Inlay Appliqué – Counterchange Sample 3

Now onto the final, more complex, sample.  This time I cut different patterns/crosses from two different squares (to get four different pieces) and bonded them onto four entirely whole squares.  Then I cut out the swirly star from each piece and inlaid them into each other!  Gosh that sounds jolly complicated!
Image 1 – The finished sample with one line of running stitch on each portion to tie them all together:
Image 2 – The top-left square:
Image 3 – Close up of the top-left square:
Image 4 – Top-right square:
Image 5 – Bottom-left square (my favourite portion!):
Image 6 – Bottom-left square mid-stitching:
Image 7 – Close up of bottom-left square:
Image 8 – Close up of bottom-left square:
Image 9 – Close up of bottom-left square:
Image 10 – Bottom-right square:
Image 11 – Close up of bottom-right square:
This sample is ripe for embellishment – I could go knot crazy on the blocks of colour, maybe use some tiny sequins (my new favourite things).  But I won’t.  I’m saving my energy for the final stitched chapter of the module which I’m itching to get on with.
If I did this piece again I would take more time bonding the initial shapes.  Embellishment would secure any edges with a loose bond.

Inlay Appliqué – Counterchange Sample 2

Time for something a little more complicated!  I was very careful with my cutting because I didn’t want any big gaps at points.  Using four squares I cut a simple shape from each of them and swapped them around.
Image 1 – Tacked onto a fabric for stitching.  I didn’t use tissue paper because it wouldn’t have given enough support for going through the sewing machine:
Image 2 – Close up of tacked pieces before introducing them to the machine:
Image 3 – Getting to work…:
Image 4 – The finished piece:
Image 5 – Close up of finished piece:
Image 6 – Close up of finished piece:
Image 7 – Close up of finished piece:
Image 8 – Close up of finished piece:
I decided not to embellish it further because I quite like the mix of simple block-coloured shapes with more interesting patterned ones.

Inlay Appliqué – Counterchange Sample 1

So I’d prepared my squares and tried out some insertion stitches.  Now was the time to have a go at inlay appliqué!
I took two different colour squares and cut out the exact same swirly star shape from them and swapped them over (a yellow star into the blue square and the blue star into the yellow square).
Image 1 - Here’s square number one using a simple insertion stitch:
Image 2 – Close up showing the texture of the felt yellow star next to the organza-covered surface:
Image 3 – it got a little tricky stitching when beads were in the way!:
Image 4 – Here’s the other square with the blue star inside again using simple insertion stitch:
Image 5 – I picked out a few of the stars on the yellow square and added little running stitches for interest:
Image 6 – Those pesky beads made things a little awkward at the edge…:
Image 7 – Another close up because I love close ups!
Image 8 – There’s a little gap in the point there but careful manipulation of the fabric ‘into the hole’ minimises the effect:

Inlay Appliqué – Stitch Practice

I haven’t done any inlay appliqué before so I followed the advice of the chapter and had a go.  Now I was a bit daft because I didn’t attach the pieces of fabric to a rigid support like brown paper.  I didn’t have any to hand at the time and I’m of the impatient variety.  So I used two dried out (unused) wet wipes (they were the closest thing to hand).  For some bizarre reason I thought they’d be stiff enough.  Well I now my mistake now!
Image 1 – Fabric tacked onto base:
Image 2 – Simple insertion stitch:
Image 3 – Looking at this I’m not entirely sure what this is – I appear to have followed the diagrams wrong but I rather like it anyway.  It was an attempt at faggotting but has most definitely gone wrong!:
Image 4 – Buttonhole insertion stitch:
Buttonhole insertion stitch was quite quick and gives a really lose join.
Image 5 – Knotted insertion stitch:
I had a bit of trouble getting the hang of where to knot with the knotted insertion stitch!
Image 6 – Plaited insertion stitch (my favourite!):
Plaited insertion stitch took a bit of concentration and I went a little wrong but I really enjoyed it!
Image 7 – Beaded insertion stitch:
The beaded insertion stitch is very quick and really easy yet gives quite a striking join.
Image 8 – Finished:
It’s a tad wonky but was only a practice sample so I’m happy enough

Inlay Appliqué – Preparing the Squares

I began the preparation work for chapter 10 back in September 2010 right before I had to pack up for revision and then relocation back to sunny Devon!  I decided to create a lot of felt squares to play with so found a handy white blanket and a pale blue blanket from Ikea (oh how I miss Belfast Ikea!) and got painting and stamping.
Image 1 - Painting and stamping on pieces of blanket:
Image 2 – More painting and stamping:
Image 3 – Close up of some stamping with a second stamped layer of silver ink:
You can see where the colour has gradually bled from the stamped pattern.
Image 4 – Blanket painted yellow with gold and white acrylic stamping:
Image 5 – Stamping yellow and silver onto painted blanket:
When they were dry I cut them into approximately 4.5x4.5 inch squares.
Image 6 – A big pile of squares!
I decided that I would create a few more ‘interesting’ squares and added layers with the help of bondaweb.
Image 7 – Blue square with scraps of fabric and chopped up silver cord sandwiched under blue netting:
Image 8 – Plain yellow square with green organza on top:
Image 9 – Yellow square with bits and bobs sandwiched under yellow netting:
Image 10 – Yellow square with curious fabric I found in my stash (black net with silver glitter all over!):
Image 11 – Blue square with blue organza on top:
Image 12 – Printed blue square with beads and stars under blue organza:
Image 13 – Yellow square with chopped up silver cord under yellow netting:
Image 14 – I ended up with quite a stash of squares to play with!

Reverse Appliqué

I’ve been very lazy… I did the work for this chapter (chapter 9) back in August 2010 (!) and have only just put them online.  That’s just shocking…  I’ve done quite a lot of stitched work since for a project which involved some of the techniques I learnt with this chapter and now I review these initial samples I realise that I learnt a lot from doing them! 

So first off I did a simple traditional reverse appliqué sample:

I wasn’t particularly sensible in my choice of fabric and the blue is stretchy.  I think it was once a top!  When I tried to stitch the edges of the blue I got quite a lot of puckering.  I felt frustrated trying to do the corners – I get little fraying right in the corner on even the neatest one.  As you can see there are some terrible edges really.  I didn’t really enjoy this process – I shall have to try again another time with some different fabrics.

Next up were samples that used the sewing machine and a bit of cutting.  The first sample shows the stitch work made on layers from inside out:

The next sample was worked outside in.  I realise that I shouldn’t have used a printed top fabric as it detracts entirely from the reverse appliqué!

Next up is slashed reverse appliqué:

Looking back I could have used some really bright fabrics in the lower layers and they would have given a lovely contrast.

Finally here is my favourite sample which uses layers of different fabrics that have been cut away at each stage of stitching:

I really like the sheer fabric with little gold blobs on it:

I used a mix of two of these samples when I came to create a piece for The Sketchbook Project 2011.  The article entry about it, one of my other blog, can be seen here.

But have a little sneaky peek: