Monday, September 14, 2009

A Little More Productive

Finished some things! The witch is about 9 inches square. (Yes, Bob, this time it is a hot pad!) I actually had done the strip piecing around this image several years ago, but decided not to finish it, so all I had to do was trim, quilt minimally, and bind. This is an old Alexander Henry fabric that I absolutely love. I have used every scrap of it now, and am so sad. The witches are wonderful; there's one pushing a baby carriage with a pumpkin in it, handbag over her arm, and raven perched on the front of the carriage. That's my favorite, I think.


This is just one of several postcards of various styles I made. This is another Alexander Henry fabric, and I've exhausted the good images from it also, but the whole fabric was beautiful, with pumpkins on an indigo and black background. Alexander Henry is a wonderful line of fabric. The designs are a bit edgy, not usually cutesy or saccharine sweet like some novelty fabrics are. The color are unexpected too, like the red on the witch fabric and the deep blue on the pumpkin one. These fabrics are hard to find around here, unfortunately. I guess they're not everyone's cup of tea.



Usually I couch yarn around postcards using the method Nellie wrote about in this wonderful tutorial. But yesterday I decided to use the couching/cording foot on the Janome. It worked beautifully. There are three slots for cords on the foot, and I put the cord in the right hand one, lining the edge of the card up with the center one. The zig-zag pulled the cord up against the card very neatly.

9 comments:

Beena said...

Glad you are feeling a little more productive...maybe it will rub off on me, too! Love your small halloween pieces, and those edgier AH fabrics you used. I can see why you love the fabrics!

Nellie's Needles said...

Fun!

Candace said...

They're adorable, Kay! I love the red background on the witch and how you used green as a contrast!
Cheers!

Joyce said...

I have a cording foot that I love too. Those are wonderful fabrics indeed! And you put them to good use.

Libby Fife said...

The postcards and hot pad look good. I have to look at my sewing feet to see if I have a cording foot. I have only done it so far with soft yarn and my regular foot. I really like the idea though so thanks for mentioning it.

The Calico Cat said...

I have (had - I think have) some of that witchy fabric in each color way. Which is funny because I am not a halloween gal perse. (I have a halloween quilt though) I got them for the kitties. I kept a few of the Halloween prints that I got "for the kitty." Some made it into my halloween kitty quilt while others were send on to someone who might love them...

I think I kept those for "just in case."

Oy was I all over or what - I hope you got the gist of what I was saying - "I like that print too."

*karendianne. said...

Glad to read you're a bit more in your groove there. I like what I'm seeing coming out of the basement. Actually, it makes me smile. How fun to receive these postcards.

I was interested in reading about your foot deal with the Janome. You're really coming to find many reasons to be pleased with this machine, aren't you?

Back to your feet (hee) though. When my Mom was here with her machine and skills, I was showing her this fabric, stabilizer box thing I wanted to do. She thought "neat" but I pointed out the edges needing finishing with stitching of cording or somesuch deal. She again thought "neat" and said "no problem" but wasn't at all interested in assisting me with that. (this is 'cause of my 'tude though...)

Barbara C said...

These look great. I remembered your Halloween postcards today when I stopped in at the fabric store. I love Halloween fabrics too, but none of the current lines caught my eye.

Liz in Kansas said...

I love Alexander Henry prints. I think you have two of the best, though. They look like great fun!