Sunday, May 26, 2013

Lazer Cut - Appliqued Quilt

May 26 2013
Hello
Every year my sister goes to the Houston Tx International Quilt show. I had asked her to buy me a laser cut nativity, a cut out, that i had seen in a local quilt store. I even sent her a link to the item.
When she went to the show, she instead found, and bought a kit for a cut out nativity quilt. The kit included a magazine, Quilt It For Christmas 2003, which had an applique designed by Dilys Fronks. It also included instructions and the pattern for the nativity. It came with orangeish batik fabric, which i did not care for, but i had some beautiful blue batik fabric.
This worked out MUCH better, i could make a few.
First, i needed lots of fusible web, black fabric, and tiny scissors.
Using the rotary cutter, rulers, and cutting mat, i cut the fabrics and fusible webbing to the size i needed, with some extra. (always add extra for around the sides, the fusing isn't the best on the edges) I had to tape sections together, because the webbing was not big /wide enough.
I traced the nativity pattern onto the paper side of the fusible web. I had "colored in" with my pencil the sections which would be the base, So i did NOT cut that part out.

Cut out the white portions.
Following the fusing instructions of the web, i fused it onto the wrong side of the black fabric.
Holding my breath,  took my scissors and cut into the fused fabric. 
The magazine instructions called for 3 sections, but i only did two, and straightened off the top, to make it easier to hang.

I was getting sore fingers cutting, it took me a long time
ALL DONE !!
 Now the final trimming, then audition it against the batik fabric.

Reverse side
I have done several of these for family members. They are SO beautiful! But a lot of work.

BEAUTIFUL!
At one of the quilt classes i had taken, the teacher said, unless you are doing a binding around a curve, you do not have to do bias binding. BUT on this, the cut work binding is SO beautiful, i have to do it that way.

Need Blue-Black-Blue sections, and Black-Blue-Black sections, to alternate.
Two segments, one blue- black- blue, and one  black- blue- black. Cut at a 45 degree angle. The instructions called for some strips to be cut at one inch wide and some at 1" and 1/4" wide, i did them all the same at, 1+ 1/4".

45 degree angles. at 1 and 1/4 " inch wide
measure twice, cut once ?

Pieces all cut
 Need to sew them together alternating the segments, sewing them together at an ANGLE.
Need to sew them together at an angle
You eventually get the swing of things in sewing them together, and needing to leave a little point sticking out.


Pinned the bottom section, and ready to sew the top to the bottom, together as one through to the Backing and Batting.
First I stitched the middle strip to the top part.

Sewing the top section, to the bottom, as I sew it all through to the Batting and Backing.

I turned the top part down, on top of the bottom, and sewed the two pieces together, through all the layers.
After pressing the top section i pinned it to the Batting and Backing.
First stitching was the other side of the middle strip.
I Sewed with a straight stitch all around the cut outs, through all the layers. I did try to work from the inside to outer edges.
I Sewed with a straight stitch all around all the sections, through all the layers.
Next, adding the binding.

Adding the binding.
 Trimming away the extra batting and backing.

Make sure the corners are well tucked in.


I had a slight mishap as i trimmed away the extra. I hadn't made sure the folded binding, in the corner, was out of the way, and snipped it a tad. Thankfully i was able to fix it.
I added 2 loops as hangers as i sewed on the binding.
Two years later, WHEW! 
BEAUTIFUL!!

Love Diane