Aurifil
Showing posts with label Aurifil. Show all posts
Good intentions and Good morning!
Cross stitch has been taking over as my favourite pastime recently. To be fair it's probably half and half with quilting, though I find I'm drawn to the meditative following of charts and making cross stitches after a day of work.
I purchased a few patterns this year and I'm working my way through them. The first one I completed is Good Intentions by Kathy Barrick. Its a lovely design and the sentiment is just so true of me.
I made a few adjustments to the pattern and changed the colours slightly. The colours are a similar palette to the original but was using what I had and substituted the black for a dark navy blue. I stitched a 3 on the hoop she's holding, 3 is the magic number and the number of kids I have.
There's a few single threads used in the pattern and the trickiest part for me was the detail in the face, though I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.
I like the little motifs too, the 'star' shapes very much remind me of patchwork.
Sunday Stash: a bit of everything
I've been enjoying a return to what started as my 100 day project, hand piecing my Merrow Croft quilt (pattern by Margaret Mew). If you haven't done any hand piecing before, I have a how-to with lots of tips in my hand piecing tutorial. Using some of my treasured hand printed fabrics by Karen Lewis and Lucy Engels, I'm enjoying the neutral cool vibe of these pieces.
So I'm using up my stash but I'm also adding to it...
Granny square stitch along
Sew alongs and stitch alongs are always great fun! I enjoy seeing people make a pattern their own or even if they follow the pattern exactly, it's nice knowing you're creating something with others and it helps keep you on track for a finish.
The most recent ones I've joined in with were a year long but the Fat Quarter Shop is doing a summer Great Granny Squared-Along that is cute and simple. With patterns designed by Lori Holt, you can make a quilt, crochet or cross stitch piece. There's something for everyone and they make for good scrap busting projects too!
The Granny Square Cross Stitch pattern is free, you can download it from Fat Quarter Shop.
The pattern lists the colours for DMC and Aurifloss colours. I'm using what I have and picked out a selection of Aurifloss in colours that I love. I grouped them into 4 and sort of planned which colours to use where, though I might change up the positions. Kind of random but I like them all so it should work out.
Here's my first granny square stitched up:
From the centre, Aurifloss in 2435 Peachy Pink, 6728 Cinnabar, 2880 Pale Green and 6722 Sea Biscuit.
And I just finished my second square:
From the centre, Aurifloss in 6723 Fairy Floss, 2930 Golden Toast, 4020 Fuchsia and 2606 Mist.
I'm stitching on 32ct Linen in Natural by Zweigart, using two strands of floss over two. I know linen isn't everyone's favourite (I'm looking at you Kimberly!) but I really like doing 2 over 2. For as long as my eyes can take it, I will keep stitching on linen. I do use Aida too, I recently finished a project on Aida that I will share soon! That's one of the great things about cross stitch, you can use whatever count or type of fabric you like. It may come out smaller or larger but that doesn't ever concern me. I have to admit, I haven't been sewing quite as much but I know I will switch things up and return to my quilty projects when the mood strikes.
I'm super content when I'm cross stitching, focused but chilled. If you haven't ever given it a go, this is a great pattern to start you off! Download the free pattern and join the SAL!
paper fabric
Have you tried sewing with paper fabric? Also known as washable paper / vegan leather. It is often used for labels on denim and it is really fun to sew with. I have made a whole host of projects and tried a new to me brand of paper fabric that I'm going to share with you today. I also have another product to share, that allowed me to use some vintage embroidery transfers to create cute decorations. Heavily inspired by stationery these simple, modern makes are perfect to give as gifts... it might be is a long post, so grab a brew and I hope it inspires you!
I first used this material about four years ago and have since enjoyed sewing with it to make a variety of things: folder, card holder, monogrammed label, and bookmarks.
kraft-tex seems to be the most commonly available washable fabric paper, they make a range of colours and is what I've use most. There is also some made by Rico - like the beautiful metallic rose gold one above. Recently I found HappyHide at Frumble, a nice range of neutral colours and metallics, it is slightly softer and crinkles beautifully. I think with people looking for leather alternatives it is likely to get more popular and there may well be more brands making similar products too.
