Author Archives: Norma Hanson

Finished UFO’s – Table Runner and Bed Quilt

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The table runner that I started on January 2, 2012 is finally finished.  Sometimes it is not just the larger and more complex projects that sit as UFO’s for a very long time.

2014_Feb 20_Poppy Table Runner-Optimized

Here I am at our Guild meting last night showing my completed table runner.Show and Share - February 19, 2014 (15)

We have a UFO Completion Contest at our Quilt Guild this year.  Although I took this completed table runner for show and tell last night, it doesn’t count towards the UFO Completion Contest as your UFO has to be from before 2012.  Because I started this project on January 2, 2012, I am just outside the time period for the contest.

I did show another project at Guild this month that does qualify for the UFO Completion Contest though.  I finally took “Plum Dotty” for show and tell at the Guild.  Plum Dotty was finished to the partial flimsy stage on July 5, 2011.  I say partial flimsy stage because after I had this one together, I put it on the bed and decided that it needed some more blocks to make it wider.  Adding just a few more blocks to make it wider proved to be a challenge because I had run out of the black and white and white and black dot fabrics.  After getting some help from a friend in Oregon who helped source out more fabric for me, I was able to add the extra blocks.  The quilt top then sat for a long time until I had time to quilt and bind it.  I finished Plum Dotty on September 12, 2013, just in time to show at the Fall Fair in our town on September 13 and 14, 2013.

Here is Plum Dotty on the bed.  This is a perfect quilt for winter – not only does it brighten the room at an often dreary time of year, but it is heavy with the extra foundation for the blocks and the flannel back.

2013_Sep 12_Plum Dotty_Finished-OptimizedHere I am at our Guild meeting last night talking about Plum Dotty during Show and Share.

 

Show and Share - February 19, 2014 (17)I wish I could say that finishing these two projects has caught me up to date with my UFO’s, but sadly it barely scratches the surface.

 

 

My Newest Redwork Project

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My newest red work project is, Snow Happy by Pearl Louise Krush.  The pattern was in the Holiday 2013 issue of The Quilter Magazine.

magazineThis is a picture of the finished quilt from The Quilter magazine’s site.

snow happy

 

I am trying something new with this project–Sticky Fabri-Solvy from Sulky.  This product is a self-adhesive, fabric-like, water soluble stabilizer.

solvy

 

I ordered my product from Bird Brain Designs a while ago and I was anxious to try the technique described on their site. (http://www.birdbraindesigns.net/sticky-fabri-solvy).  From the Bird Brain Designs site:

Do you hate to trace designs for your needlework projects?  We have the solution for you – Printable Sticky Fabri-Solvy from Sulky!  Print your design with your copier, stitch your design and dissolve the film away in a generous amount of warm water…EASY & ACCURATE.

Sticky Fabri-Solvy is a printable stablizer film in a full 8 1/2″ x 11″ size making printing more accurate!  Just print your design on your home copier/printer right onto the sheet of Sticky Fabri-Solvy.  Copy your design onto the “film” side of the Sticky Fabri-Solvy.  Peel the paper backing away and finger press the printed film directly onto your fabric.  Add your embroidery hoop and get stitching in just minutes!   The easiest, fastest way to transfer designs for embroidery, applique and needle felting.

Remove the film easily from your finished embroidery.  (See the photo above.)  Place in your sink with running warm water adding a generous amount of warm water.  You can “swish” your embroidery with your hand to hasten the dissolving process.  I run clean water from the faucel over my design and dry flat on a bath towel.

Stitch as usual following the design on the printedSticky Fabri-Solvy.  EASY!  We tried it for RedWork embroidery on muslin and on wool for Needle Felting and Embroidery.  When your stitching is completed, cut away excess Sticky Fabri-Solvy and soak the project in warm water to melt the remaining film away…..NEAT.

Sticky Fabri-Solvy is a full 8 1/2″ x 11″ so it fits into your copier paper tray perfectly making printing quick and easy and accurate.

2014_Jan29_Snow Happy Redwork
This image is my project.  The block on the right is my Kona White fabric with the design photocopied to the Sticky Fabri-Solvy product.  The block on the left has been stitched.  It is a bit wrinkly now as I found the stabilizer added enough body to the fabric that I didn’t need to hoop my project for stitching.  It does mean however, that my project gets a bit wrinkly.  🙂  Removing the Sulky product from my finished project was easy.  A little water in the sink and a bit of agitation and it was all gone!

I used DMC’s perle cotton No. 8 in colour 498.  I love the perle cotton–no more separating floss threads–you can use it right off the ball.  When I was in AZ, I found a new perle cotton thread by Presencia (No. 16).  This product is finer than the DMC that I used in this project.  I am planning to use it in a more detailed design where a thinner thread than the DMC perle cotton would be more appropriate.

For reference, I found the following video on You Tube that describes how to use the Sulky Fabri-Solvy product:  “How to Transfer and Stabilize an Embroidery Pattern”.

In a second video, the deisgner describes and illustrates using a stabilizer–Pellon Designer’s Lite–to the back of your embroidery design.  The stabilizer in this video is ironed in place, stays on the back of the design, and does not wash away.  I have not yet tried this but I want to hang onto this information for future reference, so here it is:  “Embroidery How to for Quilt Pattern, I Believe in Snowmen by Bunny Hill Designs”  This video is also a great resource for how to get started with red work.

 

New Couch and Chair

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Today I was eagerly awaiting the delivery of our new couch and chair.  We ordered this furniture during a Black Friday sale.  However, the purchase was considered custom as we picked our own fabrics so delivery was delayed for a couple of months while the furniture was built.

DSC_0579The chair is my husband’s Lazy Boy.  It is the couch that is new.  The fabric looks like it is striped but it isn’t in reality.  You have to love what a camera flash does to colour and texture!

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This is my chair.  The chair reclines so that I can put my feet up.  I bet you can’t guess where I will be spending my evenings now!  You can see my project basket and sewing tools on the table beside the chair.2013_Nov24_Threadcatcher from LindaThis is the threadcatcher that LindaJ made for me for my birthday last year.  This is the perfect addition to my hand stitching area.  Thank you, LindaJ!

 

Valentine Projects

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While I was in AZ on my vacation, I picked up a few Valentine’s Day fabrics from Joann to add to my stash.  I find Joann fabrics are not the same quality as the quilt shop fabric, but for a seasonal project that won’t get much wear they are perfect.  When you go into the stores now all you see are Valentine-themed chocolates and decorations so I decided to dig out the Valentine fabric and work on some projects.

These projects are still flimsies and they are remaining on my design wall until I get them quilted.  The smaller octagon is made from 5 x 3″ strips of fabric (finished topper:  25″ across) and the larger octagon is made from 6 x 3″ strips of fabric(finished topper:  30″ across).  Because the smaller table topper took less fabric, I had quite a bit of the leftover strata.  I decided to piece the leftovers together into the rectangle you see in the picture.  I am not sure if I will just quilt this the way it is or if I will add something more to it.

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