1st SAL.....Peg, Dale and I committed to stitching Anni Downs - A Gardener's Journal in March. I blogged about this on my blog thinking maybe one or 2 others may join us and lots of girls indicated an interest so I decided to start this blog where we can all encourage each other to meet the goals set along the way....March 2010 -March 2011...........
2nd SAL ......well so many of the girls wanted to continue on with another project and some new girls joined us and now approx 91 girls are stitching Natalie Bird's Tis the Season. March to Sept 2011...............
3rd SAL....many girls want to stick with the SAL so now we have moved onto Anni Downs Some Kind of Wonderful - My Favourite Things Quilt.......Oct 2011-Oct 2012.........
Where are we now.....
4th SAL 2013...is numerous smaller projects from the previous 2 books Tis the Season and Some Kind of Wonderful plus some projects from Red Home by Natalie Bird approx 60 ladies stitching together.........
2014 we had the year off..............
5th SAL 2015..........inspired to continue we are doing another quilt project.....Anni Downs newest quilt Natures Journey.....
6th SAL 2017.............A Holly Cottage Christmas by Michelle Ridgway.......once again the pattern is in an affordable book so it is easy for everyone to join in...........and you can raid your stash for the fabrics........or lash out and buy a the whole lot........this SAL will be run by Fiona aka Bubz Rugz and Raewyn........
Chookyblue........

Thursday, December 29, 2011

My First Block.....

Here's proof I have finally started & will catch up very soon. I thought the blue jeans block would be a good one to start with for a needle turn newbie. Funnily enough, the crotch gave me a few problems with 1 or 2 stray threads not wanting to tuck, but while not perfect I got there in the end. Lots to learn doing this new method of applique.


I didn't add the Peace sign as that was just before my time but sewing my stonewash denims had me racking my brain for the name of that fabric that came out in the 70s that changed colour as you wore it depending on how warm you were. I loved it & had a couple of tops in that fabric that looked just so 'choice' with my stonewash jeans. I was in NZ at the time so there wasn't that big a change in temp but that poor fabric must have worked overtime here in Aussie.

Now block 1 is done, on to the next tonight. I admit I am a bit worried about getting those points right on the umbrella block. After my crotch problems they seem a step up in trickiness. As almost everyone is ahead of me, any tips or tricks you found when doing this block or any others would be greatly appreciated. Hopefully in a few weeks I will feel confident enough to lose my L plates.

It's great to be on the SAL again!

Happy Stitching
Tracee xx

13 comments:

De said...

Tracee - Ive clipped and tacked before applying to the background. Still a bit tricky but pleased with how it turned out - Good luck!

Anonymous said...

Your crotch certainly looks good to me.

Susan, Southport, UK said...

Sweet crotch!! :)

Susan said...

I'm not going near any comments on your crotch!!!LOL
I have used Fray Stoppa or something else like it when doing needleturn - I dip my needle in it and smooth the edges of the fabric under with the needle - the fray stoppa helps to hold it all in the place you want it to be - practice first though in case you csn see the "glue" on the right side. Good Luck with it.

Queen Of The Armchair aka Dzintra Stitcheries said...

Looking good...I've not attempted this form of applique before. With the fabric that changed colours when you wore it...I'm thinking it might've been called Hypercolour. Looking forward to seeing your next block...this is such a nice quilt!

Quilt Kitty said...

These comments have cracked me up big time - thanks! Sorry didn't mean to do a crotch obsessed post. Thank you Dzintra, Hypercolour it was. xx

Kaye R said...

Had a laugh at your reference to Hypercolour, we were having a few drinks the other night with friends and it came up in conversation, dark colored armpits bahahaha. Good luck with your stitching....

Vickie said...

woohoo way to go looking good...I am learnign this needle turn as I go and am finding it easier to pop in a few tacking stitches-with curves and points,cheers Vickie

Kris said...

Doing well to be attempting the crotch I think! I've always planned to do raw edge applique with my machine and now am certain of it!

Fiona said...

Looks great Tracee ... I am also new to needleturn but I find it helps just to clip just as I get there.
Hugz

suzeblack said...

Wow...what an interesting comment block;) I have been using a glue pen and tuck the seam over with a stylus. Hyper colour t shirts...blast from the past!!! happy stitching, Suze.

Betsy, Bath, UK said...

Hi Tracee

Not wanting to sound crude here but reading from those comments, I think a couple of people have a 'crotch' on you? Sorry, just could resist that one.

Chookyblue...... said...

the comments on this post are hilarious.........looks pretty good from here.....i'm sure you'll get the hang of it very soon........goodluck