Need Advice

I'm so ready to get started on my "Living the Dream" quilt (once my Finish 5 by the End of July projects are complete!). I think it will be fun to have the stitcheries to work on throughout the summer. I have all the fabrics for the bricks. My colors are blue and white and cream. I still need to get the floss -- someone has suggested #8 Perle and I believe Jo-Ann's has that.

I understand how to trace the designs onto the fabric. It occurs to me that the thing to do is to measure out and mark the bricks that are to have stitcheries and do the stitching before cutting the bricks. Fewer little bits floating around.

Here's my question, though, to those of you who do stitcheries, especially stitcheries that are added to quilts: What do you use to stabilize the fabric? Or do you stabilize it? Do I just trace the design on the fabric and begin to stitch? Or do I apply some sort of iron-on stabilizer or interfacing before stitching?

I know that someone out there knows . . . .


Comments

Juliann in WA said…
me, me! I know. I did a bunch of these stitchries last summer on our vacation - perfect for those train rides and hotel rooms. I did mine on muslin with red floss. I used a very fine point pen to trace the design on the muslin. Then I backed each piece with a very thin fusible backing - pellon I believe. I cut the muslin about 2" wider on all four sides than the final design and I used a small round hoop. All of my supplies fit into a small ziploc bag for easy portability.
Any other questions? Just let me know.
Juliann in WA said…
http://juliannsblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/some-thing-quilty-for-saturday.html

here is a link to a post with a picture of some of my blocks
I have done a pattern by Meg Hawkey of Crabapple Hill designs and she recommends two layers of the fabric. I love her designs. Check out the Garden Baskets under the BOM.
So here is my recipe: Do you have a yard? Is there grass in the yard?Is there a tree in that yard? Do you have a lawn chair? If so, you take the lawn chair and put it in the shade of the tree. Then you sit in that chair with maybe a glass of lemonade. Then you watch the grass grow. It is called "doing nothing". It is a good thing to do. It is not a contest, there are no rules, no stitches,no deadlines. You may hear birds, or airplanes, or dogs barking, or squirrels chattering. You may smell the earth or flowers in someone's garden. You may fall asleep.The world will not end.
You may feel a breeze. You may see the shadows of the leaves on the grass. It will be very, very nice. Order Chinese. No dishes. Oh, you may have to rinse out the lemonade glass. Sorry.
Nanette Merrill said…
This is going to be a really fun project. Can't wait to see more.
*karendianne. said…
This is not one of the things I know!

Unknown Love, *karendianne.
Mrs. Goodneedle said…
I second what Paula says, two layers, that's the ticket!