WIP: Stitchface

Okay, wow. I have a lot to report. Because much of it involves backtracking and pictures, I've been dreading writing this post, but we are moving forward again. So.

Despite the basting session that crippled me, the layers shifted as I was beading the edges of the quilt (hi-ya!):



So I de-beaded most of what I'd done and am re-doing. The key seems to be folding the edges in like a fan, NOT like a cinnamon roll. Beading without my hand right next to the row of beads is out of the question, so like a fan it will have to be. It seems to be working a bit better:



During the low period between realizing I'd need to (to borrow a knitting term because I like the violence of it even though it's technically inaccurate) rip the beads and actually ripping the beads, I did this:



In one hour. I think I'll end up doing more of these sketch quilts.

WIP: Stitchface loses its moniker.

So. Scratch the Burden stitch. I just liked how it looked better without the yellow over top of it, so off it came.


I got the borders of Guatemalan fabric sewn on and cleaned the kitchen floor yesterday so I could get the thing basted. I've been pretty anti-basting in the past, and yesterday's 3+ hour session sucked pretty hard. I've seen a "basting gun" advertised - it's like one of those guns that clothing retailers use to put tags into garments. That would be better than the whole pin and then thread baste method I'm stuck with, but I'd really much rather have a Basting Elf, who would tell me jokes while she worked.

At any rate, that's done and I'm not planning any big projects anytime soon. These little quilts let you get away with a safety pin in each corner.

WIP: formerly The Tree Quilt, now known as Stitchface.

On I go with the Burden stitch on the beams. The 'beams. It's fiddly and repetitive and I'm enjoying it.

I'm using a rayon thread for the base stitches, overlaid with alternating four shades of yellow. You can't really see the difference between the shades without looking very closely. This is what I'm going for - like how, with episodes of Arrested Development, each time you watch them you catch another joke or allusion, it just gets more and more complex. I want to make stuff that you can look deeper into.

The burden stitch through the applique and base fabric is giving the whole thing an interesting texture -- it appears to be very woven, which couldn't have worked out better with the Guatemalan fabrics. If I had actually planned that, I'd be a genius. It's also causing the orange fabric strips in the applique to appear much less distinct from one another, which is another effect that worked out well.