The idea for this came from a card designed by Emma Valenghi, that I had pinned to my "things to do" board in my sewing room, for at least 2 years. I HAVE to sew in the evenings or else I fall asleep in front of the TV, so with no other sewing planned I cut a piece of calico approximately A5 size; grabbed my bin of tiny, tiny scraps; armed myself with scissors and pins; and I was ready to begin.
This is the original card (minus a sailboat that I used as a tag!) and my first attempt.
I didn't use any sticky for this first one apart from windows, doors and chimneys, but found that other small pieces shifted as I sewed on the machine. For this next one I also used some Steam-a-Seam 2 to fix the narrow roofs and I put fishing boats in the water.
This third one has hills in the background with a rather wonky chapel and an engine house
And my fourth has sand beneath the wall and wind turbines on the far hill.
Oh, what fun!
At Flowerpatch everyone was given a set of instructions, a piece of A5 size stiff calico and a little Steam a Seam 2 with instructions for using. We all provided scraps of fabric to use and share.
So here is a bit of a tutorial:
This is the harbour drawing which gave us an idea of what we were aiming at, but which didn't have to be followed exactly.
All fabric is cut raw edge - no seam allowance needed because this is not supposed to be really neat and tidy :) . The houses at the back are put on first and pinned in place, followed by the ones in the front row.
Next comes the road, wall and water; and then everything is tacked down. The calico is backed with wadding before all the little pieces are sewn down by machine. The middle picture is about as far as we got on the Flowerpatch evening and I must admit it doesn't look very inspiring, but what a transformation when you start to add windows etc.
In the first picture of these two I have stuck on all the windows, doors, narrow roofs and chimneys with the Steam a Seam 2. The second picture is after a couple of hours of hand sewing - methinks so much nicer and this time I added a seagull on a pointy roof.
This is how you use Steam-a-Seam 2
Peel apart a little to see which is the sticky side and draw your design (in reverse) on the back of this side. Cut out roughly around the design. Peel off the backing paper and lay sticky side down on the back of your appliqué fabric. Finger press firmly but DO NOT IRON now. Cut out on the drawn line. Peel off the paper and lay the appliqué piece on your backing fabric. You can move it about as you like until you’re happy, then iron it on permanently. No need to even sew it down!!
Lots of ideas were being bandied about as to how this little picture could be adapted and some I heard were - night time scene, blue fabric for the sky, a friend's house in a terrace for a gift, street scene, etc etc.
My printer friendly instructions are more comprehensive and include the harbour drawing.
Next meeting is on 12th May when Mary and Iris will be telling us all about their adventures on their "Quilt Trip to Japan".
Happy Fabric Fun - Anita x
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