Sheer Ribbon Illusions - 2013

How sad to hear the news about Libby Lehman's brain aneurism. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family at this difficult time.  We all wait for her to regain consciousness and start on her long recovery.  

Our first challenge set by SewCalGal this year is Sheer Ribbon Illusions set by Libby way back in January of this year.  I have only got around to attempting it now having watched the show on TQS.  A "splat" was drawn onto freezer paper and then sewn with a metalic thread onto my chosen piece of fabric.  The freezer paper was then removed, leaving the outline of the design on the fabric.  The square of fabric was then put into a hoop and pulled very tight.  I chose to scribble in red and green embroidery thread (bad choice) and then outlined the shape with a yellow metalic thread.  Mmm not like Libby's where she used a "highlight" metalic thread which certainly looked far better.  But being in SA and not having the beautiful Aurifil threads in our fabric shops, I had to settle for second (or third) best!  I then made up a quilt sandwich with backing and batting and quilted a loopy squiggle in the center and all around the ribbon design.  I did not find the soft satiny fabric the easiest to sew as it frayed terribly, so won't be using that again any time soon!

Here is a pic of the quilting almost done. 

I decided to made a cushion for want of something to use it for and to add piping to the edge.  Oh dear, my new machine has a crazy zipper foot which cannot be used to make piping; so off with the cover of my Bernina to find that the needle alignment is so "out" that the needle could not go far enough to the side.  So now, what do I do.  Let me try my 46 year old Elna automatic.  Hey presto!  It worked beautifully; my beautiful old baby did the job perfectly.

I happened to have a pillow form waiting to be used. 

Thank you Sewcalgal for this first tutorial.  I enjoyed doing it but can't say that I would do it again.  Libby's quilts are beautiful though and I hope she is able to return home to enjoy them.

 
I should have chosen my two colours differently to really get the effect of "sheer ribbon illusions", perhaps a paler shade of a colour would have worked better.  Oh well, we learn by our mistakes.