Questions for Sarah - Month 2 (February)

[Sarah V.]

Hello Everyone!

I'm creating this topic so that you can ask questions about what you're doing in Month 2 - and so that I can find those questions easily :-) Please ask your questions outside of this topic first - there are lots of people doing this BOM who can jump in an help out with their expertise, and they might even have a better way of doing something that I hadn't thought of!!!

If I don't post an answer immediately, it's probably because I'm teaching out of town - or just plain snowed under with work. But if I see a post in this topic, I will do my best to get it answered in good time.

Hope you enjoy month 2 - I'm certainly looking forward to seeing the show and tell photos as they are posted!
Sarah :-)

[Mary A.]

I am laying out all the fabrics and printing out templates for month 2. My question concerns pieces I and K, which are the mirror images of pieces H and J. The instructions have us cutting out enough fabric chunks to paper piece all four pieces, I through K, but the cutting instructions only reference I and K. Just wanted to point this out in case anyone is confused about pieces H and J. Am I interpreting this correctly?

[Sarah V.]

You will be cutting 18 pieces labelled H and 18 pieces labelled J. Each block uses 2 H pieces and 2 J pieces. One H piece goes over area H, the other over area I. One J piece goes over area J, the other over area K. See the very last bullet point on page 6 and more instructions on page 7.

I'm not sure where you are seeing any reference to cutting I and K for either color scheme. Areas H, I, J and K are all actually slightly different - they are not mirror images. I decided it was easier to cut 2 different sizes rather than 4 different sizes.

Sorry for any confusion this has caused.
Sarah :-)

[Joan D.]

My first thought with Feb instructions was oh boy I am in over my head already. I read through twice then it started to be clearer, I am not sure of the fusible the only fusible I have access to right away is steam a seam will that work or should I look on line, I couldn't find a recommendation for brand anywhere in the instructions. Joan

[Sharon E.]

Sarah -- my question is what is the best way to blanket stitch those tiny points. Do you decrease the size at you get to the point. What is your method for that little problem.

Thanks,Sharon inColorado

[Sharon E.]

Good morning! Sarah, thank you for the excellent tutorial on how to mark the fabric for positioning the applique pieces. When I read the instructions, they were pretty clear, but with the video, actually showing how easy it was, it looks very easy. Using this technique, we can get to the fun part (stitching) that much faster!!

Kathy

[Mary A.]

Sarah, thanks for your quick response. You are right, there are no references in the directions for cutting patches for pieces I and K. I just thought others might benefit by a bit of clarification in case they wondered about cutting fabric for those areas. Your instructions are thorough and with the photos and videos, easy to follow.

[Sarah V.]

Good morning!!!

First fusible webbing: Steam a Seam works just fine, although it's not so good for printing onto the backing paper as the ink smears right off. Also be sure that you print/mark the applique shapes onto the backing paper that will stay on the fusible webbing after it has been applied to your applique fabric (since there is backing paper on both "sides" of the fusible webbing). My favorite fusible webbing is Shades Softfuse. Heat N Bond Lite or Featherweight is also good.

To blanket stitch the points: If you use the 2.4mm width and stitch length this is what I do... start at the bottom of the point (i.e. the wide end) and blanket stitch up the side. When you get to the top, there will be a place at which the leg of the blanket stitch falls onto the other side of the point - you'll be really close to the top. When you get to this point, do some straight stitches (2 at the most) up the edge right to the point. Now do a blanket stitch with the leg pointing straight down the middle of the point and then follow it with 2 single stitches along the edge - you'll be going down the other side now. Then continue blanket stitching as normal. You may have a couple of blanket stitches on each side of the point where the "legs" are crossing. Hopefully this pic will help - and it will look a lot better in thread!!! There's no need to mess with the stitch length!

[Sharon E.]

Thanks Sarah, I have done very little blanket stitching and that explanation helped very much. The video was awesome.

Sharon

[lsipes]

That's why I did a satin stitch. I knew I couldn't mess that up!

[Cynthia C.]

I sincerely hope we are not dealing with templates H,I,J,& K yet. The templates I have for Feb, Month 2 only go A through F!!
Cynthia

[lsipes]

Hi Cynthia. H, I, J and K are not templates, but pieces to rotary cut in the cutting instructions. They are the frames that you will paper piece to the outsides of the diamond blocks that you applique for month two.

[lsipes]

Wait. I'm going off of memory here. Let me check this!

[lsipes]

Okay, phew! Thank goodness for smartphones. Yes. H, I, J and K are paper pieced to the block. No worries!

[lsipes]

I was just wondering.... Did you stitch all the pieces down at the same time or did you do something like iron D & E down buttonhole/ satin stitch, then iron B & C stitch, then iron A then stitch. Just wondering which is the best method to approach this month as I don't have much experience with applique.