Fusible Interface Applique

There are lots of different ways to make and apply an applique design. My personal favorite is the fusible interface method. All you need is a design, some light weight fusible interface material and some fabric.
1) Trace your design on to the soft side of your interfacing. Not the bumpy gluey side is what I mean.
A word on tracing. However you trace it your design will end up mirrored. It'll face the opposite way from how you traced it so you can either A: reverse the design beforehand. I do this by tracing it onto paper, then tracing the design through the paper onto the back so you've got your mirror image. After that you can put it on interfacing. Or you can use option B : Who cares what way it's facing.

2 ) Liberate your traced design from the rest of the huge, crumpled, lump of interfacing in just a general cut out. No cutting on the lines here, please. You'll need to leave around 1/4" around the lines. Also cut out a little scrap of fabric to match the general shape of your interfacing.
3) Now you can start to sew, carefully ( this isn't a quick process ) on the lines of the design you traced. You need to place the the interfacing and your fabric right sides together - this means the right side of your fabric and the glue side of the interfacing. Sew all the way around. Trim it down, leaving about 1/4" seam around the edge and snip anywhere there are tight curves or turns. You'll be left with something like this.
At this point you make a little slit in the interfacing - be careful you don't cut through your fabric! Now, turn your applique inside out. You may want to use a pencil to push out the tight points.
Here's our little bird-lique now! The brilliance about this method is you get the look of needle turn applique but you don't actually have to DO needle turn applique. Now just iron him down wherever you need him! Be sure to zig zag or button hole stitch your applique in place.

Ironing Board Cover, Cont....

So after my ingenious decision to use my scraps for this ironing board cover pattern instead of buying a jelly roll some things took an interesting turn...
Not all of my scrap fabrics were 40 " long. In fact most of them weren't 40" long. Half that at best. Now if you haven't looked at the pattern yet the way she makes her blocks is really clever. A much better way to deal with strips on the diagonal than I would've thought of. Sadly, the use of anything less than 40" like what comes in a jelly roll can cause...complications.
Don't worry. We can make scraps work! Here's what I did to fudge it together.

Take one full length strip ( 40") and two half strips (20") and start sewing a halfsy one to the longsy one. Before you get all the way to the end...or after...sometimes I miss it...layer your second halfsy strip a little bit over the first one. At least a 1/4" here since you want some wiggle room. Keep sewing on down the line! It'll look something like this :















On the other side of those half strips , if you can, put another full strip. It'll just help stabilize things. Once your blocks are made you're going to find something like this in a few of them


Sarah you're so clever! I hear you say but I have bad news. It won't work, I'm afraid. No one makes a quilt with holes in it. What to do ? Well I've got a plan. In all of the blocks I zig zag stitched the openings closed or together and I put fray check on the back . This does leave a little rough n' tough sort of spot in the blocks. I don't mind this, it's barely noticeable, but if you do please cut the full length strips or use a jelly roll like the smart lady said to do in the first place. Why don't I listen to the smarter ladies ? But it is an ironing board cover, after all and I plan to use it and abuse it.


In some spots I sorta spaced out...it happens a lot...and I forgot to overlay my strips. This left me with a hole in the block instead of a little, indiscreet slit. Again, I zig zagged and fray checked and now we're gonna cover that hole up with something cute! If you've never done fusible interface applique before please read over my tutorial post on the subject. Make yourself a cute little patch or two, however many you need. I needed two. You could use the same fabric, different, a simple shape like a circle or something more decorative. I've been looking at a lot of little bird pictures lately so I used a little bird.

Just a little button stitch to stick that birdie down and it's off to top assembly!
What is it about laying blocks out that draws in the kittehs ? Don't mind her, she's just wondering why I'm on a chair. Please disregard the triceratops as well. He's not a part of this project.
If I don't get cabin fever we might even finish this thing!

An ugly ironing board

This week is full of exciting things. It snowed in Atlanta and the schools are closed. I have a cold and at any moment the benadryl I took will kick in and ruin my blog musings. Nothing makes me loopy quite like benadryl.
And I'm making an ironing board cover.

What you see above is my sewing room. Yes, it was once my dining room but one day I realized I'd much rather be able to sew somewhere than eat at a table. Somehow we can still do both. If I manage to clean it up. Anyways, it's a central room in my house and no matter how you enter you end up in there. Just look at that thing. It's a mess! Everyone can see it and it's just not attractive in the least. I plan to change that.

If any of my readers ( ha ha ) haven't been to the Moda Bake Shop I beg you, do it. Do it now. It'll make you happy! They're just jam packed with all kinds of amazing artists and FREE patterns. I love free patterns!
The cover I've chosen to make this week of wonder is one of those fabulous freebies. You can find the pattern here.
It calls for a jelly roll instead of yardage which many people will like. Jelly rolls guarantee your fabrics match and you'll have the right amount ( if that's what your pattern calls for ) and can save you a lot of headache. I however have no jelly rolls in my stash so I'll be cutting my own 2.5" strips. I chose to use that lovely spread of fabrics you saw on my floor. I usually spread my fabric out on the floor when I'm choosing. Makes it easier even if it is messier.



This is what I've chosen for my project! I like things to be scrappy and interesting so I'm using a lot of scrappy, interesting fabrics! Stay tuned for tomorrow when I'll put it all together. My benadryl just kicked in.