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Monday, May 6, 2013

Design Wall Monday 5/6/13

My design wall is empty this week, but I do have a design table. I have been working on more Dancing Stars blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. This month's color is bright blue. The blocks are foundation pieced, and I decided to try doing the piecing by hand.  First I needle punched the foundations with my sewing machine. This makes it much easier to sew through the foundation.


After that I started hand stitching my star fabrics to the foundations. For me, it was easiest and most secure to sew with a backstitch.  I started out doing a small running stitch, but I couldn't get a consistent stitch length. Here are the segments for one block.


Here are the same segments from the right side. After they were all stitched to the foundations, I pressed them lightly, then trimmed the long edges where they will get joined together. Once I get the seams stitched, I will trim around the outside edges of the block to square it up.



As usual, I will be linking up to Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday.  Check out all the great inspiration there. 

Julie

8 comments:

  1. I love your block. Must check out the challenge.

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  2. Love the colors in this block. Great job hand stitching and wonderful tip about stitching the foundation first to make things easier.

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  3. I have seen these blocks around blogland, but didn't realize until your post that they are paper pieced. I love the contrast of geometric and organic prints.

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  4. Very pretty - love the blues! What a good idea to needle punch first and save your fingers.

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  5. Love the blues. Hand stitching? Yikes brave woman, great idea for the needle punch. I would have put some thread in that needle and sew by machine :)

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    1. I am going to be without my machine for a week or so and wanted to see if this method would work. I have been pleasantly surprised.

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  6. I've just started doing some paper piecing, it does make some blocks a lot easier to put together. Love the bright blue with that black.

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  7. Love your colors. Question, what is the advantage of hand piecing them on to foundation versus machine sewing on to foundation?

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