Decadence Stitch-Along - Month 3 - Cross Stitch Octagon - Block 6 May 15 2019
Hi everyone! Are you keeping up with our Decadence SAL? For many of you, it is time to go outside and plant flowers. I always say that my flowers are on fabric; they won't wilt away, you don't have to water them or weed them, and what a gorgeous array of floral fabrics available to us. Beautiful fabric is certainly my obsession. A little birdie told me that Art Gallery Fabrics has generously donated fabric bundles for some monthly prizes. Our quilt is put together entirely of Art Gallery Fabrics. So keep posting your progress on Facebook and/or Instagram using #DecadenceSAL.
And for those of you who haven't yet seen, here is the quilted version of the Decadence quilt. Isn't she gorgeous?
The iron on interface is a new and unique way to English Paper Piece. However, due to my method of designing blocks, I make so many changes along the way that I was not able to use the iron on method. I simply used the interface as I would use cardstock papers. Even though the interface is thinner than cardstock, it works perfectly well this way. We find thin papers in antique EPP quilts; they certainly didn't have cardstock. And they left the papers in, giving an extra layer of warmth to their quilts.
When basting, I DO NOT iron the interface to the fabric. I baste mine as though they are papers. You can peek under to double check your edge; you can check or change your fussy cut placement. I DO NOT iron them before I sew them together. I only iron them after the entire Round is completed. By ironing at the end, the slight bias stretch within the fabrics helps everything fit together smoothly.
It took a while to get used to folding over the interface. If you hold the fold and interface between your thumb and first finger and kind of gently rub it back and forth, you can tell when it stops at the edge. However, when there are additional fabrics at corners, you can't feel anything. So, you simply keep your edge line going in the exact same direction.
I am also not a glue girl but as time was running out to sew the sample, I did use glue on the column of irregular/elongated hexagons. I like the Bohin glue best. We will go over the method I used for the column in March 2020.
All directions that follow will refer to Helen Stubbings' iron on method (See my March blog post if you need to review Helen's video.)
So, let's get started!
FABRICS USED IS THIS MONTH'S ROUND ARE:
- AGF Floral Fusion
- Teal Damask
- Cross Stitch
- Black and White Stripe
- Cream with Black Dots
- Hot Pink with Tiny Flowers
- Black with Large Floral
- Background Fabric
FABRIC CHOICES AND FUSSY CUTS:
Below is a picture of the illustration from page two of your pattern. I have outlined certain areas to be joined together before attaching them to the whole. This picture will be referred to as "the illustration above" within the following directions. (By sewing some pieces together in sections, you are handling less bulk, making it easier to line up.)
1) The center is a 1" Square cut from the Black with Large Floral fabric.
YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.
Fussy cut ONE 1" Square tiny flower from the Black with Large Floral fabric as shown below.
2) The four 1" Octagons surrounding the center square are cut from the Floral Fusion fabric.
YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.
Fussy cut FOUR Octagons from the Floral Fusion fabric as shown below. Sew them around the center square, carefully matching the fabric design.
3) The eight 1" Squished Pentagon Joiners are cut from the Teal Damask fabric.
YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.
Fussy cut EIGHT Squished Pentagon Joiners from the Teal Damask fabric as shown below. Also shown below is a picture of the area of the Teal Damask where this fussy cut can be found. Sew sets of two together along the short bottom. Do not join them to the center yet.
4) The eight 1" Hexagons are cut from the Cream with Black Dots fabric.
YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.
Cut EIGHT HEXAGONS from the Cream with Black Dots fabric as shown below. No need to fussy cut here. Sew one HEXAGON to EACH SIDE of the Squished Pentagon Joiners, creating four separate sets, as shown in red in the illustration above.You may now sew these four sets to the Round.
5) The sixteen 1" Stretched Pentagon Joiners are cut from the Black and White Striped fabric.
YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.
Fussy cut SIXTEEN STRETCHED PENTAGON JOINERS from the Black and White Striped fabric. A black stripe should be placed from the center top point to the center of the bottom as shown in the picture below. Join these in sets of four with the top points to the center as shown in blue in the illustration above.. Your center black stripes should match perfectly. Sew these sets to the Round.
6) The eight 1" Octagons are fussy cut from the Cross Stitch fabric.
YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.
Fussy cut EIGHT OCTAGONS from the Cross Stitch fabric as shown below. Join these in sets of two, carefully matching the fussy cuts. Do not sew these sets to the Round yet.
7) The four 1" squares are cut from the Teal Damask fabric.
YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.
Fussy cut FOUR SQUARES from the Teal Damask fabric as shown below. Also shown below is a picture of the area of the Teal Damask where the fussy cut can be found. Sew these to the sets of cross stitch octagons as shown in green in the illustration above. You may now sew these sets to the Round.
8) The eight 1" hexagons are cut from the Hot Pink with Tiny Flowers fabric.
YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.
Cut EIGHT HEXAGONS from the Hot Pink with Tiny Flowers fabric. I cut from the areas of the fabric that have only the white flowers. Sew these to the Round as shown in the illustration above.
Lastly appliqué your completed Round to the center of an 18 inch square of your background fabric. The square will later be trimmed to 17-1/2 inches.
NOW, OUR MAY BLOCK #6 IS FINISHED.
Remember to post your progress on Instagram and/or Facebook with #DecadenceSAL. You could be the winner of a wonderful prize. Next month we will be doing one of my favorite Rounds based on the Lucy Boston pattern..... Please feel free to ask any questions here, by email (info@RedThreadStudio.com) or in our Facebook group - Decadence Stitch-Along.