One of the things that is so cool about this material is the way it wrinkles. As a stationery lover, it excites me because it really looks like paper. You can keep it flat so it looks more like card but if you wash it then in creates lines and wrinkles that mimic leather or crumpled paper. It is tough though, this is not a flimsy material - I have put pieces in my washing machine, it dries with more texture but it's still firm. The card holder I made for my husband 4 years ago is still going strong. Obviously he opens and closes it, carries it in his pocket and throws it around. He's had other wallets that haven't lasted that long!
For my latest projects, I was inspired by packaging, brown paper bags and simplicity. Paper fabric allows you to do things you can't do with quilting cotton and projects are quick and fun to sew. I made up these samples for a CraftyMonkies class which is now available on demand, and wasn't kidding when I said these are quick to make, we got through a lot! Obviously with me chatting and sharing all the tips while making.
We started simple, making this cute wallet. Straight line sewing, 3 pieces and a layer of felt. A good way to get used to the feel of sewing with fabric paper.
You can see the texture of the paper fabric well here. It is flat but has a sort of grain, I really like the feel of it. It does look more rigid and cardboardy when it isn't washed, as is the case here. But then that does give it a modern, minimal feel.
When sewing paper fabric I use my regular piecing cotton, Aurifil 50 weight. I have used thicker weights of thread too, for top stitching or decoration and it all works well.
You do need to make sure your stitches aren't too small, as that can perforate the fabric. Honestly I did have some trouble when I starting designing and testing because turning the fabric through can be tricky.
I cracked it though! Before this I had sewn pieces together with the seams on the outside but it's much more satisfying seeing the possibilities of what you can make when you can turn it right sides out.
Finished with a snap closure and embroidered detail (more on that later).
Next up is my favourite, the string closure pouch or envelope. This took the most time to design, until I got it just right. I played with proportions, the closure, different stitches and edges. I made some mistakes and got a bit frustrated but now I'm super happy with it. It has an old school envelope look and it's a useful size and it can has an expandable flat bottom so it will stand up. The bakers twine gives the perfect finish and there's so many ways you can adapt and use this pattern.
Another thing I LOVE about paper fabric is you can use scraps too, perfect for labels or tags and these useful cord keepers. These are keeping all our cables, plugs, cords and headphones neat - hurrah!
You can draw, write and stamp on paper fabric. The rubber stamp alphabets I own get used in quite a lot of my projects - I use them on regular cotton fabric too - but they are even easier to use on paper fabric. It's important to use a good ink, preferably fade proof. I like the Memento Dew Drop ink pads.
I created another version of the snap pouch for storing receipts, with a cheeky reminder! I also like that it has 'egg' colours 😂
The final make is one I use daily. I created scissor holders for all my embroidery scissors. I have a few pairs of small scissors because I like to keep them with my cross stitching, embroidery and epp projects. That way I'm not always looking for scissors.
I designed two slightly different styles of cases and although I didn't have time to demonstrate making one in the class I did give instructions. I've seen cases made by the class participants since and they look fab!
Here's my table after the class had just finished, a complete creative mess!
I didn't get to finish this sample in class but did since and I love it in the brown paper fabric. At this point how can you not sing 'brown paper packages tied up with string'! This one will hold templates I think, or maybe epp papers.
So easy to make, you can whip up a whole bunch and have them handy to use as storage or gift wrapping. Be sure to tell the recipient that it is reusable.
It's very easy to add embellishments to these projects too; not only stamping, you can draw on them or even, as I did, add some embroidery. I create some 'patch' type embellishments, which is super easy and fun.
I used some felt and Thermoweb Peel n Stick Fabric Fuse Sheets, which allows you to essentially make a sticker.
