Love Entwined

Well, I've done it again.  Started yet another complex project before finishing one of 20 others that I started. This one is Esther Alliu's Love Entwined.  It is based on a  "1790 Marriage Coverlet" that includes a heavily appliqued 31" center surrounded by 7 borders.  I'm not sure that I can stand to applique the same 24 swags as we get to the outer borders but I am interested up to border 2 anyway.

The center is supposed to look like this.

 The Australian paper sizing didn't work right for my US printer, even after scaling adjustments.  I also had decided to foundation piece some wedges so my mental version of  sewing this part was a little different anyway.

I was able to cut 3 wedges from each page I had printed by adding a seam allowances. (You can click on the picture to enlarge and get a better look).

I made a pattern piece like "Diagram 4" for the next smaller point. I will need to cut 4 of them out of fabric (no pattern or foundation attached).

 I went through the batik stash and picked these.
In retrospect, I wish I would have tried some of the pastels that I recently bought in place of the blue.

I numbered the piecing order (though I changed my mind part way through and did 1,2,3 on one side then 4/5 on the other) then lined up the left edge with the fabric edge.

I used a long quilting pin along the stitching line so it was easier to line up the next piece of fabric.

 Fabric right sides together. .  Here I've pulled back the 1/4" seam allowance so you can see that the pin is helping with alignment.

I also used the trick of holding the whole thing up to the light  so I could see that the fabric was lined up with the stitching line, but that doesn't photograph well.

 At first I was pinning that fabric down but as I got more comfortable, just held it in place while I flipped it back to the paper side.

 Follow the line for stitching.

 Cut away fabric to 1/4" from the stitching line.

 Finger press flat.

Repeat with other fabrics working outward.
Press well.  Trim to size and shape of the paper template.

 At the 8 wedge mark I was feeling pretty smug.

 I used the rotary cutter to make all the pink wedges, then sewed them to the paper backed wedges.

 I followed the lines on the paper side to make sure everything was precise.

 Still feeling pretty clever at this point, even though I realize this next step will end up with Y junctions.

 Making the 1/2 circle .... still going well.

 Being careful to only sew up to 1/4" from the end.

 Starting the victory dance

 But then there was that little bit about the final center seams.

They were resewn multiple times.

Maybe it would have gone better without the Heineken.

I'm guessing I've found the answer as to why the original had a circle motif appliqued on.  To hide the mess in the middle.

But with enough re-sewing and a bunch of spray starch, it's a reasonably impressive, detailed pieced star.  I may skip that center circle as I like it this way.  I can always add it later.

Then it's just a matter of removing the paper from the back.  The whole thing, from making the pattern to removing the paper when finished took one evening.



I won't be adding to the Yahoo Group page for this project.  I really disliked the format of that chat when I was working on Hearts Desire.  I spent a couple days recently trying to get involved in conversations and have concluded that I hate it even more now than I did then.   However, I know that several of my blog followers are moderators and/or participants in the group.  Feel free to mention, link, or even repost pics from this post if it applies.