Notes to self: "A little spice goes a long way," "Less is more," and "It's all in the details."
These 4-patch blocks were pieced with squares from a charm pack from
Diamond Textiles and leftovers from
jackets I made with these fabrics. These yarn-dyed cotton fabrics are rich with texture. Some have a pronounced plaid or check while others have a more subtle pattern. A few have a brushed surface. They all whisper, "comfort."
My original ideas was to combine the 4-patches with wool appliqué blocks.
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| Auditioning the 4-patch blocks with wool appliqué. |
But there needed to be a better dialog between the brighter colors of the wool and the 4-patch blocks.
Enter: 12 wt. thread (Spaghetti from WonderFil Threads) and decorative stitches!
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| Sewing across the seams with decorative stitches. |
Putting my sewing machine's built-in decorative stitches to work not only started the "color conversation" but it was fun to experiment with fabric pattern and stitch combinations.
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| Decorative machine stitches using 12 wt. thread. |
WonderFil's 12 wt. cotton thread holds its own. The decorative stitches add detail and color to the blocks. I do like to "spin" the seam allowances at the intersection of the 4-patch blocks (see photo below). This makes a flatter seam and easier sewing of the decorative stitches across the intersection. You will be thankful you used this seam allowance technique when you get to the quilting step, too.
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| Spinning the seam allowances on the 4-patch blocks. |
I am pleased with how this sprinkling of decorative stitches is adding a wonderful new flavor to my 4-patch blocks.
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| 4-patch blocks with decorative machine stitches in 12 wt. threads. |
Hey there, blog stalker: do you add decorative stitches to your patchwork or appliqué?