The embroideries are all from vintage transfer sheets, kindly shared with me by a reader.
breaking symmetry: Earth Day x Karen Nyberg
Creativity is a curious thing. It ebbs and flows. I have to be in the right mood. At times I want to follow a pattern, create my own patterns, stitch mindlessly, stitch with focus, colour inside the lines, scribble like nothing matters. It happens in the moment, in the mood. Recently I have realised how much I like having structure and routine in my life but without being confined or limited. This applies to my creativity too. One of the things that keeps me making and motivated is the Aurifil Artisan challenges. We are given a starting point, a theme, supplies or just a word and let loose to create whatever we feel inspired to. This month we were sent fat quarters of the amazing Earth Views by Karen Nyberg and I received a spool of 50 weight Aurifil thread, which is featured in Karen’s Aurifil collection.
The pattern I chose is Minnie Stars, Quiltfolk Patterns 007. It's one I wanted to make for a while and I thought it would showcase the prints well. I was going to chose a solid blue background fabric but none of the blues I had worked at all. In the end I went for a pale grey - I have no idea what fabric this is - note to self, label your solids!
Had I labelled it, I might have been able to get more because I did run out. Thankfully I had just enough from the fat quarters to make up for it. You might spot the areas where I had to swap the solid for prints in the photos below. I was determined to use what I had and it just added to the quirkiness of the quilt.
Nature is so fascinating and the amount of symmetry found in patterns, creatures, trees, oceans, time and space is incredible. Repeating patterns, shapes, mirrored symmetry; it's all so beautiful. And then there's distortion, broken symmetry, changes; all of which can also be really beautiful. As I laid out the blocks it was clear they weren't going to fit together in a neat pattern, without me cutting quite a bit away or losing some blocks. I could have added more using other fabric but I decided not too. Instead I pieced the blocks like a puzzle, so they would all get used. The result is the most oddly shaped quilt I have ever made. It's weird and I like it.
Once the quilt top was done, next was the quilting...
sunflowers
Like many of you I've sure, the war in the Ukraine has been a horrible shock and weighed heavily on my mind. As well as making donations to charity relief efforts, and there are excellent resources available online to research where to donate, the craft community responded with many designers creating patterns to donate their profits. There have also been calls to purchase digital items from creators on Etsy who are in the Ukraine, this is easy to do by selecting Ukraine in the shop location menu in filters. These may seem relatively small actions but it all helps. I purchased the beautiful Sunflowers for Ukraine embroidery pattern from Wild Olive by Mollie Johanson - she also has a cross stitch pattern in her shop now. She is donating the proceeds to Hope International's Ukraine fund.
I enjoyed stitching this project, I tried some new things and am happy to share the simple stitches I used along with a few helpful embroidery tips!
I began by tracing the pattern with my favourite water soluble pen, Sewline Styla, and then picked out appropriate sunflower colours of thread. My Aurifloss collection isn't very big and the colours I had weren't quite right, so instead I included some 12 weight threads in my picks (the thread colours are listed below). I really like doing embroidery with both the floss and the thread, they are different because of course Aurifloss strands can be separated in the same way as other embroidery floss and the 12 weight doesn't separate. The 12 weight is a lovely thickness for embroidery, especially when doubled over / using two strands.
I like to use the loop method to start stitching so I often cut longer lengths of floss as it will be doubled over. When I'm being good, I like to separate the individual strands of floss after cutting. Did you know you are supposed to do this? It does help the thread behave and helps stop knotting. The strands I'm not using just get wrapped back around the spool (the wonderful wooden spool!) ready for when I need more thread.
For the inner petals I used split stitch, such a fun and easy stitch to do and it has such a nice texture for outlines.
Double Wedding Ring block
The Double Wedding Ring is a beautiful, traditional block that is associated with love, romance and of course marriage. For fabric lovers, this is such a fun block to play with, plan layouts and stitch! This is a bucket list block, one that all quilters will recognise and want to sew. It works wonderfully with either traditional or modern fabrics and is open to lots of variation within the pattern. I have made two blocks, one English Paper Pieced and one hand pieced (they are two different techniques) and will be demonstrating both methods in my upcoming online class. I had so much fun stitching the blocks and want to share my process here. Keep reading to see my two very different versions of the block...
