Hello Everyone, I hope you are all keeping safe and well and trying to enjoy your isolation with some sewing.
I’ve had a very busy week (my normal life is very much in isolation, so not much of a change there for me!) trying to keep my business going through these unprecedented times, it is a challenge but I am so lucky that I am doing something I love and I am hopefully keeping people entertained with some sewing.
I have been moved on a Thursday evening when everyone comes out to show their support to the NHS and Keyworkers and I was really inspired when my friend Catherine sent a photo of a quilt she has made to put in her window to show support to everyone out there still working keeping us, well, safe, fed and clean.
I decided (with lots of help from my Dave creating me a pattern which would have taken me twice as long!) that I would have a go at making something for everyone to share and to keep you sewing. So I have a free PDF pattern available on my website to make this lovely Rainbow (well I think so!). I went a bit mad on mine and used loads of scraps and embroidery stitches and went a bit “Graffiti” on it, but you could make it in single colours or stripes of colour, you have the pattern, I can’t wait to see what you do with yours.
I started on the outer edge and I put all the scrap on a piece of stitch and tear (but I didn’t tear the fabric away when finished as it made it firmer).I went from red-pink-orange and I used a mixture of red and pink thread to stitch all the little pieces together., you could also do a stitch and flip method.
I was really chuffed when I had finished the first arc, and I even cut a heart out and strategically stitched it on.
The next row I went from orange to yellow, oh it was such fun!
My favourite row next, green-turquoise-blue!!
It was coming along nicely, and I was getting excited about the way it was looking!
Last row was navy-purple-lilac, with a strategically placed bee! It is almost an I spy quilt (did anyone catch the tractor and the trees!!
Woohoo nearly there…. Looking good.
All cut ready to be sewn together, getting ready to do the curved piecing, don’t panic I found this great little tutorial on YouTube for you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLfc2UpucsA
Angela Walters advise on “Quilting Juice” was adhered too as well!!
All sewn together, I thought you might like to see the mess of the back where I tried out loads of machine embroidery stitches on my new, although second-hand and only just had the time to start using it, machine!
I placed the rainbow right sides together on a piece of backing fabric and pinned in place, then trimmed the fabric before sewing a ¼” around the edge, leaving an opening of about 2” in one of the straight edges to turn through. Before turning through, I cut pizza wedges in the outer curve and snips on the smaller inner curve to that it turns through nicely. I sewed up the opening, pressed it, and added some ribbons to hang in my window.
Here it is in pride of place in my window.
I hope you all keep safe, keep happy, and keep sewing. If you are still working and looking after us, I salute you and thank you, you are our army and protectors and you deserve so much more than thanks. Take Care.
Much love
Nicola X