BLOG 53

This week I have had to make significant progress with my Hollyhocks wall hanging. I have submitted it as one of the exhibits for the Gresford Festival of Crafts on June 14^th – 17^th! The tools are pinked and fluted rotary cutters and the building block are squares made from ready fused strips of ‘painterly’ fabric.

Tools and block

Little progress had been made at the start of the week and it has hung on my wall like this for ages. The squares are staggered in their placement and I like to use diagonal strips to give movement to the background. The flowers are free cut independently.

Background and flowers

Progress was concentrated and rapid this week and the wall hanging quickly took shape. I have always found that I work better towards a dead line; perhaps it is the fear of failure that concentrates my mind and motivates my actions!

Hollyhocks

Hollyhocks detail 1

Hollyhocks detail 2

Rather than bind the edges I prefer to use a turn-through finish, a method I picked up from US teacher Melody Johnson. I use cotton batting because I need to iron the fused picture onto it and ‘Warm and Natural batting’ is my preferred choice. The batting and backing fabric are trimmed at the same time as I straighten the edges of picture so I know that all three layers are exactly the same size; this is important! The picture is ironed onto the batting to stick it in place and then I prepare the backing fabric with an escape hatch. A 1 ½” strip of fusible web is ironed onto the WS of the backing fabric, about 2” from the top edge, and I cut through the middle of this with a rotary cutter to leave 1” at either end. The backing is then placed RS down onto the picture and batting layer, and pinned thoroughly so that there is no movement during sewing. If the trimming was accurate the edges should meet perfectly. I then sew all around the edges with a ¼” seam allowance, with 2 diagonal stitches across each corner.

Escape hatch

Once the corners have been trimmed, the picture is turned RS out through the escape hatch. The corners are gently eased out with a blunt tool to make them rounded and the edges are pressed to make sure that the backing is not visible on the front.

Turning through

It has not been quilted yet but the three layers are together and the picture lies flat and straight. This week will be spent adding texture and detail by machine to bring it all to life and to secure the fused pieces of fabric.