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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