The small trapunto-beginners' group

[HomespunMary]

Beverly, that is so beautiful! And, what a great design you found. Is that from your trapunto book?

For my part, I think I'm about to go backwards... I was hoping to get the center part of my walhanging quilted today, so that I could start quilting around the trapunto snowflakes this evening, but no such luck.

I decided to first try to quilt small spirals coming out at regular intervals (and becoming smaller and smaller) along the large applique spirals, but having done one spiral now I'm beginning to regret it. I think I'll spend the rest of the evening taking out these stitches instead of doing the same thing on the other spiral

[luv_2quilt60]

Yes, it's from my book....and wow....Oasis is doing Fantastic...I need to practice...practice ..practice......I need a magnifying lens....I will have to check into that....cause less eye strain..........Beverly

[grammy65]

Hi guys....I'm back and drooling over your projects. Have to be gone all day today, tomorrow I'm volunteering at the VA in the afternoon and have rehearsal with my little singing group in the evening. Friday I'm getting delivery of my new washer & dryer (boy just in time), and we have a performance Friday night. Saturday is my DGS's birthday party, and just found out that the grandbabies are coming down on Sunday with their dad. Lordy....I need another day so I can get started on this project. I still have two sides to bind on Cody's quilt for his birthday.

Maria....did you end up taking the little spirals out? They really are cute and look great, but you know best. Don't you just hate when you have to stop and do something else to a project when you just want to get on with it.

Beverly...your project is beautiful. Glad you joined us.

Littlebit...guess we need to get going. I just need for this week to get over, but I sure hate to wish my life away. LOL

Next week only has 3 things on 3 different mornings, and by golly I intend to keep it that way...RIGHT!

Diane

[HomespunMary]

Yes, I took out the quilted spirals and it took forever! I agree, it is soooo annoying and you just feel like you're going backwards! But, today I started (again) the quilting around the applique spirals, and will hopefully get to the trapunto parts tomorrow. Was going to spend another hour or two with the quilt tonight, but it is really difficult to see where you quilt when using black thread on black fabric in the evening...

Sounds like you're really busy, Diane, but it must feel good to be so close to finishing the worm quilt. I can't wait to see a pic of the finished result!

[HomespunMary]

Well, I've been away from my sewing machine for three days now, but will get back to my snowflakes tonight

Linda/Oasis, I have a question for you. When you cut out the trapunto batting before sewing it onto the fabric (for the SBS?), how did you know how to cut the batting? Did you manage to mark the cutting line on it, or did you pin a paper/fabric template to it and cut around it?

[Oasis]

Good Morning Maria,

I haven't been able to get to my machine either.

I used the paper pattern/template and traced it to the batting. I used a little stiffer one so it kind of stood alone and was easier to trim the little bit I had to trim. It sure saved stress on the hands, neck and eyes. LOL

Looks like Diane has not been able to do hers either. I'm hoping Littlebit will join also.

Hope to try some other motifs, like butterflys, duckies, and some flowers. I found a magnolia blossom and a lotus along with other applique patterns that I think will look nice trapuntoed and use them as snowball blocks between traditional. I joined the beach block swap and thinking maybe trying a shell motif to use with those blocks. Need to see what people have chosen for their fabrics first.

This is so much fun and the possiblilities are just endless. I might try the sea shells in a different fabric, fairy frost so they have that irridescent look.

Happy Stitching.............I hope we can get back to this soon!
Linda

[HomespunMary]

Thanks, Linda.

I too have gotten new ides for this, which is why I asked about the batting. I have a friend who had a baby last week, and I had decided not to make any more baby quilts for a while, but now I'm reconsidering, LOL! I drew up a pattern last night for a quilt with applique ladybugs, and was thinking that maybe I should also trapunto the ladybugs... Your method sounded quite nice for a "simple" outline like that.

Well, first things first. I will try to finish my snowflake project before I start on a new one. It turns out that it is quite difficult to stipple between the trapuntoed snowflakes, both because there isn't a lot of space between the "arms" (or whatever snowflakes have) and because working my way around them I have to keep stopping to decide what direction to go in order not to quilt myself into a corner, so to speak...

The idea of Fairy Frost seashells sounds absolutely lovely! And, I love Magnolias and think that would look stunning!

[HomespunMary]

Well, now my trapunto snowflakes are starting to take shape



I just love how the trapunto and the quilting create a dimensional surface! The result is so different from the unquilted sandwish...

Diane, hope you'll find time to start on your project this week

[Oasis]

Maria,

So Pretty! It looks just like I imagined it would, kind of has a sheen. You did a good job in all those little nooks and crannys. I'm glad you went with the dark thread. Have you decided what to do around the curvy swirl?

I like the idea of the ladybug for the babies quilt. You could use your dragonfly also.

Have fun,
Linda

[HomespunMary]

Thanks Linda! And, yes, I decided to try the McTavishing (or something like it, LOL) between the swirls. Don't know if it shows in the pics, though... The all black is really playing tricks with my camera, and if I try to adjust the pic so that the black nuances show, the light fabric completely disappears... The white dots are the marks for the small spirals that I took out again, and now I don't know how to get the marks from the chalk pencil go away.



I still havent decided what to quilt in/on the actual swirls... I'm really regretting now that I didn't trapunto them. Would have looked very nice I think. I should have listened more to you, Linda