You might remember I got this Summerfield kit. It's designed similar to an antique quilt in the Virginia Quilt Museum. It's a Baltimore Album style quilt.
This style quilt has been on my 'to do list' for a very long time.
And I love the antique in the museum, and I love the colors in this kit.
The Summerfield kit in all it's yumminess came to live with me, but I had not started yet.
Because sometimes It's HARD to start... but last night.. I did.. let me share how I kick started myself to get going and some tips for working with small prefused, die cut shapes.
If you are having a hard time starting a project, I recommend you get out the project with all it's parts and look at it.
- Open it up
- Touch the fabric, look at the pattern, get out your tools to work with
- If you never open it up, it won't ever get made.
- So even if you don't feel like it
- Do it anyway
- Make yourself.. you'll be very happy you did.
I decided to start with the Sunflower block
Since these are small shapes and the designs are packed with details, I am using the overlay method to do some basic alignment marks so I know where things go.
I do NOT go crazy with it.
- I tape the pattern to the window, or you can use a light box like the one I have
- I fold the background to mark the center, the pattern has the center marked
- When I placed the background over the drawing, I found the center fold hard to see. To fix that problem I put a cute piece of washi tape there... love it!
- Tape the background square over the pattern matching the center to the 'x' on the paper
Now I traced some placement lines
JUST a few, the stem, a circle for each flower
And where the Large leaf centers are.
That is it.
Now to put the structure down, the stems and large leaves.
Lay them where your sketch was, the Summerfield Pattern has a great layout to follow on the cover of each block!
Some people actually leave the drawing under the block, but I prefer to be a bit more organic and less structured with my placments.
Look at the tiny petals!
The beauty of diecut shapes is that they are all the same
And you don't have to trace and cut a lot of tiny pieces.
Now to peel off the paper.
These are done with a sticky pack, full fusible adhesive.
Normally I don't do full fusible or a sticky back, but with such tiny pieces it helps keep things in place.
I placed the main structure first so I know where to put the flowers.
Then I pressed down all the stems and leave, BUT NOT the flower circles. Several of you asked what Iron I use, I am in love with this cordless iron!
Now the struckture will not shift when I worked on the flower petals
Peel the paper off all the little petals, think of this as your Zen Time with the project. Or do while hanging with the family, it's really mindless.
Tuck them under the sunflower head
Press to secure the whole piece
My first block of Summerfield all fused and ready to stitch!
I did my tracing in the afternoon yesterday, then late last night, I fused the project.
It was hard for me to start as I have a lot of work projects going on, and I kept saying that I'll get to it.. I'll get to it
But.... that is how we procrastinate isn't it? We often will push off the things that make us happy, and why? We really need to put those first in order to have a lovely life... To feed our souls as makers.
My Summerfield journey is officially started..
What journey can you start today?
(ps.. you can make a Summerfield too)
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