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Thursday, March 10, 2011

Happiness Key and New Pattern Question



I am catching up on Pat Sloan's latest Quilt Along. She has teamed up with Emilie Richards again for a 6 month mystery project based on Emilie's books, "Happiness Key" and "Fortunate Harbor".

Above is the layout of the background for the wallhanging.

This is a photo of the gorgeous fabrics that Pat selected for the kit! A birthday present for me. It's the FIRST KIT I've ever bought for a quilt! Can you believe it?
Are you a 'kit addict' or do you like to use up your stash or shop for your own colours?
This time around I wanted IN on the lovely prints that I don't normally stock up on.




There will be a fair bit of applique and embroidery in this project. Here is my template for the water at the bottom of the quilt. I am going to trace it onto the freezer paper you see beneath it, then lightly iron the freezer paper to my blue water fabric. This way I don't have to use up a lot of my fusible web.

I like this method on big applique pieces - and on little ones too! You don't have to reverse your templates as you iron the freezer paper {shiny side down} on to the RIGHT side of your fabric. If you turn under a seam allowance while you applique, you can simply leave the freezer paper on your fabric. Or you can remove the paper and machine applique {or hand stitch} your raw edge.




Each month Pat is also having a challenge project to go along with the Quilt Along theme. This month is a needle keeper. I still have to blanket stitch around the shapes and add the words, but at least I've started!
I missed the boat on February's project - a pie tote. You can see the projects in Pat's special flickr pool for these projects.



In the meantime, I am almost, ALMOST done my pattern for
I'm still fiddling with pictures.

Here's a question for you - actually a little survey!

Leave me a comment here letting me know if you would find it useful for a quilt pattern to include SPECIFIC finishing information for the pattern.

I'm wondering if I should include information on
how to make and add the hanging sleeve to a wallhanging quilt

What are your thoughts? Necessary or not?

Thanks for your feedback.
With Joy,
Sarah Vee

3 comments:

  1. Years ago when I was a newbie quilter, I would have appreciated instructions on making a hanging sleeve. At this point in my quilting life, I don't need things like that. So maybe include that kind of information if this pattern is geared for beginners?

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  2. Sarah, I am with Stacie on this one. If it is geared more with the beginner in mind, then yes instructions for a hanging sleeve is great! And beginner or not I always like finished sizes on blocks being sewn together as you find where you are making a mistake before you get everything all put together! :-) Thanks for sharing!

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  3. Likewise on the hanging sleeve, and actually I think everyone makes them a little differently. Your tree pattern is really cute - are you going to start designing more patterns? We will be able to say - "I knew her when..." I should have/could have done my water like yours too, but didn't - however I only cut the very edge of heat n bond, and use the insides.

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Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me. Your comments bring me JOY!