Two for One Threadplay with Libby Lehman

On Sunday, I took Libby Lehman's "Two for One Threadplay" class. In this class, you use two fabrics and create two mirror-imaged pieces.

The first step is to cut out three pieces of fabric (two of one, fabric A, and one of another, fabric B), add fusible to fabric B. The next step is the most fun - you must channel your inner-Kindergartener and draw funky shapes on the back of Fabric B (on the paper on the fusible web). You end up with ameoba-like shapes. Then you cut out the shapes and fuse the pieces on the outside to one piece of Fabric A and the center area to the other piece. The photo above is the result of the first steps.

After applying stabilizer to back of these pieces (to keep the fabric from bunching up when you sew onto the top of it), you go to town with decorative stitches and fibers, making sure to stitch over the raw edges. One one of the pieces, I stitched over the edges using a very cool variegated thread and used a technique that Libby refers to out-of-control satin stitching where I varied the width and length of the stitch. This made for a striking effect.

On the other piece, I used a variegated piece of yarn and couched over it, giving a softer effect.

I did not finish these projects. By around 3 pm on Sunday, I was wiped out (yes, quilting can be exhausting). They'll get tossed onto my pile of UFOs to be worked on at a later time (when I can no longer see over the pile.).

Circle This with Libby Lehman

I had the great pleasure of taking two classes this past weekend from Libby Lehman at our local quilt shop, Quiltworks Northwest. The first class was called 'Circle This'. Whenever I take a class, I assume that whatever I work on may very well end up in the trash or in my drawer of samples. Much to my delight, I actually ended up with something that I really like.

The project shown above was created by using reverse applique' and a nifty tool, called the circle maker, on my Bernina sewing machine. The gadget allows you sew perfect circles onto fabric from very small to wide. If you place one fabric on top of another, sew a circle, and cut away the top layer, you end up with a reverse appliqued circle. Then, using that nifty circle maker, you can sew over the raw edge using the decorative stitiches provided by your sewing machine. I tried it with with different variegated threads.

The bright green circle was created using two layers of organza. Because organza is so slippery, a circle cut out of freezer paper and ironed onto the fabric helps stabilize it for sewing. Some of the other circles were created by couching decorative piping and by bobbin drawing. Bobbin drawing is used for threads and embellishments that are too thick to go through your sewing machine's standard tension plates. Instead, you load your bobbin with the thread and sew with the wrong side of the fabric up.

Once I finished creating the top, I sandwiched the quilt as usual and quilted around the circles and did an overall looping pattern in the background. I applied the binding to the front of the quilt using my sewing machine and used 1/4 inch fusible tape to secure the binding to the back of the quilt. Fusibles aren't really permanent, so you have to sew down the edges. This is when I added the bright yellow frame inside the binding. I couched the irridescent thread onto the top using gold thread and a very narrow zig zag stitch. This not only secures the thread, but secures the back of the binding to the quilt at the same time. So easy!