Chicken bald back

[bigmommasally]

Snowy - I love yours - it looks great on the wall

 

Tracy - I'd love to see a picture of your chicken wall hanging - I've found one I like the look of on Patchkits called Chicken Coop, but I'm a bit worried that it will be too difficult as it has applique on it.

 

 

http://www.patchkits.co.uk/acatalog/home.htm

[TAJ]

Snowy - I love yours - it looks great on the wall

 

Tracy - I'd love to see a picture of your chicken wall hanging - I've found one I like the look of on Patchkits called Chicken Coop, but I'm a bit worried that it will be too difficult as it has applique on it.

 

 

http://www.patchkits.co.uk/acatalog/home.htm

 

Yes that chicken coop one is the one I have done, plus I did my own variation with different materials as my Easter Bunny gift. I will get a photo to you - I was immpressed with the outcome.

 

Tracy

[Snowy]

Do you add wadding to a wall hanging and then quilt it? I was thinking of just adding some backing fabric to mine - I don't want to spoil it!

 

Love that Chicken Coop one. It does say suitable for someone who is new to applique, so should be a good one to start with

[Plum]

Looking good Snowy I like the idea of sticking it up with sellotape saves all the work finishing it. However......................nose to the grindstone

 

Step 7

 

With your borders now attached tidy up the edges if they need it and choose a backing fabric. You will need a piece 2" bigger than your hanging. You can sew together left over fabric from the top or a bit of sheeting or something special. I usually use leftovers as it makes it interesting.

You also need some wadding it will make it hang better and give definition. If you need to buy some buy 2oz or less or it looks puffy. To start with polyester sews well by machine or hand and is cheep sorry cheap, no I prefer cheep.

Cut your wadding bigger than your hanging. We trim it later.

 

[Plum]

Tracy so you've done some sewing and quilting. Get that big quilt started

 

Do we get to see your 'chicken coop'? I sent Cathy a beginner cockeral pattern if you are looking for another to do. It's applique using bondaweb and some simple patchwork as well.

[Plum]

Step 8

 

Find an empty table or bit of floor and place your backing right side down on it. Put bits of masking tape (or in Snowy's case sellotape) around the edge to hold it flat and no creases.

 

Place your wadding on top and smooth it gently.

 

Next place your top on it right side up. You now have two choices.

 

1.If you are going to hand quilt or tie it. Tack in large 1-2" stitches across the quilt in lines 3" apart. Use a cheap thread in light colour so you can see it to take it out. Start with a knot its easy to remove and a large backstitch to finish.

 

2. or for hand or machine you can pin with safety pins 3" apart starting from the centre of your piece and working out in all directions. If you want to be terribly correct you can use quilting pins which don't go rusty and have a bigger curve to make them easy to put in and take out.

 

Now you can take off your bits of sticky and the family can have their dinner.

[Plum]

Step 9

 

To quilt you are probably best googling it or looking in a book.

 

Suggestions.

 

Sew 1/4" inside each shape. Easier to do by hand as you are not going in any seams. Use small stitches - 9 to inch . Or large stitches in nice contrasting thread.

 

Or machine in the ditch. This means sewing in your seams around each shape which defines them nicely. If using machine set your stitch a bit bigger than normal.

 

Or you can sew across the quilt by putting lines of masking tape and sewing along the edges. If you do it diagonally it's called cross hatching.

 

I think in the ditch would suit this pattern best and sewing around the borders. Use your imagination you may come up with some good ideas.

 

Edited to say how about using some of those fancy stitches on your machine to go round each shape with a nice machine embroidery thread.

[Plum]

I'm going to keep going because I'm off to Italy soon and although Sha's in charge she may not know how to bind or hang it.

 

Step 10 Not more they say. Right trim your backing and wadding back to the quilt edge in nice straight lines.

 

Binding my way - cut 2 1/2" strips of fabic the same length as the height of your hanging. Measure it in the same way as you did the borders - across the middle of the quilt.

