My WIP Wednesday #6, and a Machine Appliqué tip

Charming Love is still on the table, but it's oh-so-close to being finished. Should be able to snug it up this week despite the heavy push of the last 8 days of my semester!

This is learning piece #2 for my machine quilting aspirations, but I'll write about that when I have more time. All that's left is stitching the binding, burying my tails, and giving it a label!

What a Hoot, Devon! - owl bodies are stitched on. This week I need to glue-baste the wings and hearts on, hopefully even get them stitched. (Got a term paper to do, though!) 


There are 20 owls for her graduation quilt. They're mostly scrappy style, with no two alike. 


Gotta keep things organized. 






So each owl's pieces lay on numbered sheets of paper in a stack. . . 

. . .and each block has the number penciled in the corner where it'll get sliced off when the blocks are finally sized. 




Eye and beak pieces are all uniform, so they sit happily in a sandwich baggy, patiently waiting their turn. 

If I were able to stitch all day instead of in fitful bursts around studies, I would baste on everything per layer (which right now would be wings, heart, and eye base). But I can only snatch bits and pieces of sewing time, so I only baste the next focus pieces - avoiding fraying issues. My favorite basting technique for these is using glue dots. Works awesomely.

Speaking of process matters: What do you use as stabilizer for your machine appliqué? I am using satin stitching on these guys, which needs a good support.


 I use this REALLY CHEAP children's newsprint-style drawing paper that I picked up in one of those Dollar Generals - something like 40 sheets for a buck. Tears just about as easily as tissue, but has support - no puckers at all. Sweetness. 



You only need a few pins to hold it in place. I left the ones in the bodies in because satin stitching tears the paper enough to really loosen the paper and I still need it for the belly hearts after I do the wings.




This week's stats:
New Projects - 0 (Good Girl!)
Completed Projects This Week - 0 
        (oh, so close on Charming Love)
In Active Progress - 3 
        (Charming Love, Devon's Owls, Sailing's at Patty's studio)
UFO Firing Range - 33.667 (+2 - How did I miss those two projects in The Great Round-Up?  - not counting untouched kits!)
Finishes for 2011 - 7  

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Two charity wheelchair quilts
Katie Loves Christopher
Dreamy Unicorns
Trip Around the World with Mr. Hernandez (Mr. Hernandez's)
Trip Around the World with Mr. Hernandez (Heather's)
Be Attitudes
We Love Kelly
Sailing with the Flying Needles
Wagon Wheels West #2
Poor Forgotten Orphan from 15 years ago
Devon's Silk Spinners
Marissa's Minky Squares
Kelly's Thirties Hand Quilter
Kelly's Calico
Leap Frog Lily Pond