Stonefields Block 19 "The Oscillator," First of Two

Good Morning and Happy Friday, my lovelies!  It's been a busy week, but I managed to finish another appliqué block for my Stonefields quilt (pattern by Susan Smith).  Behold Block #19, "The Oscillator."

Stonefields Block 19 "The Oscillator"

I deliberately did not crop that photo because I wanted to show the difference between my hand stitched appliqué (the green and blue shapes at the bottom of the photo) and my machine stitched appliqué using the stitch I created with the Stitch Designer feature in my Bernina B990 sewing machine.  The size and spacing of the stitches is nearly identical and with Aurifil 100 wt monofilament thread in my needle and Microquilter 100 wt polyester thread in my bobbin, the machine stitches really do look just like my hand stitches in YLI 100 wt silk thread, even under inspection with bright lights and reading glasses.  I'm glad I took the time to customize that stitch on my machine so that I can switch between hand and machine stitching on the same project without any visible difference from one block to the next.

By the way, even using the sewing machine, this is "slow stitching" for sure.  It's like "hand stitching with a machine needle," as Harriet Hargrave said in a workshop I took with her years ago.  Very slow and deliberate stitching under bright lighting, one stitch at a time, constantly pivoting to keep those swing "bite" stitches perpendicular to the edge of the appliqué shape just as if I was hand stitching.  

Size 60 Microtex Needles Leave Visible Holes on Liberty Lawn, But They Will Close Up

The one thing that distracts me on this new block is that the needle holes are more visible on the machine stitched block than on my hand stitched blocks.  I use the smallest size 60 Microtex machine needle for this method, but my size 12 Bohin hand applique needle is skinnier than any needle that could go in a sewing machine.  The other difference is that the hand stitched block below used Tilda quilting cotton fabrics, and I used Liberty of London Tana Lawn prints for my Oscillator block.  The Liberty Lawn is a much lighter weight fabric with a finer, tighter weave and I think the different fabric characteristics are why the needle holes are so apparent right now.  I would expect my machine needle holes to be more pronounced with a batik fabric for the same reasons.  The good news is that needle holes close up when you wet the fabric yarns around them, so I'm not worried about it (I promise!).  It's just an observation.  Every time I step into my studio, my Gemini brain splits into two personalities, The Artist and The Scientist, both asking "What would happen if I tried it THIS way?"

As with any of the blocks in this quilt, I began by reading the very sparse, so-called "instructions" for the block, comparing the line drawn pattern to the photos of blocks in designer Susan Smith's own quilt, and then weighing the pros and cons of different construction methods.  I think all my "pattern" gave me for this block was a suggestion to use a different "light print" for each petal and a warning that it might be challenging to fit all of the petals on this block.  

Test Fitting Prepared Edge Petals to Oscillator Block Pattern

Obviously, the directive about using "light colored prints" is optional.  My natural inclination would be to use medium or dark toned fabrics for better contrast against my light neutral background fabric, but one of the things I love about Susan Smith's Stonefields Quilt is the way it resembles an antique quilt.  I think the lower contrast overall and the use of so many light prints was key to achieving that look, because antique quilts are typically faded and were often used with unstable dyes that lost their vibrancy with the passage of time.  So I kept that in mind as I selected my Liberty prints for my petals.  

On to the actual construction considerations!  I traced one petal/blade/whatever onto template plastic and then shifted it around the line drawn block pattern, comparing it to the other petal shapes.  Sure enough, each petal on the block pattern was slightly different in shape and size.  This does not make it a "bad" pattern, it's just something I wanted to be aware of.  This particular applique shape is not at all difficult to do as needle turn applique, but I know that needle turn applique has more potential for slight variations from one shape to the next, even if you're using the same fabrics and methods and have traced around the same template for every shape.  If I was doing this block the needle turn method, I'd be pinning only a couple of petals on the block at a time before stitching and, if later petals weren't fitting, I'd have to squeeze them in and change their shape potentially to make them fit between already stitched petals.  The big advantage to turning the edges of all six petals before glue basting them to the block was that I could adjust the positioning of all of the petals very accurately with the edges preturned and no overlapping seam allowances to contend with.  

