A Christmas swap!

I’ve been in an improv quilting bee for the last couple of years, to get my improv skills some exercise, called ModQimprovB.  The ladies in the group helped contribute made-fabric for one of the projects in my book, and I am so grateful for their friendship. Although I have been more an absentee member this year with everything going, they have graciously let me join in the Christmas swap, which is pretty much the only swap I participate in.

This year, I got my friend Ronnie’s name.  Ronnie was there with me at Quilters Take Manhattan right after I found out my book had been accepted, so she’s been in on this whole crazy journey from the beginning!  I got kind of excited, because Ronnie is also a motorcycle chick, and I new that I could do some fun things for her swap that were a little different. Without letting her know I had her, I had to figure out if my ideas were going to fly, so I posted this pic to see if she’d like the skull fabric! I don’t have the selvedge any more, but this is an Alexander Henry print from about 7 years ago.

I really *really* wanted to use one of the designs from Urban Threads that was alterna-crafty, and I picked this “Sew or Die” design.  They had quilty ones and stitching ones, but I really loved the skulls on this one, since they matched my fabric, and the fabric is part of the whole point, right?

I used wool that I had felted from a recycled blazer, and had to pick out a section that was going to not show the little imperfections in the fabric, like little holes and such.  Then I got my stitch on.  For about three hours.

When I was done, I wasn’t totally thrilled with my choice for hooping.  I had used a peel and stick stabilizer to keep the wool in place because I had been worried about quilting through the stabilizer, and wanted something that would tear away, but the wool has so much movement I needed something more stable, like a fusible sheer mesh. (I’m still learning!)

 

At the end, I cut the wool in the shape of a heart, and drew out the flames on my stabilizer, using the technique for machine finished turned applique that I learned from Cristy and Sharon. I appliqued that down first, and then layered my heart over and used my triple blanket stitch (number XX on my B790) to applique the wool down.  I had already wanted to have a trapunto-like look, and it also helped manage some of the extra fabric, so I sliced open the back and used wool batting cut slightly smaller than the heart shape to fill up the space.  Then I layered and quilted the top as I normally would, i.e. simply, because the fabric is so busy.  I outlined the applique motifs, and outlined the embroidery to make it stand out a bit, and a few flame-y things in the background but that’s it.

I love love love how this turned out!  I need to make one for me now, I think, or perhaps actually buy that jean jacket I’ve wanted since the 80s and put this embroidery on the back…