The 100 Day Project for me
I fell for the Merrow Croft pattern at the Festival of Quilts in 2019, where I met Margaret Mew and was enchanted by her work. My wonderful friend Michelle very kindly (and sneakily) bought me the pattern and gifted it to me later, just when I really needed something to smile about. It's taken me some time to start working on it but my plan was to finish a couple of other things first - they're getting there! With everything that's going on though I decided I really needed something that was no pressure, that I would enjoy making and that was a bit of a challenge. For those reasons, I have chosen to work on the Merrow Croft pattern for The 100 Day Project and you can follow my progress at #100daysofmerrowcroft. Obviously there's a lot of hand sewing in this quilt so I don't expect to be anywhere close to a finish after 100 days, all progress is good though and I'm excited to spend a little time each day working on it. It's mostly hand piecing and hand appliqué, I have looked at how Margaret stitches and preps her work so that I can try and do things in the way she does, much of which I have never done before. Learning is my love, I get excited about new information and trying different techniques... more on that shortly.
I have chosen some fabrics for the quilt (see the first picture), however it may be subject to change and additions! I have no plan, I'm working on each section or round at a time and choosing the fabrics as I go. These were my choices for the central part of the quilt:
a piece of me scrappy pouch
Back with another make that was finished last year. I can never have enough storage, sewing or bags for sewing supplies. I made this pouch on a whim, using up pretty scraps and repurposing a little jewellery bag (the mustard yellow above), because it was so soft and it seemed wasteful to throw it away.
I began hand piecing the scraps together, organised by size, starting with the smallest pieces. It grew until it was enough for a panel and then I repeated the process to make a back panel.
It was so fun, just stitching the fabrics together and not being too precise about it. I like using a long needle for piecing, a milliners or straw needle, and Aurifil 50wt thread. I decided to continue the hand work by hand quilting the panels and used Aurifil 28 weight #6722, a nice neutral.
I used the Clover Black Gold quilting needle #12 and it sewed beautifully. I have used the Black Gold applique needles and they are my favourite. The coating really helps the needle glide through the layers and they are so sharp.
Of course I went with my very favourite quilting pattern, a simple cross hatch. I adore the texture.
What is cool about this pouch pattern is you can see the quilting on the inside of the pouch too. I used a plain fabric for a pop of colour, my stitches are always smaller on the reverse and I love that it shows it's handmade.
For added fun, I used some alphabet stamps to add lettering. Hooked on a Feeling has been on repeat in our house because my middle child is obsessed with it and it is a super happy song. I stitched some split crosses randomly around the letters for a bit more texture too.
Time for assembly! Despite having a stash of various coloured zips, I went for simple white and cut the bias binding ready from the blue and white print.
This pattern has the SIMPLEST zip insertion and what I love is how neatly it turns out. No faffing, just clever needle alignment. If you struggle with zips (or even if you don't!), do buy my pattern because it makes sewing them joyful!
Looking at it now, the white zip does contrast nicely with the lining and because it coordinates with the thread it makes the quilting pop too. So good choice past me.
Rounded corners - instructions in the pattern - add such a nice modern and aesthetically pleasing bottom.
For even more pizzazz I finished it off with a little zip charm I made. A felt pom pom, glass bead, split ring and perle thread holding it together. I left tails and cut the ends of the perle thread rather than burying it, and I like the fluffy texture it adds.
Not intentional, but because of how I pieced the binding strips (cut from scraps so didn't have enough for one long strip); the print ended up on one side for one edge and then shows on the bottom and other edge on the other side. I actually love it, random in the best way.
This pouch ended up being 7.5" x 7", a handy size for bits and bobs! Earlier in the week I used it to take some hand piecing with me to Cardiff, I got everything I needed in it (48 squares of fabric, embroidery scissors and a spool of basting thread - I even managed to store my glasses in there when I realised I forgot my case) and it fit perfectly in my smallish handbag. Gotta love portable projects!
You can purchase the A Piece of Me Pouch Pattern here - remember it's easy to adapt the pattern to any size and this version is a perfect stash buster, so have fun making pouches for all the things!
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