by Sandra | November 28th, 2010
Did you give up on me? I just about gave up on myself! Whatever bug I caught, it hit me hard–yuck. I hope all of you in the states had a very nice Thanksgiving holiday. My Thanksgiving, obviously, was very low key this year.
Now back to quilting related stuff. I have the Asilomar project “before the embroidery detail“ photo ready to share. You will notice I did not iron the block just to prove I am not a perfectionist.
I am anxious to get going on the embroidery details because this is what makes it come to life and boosts the steroid level of the applique. Here is a detail shot of the “bouquet” section.
For those of you who are taking the 2011 Asilomar workshop, I am going to put together a menu tab at the top of the blog page with updated supply list and miscellaneous information for you as I firm up the project details. Supply lists are handed in two years in advance and by the time the workshop date comes along supply needs often change. I want you to have the most current information for making your supply choices and planning ahead so check this before putting your supplies together.
I will also have optional fabric kits available for purchase in the classroom as requested and I will add the Aurifil thread list of colors I used for the applique for those who want it within the Asilomar tab info as well.
On another subject…..I took Frances’s advice about marking my batiks with the important info as I buy them since no selvage information is printed for identifying them later when I need more. I wrote the store where I purchased, company, line name/color, and date on a strong piece of paper and then stapled it to the selvage. In some cases I was not able to get the actual line or color, but I have enough info to make a good effort in finding more if I should need it. Thanks Frances!
Oh how the emails have piled up in my absence. I am waaaaaaayyy behind, but I will get to each of them.
Sandra,
Missed you, but was never ever likely to give up on you!
The roses are magnificant …. if I could take my eyes off them I might be able to comment on the rest …. but the roses are just wonderful!
Judy B
Welcome back to the land of the living!
However I think you’re going to have to do something stronger than not ironing a block to prove you’re not a perfectionist. This block is gorgeous!
So glad you are back! The block is so wonderful, wish I could be there. Maybe you will sell all the leftover kits on your website???Ha, kind of like leftover wine??
t
I was getting worried about you. Glad you are recovering but don’t push yourself too hard.
I can’t wait for the Asilomor workshop. I feel so lucky!
Did not give up but was a bit worried. Glad you are feeling better.
This is just too gorgeous. Don’t think I could ever tackle such a pattern.
Delighted you are back, and with such a beautiful treat – the Asilomar Urn. Those roses are absolutely breathtaking. Now I cannot wait to see the embroidery!
Beautiful flowers! I wish I was taking the class.
You mentioned pressing and I would like to ask how you or others press and avoid the awfull seams showing through? Thanks
Like the other ladies, so glad that you are back in the land of the living. The urn is simply beautiful, can just imagine how it will look with all the embroidery. Oh what a lovely surprise to see your “Unexpected Beauty” quilt on the cover of the AQS Holiday Catalog. Do you think they were trying to tell you something??. Hope that you continue to feel better, not the best time of the year to be feeling poorly.
Judy,
I have to admit I am quite pleased with the roses.
Thanks Janet! I will do my best to improve the perception some more that I am not a complete perfectionist. LOL
Tammy,
There is such a thing as leftover wine???
Peggy,
The workshop will be fun and the block looks MUCH harder than it is. It is challenging, but very do-able.
Sara,
You could! I wish you lived so much closer and I could physically prove it to you.
Kathleen,
Small seam allowances and reducing the bulk and layers. Also no cutting the background fabric away from underneath the applique!
Hi Brenda,
I did not get that book catalog but have heard it was on the cover. Anyone have a copy they are willing to send me??
Thanks everyone for your worries. I have to admit I was starting to wonder if it wasn’t something more serious. I did go see my doctor so I knew it would eventually go away.
Wow! What a gorgeous piece!
You just had what is known as the Houston Crud.
Combo of the end of Hayfever, city polution, and everykind of weather in one week that we have to offer. The body gets so confused that it just gives up. You are now an Honorary Houstonian! You will need to grow gills in prep for the humidity.
t
I’m just pleased to see you doing ok ! Yes I was worried !!!!!