Fold in half and press. Lay on edge of quilt and sew on with a 1/4" seam. Turn to back and slip stitch in place.

 

Repeat with the top and bottom edge but cut an inch longer. Place on quilt with a small overhang each end. Sew on as before. Start folding it to the back but fold the overhang over the edge first to make a nice neat corner. Slip stitch in place to the back. phew.

[Jules.]

Step 9

 

To quilt you are probably best googling it or looking in a book.

 

Suggestions.

 

Sew 1/4" inside each shape. Easier to do by hand as you are not going in any seams. Use small stitches - 9 to inch . Or large stitches in nice contrasting thread.

 

Or machine in the ditch. This means sewing in your seams around each shape which defines them nicely. If using machine set your stitch a bit bigger than normal.

 

Or you can sew across the quilt by putting lines of masking tape and sewing along the edges. If you do it diagonally it's called cross hatching.

 

I think in the ditch would suit this pattern best and sewing around the borders. Use your imagination you may come up with some good ideas.

 

Edited to say how about using some of those fancy stitches on your machine to go round each shape with a nice machine embroidery thread.

 

very apt for a chicken forum

[Plum]

Stoppit Jules I've got coffee on the screen again.

 

Step 11 Hanging sleeve.

 

Cut a piece of fabric less than the width of your quilt and 4" wide. Turn a seam on the ends and sew. Sew the long side together into a tube.

 

Pin it 1/2" from the top of the quilt (back of quilt ) and slip stitch in place.

Then slip stitch the bottom part of the sleeve only about 1" down onto the back of the quilt so that you have the back of the sleeve flat against the back of the quilt and the rest of the sleeve is a bit slack. This stops it pulling the hanging when you hang it and the sleeve showing.

This is really hard to explain so probably best googling it for pictures.

[Plum]

Wonder if I can get to 100 steps. Oh no they cry is she never going to end

Steppppp 99 Add a label.

 

Take a bit of plain fabric and wright or even write on it whatever you like.

 

Suggestions

 

Quilt Title -

Maker name -

Date -

 

You can sew one of your block fabrics on it as a border. Then slip stitch it on the back. Or front if you want everyone to see it.

 

Mine will be - Virtual mystery chicken quilt in 100 easy steps made by Plum of Omletsville.

 

Step 100 Choose a fancy hanger a la Tracy or chop up a cane or an omlet netting pole and tie on a cord. (or use sellotape, I've got some hung up with drawing pins

 

THE END

 

Edited to say that didn't work THE END

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Take a bow Plum , and a HUGE pat on the back....at very least for typing all that out !!!

 

And you're right, I have no idea at all about any of the finishing bits (any more than the starting bits at the beginning!!!!!).

 

Hope you have a wonderful holiday, are you going for long? Or is it a rather far-flung business trip? Enjoy whatever it is, you deserve it after coordinating this little venture.

 

I have now got a working camera & will post a piccy tomorrow. It's sitting on the table having been pressed fairly neatly & it's piccy taken earlier.

 

I suggested to DS earlier that I made a further 15 of them & made them into a bedthrow for him....he did this Do you think that meant "yes please Mummy I'd love you to....." ! Maybe the overnight bag (his request) and the matching golf club bag (not his request ) was enough for any small boy to have handmade by his mum in the dorm - unless it's chocolate brownies of course !!!

 

I wonder if anyone is open tomorrow where I can get >2oz wadding

 

Sha x

[Plum]

Off to Lake Garda for relaxing, drifting up and down the lake, breathing clean air, drinking, up in the mountains enjoying the sights and shopping. We go wednesday am and back monday. I'm ready for a break. Not from you lot but work and responsibilities. Shall miss my girls though. I've got a little digital picture thing to look at them on. You should have your lad's backpack finished by then

 

It would be great to make enough for a throw. but find someone who appreciates it.

[Snowy]

Well done Plum, and thank you, that was brilliant!

I am going to finish mine next week now as I have a craft fair this weekend and need to make some more stock (I've been slightly distracted )

But your instructions look very straightforward!