I've used Mary Ellen's Best Press, Niagara Spray Starch and also Magic Sizing for prepared edge applique in the past and don't have a strong preference for one over the other.  I used Niagara Spray Starch this time, just sprayed it into the cap and waited for the foam to come down so I could dab it onto my seam allowance with my stencil brush and press the fabric allowances smoothly over the template edges with a medium-hot iron.

Here's a thing I often forget!  If I'm making a template for a needle turn applique shape that I'm going to trace on the RIGHT side of my fabric, I always trace the pattern onto my template plastic and use the template right side up.  Prepared edge applique shapes get traced on the WRONG side of my fabric, though, so with a shape that is not symmetrical I have to remember to trace the applique shape, flip it over, and label THAT as the "up" side of the template.  That way, after pressing the fabric edges over the template and turning my applique shape right side up again, the applique shape will match the orientation of the pattern.  This is one of those mistakes that I keep learning from again and again...  ;-)

Reverse Template for Non Symmetrical Applique Shapes

With this block I was able to use one of Karen Kay Buckley's reusable Perfect Circle templates for the center and did not have to cut out my own template for that shape.

Lastly, I did cut away the background fabric behind the petals of this block after stitching them, and regretted it as soon as I'd done it.  With the single applique layer and the thinness of the Liberty lawn fabrics it wasn't necessary from a bulk standpoint, and it kind of flattened them out when the background behind them was removed.  Probably won't be as noticeable when there's batting behind it in the finished (someday!) quilt.  I need to make one more block like this one (but with different fabrics).  Here's what the design wall looks like this morning:

19 Stonefields Blocks + 27 Hexagon Border Rosettes

Well, it was morning when I started writing this.  I stepped away from the computer at the beck and call of laundry machines, answered tax questions from our accountant, met with our construction supervisor about what we can expect next week (cabinets at last, yay!) and worked on finalizing a custom hardware order and double checking every knob and hinge with Bernie, so hopefully it's correct.  And now here we are, 3:30 in the afternoon, nothing eaten for lunch and nothing cut or sewn!  

Plans for the upcoming week include making my second Oscillator block for Stonefields and perhaps even prepping another block or two for stitching.  I have a lot of music to review for Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday and that may cut into my stitching time.  I'm hoping to drag my darling husband to a craft festival at a brewery tomorrow -- CRAFT Charlotte (The Charlotte Region Arts, Fibers & Textiles Guild) is the all-hand-crafts guild sponsoring the event and it's at the Petty Thieves Brewery both Saturday and Sunday, if anyone reading this is local and would like to attend.  More info can be found on their website here.

Needle & Thread Thursday, Yea or Nay?

One more thing -- Kelly Young has been hosting the NTT Needle & Thread Thursday linky party on her blog My Quilt Infatuation for over thirteen years, and she has decided that is enough years of being the Quilty Hostess With the Mostess.  Last week's NTT party was her final hurrah.  😭. I always liked that NTT was such an open and inclusive theme, inviting bloggers to link up any kind of textile project whether it was a quilt, a bag, a slipcover or a garment.  Whether "slow stitched" by hand or by machine, knitted or crocheted or embroidered, whether in progress or completed, all of that works for the NTT linky party.  But I do notice that a lot of us are linking up the same blog posts to the same handful of linky parties every week.  So my question for you is, if I were to take over hosting Needle & Thread Thursday for Kelly, how many of you would plan on participating?  Is NTT distinct enough from the other linky party themes that it's worth keeping it going here without Kelly at the helm?  I can't promise to fill Kelly's footsteps completely but I would do my best if enough people were interested.  Let me know what you think.

I'm linking up with some of my favorite linky parties:

MONDAY

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts  

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs  

TUESDAY

To-Do Tuesday at Quilt Schmilt  

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

FRIDAY

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Off the Wall Friday at Nina Marie Sayre

Beauty Pageant at From Bolt to Beauty

 TGIFF Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday, rotates, schedule found here: TGIF Friday

SUNDAY

Frédérique at Quilting Patchwork Appliqué

Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy's Quilts

Oh Scrap! at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework