So sorry everyone, I really mean't to have this out last week, but I still needed to answer a few points on stitching this one out.....its a little more challenging and because I have not perfected the entreduex, I had planned, we will be doing something else....We will do the entreduex later. I feel like I am wimping out here, but I do want to get the entreduex perfect first because, I do get questions asked privately. For those in the know on this technique just skip to the stuff below it.....will be getting the easy stuff out of the way on this lesson.
We are going to do the sew and cut method today......and easy and fun technique done in denim, fleece or even cotton.
first you will need a background piece, this should be lets say 12" by 18". it should be colorful.
you will also need a top piece, preferable a tone on tone or solid. mark this with diagonal lines 1 1/2" apart, or if you love to sew, mark them 1" apart.
then in the diamond areas, cut a small slit, just enough to make it easy to fit scissors thru later on. Once done with that, you can set the background piece underneath the the marked piece, pin together and start stitching on the diagonal lines. Feel free here to use regular thread as thru a few washing it will no longer show.
Once you are done stitching all the decorative lines go back and with the scissors cut crisscross in the squares you want to be about 1/16th of a stitch from the points.
>_____ |x|x|x| >----- |x|x|x| >-----the x represents the crisscross cuts in the diamond shapes. Now, lets talk other ways of doing this, instead of drawing diamond shapes, you can draw squares, that makes the x cut on the bias, you will have less fraying this way, and it will curl more. There are also the type of things where you could call this reverse applique, where you would draw a shape in different spots of your fabric then put the slit inside, then add background fab underneath, stitch and slit open the shape cutting 1/8" from stitching entirely around the shape.
such as this.
> /\ > //\\ the inside lines represent where you would cut the shape. > // \\ > //____\\ > --------fabric choices for the top vabric can vary, you want to use something that will make the fabric curl and fray, that is the idea, people have even used two layers of fleece for the top fab, then they have the background fab, it makes a two color effect for the x cut. Denim is one of my favorites with this technique.....Recently I made a dress with the upperfront entirely done in this technique, When you wash it, there are immediate results. I fell in love with it, is now one of my favorite things to wear.
If you don't want a tube, cut the strip 4" on the bias.
These are both the lenth of fab.....bias just wastes more fabric. I have a thing about waste, just doesn't set right with me for some reason, although, I know that sometimes it has to be.
ok, once you have made tube or cut the bias strip, you will sew with strong thread in the bobbin down the middle of the tube, at the 1 7/8" mark and then sew another one 1/4" away from that, so they both are at the 1 7/8" mark on the tube.
> _______________ > | | >==================== = is the gathering lines. > |_______________|gather thisto make it shrivel up pretty good, you can then place them randomly on your project, and then will like like a carousel, or fireworks.....cool look.
Using any fabric of choice. take a piece of muslin (trash fabric) cut it 4" by 22" then take a triangle 2 1/2" equilateral. Put the triangle at the bottom of the muslin strip. so that the triangle points are about 1-1 1/2" in from edges.
Place the first strip on the right side of triangle, right sides together, with a 1/4" seam allowance stitch them together. Fold the strip over (I could use the term flip instead of fold as well) and finger press down. Put the second strip using same fabric as first on the left side of triangle and stitch. flip again. now, cut any excess from the first fab that was extending from that strip. Continue doing this all the way up the panel.
> ___________ >| / / / / / | >|/ / / / / /| >| / / / / / | >|/ / / / / | >|\ \ \ \ \ | >| \ \ \ \ \ | >|\ \ \ \ \ \| >|_\_\_\_\_\_|
See ya soon,