16 July 2007

You've Stolen My Heart

YouveStolenMyHeart
Or 24 different ways to do hearts. This small quilt is actually about the size of a dolly quilt 20x28". I wanted to work through this book As I worked, I kept thinking of variations on a theme. Some of the ways I liked and some I abhorred.

If you read the label in the second picture you will notice little happy, so-so or frowny faces. These reflect which techniques I like. The hearts are numbered left to right 1-20 and then the upper left corner is 21, upper right corner is 22, lower left is 23 and lower right is 24.

I hand quilted this with white quilting thread and it killed my hand. I don't know if it was because I didn't use a hoop or frame or if it is because my hands won't hand quilt anymore. I had used this style of 'binding' before and like it so I dug around the lace stash and found this bit of eyelet that worked perfectly.


This label is put on the back. When I printed this I made a conscious decision to use the last remaining sheet of a June Taylor non-colorfast Inkjet printer fabric, knowing that I was not going to wash this. But I forgot about when I spritzed the blue marking off the front. :( The water went all the way through at one point and now the last line is blurry. Still readable. Kind of.

So what kind of appliqué do I really, really like?
• For handwork: cut away needleturn. That is where the applique piece is cut quite a bit larger, then basted down, then as you needleturn you cut-away the excess for only about 1 inch. I found this was so very stable for hand appliqué.
• For machine work: the technique that Ricky Tims and Sharon Schamber both use. Here's a link for the Ricky's stabilizer and here's a link for Sharon's stabilizer. These are simply a polyester-type stabilizer inside the appliqué that stays there and is not removed. It provides a very flat appliqué during stitching and after washing the stabilizer softens up so much you don't even know it is there.

So there you have it, the stolen heart experiment.

6 comments:

  1. Paula, this is so pretty. I love that you tried so many different kinds of applique, and came up with a beautiful coherent project. The handquilting looks especially nice. I'm glad your hand is recovering from it.

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  2. What a stunning quilt and what a great way to experiment with different techniques. You have tempted me to buy Elly's book. I think I can resist a little bit longer.

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  3. And you've stolen mine! An adorable little quilt. All day my photos have been disappearing off of my blog and for the longest while, yours weren't showing up. I read the title again "You've Stolen My Heart" and thought..man, sure did! No pictures of hearts at all! Glad they brought them back so I could see them, cuz I just love them! Great hand stitching. I'm jealous ;)

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  4. What a perfect way to try out and document all the applique techniques . . . and a darling little quilt all in the bargain. *s*

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  5. Nice this quilt.
    ciao ciao

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  6. Cute quilt. Applique is fun and taht was a neat idea to try different types.

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