I've been sitting on the next round of the row robin challenge I'm involved in since April 1st. Other things to finish up first but now I am free to get going on it. What arrived was a row of 4 Celtic applique blocks, beautifully done in earthtone batiks - oh be still my heart! I had a bit of a panic there, the responsibility of adding something that wouldn't ruin this wonderful start. There seemed no other answer than to add another row of applique, so that is what I'm doing. Do I have time to hand applique four blocks? Probably not. Am I going to rise to the challenge anyway? You bet!
Going through my books and files for ideas, I came across three cutwork patterns I'd saved and not used yet, the right size and I think a good balance for the Celtic ones. It was fairly simple to design a 4th one to go with them. Above is a picture showing from left to right the steps to making a pattern that can be traced around.
First, cut a square of freezer paper and fold it into eighths. Unfold it and trace 1/8th of the pattern onto the non-shiny side. I use a pencil for this, but if you have a steady hand, you can use a permanent pen.
Refold into eighths and staple next to the lines to hold the folds together.
Now cut along the lines - just like making construction paper snowflakes when you were a kid, right? Save those off-cuts; they can be used as negative image stencils or masks for bleach discharge or painting.
Finally, remove staples and open to reveal your beautiful pattern. If you are not fully happy with the design, you can refold and staple and make additional cuts until it's just the way you want.
With any luck, tomorrow I'll show you how to use this freezer paper pattern to easily transfer the design to fabric.
Going through my books and files for ideas, I came across three cutwork patterns I'd saved and not used yet, the right size and I think a good balance for the Celtic ones. It was fairly simple to design a 4th one to go with them. Above is a picture showing from left to right the steps to making a pattern that can be traced around.
First, cut a square of freezer paper and fold it into eighths. Unfold it and trace 1/8th of the pattern onto the non-shiny side. I use a pencil for this, but if you have a steady hand, you can use a permanent pen.
Refold into eighths and staple next to the lines to hold the folds together.
Now cut along the lines - just like making construction paper snowflakes when you were a kid, right? Save those off-cuts; they can be used as negative image stencils or masks for bleach discharge or painting.
Finally, remove staples and open to reveal your beautiful pattern. If you are not fully happy with the design, you can refold and staple and make additional cuts until it's just the way you want.
With any luck, tomorrow I'll show you how to use this freezer paper pattern to easily transfer the design to fabric.
No comments:
Post a Comment