Australian Homespun - February 2016_

Celia green (481042)

Forest slate blue (481044)

Celia dove white (481000)

Forest carmine red

(481008)

Celia slate blue (481043)

Forest green (481049)

Celia light blue (481002)

Forest light blue (481010)

Thula blue lilac (481046)

Doilies green (481040)

Thula carmine red (481001)

Ilse carmine red (481011)

Thula lilac (481048)

Ilse lilac (481051)

Thula red pink (481007)

Doilies light blue (481004)

Floribunda green (481041)

Sewn Spot slate blue

(481045)

Floribunda dove white

(481005)

Ilse light blue (481009)

Floribunda lilac (481047)

Sewn Spot dove white

(481050)

Floribunda slate blue

(481006)

Sewn Spot carmine red

(481003)

AA

GG

MM

SS

BB

HH

NN

TT

CC

II

OO

UU

DD

JJ

PP

VV

EE

KK

QQ

WW

FF

LL

RR

XX

NATALIE’S NEEDLETURN APPLIQUÉ TIPSThere are

many ways to work needleturn appliqué, but I like to strip it back to the bare basics. I use

a very fine straw needle, 100% cotton thread in colours to match the appliqué fabrics,

a lightbox and blue water-erasable marker. Put the pattern and coloured appliqué fabric,

right side up, on top of a lightbox (or backlit window). Trace the exact shape on the fabric

with the marker – if there is stitchery on the shape, mark that too. Cut it out a scant^1 ⁄ 4 in

outside the traced line by eye. Cut an oversized piece of background fabric – it’s trimmed

to the correct size after the appliqué and other stitching is complete. To help arrange the

appliqué pieces, lay the background fabric over the pattern on the lightbox and lightly trace

some outlines for key shapes with the blue marker. Areas marked with a dashed line are

overlapped by other shapes, so they need to be appliquéd first – you don’t need to stitch the

edges that are covered. For example, the bird’s beak is sewn first, then the body followed

by the wing. Position the first shape on the background and hold it in place with a couple of

dots of basting glue or appliqué pins. Knot the end of the thread. Use the point of the needle

to turn the raw edge of a section of the shape under to the traced line and hold it in place

with your non-dominant thumbnail. Bring the needle up so it just catches the folded edge

of the fabric. Pull it through, go down again immediately below the fold and bring the

needle up on the fold a few millimetres (about^1 ⁄ 8 in) along – the stitches should be virtually

invisible. Continue around the shape, folding the edge under with the needle and holding

it with your thumbnail. For inside curves, make small snips in the allowance towards the

traced line. When you come to an outside point, tuck the raw edges under as you stitch

around it. Finally, remove the blue marker with water and a small paintbrush.

This Block of the Month project is being

publishedover 10 issues ofHomespun,

from February to November 2016. The

materials required to make the complete

quilt appear here in the February issue.

Contact our subscriptions department

to order a subscription, or log onto Zinio

or the Apple/Google Play newsstands

to get the issues digitally.

Fabric Key: Tilda fabrics from the ‘Autumn Tree’ and ‘Sweetheart’ ranges used in this project

OUR FABULOUS

TILDA FABRICS

This quilt uses a large variety

of print and solid fabrics

selected by Natalie from the

Tilda ‘Autumn Tree’, Tilda

‘Sweetheart’ and Kona ‘Solids’

ranges, distributed in Australia

by Two Green Zebras.

Homespun 35

HSP1702_p030-038 BOM Foxley Village PART1 PROJECT.indd 35 12/14/2015 11:47:20 AM