediate skills, all levels, etc)…
Actually the pumpkin piece is smaller. The 36″ includes that vining design with the mice, frogs and other birds.
The area I am working on is 23″, but I already attached that outer border so I am handling the whole 36″ of fabric at the moment. As Sara mentioned earlier, you could applique the center and then attach that outer border wehn complete.
Michele I hear you on the Christmas duties. It took me several days of stolen moments to do the bird, which normally could have been done in a couple of days.
Computer time is also strained right now too!
The Asilomar class will be intermediate-advanced. I don’t plan projects until closer to the workshop date because I like to keep them fresh for the date of the workshop. Stuff gets dated quick in the quilting world. It is bad enough when supply lists are requested and created one year in advance and become dated by class time!
The workshop will entail a project that incorporates a lot of my techniques I am showing here on the blog, but obviously with a hands on more detailed approach.
Understanding how to work highlight and shadow with fabrics to get the painterly look with applique and then how to use simple embroidery to create the details like you see in the crow, plus techniques to make layered applique work better.
I don’t teach basic applique in the class, but give techniques that are applicable to creating more advanced work. If you are a “comfortable” beginner there will be so much to learn and the workshop will be do-able. If you have an open mind and are willing to learn something new and/or different, you will succeed.
I like the sound of that – the get the painterly look with applique… I think my goal needs to be to become a “comfortable beginner” in the next year! ;~)