Creative Curves - Part one

Hi, Trudi here from Quilting Prolifically.  I've been working on curved piecing, having started on a whole series of Double Wedding ring inspired quilts.  Ambitious I know, but I have one under my belt already, and a second started.  But sometimes all those curves can be a little intimidating, so I wondered if I could create the illusion of curves without the curved piecing.

Yes you can!

so armed with my Sizzix Bigshot Plus and the following dies

659838 Bigz Square 4 1/2"
659832 Bigz Half Square Triangle 4 1/2" pieced
659853 Bigz L Isosceles & Right 4 1/2" H 
 657611 Bigz Half Square Triangle 2 1/2" pieced


and my recently overflowing scrap bin   ....

I set to making a whole bunch of Half Square Traingles,  

Because when it comes to quilts, I sort of love a big bed size quilt, I pieced and pressed these in sets of 10's so I could keep track I had the right amount made.  and if I lost count, it was easy to recount at a glance!

mix in a few squares, and the Shoo Fly blocks are done 

all 18 of them!

next up was piecing the other block, but, with Festival of Quilts looming fast, my progress has been put on hold, while I finish my entries for delivery next week

so I'll be back next month to show you these blocks, how I pieced them, and how when you put both the blocks together you create the illusion of curves without a curve in sight. 

Of course, add in a little quilting and the whole thing should come together nicely! 

See you soon!  Trudi

My own Sizzix Challenge : Inspiring me quilt, the beginning

Hi everyone! Today I come with something very very especial. I´m doing my own challenge with Sizzix Dies.I´m planning a very big quilt made with 100 blocks  and using only Sizzix Dies!!Wow, can you believe ? Do you think I will be able to design this quilt? Yes, I¨m sure and I´m really enjoying with me first blocks.

This quilt is called "Inspiring me quilt" and it is design completely by myself.

Right now I have sew 9/100.

Some of them are made with embroidery as I´m an embroiderer too.

So , can and join with me!

This will be a fabulous challenge to yourself.

Maybe you only want to use what you have on hand but it would be great to add new Sizzix dies you will have forever for using in the future with more and more new projects.

Well, here I go  how I have started.

First decide the size of each block.

Mine are made with a 8'5" square background fabric.

I have done a selection for whole the quilt.

Here it is my method  for applique as I explained sometime ago in my post  Cutting freezce paper for applique

Just use the chosen die and cut out freezer paper ,now with my very super great Sizzix Big Shot Plus machine that I adore since it came home, thanks Sizzix!!

Iron on the wrong side of the fabric and cut out by hand.

Now I applique with hidden stitches.

Each block is clean and simple and some of the them with embroidered cotton thread (I used DMC )

Here are all the dies I have used.

Circles 2 in, 3 in &4in
Polly Doodle
Hexagons, 1 in sides #2
Hexagons, 1 1/4in sides
Hearts Primitive
Triangles, 2 1/2" H x 4 1/2" W Unfinished
Drunkard's Path Arch & Fan Background

Drunkard´s Path Quarter Circle

Sizzix Originals die houses

Flying bird

Ok here they are my treasures!

I´m sure I will need to repeat some block with different fabrics.

So here it is the beginning, what do you think? do you like it ? Would you like to join with me?
I will take time sewing this big project. I will share my progress some time later but you can follow this creative project in my blog Las Labores de Mercedes and of course on my Instagram account where they are with hashtag #inspiringmequilt

Wish me luck and see you in two weeks.
Love
Mercedes


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¡Hola a todo el mundo!Hoy os traigo algo muy muy especial. Estoy haciendo mi propio desafío con los troqueles Sizzix. Estoy planeando un gran quilt hecho con 100 bloques y ¡¡usando sólo troqueles de Sizzix!!Wow, ¿podéis creerlo? ¿ Creéis que seré capaz de diseñar este quilt ?Claro que sí, estoy segura y tanto que hay lo estoy haciendo con los primeros bloques.

Esta colcha la he llamado “ Inspiring me quilt “ y está completamente diseñada por mí.Ahora tengo cosidos 9/100 bloques.

Algunos irán con bordado porque ya sabéis que me encanta el bordado.

Este reto también está dirigido a ti.

Es posible que sólo quieras  utilizar lo que ya tienes, pero sería una buena manera de añadir nuevos troqueles a tu colección y que usarás para siempre en  otros nuevos proyectos.

Te cuento cómo he empezado. Primero decidí el tamaño de cada bloque , en este caso tiene una medida de  un cuadrado de    21,5 cm. Así corté las telas de fondo.

Ya tengo hecha la selección de telas para toda la colcha.

Mi técnica para la aplicación con freezer paper os la conté en el artículo Cortando freezer paper para aplicado hace ya algún tiempo.

Escogí el troquel , corté el papel con mi  super estupenda y nueva máquina de Sizzix Big Shot Plus y que adoro desde que llegó a casa gracias a Sizzix!!

Planché por el revés de la tela , recorté a mano dejando algo de margen y apliqué con puntadas escondidas .

Cada bloque tiene un diseño limpio y claro y algunos tienes bordado con hilo DMC.

