I need some help Flirting!

I thought that would get your attention.

No, I didn't mean that kind of flirting.

I am participating in a Flickr swap with a group called FLiRTS.  It stands for Fabulous Little Random Thing Swap.  Each participant got to pick a difficulty level - easy, medium, or hard - and pick 5 items that they would like to have made for them.  They were then paired with a secret partner who is to make one of the 5 things.

 

I've been working on my partner's random little thing.  It is going to be a table runner, for which she gave very specific dimensions.

I've been hand working this puppy since last Thursday.  I took it on our outing to visit my college boy.  (His team was playing 2 hours south of us.  We drove 2 hours down; sat and watched 6 hours of baseball; visited for about 20 minutes; then drove 2 hours back.  Those 20 minutes and 2 hugs were worth the rest!!)

 

 

I spent yesterday appliqueing on the birds and embroidering stems.

  

Today I am trying to get the borders on...but am having a little difficulty.

 

All the while I was doing the hand work I was thinking that this fabric would look fabulous.  I even made a special trip this morning to pick up the yardage I needed.  Then I got out my rulers and did a little arithmetic.  Turns out, if I use this wonderful stripe it will make the runner just enough bigger than it's intended perch to be really annoying.  It wouldn't hang over, nor would it stay centered on the table.  (Grrrr)

So, I auditioned two other options.

This option above looks more like my original plan....it would come out being perfectly shaped...but I think it is a tad boring....especially after the stunning leafy stripe.

 

 

 

Idea number 2 is more colorful.  I think if I do this one I will add a skinny dark border between the center and the colorful stripe and then use the same dark fabric for the binding.

 

 

Soooo, what do you think?  Which border should I do?  

L.O.V.E. I need a little

Me and my big ideas.....

 

.....taking a break from DQS13 today. (Went up this morning to see how it had dried....it is square....but the orange and fuscia have bled a bit.....then Jack wanted to roll around on top of it.....I decided it was best to step away from the project for a little bit.)

I am working on a new project for Moda Bakeshop. This isn't like anything I have offered up to date. The gist of the project is "words". They are getting ready to do a series on texty things. So far, so good.

 

Every morning when my sweet boys leave for school I give them a big hug and whisper in their ears.

"BE SAFE....

"BE SMART...
"BE GOOD....

"HAVE FUN...

"Love you."

 

They have been teasing me for a while, asking when I was going to make a mini to hang by the door. I keep telling them that there are too many words for a mini. Although, last night John (my 17 year old) told me that if I would embroider the words, then they would fit. True, true my sweet boy.

 

 

But, I have already "sold" the idea to MBS. I got fabric for my "Out the Door" throw on Tuesday.

Now I am trying to figure out the best way to create the letters. I want them to be seen in negative space.

 

My first thought, and the one I pitched Moda, was a ticker tape type quilt where the bits were moved aside to make the letters. Cool idea....but not one well suited to precuts and/or writing directions. I would be creating so many more UFOs in the world that I killed the idea when I was ordering fabric. (Besides, I couldn't figure out how much fabric to order doing it that way...the top would end up being a double layer all around.)

 

 

To simplify I went back to the idea of a grid with one letter per square.....but how to get my negative spaces.

 

 This morning I tried two different methods of reverse applique.

 

 

Raw edge (the L and E) - I drew the letters on a piece of paper; Layered the paper on top of two charms, both with right sides up; sewed just to the outside of the lines; ripped off the paper; trimmed the top layers of fabric; fray checked it; then did some hand embroidery to hold the little edges down further. I have to say this is probably the easier of the two methods. However, as a long arm quilter I have to say that I hate raw edges. They get caught on things.

 

 

Needle turn (the O and V) - I drew the letters on a piece of paper; traced the letters onto the right side of the top piece of fabric; basted the two pieced together around the edges; then hand appliqued the bits together along the tracing lines. (NOTE TO SELF - remember to do the centers first!). I like the finished look of this method best.....but it took much longer.

Do you have a method of reverse applique that you like?  Tell me about it.

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