FINALLY!!!!

The day is here...I have made my FIRST You Tube Video in all my tongue-tied CLUTZINESS!  Is that even a word...probably not...but it certainly describes me to a T!

I digress...

Actually...in reality...this is a BIG Day for ME...

Not only am I going LIVE on my You Tube Channel...but I have finally launched The Quilted Story Pattern release!

Gracious BE...it has been a long time coming for my pattern release...too many years to count at this point!  Please be patient while I continue to upload them one by one onto my Etsy Shop...

www.MattieandMEToo.etsy.com

Hopefully...with a little luck...I can continue to make a video here and there and become a little more relaxed and "natural" at it!  Can't promise anything...but I will give it an honest try!

So...if you have a few minutes in your day...check out my FIRST You Tube Video over on my Channel...

The Quilted Story

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giiWGsOe9Ho

This one is all about Patriotic Projects...so be sure to stop in and see if something there inspires you to turn on that Sewing Machine or Embroidery Machine and make something FABULOUS...just for YOU!

Quilt and Embroider ON!

Kathleen

With the upcoming Patriotic Holiday Weekend ahead of us, I decided to “step outside the box” here and create something super cute for the kitchen, using this adorable Bomb Pop Trio Applique design!  Everyone LOVES a super sweet patriotic towel to hang in their kitchen during the holiday, and this design is absolutely PERFECT for those summer-long Holidays of Patriotism!

Let's jump right in and get started!

I attached sticky stabilizer to the Fast Frame itself and I fused a piece of No-Show Mesh Cutaway on the backside of the towel (I am using the 8x8 FULL Fast Frame for this project) and then I prepped the kitchen towel.  When finding the “perfect spot” for an applique on a kitchen towel, I use the rule of thumb of 2”.  This 2” number reference is the space from the bottom edge of the towel to the BOTTOM of the design...I use a water soluble marker to make a small mark for reference...then I measure from that mark to the top of the design...which in my case is approximately 5.5 inches and I make a reference mark there too.  This tells me the area in which the design will fit.   It is then that I can find the center of the design which is halfway between the top mark and the bottom mark...I make the third reference mark there!  This may seem elementary to some, but I want to be sure that anyone “NEW” to embroidery will find it easier to get started!  Let's face it ladies, (and gentlemen too) removing the “stress” from getting started, makes for a better embroidery/applique outcome! Let's have FUN in the process!

Here's my Fast Frame all set up with a white kitchen towel ready to be loaded onto my machine. (please be sure to check the bottom of the blog post for all the “tools of the trade” used for this particular project, so you can get started on yours...right away!)  I like to use a few Clover Wonder Clips when I use my Fast Frames...it gives me the “extra” hold that sometimes is needed during the embroidery process.  My motto is...”let's not SHIFT”!

PS...you certainly do not need to use this many clips...I tend to use more on towels because they are bulky.  And for those who have never used Wonder Clips...these clips are actually “clipped” onto the Fast Frame, so they are completely out of the way of your machine needles...PLUS...they are easy to “add” on after your Fast Frame is attached to the machine and there are NO pins to stick you!

For this project I am using the 8x8 design size (but you can use which ever one you prefer...or which ever one fits your hoop best.  I am also adding the Penguin Attack Font, in 1 inch size, for the capital letters of USA.  I will place one letter on each of the middle white sections of the Bomb Pop Trio!  Now...isn't that just Fabulous?

Ready, Set, STITCH!

Now...here's the million dollar question...

“When do you put the WSS on during the design stitch process”?

So simple...

I do it after ALL the applique panels (fabrics) are tacked down in place and it isgetting ready to go into the “satin work”...

Some people ask...“WHY do you use WSS on top of your work”?  Well, it's a personal decision...I think it makes for a prettier final product and I use it EVERY time.  Out of all the stabilizers you will purchase to use...WSS is one of the cheapest by far and I like the results I get when I use it.

This doesn't mean YOU have to use it...do whatever you feel comfortable doing when you embroider...after all, this is YOUR project!  These blog posts are set up to bring a fresh and new perspective to your embroidery work and some of the ideas posted here, might just strike your FANCY! 

Well...my sweet Bomb Pop Trio Kitchen Towel is all done...

Isn't she just Beautiful...and I am officially ready to bring in the Patriotic Summer Holidays!

How about YOU?

Embroider ON!

