Chapter 8 - Seaming Good Fun

Seams can be sew (sorry, couldn't resist the pun!) dull.  Let's make them more interesting!

Image 1 - Sample 1 (close ups are below this image):

Image 2 - Fabric strips sewn into the seam and then tied together afterwards:

Image 3 - Fabric strip looped into the seam before it is sewn:

Image 4 - Thread off cuts from frayed fabric placed in the seam before sewing:

Image 5 - Fabric off cuts place into the seam before sewing and then frayed:

Image 6 - Sample 2 (close ups are below this image):

Image 7 -   Triangles of fabric sewn into the seam and then a row of stitching forces them to sit one side of the seam:

Image 8 - Triangles of fabric stitched into the seam:

Image 9 - A strip of fabric placed in the seam and then frayed:

Image 10 - A strip of fabric is knotted and then looped into the seam before sewing (this was quite difficult and involved a lot of pins but I like the outcome):

Chapter 7 - Seminole Method

The second part of chapter 7 introduced the Seminole method of piecing.   This involves sewing together strips of fabric, cutting them and then re-sewing them to form a new piece of patterned material.

Image 1: Paper design for straightforward chequerboard piecing:

Image 2: Fabric sample for straightforward chequerboard piecing:

Image 3: Three strips sewn, cut and rearranged:

Image 4: Two rectangles sewn together and then pieced:

Image 5: Paper design for staggered piecing:

Image 6: Fabric sample for staggered piecing with some seams on the front (this one was produced after I worked through chapter 8 and it's my favourite sample):

Image 7: Close up of fabric sample in image 6:

Chapter 7 - Log Cabin Piecing

Chapter 7 is about 'piecing' methods and first I looked at the log cabin method.  This is quite an enjoyable method and the fabric samples came together very quickly.

Image 1: Paper design for off centre start:

Image 2: Fabric sample for 'off centre' start:

Image 3: Paper design for 'wonky' log cabin:

Image 4: Fabric sample for 'wonky' log cabin:

Image 5: Paper design for traditional log cabin:

Image 5: Fabric sample for traditional log cabin:

Chapter 6 - Masking

During Chapter 6 I tried out masking using a mixture of flour and water.  The results were varied (as can be seen on the previous blog post) but I thought I'd add here some images to show you what I did.  I'll let the photos explain.

Chapter 6 – Monoprinting

Monoprinting using black acrylic paint on a piece of glass – delightful!  The results were fast and fun.  I LOVED doing this!  In fact I had trouble stopping.  It was important not to get the paint too thick so that when it transferred to the fabric it wouldn’t dry too stiffly. 
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What would I do differently next time?
Well I loved the technique and managed to get my paint to just the right consistency.  I think the answer to this question is simply down to preparation – I ran out of fabric and had to cut more pieces which was annoying when I just wanted to carry on!