Last week when I was fixing the one of the zodiac symbols in EQ7 I decided to try redrawing my symbol for Capricorn. I am much happier with my third version. That required making a new overlay, template and basting a new piece of fabric to the background but I am ready to start the appliqué now. I seem to be avoiding work on my Love Entwined. Not sure why. Part 3 was released yesterday and I want to get caught up. I need more fabric for the outer ring on the center compass so I can’t do any appliqué yet. The fabric is on order though. I am going to work on getting everything else prepped and ready to appliqué for when the fabric arrives.
Quilty To Do List for August 16th through 22nd
The Sun, Moon and Stars quilt:
Cut sashing strips and squares for stars– done 19 August- Appliqué 12 symbols – 1 done 18 August
Pomegranate Jam:
- Baste appliqué shapes to background fabric
Love Entwined:
- Hand piece new compass – started 9 August
Prep leaves– done 20 AugustPrep triangles around compass– done 20 AugustPrepare freezer paper templates for 12 stars– done 19 AugustPrep stars around compass and near ZZ border– done 22 August- Hand stitch rectangles into long strips for ZZ borders
- Stick Solvy to ZZ border and starch around edges
Prepare fp templates for Part 3 hearts– done 19 AugustPrepare fp templates for Part 3 crosses and oak leaves– done 19 AugustPrep hearts– done 22 AugustPrep crosses– done 22 August- Prep circles for crosses
Prep oak leaves around crosses– done 22 August
I want to concentrate on the same three quilts this week: The Sun, Moon and Stars, Pomegranate Jam and Love Entwined.
Quilty To Do List for August 9th through 15th
The Sun, Moon and Stars quilt:
- Cut sashing strips
Fix tail on Virgo in EQ– done 13 AugustAppliqué two sun blocks– done 13 AugustAppliqué two moon blocks– done 9 August
Pomegranate Jam:
Prepare appliqué pom pieces– done 15 AugustPrepare appliqué leaves– done 15 AugustPrepare appliqué stems– done 15 August- Baste appliqué shapes to background fabric
Love Entwined:
- Hand piece new compass – started 9 August
- Appliqué outer ring to compass
- Appliqué small circles to outer ring
- Appliqué compass to background
- Cut and baste leaves
- Appliqué leaves
- Appliqué stems
- Starch and appliqué circle flowers
- Cut and baste triangles around compass
- Appliqué triangles
- Hand stitch rectangles into long strips for zig zag borders
- Stick Solvy to ZZ border and starch edges around to back
- Baste ZZ borders in place
I am not looking forward to appliqueing these onto the ring around the compass. They are tiny. Teeny tiny. They are smaller than the smallest size of Perfect Circles by Karen Kay Buckley. The smallest KKB circle template is 7/16 of an inch and the circles for the Love Entwined compass are 5/16 of an inch. There were a number of creative solutions to the tiny circle dilemma posted on the email group for Love Entwined.
Those who like to starch their circles before appliqueing them purchased small washers to gather their circles around with a basting stitch.
Linda has two Inklingo circle collections that work with KKB’s Perfect Circle sets. I was determined to use Inklingo to print the 32 circles instead of tracing around a template. I figured I could use one of the sizes without seam allowance to print a circle small enough to gather around the washer.
After the circles were printed and cut, I basted around them with hand quilting thread. Hand quilting thread is thicker and stronger than the thread I use for hand piecing so there is less chance of it breaking when pulling the gathers up tight.
I could only do 12 at a time because I only purchased one package of washers. [Note to self: Next time buy 3 packages…] Tie a knot in your thread before beginning but at the end of your basting just leave a tail about an inch or so.
Lay the washer on the wrong side of your fabric and pull up the tail of your basting thread to gather the material around the washer.
I used a small bowl to put the circles into and then sprayed enough Best Press on them to soak them thoroughly. I let the circles dry overnight instead of trying to iron them. Once they are dry, you can carefully loosen the basting thread about a quarter of the way around and then take out the washer. It was fiddly so I used tweezers with a bent tip to help remove the washer.
After the washer is removed, smooth and smoosh the seam allowance back into place. The Best Press should still hold everything. I cut off the knot and tail end of my basting thread but left the stitches in place. There are a few pokies that will need to be tucked in better as I am appliqueing but I find it easier to do circular shapes when they are starched into shape beforehand.
I decided to redo my compass because I didn’t like the way the pink and yellow spokes blend into each other. I know, I know… creating more work for myself. I am using the same fabrics but changing their position in the compass. I have to finish it up before I can applique the teeny tiny circles on. I need to get to work as there is only a week before Part 3 is released. I got a little more involved in The Sun, Moon and Stars than I was supposed to. I got side-tracked from my list! [What’s new?]