Stitching Stitching Stitching...

Like many of you out there, I have been enjoying myself with lots of stitching on my Vignette In Stitches Quilt:

 
I am really enjoying late nights full of stitching. There's something nice about being up late working away when everyone else is tucked up sleeping and you have the house to yourself (and the t.v.!) and your stitching:

 
I have received quite a few emails regarding piecing your blocks together and then tracing the stitchery on (as per how I have written the pattern in Vignette) or if it's okay to trace first and then piece and stitch, or trace and stitch and then piece. Let me say that any which way that suits you, and you are comfortable with, is completely okay.

In the above photo you can see I have pieced a few of the small pieces of fabric and then, using the seam (on the right in the photo) and the 1/4" seam lines on the paper as a guide, traced on the stitchery design. I also do this on most small pieces:

 
Then, once I have these all done and the block totally pieced together, I trace on the long floral border. The reason for this is so that I can be really accurate with my tracing. Of course I use a permanent pen for tracing, which leaves me no room for error or adjustment. If you use an erasable pen (of whatever description) you can be a lot more flexible.

 
The reason that I advise against tracing and stitching before cutting and piecing, is only for accuracy of where the stitchery ends up. So if you are really confident I think it's okay to do the stitchery and then piece, but personally, I'm never that confident. What can happen is this:

 
Something like the butterfly wing (top right) gets caught up in the seam. Now don't worry if this does happen because I can assure you that with as much stitchery as is in this quilt no-one will ever notice something like this but you!

I hope this helps answer a few questions out there; and please remember that you can always use any technique you like that you enjoy, my patterns are a guide and a starting point for your own creations!

Enjoy!

Leanne Beasley xxx

Comments

[fran batten]

Hi Leanne could you please let me know where i can get the same material as you have used in this project. I am in Melbourne for a week and is there some where around the preston area that sells the same material. I am from Cairns and would really like to use the same material as you have used.
Thank you
fran Batten

[Berit]

Really cute little designs!

[Shey]

I grow up with my grandma, i remember the times that she teach me on that stitching.lol it realy makes my eye and back tired. But it is a good past time work. Well i see, all tour design is very eye catching its amazing. .

[Jan]

Such pretty stitching and great pictures!

[SuzK]

Your workmanship is so beautiful. While I agree with you that the embroiderer would probably be the only one that noticed that butterfly, if it did bother someone, they could pick up the stitch on the white and carry it onto the border and pretend they meant to do that! :0)

[Marian]

What beautiful things you make!
Greetings from the Netherlands.

[leeanne]

You offer such down to earth easy to understand instructions and of course lovely stitching!
It is a feast for the eyes visiting your blog.