Web Bonus
to “Terrifically Tactile” CME November/December 2007
Explore and appliqué! Learn fabric texturizing
techniques shown in the CME November/December 2007
issue, then use your stitched samples as ornament appliqués
in this easy-to-stitch holiday wallhanging by designer Rebecca Kemp
Brent. See "Terrifically Tactile" on pages 54 to 59 of
the November/December 2007 issue for fabric manipulation instructions.
Click here for back issue ordering
information.
Wall Hanging
Supplies Note: All yardages are for woven fabrics with
at least 40" of usable width.
1/2 yard of blue tone-on-tone for background
1 yard of contrasting print for borders
Scraps of fuchsia, purple, gold and green fabrics for appliqués
Tear-away stabilizer
1/4" wide flat gold braid
1/4" wide fusible web tape
Fusible quilt batting
Embroidery, bobbin and sewing threads
Appliqué ornament embroidery designs of your choice
Cutting
From the blue fabric, cut a 12 1/2" x 30 1/2" rectangle.
From the print fabric, cut a 16 1/2" x 34 1/2" rectangle
for the backing, two 2 1/2" x 34 1/2" strips for side
borders, and two 2 1/2" x 16 1/2" strips for top and
bottom borders.
From the fusible batting, cut a 16 1/2" x 34 1/2"
rectangle.
Construction
Lay the batting, fusible side up, on a pressing surface. Center
the blue rectangle, right side up, on the batting (there will
be a 2" margin of batting all around). Cover with a non-stick
press cloth to protect the iron and press to fuse the fabric to
the batting.
Mark
three embroidery locations on the blue fabric as shown in (A).
The measurements are taken from the upper and left edges of the
blue fabric, not the batting.
Finger-press strips of 1/4"-wide fusible tape to the blue
fabric, extending from the fabric's upper edge to the embroidery
locations. Remove the protective paper from each strip, cover
with 1/4" wide gold braid and press to fuse, following the
manufacturer's directions.
Texturize the fuchsia, purple and gold fabrics with pintucks
as detailed in "Terrifically Tactile" in the November/December
2007 Creative Machine Embroidery. The
purple fabric is decorated with groups of straight twin needle
pintucks; the fuchsia fabric, with intersecting twin needle pintucks;
and the gold, with serpentine stitch twin needle pintucks.
Hoop the batting and fabric with the first location centered.
Float tear-away stabilizer under the hoop for additional stability.
Embroider the design, using the texturized fabrics and other fabric
scraps as appliqué materials. Repeat to stitch all three
ornaments.
When embroidery is complete, carefully tear away the excess
stabilizer and press the project. Maneuver the iron around the
texturized appliqués to avoid flattening them.
Lay the embroidered fabric and batting, wrong side up, on the
work surface. Smooth the backing fabric, right side up, onto the
batting wrong side. The edges should match. Pin along all four
edges.
Press under 1/4" on one long edge of each border strip.
Lay a short border piece along the upper edge of the backing,
right sides together, matching raw edges.
Lay
the remaining short border strip along the lower edge, right sides
together, matching raw edges. Lay a long border strip along each
side of the project, right sides together, matching the raw edges
and overlapping the upper and lower strips (B).
Stitch around all four edges with a 1/4" seam.
Trim
the corners to reduce bulk. Turn the border strips to the wall
hanging right side and press the edges (C). Note:
Remember that the batting's fusible surface is exposed around
the center panel, so exercise caution while pressing.
Pin the borders' pressed edges in place, overlapping the embroidered
central section 1/4". Topstitch the pressed border edges
through all layers to complete the banner.
Sources Rebecca Kemp Brent is a freelance author, designer and educator
and a regular contributor to Creative Machine Embroidery.
Her most recent book is Fill in the Blanks with Machine Embroidery.
Designs: In the Hoop Designs, Christmas Cheer Appliqué Collection
5" x 7", designs
RoundXmasBall, TeardropXmasBall
Credits Floriani fusible batting from RNK Distributing.
Steam-A-Seam 2 fusible web tape from The Warm Company.
Mark
three embroidery locations on the blue fabric as shown in (A).
The measurements are taken from the upper and left edges of the
blue fabric, not the batting.
Lay
the remaining short border strip along the lower edge, right sides
together, matching raw edges. Lay a long border strip along each
side of the project, right sides together, matching the raw edges
and overlapping the upper and lower strips (B).
Trim
the corners to reduce bulk. Turn the border strips to the wall
hanging right side and press the edges (C). Note:
Remember that the batting's fusible surface is exposed around
the center panel, so exercise caution while pressing. 