Friday, May 27, 2016

Lean Green Sewing Machine

 This is my green gardens sewing machine block.
Continuing the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color of the month, Green!
Out came the green pieces with nature or gardening themes. 
 What fun to find scraps with nature themes. I lay out the bits in a general shape, then start sewing them together. As before (click here for tutorial) I faced the scraps with interfacing to turn the edges. 
 I didn't want to smell the fusible, so I just pinned the machine to a background and sewed around the applique. Mistake. It shifted some and looks uneven. 

Don't look at that, look at the bee, the colorful dots, my own hand dyed picasso face fabric.
The lime flowers, the bird, the piece of dragonfly, the mary engelbreit gardener, and you can't see it but the fabric strip next to her is tiny white daisies on green.

There are palm trees of course, I was born in Florida...
 And to go with them, a turtle.




  I used rayon green thread to satin stitch around the applique. I do not love this look, so don't know if I'll try it again on the others or give each one a different look. I want a bold edge, so maybe a thick couched thread around it in the quilting stage... maybe black... Next time I'll be able to go outside to press the fusible so it will lay straighter for stitching as well.
linking to among other fine parties
sewcanshe

36 comments:

Maria said...

I love your whimsical sewing machine! If only our real machines could be so fun.

claudia said...

This has the best personality! I love your gardening/outdoors themed fabrics.

Glen QuiltSwissy said...

I have done the same thing, tried to do one of my Cajun Camps without fusing it down first. And had the same problem! I wonder what my mother did before fusible?

That said, your Nature Inspired Machine looks fabulous, dah-ling!

quiltedfabricart said...

Well, I'll say it again - you have the cutest fabrics! I love that little girl with the watering can. You wouldn't think all those prints would go together but they do. - nice job :-)

Jan said...

My prints are so boring and mundane compared to these

Angie in SoCal said...

I like that sewing machine! Thanks for linking to WIPs Be Gone so I could come admire it.

Susan said...

Next time you don't want to smell the fusible, put newspaper under the block. It tears off easily when you finish, and it keeps things from shifting. It's what I did before there was iron on fusible. Love the machine, though - green, my favorite!

Kaja said...

Love it. :-)

Debra said...

I love it! I am green with envy!

easyweimaraner said...

I like it!! Specially the part with the girl on the right fits so perfectly... we all grinned and remembered our last fight with the sewing machine... the mama ruined a brandnew dress on tuesday... oh boy :o(

Mary in Boulder said...

What a happy block. It would be fun to make a sewing machine cover from cute fun scraps like these.

Katie Z. said...

So cute! The fabrics are all so fun.

Julierose said...

I love your lean green machine (unfortunately I am no longer lean and green--more like old and gray!! ) anyhoo,( I have tried using satin stitching like that, too and found I didn't care for its look either)
...but, I use old telephone book papers and spend many an evening playing "froggy" (ribbit, rip-it")with them....hope you have a great Memorial day weekend...hugs, Julierose

Quiltdivajulie said...

As an alternative to fusible - have you tried Lara Bucella's new appliqué technique (her book is titled Crafted Appliqué). I've tried it and it works. No fusible, no smells.

GranthamLynn said...

Love this. Very bright and cheerful! I'm hoping to get to the sewing machine today! Thanks for coming over and visiting my critter post today. I'm following you!
Have a great weekend.

Kathy E. said...

What a great project and so sweet with your adorable fabrics! I'd like to try couching some day as I like the look. It would give an extra dimension to an applique like this. Thanks for the tutorial, too, LeeAnna!

Tails Around the Ranch said...

Oh my gosh, that is beyond adorable! Even though green is not my favorite color, but with the shades of pink this is just too cool for school! ღ

Kathy's A Quilter said...

This is a happy little unit!

sonja said...

A green lean bernina ish-shaped machine! i love IT!!

PaulaB quilts said...

Hooray for green gardens and fun things. Did I tell you we had an encounter with a snapping turtle last week? He wanted to cross the road two feet in front of us. Yours looks like he is on the go also.

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

Your sewing machines are so much fun! With all the great fabrics, you will have a quilter's I -Spy quilt going on there. I had to go back at the other colors that you've made, too. Love them!

Ivani said...

Love your green machine, beautiful bits of green fabrics.

Nell's Quilts said...

I think I still have a scrap or two of the little gardener. Love the green sewing machine.

Quilter Kathy said...

Love it... very fun!

Rajesh said...

This is really cool.

scraphappy said...

Such a cool block. Even if you can improve the process for next time, the result is still just adorable.

Heide said...

Such a fun block! Your green sewing machine is super whimsical! TFS!

Joanne said...

What a creative machine! Just like their owners! Changing moods with the projects! Love this one! I saw a string of flamingo garden lights in the store! Thought of you right away! The electrics are non compatable to the US or Canada. But maybe you have them there?

Magpie Sue said...

Well it's an awfully cute machine. A lime, perhaps, instead of an out-and-out lemon? ;- )

AlidaP said...

I really like how every single scrap tells a story! The edge looks pretty cool too! Thanks for sharing!!

Kate said...

It's a very fun block! Love the fabrics.

Deb A said...

Such a fun block! I think it came out great.

Sheila said...

I love your green sewing machine. Great prints!

Susan said...

You make me laugh - lean green sewing machine! It's still wonderful even though it shifted. You could try spray adhesive instead of fusible, or even some school glue around the edges and a few dots in the middle. Thanks for linking up to Midweek Makers!

Sew of Course said...

I love this! And there are several other methods to (temporarily) stick appliqué to a background, no need to use fusible if you don't like it.

Jo @ The Crafty Nomad said...

Totally cute, loving the little gardener