Hi Everyone! During day’s 2&3 I was able to add 4 more strips around the perimeter of the panel. Progress!! That makes a total of 6 rows of 3″ strips around the center panel. It doesn’t seem like much, but that took me quite a bit of time to accomplish. Keep in mind the process is pressing, measuring, cutting, sewing and then pressing again. I’ve really enjoyed the whole process so far.
The above left photo is a 1/4 of the piece and the above right is the top half. It’s not easy to get a good photo with the piece being so large now. The photo on the left is the full size of the piece at this stage. 6 full 3″ strips sewn around the center panel. I still have to add to the width but my length is good. So many decisions were made to get me to this point. It’s been an adventure so far, but on to the next part.
At the beginning of day 2 I ran into a little snag. My fairly new Sharp Steam Iron died. Got it only about 6 months ago and it never really worked too well. It always made this weird chirping sound whenever I used it, but then it just died. Luckily my husband is handy. He took the bottom of the iron off only to find that a connection wasn’t together properly. He repaired it and totally saved the day and I was off and pressing again no time at all. Let’s here it for all the handy partners out there!! I went from disliking this iron to now loving this iron!! It has a great weight to it to really press the fabric well which is what an iron needs to do. Totally recommend this iron!!
Here’s what my pressed seams look like from the back side. All pressed open and neat. I read about pressing to the “dark side” but pressing open seemed like the better option for this project. Good thing I don’t mind pressing because this project needs alot of pressing….
I wanted to share a little bit about these beautiful fabrics I’m working with. They are batiks and printed on a very tightly woven 100% cotton fabric. They have a really lovely feel. Soft and very smooth. The center mermaid panel is from the brand Timeless Treasures. I selected each fabric below to coordinate with the center panel. It was fun!!
So, this is my palette. I was going for a “beachy theme” with this project and I think I nailed it. The prints are reminiscent of shells, coral, and water bubbles. It always helps to love the project you’re working on to keep you going, and I can honestly say I’m happy with my selections. I have to admit that it was very overwhelming at the store. So many gorgeous prints to choose from. I was happy to have selected a theme to work with before arriving at the store. It made things easier.
I hope you have enjoyed following along on my progress. With everything going on in the world right now, this is a great way for me to stay positive and create something wonderful.
Excited to continue on. Until next time…….