Los troqueles que he usado son:

Circles 2 in, 3 in &4in
Polly Doodle
Hexagons, 1 in sides #2
Hexagons, 1 1/4in sides
Hearts Primitive
Triangles, 2 1/2" H x 4 1/2" W Unfinished
Drunkard's Path Arch & Fan Background

Drunkard´s Path Quarter Circle

Sizzix Originals die houses

Flying bird

En las fotos puedes ver los resultados. Seguramente tendré que repetir alguno pero será con telas distintas. 

Y eso es todo ¿ Qué te ha parecido? ¿Te gusta? ¿Te apetece unirte a este reto? 

Me llevará bastante tiempo y os iré mostrando mis avances, pero puede seguir mis progresos en mi blog Las labores de Mercedes y en mi cuenta de Instagram en la que he añadido el  hashtag #inspiringmequilt

Deséame suerte y nos ¡vemos en un par de semanas !

Cariños 

Mercedes

A Vintage Dresden Table Topper to celebrate Mother´s Day

Hi everyone! Today I come with  a project for Mother´s Day! Mine will visit in some days and I have done a nice Dresden table topper to give color to her house in spring.
I got the super big dresden die sometime ago from Sizzix and I hadn ´t had the opportunity to use yet.

Of course I used the new Big Shot Plus to cut out all the pieces, 20 in total .This die fit perfectly with the big machine and I ´m more than happy to enjoy  my new toy especially with this long die that it 10" long.

Sew the up side  in chain  and press as you see in the pics doing the points.

Sew all the petals.

 Iron some fusible web on the wrong side for  the circle  and cut  out the big circle with Sizzix Bigz L die - circles 2",3" & 4".Make a decorative stitch like blanket stitch. Lay on the background fabric, right faces together ,pin and sew all around leaving something withough stitches to turn it  out later.

Cut out the excess and make a cut for a clean finishing.

Now you only need to turn it out , sew with hidden stitches by hand , iron  carefully and you have done a nice table topper.

If you want to know how  I made the cover for my planner with the hexagons just read this post.

Hope you enjoy your Day if you are a mummy like me and course give love to   yours everyday!

Happy Mother´s Day !!

Love

Mercedes

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¡Hola a todo el mundo! Hoy vengo con un proyecto para el Día de la Madre. La mía vendrá a casa dentro de unos días y quiero regalarle este alegre tapete para que dé color a su casa en primavera.

El troquel  big dresden   lo conseguí de la mano de Sizzix hace ya algunas semanas y no había tenido oportunidad de estrenarlo.

Desde luego he usado la nueva Big Shot Plus  para cortar las 20 piezas de tela que hacen falta. Este troquel va genial con la máquina grande y estoy encantada  especialmente porque tiene  25.4 cm de largo y se maneja fenomenal.

Una vez cortados, cosí por la parte superior haciendo cadena para agilizar el trabajo, planché  e hice las puntas como ves en la fotos.

Luego cosí todos los pétalos  uno con otro y  todo quedó cerrado.

Antes de cortar el círculo con el troquel grande     Sizzix Bigz L die - circles 2",3" & 4"  ,, que iría en el centro , planché entretela por detrás.  A máquina hice una puntada decorativa. Después lo situé sobre la trasera, dejando derecho con derecho y cosí alrededor dejando una parte sin coser para darle luego la vuelta. Corté lo que sobraba y di un corte en el ángulo de cada pétalo para que no quedara encogido.

Al final sólo tuve que rematar a mano por donde lo había sacado, planché con cuidado y  ya estaba listo este tapete.

En la foto véis también la funda que hice para mi agenda y que compartí su tutorial en este enlace por si quieres verlo de nuevo.

Espero que disfrutéis  en vuestro día si sois mamás como yo y por supuesto que deis  mucho amor a la vuestra cada día.

¡Feliz Día de la Madre !

Cariños

Mercedes

Snowflake placemat

It's December - and the Christmas quilt is complete -  not only am I pleased with myself for completing it - I also really like the quilt -

 

and so to these little cuties -

 

 - as you can imagine  the excitement is growing - I think the Christmas tree might have to be put up and decorated this weekend!!!

So now the adrenaline is flowing and maybe just a touch of panic can be felt - how about a really quick easy present to make?

I have 'discovered' this beautiful snowflake die - http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660052/sizzix-bigz-l-die-stacked-snowflakes - which cuts fantastic snowflakes -

 

So I have bought some ready made place mats, and a table runner, and with the aid of some fusible web, and my sewing  machine I have embellished the mat in a matter of minutes -

Now if this colour co-ordinated with my china I would be keeping this and not giving it as a gift!

If you can't find the colour you need in ready made then there maybe time to make it all - it depends just how crazy your life is at the moment!!

I love this die so much I'm going to play with some other ways of using it.

We also have another snowflake die that I have used to make some bunting - http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/659994/sizzix-bigz-die-snowflakes-3 -

 This is again a very quick make - I fused to layers of fabric together to make it double sided - and then I stitched them together using  machine - stitching down the middle of each snowflake and leaving a space between each one.

Honestly I could just keep using these 2 dies over and over again!!!.

So next week I  hope to have some more quick makes for you to enjoy - until then I think it's an evening with some mulled wine and soft candle light -mmmmm can't wait!!!

Angela