Kathleen

Tools of the Trade

-Bomb Pop Trio Design from BabyKay's...now under geminiredembroiderydesigns.com (I used the 8x8 size)

-Penguin Attack Font from BabyKay's...now under geminiredembroiderydesigns.com (I used 1 inch size uppercase for the letters USA)

-Kitchen Towel (I used a white one from Bed Bath and Beyond)

-Stabilizers (I used Floriani Fusible No Show Mesh Cutaway, Floriani Perfect Stick, and off brand WSS)

-Exquisite Threads (Red #3015 Blue #413 White #010 and Tan #621)

-Fabrics used are...Red (Batik, name unknown) White (Tone on Tone, name unknown) Blue-Moda Dot Essentials by Moda and Tan- “Fundamental Style #9528 by Hoffman International Fabrics”

-Heat and Bond Lite (Hobby Lobby, Joann's and Walmart (Fused to the backside of all 4 fabrics)

-Red Wonder Clips by Clover (Hobby Lobby, Joann's, Amazon and Quilt Shops)

-Water Soluble Pen (Hobby Lobby, Joann's, Amazon and Quilt Shops)

So...I did a little SOMETHING...

and even though it wasn't a well executed plan...it still turned out super cute...

I'm thrilled with the results!

Let's chat a little bit about how I made this uplanned quilty project of mine...shall we?

I started off with this Beautiful Charm Pack called Pumpkins and Blossoms by Joanna Figuero of Fig Tree Quilts for Moda...isn't it W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L?

I had a few extra strips leftover from a previous years collection called All Hallows Eve...also by Joanna...it was a jelly roll.  Don't you just LOVE the way Joanna designs her fabric lines to blend with the previous years?  The only real difference with the Pumpkins and Blossoms line  in comparison to the All Hallows Eve line is the lime green she added to the palette.   It's a WIN WIN situation for a serious quilter...such as myself...and it doesn't hurt that it tames my OCD just a tad...knowing I can't go wrong when I add more of her new fabric lines to my studio!  Thank You Joanna...for making my job a little simpler!

Since a Jelly Roll and a Charm Pack have a common denominator of 2.5"...I figured I could come up with a simple patchwork panel layout with 25-2.5" squares...using a 5 X 5 set.  This made it it finished at 10" square.  I made 6 of these panels and then quilted them simply with straight lines, using my walking foot.  It doesn't get any easier than that!

I found this great Open window frame at my local Hobby Lobby when it was marked 1/2 off...and had my Houston (aka my hubby) add some simple framing to the backside to formally divide the window openings into 6 even spaces so I could fit 6 pieces of "quilts" into the windows...they actually just pop in and out of the individual windows...if that makes any sense.

Clear as MUD...right?

None-the-less...I just love this way of showing off a full fabric line without making a huge quilt...and it gives me something to add to my wall above my foyer Bench where I have the Beautiful Fall Pillow I made last year with the All Hallows Eve Jelly Roll.

Isn't it just FABULOUS...

And remember...since the panels pop out easily...I can't wait to make something equally as Beautiful for my Christmas Display...maybe even a Patriotic themed one too!

Oh..the possibilities are ENDLESS!

Quilt ON!

Kathleen

Todays cute project is a simple little Fall Home Decor for all of you who want to make something with their Embroidery Machine, but need a little break from the same ole same ole...

I found this sweet Scarecrow Applique Design at Embroidery Boutique...I just love the domestic machine appliqued look of the Buttonhole Stitch...it reminds me of the many years I spent perfecting my Machine Applique Skills before becoming a Professional Quilt Instructor and Embroidery Educator.  This skill kept me from really diving into a serious Embroidery Machine Business those early years...but there's NO turning back now!

I've jumped in with both feet and LOVE it Bunches!

Enough about ME...let's talk about this cute little project at hand...

I chose to use the 5x7 Size Applique from this Scarecrow Scene File simply because I already had this adorable Fall Easel frame that I got from my local Hobby Lobby and it fit perfectly on the center of it...leaving just enough of the Orange Frame along the sides peeking out and helping my Embroidery work POP!

It's a Win Win Situation!

I added the word WELCOME onto the actual sign part...using the RAZZLE Font in the .5" size from itch2stitch.  It fit just PERFECT!  I love me some itch2stitch Fonts...how about YOU?

After I adhered the design to the frame I added a simple FALL Cording around the edges that I also found at Hobby Lobby...it just gave that extra something to the design that I really liked.

So...Dust off that Embroidery Machine you got for Christmas LAST year and give this sweet project a try...you'll be so glad you did!

Kathleen