It isn’t like you to be sick for so long . That must have been a doozie of a sick you had !!!
Your Urn is amazing. I don’t think you can do anything that isn’t perfection ! I love how you included the bird with the bow : )
I can’t wait for the steroids ! Your work is such an addiction , I was having DDT’s , LOL ! !
You can keep the wine , bring on the embroidery !!! : )
So sorry that you were “under the weather”, yuck, not a good thing this time of the year..your applique is absolutely beautiful. It looks like it could step off the cloth and sit on my dining room table. Is it going to be a pattern later on that will be for sale? The whole piece is great but the roses are unbelieveable..wow! I love it!! A question about cutting away the background fabric behind the applique..do you ever cut it or do you always leave it intact?
Hope you are recovering nicely now!
I, too , have a question… looking at the urn, how do you intend to differentiate it from the background fabric? Will it remain the same color/fabric?
And, for those of us who are definitely NOT in the advanced category, how much of this will get completed during the Asilomar class? Maybe ONE rose?!
Tammy,
The Houston Crud is awful! An honorary Houstonian? I am so proud.
Boop,
Glad you like the urn and I kept the wine and drank it. LOL
Sandra,
I rarely cut away from the back behind my applique. Only when I have multiple seams allowances or more. i.e., seam allowance build up from two applique pieces (or more) + the background layer. I would only cut the background layer away.
I read in a recently released book that our grandmothers etc., “always” cut the background away (not an applique book and outside the author’s technique expertise).
This is incorrect. Fabric was far more loosely woven and with a low thread count, they knew their quilts (usually their special best) would have deteriorated quickly. I interviewed my grandmother in detail about these issues before she passed away.
Large canyon ridges occur from the seam allowances when you cut away the background layer making those edges wear quickly from even the gentlest rubbing from use. When those ridges rub away, no more applique.
The Asilomar pattern will be for sale after the workshop has concluded.
Michele,
I was waiting for you to bring this up! LOL
Ahhhh, yes this can be a problem. I think I will go more in detail in a blog post because this can be a common and major problem.
The background story: I wanted this to have a fresco-like background and overall appearance and I wanted that particular Stonehendge fabric for the urn. What to do when the contrast would be lost? as you can clearly see has happened in the picture. Hmmmm, remove the time intensive stitiching and try again with another urn fabric choice? Nope, I didn’t want to. Start again with a different background fabric oh
hellheck no. Are you kidding? I am not that insane. So what then?There are two choices that will work.
1) Use the colored pencil technique and shade the background area outside of the urn edges using a darker value color. or….
2) Outline in an embroidery stem stitch with either one strand of a six ply cotton floss (DMC, Cosmo, etc.) or a sewing weight thread depending on what scale is needed. I don’t want it to look outlined but make it stand out from the background. So the effect needs to be done with a subtle scale of thread.
The quilting will also make it stand out (carved-like) against the background as well when all is complete.
In this case I will embroider to help accentuate the edge and bring contrast between the edgeof the urn and the background.
I will explain further in a blog post with visuals. It is on my “to-do blog list”.
Michele you get brownie points for noticing this and asking. LOL
OMG, Sandra! The comments are working for me!!
The info about the batiks is great. I buy from SewBatiks at shows and never have the color name when someone asks about it.
I changed my pic. I like this one better.
Eileen I am glad you were able to break through! Ah technology eh? LOL
Eileen you are so right about Sew Batiks. I love them too and when I bought some more at the Houston show, I made sure to marke them BEFORE I put them away this time.
Regarding Michelle’s comment – Is it possible to sew a different fabric over the light parts of the urn ? I recently accidently stitched under a seam for an applique piece that should not have been stitiched under, as the next layer was to cover it. I found that I could stitch the next layer and have the two seams successfully “hug” each other at the shared edge.
Sara,
I guess you could do that, but I wanted to keep both fabrics and I know the embroidery and quilting will take care of any contrast issues. Remember that this is the “before” embroidery shot and not the final result. Kind of like seeing a painting half finished.