11.11.11

For all who have fallen.

fabric friday

Not ready to give up on those blue Summer skies just yet.

 Available here.

Beach Huts Tutorial Part 2

I think the photos speak for themselves at this stage. Using a fusible of your choice cut out the pieces of the Beach Huts and fuse to the back of your chosen fabrics. You can download a pattern template here.    PLEASE BE BEAR WITH ME WHILE I FIND AN ALTERNATIVE WAY TO DISTRIBUTE FREE PATTERNS AFTER CRAFTSY VERY SUDDENLY DELETED MOST OF THE PATTERN SHOPS THEY WERE HOSTING.

A lot of stitching has gone into this piece and so keep everything smooth I like to stitch the details onto appliques before attaching them to the quilt. Fuse them onto a stabilizer as shown below.

I also like to get all the lines stitched onto the background before adding the huts as this saves having to twist and turn around the added pieces. I use mono filament thread for this.

I have added some birds with fabric pen.

Now I add the huts and straight stitch them into place. They are stiff enough for this to be done easily. Just add a few pins to keep them in place.

Here is the finished piecing using an envelope facing. Below is the original one which was pieced with an added border and appliqued first before adding minimal quilting and a traditional binding pieced from left over pieces.

I added 5 huts to this one and let them sit over onto the border for variety.

There we are. I hope you have a go and if you make one I would love to see it.

Beach Huts Mini Art Quilt Tutorial

Need some sunshine in your life?
How about making this Beach Hut mini art quilt.

This tutorial will show you how to do a diagonally pieced sky using two different fabrics and looks at some different stitching options. It is not a definitive lesson on what you must do to create this quilt but rather something that will help you set you off and give you different options to follow.

Requirement

                           

Naturally I have used had painted fabric, but any fabric can be used.
I am not going to give sizes. Make it any size you wish.
The only thing to remember is that you need  two pieces of sky fabric exactly the same size.
Also
one strip of sea fabric
one strip of sand fabric
a selection of scraps for the beach huts

Piecing the background

Right sides of fabric both facing up, place them one on top of the other.

Using a ruler and rotary cutter, slice diagonally through the two layers of fabric.

Move your cuts out from the inner corner to the outer corner in increments just remembering to make them wide enough to allow for the seam allowances which will come later.

Now alternate the pieces of fabric like shown.

                           

When stitched together it will look like this.

But can then be trimmed to look like this.

                           

Those observant among you will notice that this one is the sister of the previous one as you get two for the price of one with this method.

Now add your sea and sand strips, in whichever order you like.

Here the sea is behind the huts,

and here it is in front of them.

Next time stitching and applique of the huts!

Alternative Backgrounds Tutorial

My previous post showed how to put together a Poppy Field. Here I want to share with you some ideas for creating a similar background but in a variety of different ways.

                

At first glance this background might look the same as the one in my first post on this topic but this was made without a pattern and just put together by eye. Not difficult to do, but my tip would be to go for a straight horizontal line to start to denote the horizon. After that anything goes!

                                              

I have quilted this piece in straight lines in matching threads, back and forth before adding any flowers.

For this next method I tore thin strips and stitched them row by row along their centre onto the a background.

The rough edges give it texture.

                                              

                                         

              

This background continues with ripping and stripping, but once the fabrics are placed on the background they are covered in a sheer layer and then machined down into place.

                 

                 

Lots of pictures but you get the drift and below is the finished background.

                                              

And finally small straight strips, a few of each colour, will result in this.

  

I hope this has given you a few new ideas. Next time I will look at different ways to add flowers.