Friday, August 16, 2013

BFF Progress

I haven't posted in a while, because although I'm still stitching away, there doesn't seem to be much to show. But, I figured I better at least show what there is, if you know what I mean. Month 1 of Best Friends Forever is coming along:


While I'm working on one motif I'll have an idea for a colour or stitch on another motif, so I've been working on them all together. But for a while now all other stitching has come to a halt, because I've become obsessed with preparing the background setting, which is English paper pieced. I've basted 60 x 2" hexagons:


I know the photo looks like just three hexagons, because I didn't want to take everything out of the bags. Trust me, there are 60 there! For Texas Star I don't pre-baste anything, it is all basted and sewn in one step. A number of these units for BFF have to be pre-basted, and I've been surprised at how fun it is! So, in addition to the hexagons, I basted a further 32 x 6 green 2" hexagon kites:


Some of the green 2" hexagon kites have already been joined up with two more yellow kites each to make these triangle units:


I've been piecing Texas Star with Superior's Kimono, 100 wt silk thread, which is completely invisible and perfect for all the different coloured fabrics in that project. But it's a strain to use, and I've been piecing this project, BFF, with regular 50 wt cotton thread instead. There are fewer colours in this project so it is easy to match the thread to the fabric. It is SO much easier to use! I think that's part of the reason I've been doing so much of it lately.

Somehow I managed to precut too many of the green pieces, and not enough of the yellow pieces, so I'll have to scrounge some more yellow from my stash down the road. But I have plenty to keep me busy for a while yet!

13 comments:

  1. Oh my! All that work to do! Love your color.:)

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    1. Thanks, Audrey. It seems to be moving along well, at least!

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  2. Since I posted this I realized that those "extra" green pieces are not extra, I still need to baste 18 more, which should cover it.

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  3. Goodness, you're busy! Beautiful colors. You are making me feel positively lazy!

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    1. LOL, hardly! I think you have more to show this summer than I do, Cynthia. But thank you, I am really enjoying the colours in the project as well. :)

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  4. I am anxious to see how the embroidered pieces fit in with the hexagons. Everything looks lovely!

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    1. Thanks, Mary Ellen. I have been giving a lot of thought about how exactly to present the "big reveal." Hopefully it will become clear as I go. I have high hopes for this one!

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  5. your little embroidered pieces are so very pretty. Lots of EPP you have done, I too enjoy doing it once the fabric and papers have been cut, very seriously considered a sizzex big shot as it would do all the cutting for me but can I justify the cost i ask myself.

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    1. Thanks very much, Margaret! I'm not sure what a Sizzex is, maybe a die cutter? I really don't have room for a big gadget like that, so I don't have one either. I buy all my paper pieces pre-cut, which is a huge help because they all fit together perfectly. Almost all the small fabric pieces are rotary-cut, so that goes fast too, and accuracy is not essential!

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  6. I love your sweet stitcheries, such cute designs and perfect stitches. You are so organised with your paper pieces, they'll keep you busy.

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    1. Thanks very much, Rachael! I frequently (maybe too frequently) say that organization is half the battle with quilting. Especially with multiple projects on the go! I'm not one of those people who find that chaos sparks creativity. ;)

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  7. I really like the colours in the embroidery and the fabric. The pieces look so crisp and organise they almost make me want to piece myself. The most inspiring bit of all is your comment that accuracy is not essential!

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    1. LOL, I know, Jillian, I know! Things that require an accurate seam allowance stress me out, although I am getting better at it. That's why I like English paper piecing and foundation paper piecing so much - accurate cutting is not required. Thanks for stopping by!

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I'm told Blogger has been bouncing some comments, so if it happens to you I'm sorry! But the settings look right so I can't explain it. In any case, thanks for reading!

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