Have a fab holiday - I think you need/deserve one now

[TAJ]

As promised this is my finished Chicken Coop - not exactly as instructions (i.e. without binding edge and gutter/around aplique quilting only. I have put the link only as my Photobucket crashes if I try to resize!

 

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii49/TAJchicks/IMG_2352.jpg

 

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii49/TAJchicks/IMG_2353.jpg

 

It looks a bit odd as I am still awaitng OH to attach the hanger, so I have just balanced this on a picture hook and it is over the 6-way light switch on one side. The felt applique suggests 'oversized' stiches in a contrast colour - it is not bad sewing that the stiches show!

 

...so given this do you still think I am up to the 'big quilt'?

 

Tracy

Edited May 4, 2009 by Guest

[Plum]

Thanks it's really cute. Like your blanket stitch.

[Fizzle Knit]

Have really enjoyed reading this thread - even though I haven't joined in. Especially enjoying looking at all the photos, especially as the quilts progressed. So thankyou Plum, and thankyou to all the participants

[Fizzle Knit]

Dear Taj,

Your chicken coop is great. I know from first-hand experience that you are a very able patchworker, so you go for the next big one!

[Scramble]

That is beautiful TAJ!

so cute

 

Well done!

[TAJ]

Dear Taj,

Your chicken coop is great. I know from first-hand experience that you are a very able patchworker, so you go for the next big one!

 

Thanks, but I am still afraid of doing a full scale quilt. However I have been reading my sewing machine instruction book and discover it has some piecing and quilting functions, so you can set a piecing stitch that goes exactly ¼" from either the left or right edge of the foot. Plus it has two quilting feet, one for freestyle, plus it has a guide device that fits these feet for doing quilting in a near perfect straight line to the previous set at a measured spacing.

 

So with all that help on the machine and on here I think I should have a go. Any views on cutting mats and wheels? They seem more accurate than scissors - given the scale of the project and the 100s of bits to cut should I add them to my order?

 

Thanks,

 

Tracy

[Snowy]

Definitely get a rotary cutter and mat, they make such a difference to accurate cutting

Go for it TAJ!

[Chook n Boo Mum]

At last I have a working camera & can post a pic (so far!!) of my mystery quilt.

 

My original UFO.....

 

 

And the second one I have done tonight.....

 

 

Is it right Plum & Snowy that none of the edges match up? I cut a template for this slightly smaller than Plum's one as the squares were already cut at 3 1/2 in, but still in scale. My seam allowances are as near to 1/4 in as I can get it, as I line up against one of the lines etched in the machine....am I completely off kilter here, or is this rather messy picture right? I have cut the squares as close to the middle of the over laps as I can get & I'll stitch it up tomorrow.

 

I do have a rotary cutter somewhere which goes with my paper cutter, would this be ok to use? At present I use my pinking shears as they are the only ones sharp enough to cut a decent line!!!

 

(btw Plum, I have made DS's roly poly sports bag/overnight bag and matching golf club bag, I'll take a pic when he's home at the weekend)

 

TAJ, maybe I should read the instruction manual for my machine, I may also find out something I didn't know about it!!! I love the chicken coop quilt, maybe I'll have a bash at a cushion cover for my extension in a similar style!

 

Sha x

[Plum]

I don't know what to say but with your first UFO.

and with your second if you've managed to cut it then well done. Mine was a bit like that with my first and I did what you've done by cutting between them and it worked out. Next time it may be easier if you make a smaller template but don't ask me how much smaller.

Look forward to pics of DS bags.

[Valkyrie]

In a quilting book I read, the author called them WIP's for works in progress because it sounded better and found them easier to pick up again at any point - UFO's put her off and ended up UFO's for a lot longer.

Very impressed with the patchwork and quilting that you've all been doing.

[Plum]

No longer a UFO or a WIP

 

My chicken cushion -

 

and the back

 

I used Christian's envelope method for the back and a 59p cushion filler from Ikea that I resewed to make it the right shape.