Step 1) Cut (2) 5" squares of muslin/white fab. With both of them stacked together, start sewing from one end to the other quickly while doing flips, turns, circles, haha, until you have lines crisscrossed over the bulk of the piece. Pretend you are making a road map. (leave 1/2" margin all around untouched).
Step 2) Next, flip the piece to the backside (yep, I love the back best) and with crayons, felt tip markers, or colored pencils, start coloring in the sections! Don't try to make something out of the object yet, just continue to add different colors side by side until it's pleasing.
Step 3) Next I FMQ'd with black thread around the shapes to highlight those areas. Add some interesting squiggles, curlycues, etc. for interest or threadpaint; just don't overdo. Little is much in a little mini!
Step 4) Square up to 4.75"
Step 5) Chainsew 1.5" squares together for all sides of fabs chosen to compliment the object and join all borders together.
Step 6) Add backing 1" larger than the front. Add batting which is cut same size as the front.
Step 7) Do a tri-fold of the sides of the mini. HA the sides in place to the front of the mini.
Step 8) Next do a tri-fold of the backing's top and bottom to the front, pin in place and HA it.
Step 9) Finish off with MQ or HQ!! Add a tab-top ring to the back and hang in place!!
Step 10) Give your creation a name after you've determined what it is!!
Step 11) To set your art work, a hot iron should be used on a cloth covering your work so the crayons will not wash out as easily. Only the Crayola set are washable so that art work would be lost if you wash the item. However, the other set of crayons are more permanent and the heat pressing cloth would embed it all better.
The reason the back looks better when done is that it turns out puffier looking because of the bobbin thread and my 1st piece I framed without coloring in the spaces and it looked like I had some elaborate design and spent months (haha) on when I actually spent 2 min. on racing like crazy on the machine!!
When finished, try to imagine a title for your creation! I thought mine resembled a teacup with a plant in it but Flower Pot fit better.
Have fun with it!! It's so crazy what you can end up with! Just relax and let it happen on its own and it will!! Coordinating theme colors of your design with border fabrics adds a nice touch!
Happy sewing!
n2
Last edited by n2scraplvr; 09-07-2013 at 08:23 PM.