This week I have been preparing some Life Is Beautiful blocks to applique and wanted to show you my favourite tools. First of all, I dislike making templates, so I look around the house for something that is the right size to trace. For this project I am using the lid of a Christmas candle to make my sewing line because it's the perfect size.
I love the Bohin mechanical chalk pencil to draw my stitching lines. The chalk makes a fine line that is easy to see, stays on long enough to follow the lines to sew, and then the marks come off with an eraser or will wash off. The refill leads come in different colours, but I have only ever used the white.
Here's my next block ready to applique. I have clipped the seam allowances all the way around the circle and am using my teeny tiny applique pins that never catch the thread. I have a few blocks ready to applique today.
What are you hand stitching today? I hope you can take some time to tell us about your project and link up your blog post below.
18 comments:
I just love this project! I can never seem to find the right sized circle when I need one!
I must admit I also use things around the house to make circles. I used the inside of a roll of sticky tape for the circles in the block for The 1857 Album Quilt in my current post.
Kathleen Mary
I blog at https://kathysnest32.wordpress.com/
I love to improvise with household items when I need to. I just think of all those talented quilters from years ago who did not have a local store or the internet to provide them with just the right tool and yet they made quilting masterpieces.
I like these mechanical pencils also, I have a different brand but they work the same. Nice project to work on. I have a bunch of circles from Karen K. Buckly of mylar but if I need a size I do not have I look all over the house a well
I zoomed in on your photo and it was interesting to work out what you were doing. Enjoy the rest of your day :)
I usually make do for templates too and use mechanical pencils also - chalk based and otherwise. But for applique (I don't do much) I use pins and my thread gets caught. I think I bought applique pins last year on clearance but don't know where I put them so I've never used them.
I use whatever I can get my hands on too. Good work
Enjoy your stitching today, Kathy! :)
I will have to look for those mechanical pencils, great idea using the lid as a template. Happy stitching.
I love those mechanical chalk pencils, too! Necessity is the mother of invention, right?! Enjoy your slow stitching today! :)
I love seeing your process and your progress on your Life is Beautiful quilt. Happy stitching.
Oh yes I also dislike making templates. Today I put the last stitches attaching the binding. And now the table runner is done!
I'm not a template person either. Enjoy your day of slow stitching.
Today here the day're wet, instead of sewing am enjoying to crochet ... good Sunday ....
hugs from Brazil
Hmmm, maybe I need to give that chalk marker a try.
Thanks for showing us about the Bohin chalk marker. I haven't seen them before but maybe I should check them out. I saw in one of Gwen Marston's older books that she recommended Verithin colored pencils in white (for dark colors) and silver (for light colors). I check a local art/craft store but they didn't carry Verithin. Maybe the local quilt store will have Bohin.
--Nancy. (ndmessier @ aol.com, joyforgrace.blogspot.com)
A lot of applique all the week for me !
Ooh, now that's a different way of making your circles - I don't do any clipping, I run a line of gathering stitches close to the edge and pull it up over the template. I like the look of your Bohin pencil - it gives a really fine line doesn't it, much better than the tailors chalk I sometimes use and easier to get rid of than pencil perhaps? Thanks for the tip, I'm going to look out for that one!
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