Tips & Tricks For Baltimore Blocks 3

Have you already visited the other two Tips & Tricks posts about my class with Elly Sienkiewicz?  If not, make your selection below.

Tips & Tricks for Baltimore Blocks 2

Tips & Tricks for Baltimore Blocks 1

Which brings us to #3.  What else could there be?  Oh so many things, and I am still not sure which to include and what to say.  Some of the most wonderful confidence boosters come from sharing your works in progress (WIPs) with friends.  Today I had the pleasure of spending the morning with my good friend from Yankee Valley Stitcher.  I got to help her with a few blog conundrums and share with  her in person my progress thus far on my Baltimore block from class (now two weekends ago).  What a warm fuzzy to hear her say how well I am doing!  Thanks Cindy!

What did she have the pleasure of hearing about this morning (aside from my two cents from my other two posts)?  Ultra suede is your friend!  Who knew it could be SO helpful for tiny little pieces that no one ever likes to needle turn!  In the block from class there are very tiny buds that resemble the shape of pussy willows in a vibrant red colour and some rather complicated looking calyxes.  Above, Elly delicately demonstrates how to stitch the inside corners on the calyx shapes using cotton fabric and the traditional needleturn method.

With a very fine-point pair of scissors that snip all the way to the end and the right colour of ultra suede, a lovely calyx can be formed, stitched, and finished in no time - and no edges to turn since ultra suede doesn't unravel or fray!

I used a piece of red cotton and appliqued the inner shape of the calyx first.  Then, with a small amount of basting glue, or glue stick, I secured the calyx shape in place for stitching.  Once the shape was secure, it gave a neat dimension to the greenery of the block since the stem was done using hand dyed silk ribbon instead of cotton fabric.

The pussy willow shapes in the original block (shown above from the finished sample quilt), are a cinch with the ultra suede.  A small colonial knot was added by the stitcher to the end of each bud  for some colourful accent.

However, it is important to use caution when completing portions of your applique shapes with ultra suede because it is two-sided.  One side has a more visible nap/fuzz than the other and often changes the colour slightly.  Make sure all the pieces you cut out and stick down for stitching are facing the appropriate side up!

And, once again, the best recommended thread is YLI Silk 100.  It was Elly's thread of choice, but stick with what you know if you prefer something different.  The finer the thread the better.  In terms of YLI Silk, there are so many colours to choose from, I'm sure a gal could end up with quite the collection.  However, having just a few staple colours works just fine too.

My favourite shade is #235.  It's a not too dark and not too light shade of beige/taupe that seems to blend well with just about everything.  I also have cream #242 and #212, greens #221, #247, 236 and reds in #252, and #256.  So far these shades are working just fine!

Have a great week and happy stitching!