APRIL CALENDAR PAGE: ANOTHER PROJECT IDEA FROM JANOME

On the West Coast of Canada, daffodils are almost past cheering us with their happy colour; cherry blossom is almost done, magnolias are creating pink & white carpets under their branches and tulips are just beginning to open in gardens………….so what do you think we chose for April? …………….No prizes for guessing. It sure is a pretty time of the year.

As with previous months, print a calendar page (free on many websites) and attach it to your pretty project of the month.

This month we chose a simple applique on top of 4 inch squares which had been pieced together. I can’t say they were charm squares in this project, but they very easily could have been.  I merely used some 4 inch squares left over from a quilt I had made for a wedding gift. The daffodils? those were from a pretty piece of commercial quilting cotton print.

Step 1: piece the background squares using your Janome sewing machine & 1/4 inch foot

Step 2: Sandwich a mini quilt (approx. 8,5 x 11 inches)

Step 3: Quilt as desired. We stitched in the ditch using our Janome Acufeed flex foot (dual foot holder Part #859817004)with Ditch quilting attachment (Part #202103006). We used a blending colour cotton thread

Step 4: Iron fusible web on the reverse side of the daffodil print fabric. It can be any pretty flower print you like. Let the fusible web cool a little while you make yourself a cup of coffee…….yes, because you are going to take the weight off your feet for a few minutes for step 5!

Step 5: Using a sharp pair of curved embroidery scissors, cut out various daffodils from the print fabric. Cut as many as you think you might need. There is a fancy word for this technique: it is called broderie perse. This is French for quite an old traditional technique which basically involves using the prints on fabric for applique.  Check out the link for more information.

Step 6: When your coffee is cold & you are bored with cutting out daffodils (YES, I know, not my favourite either….we have a much better way of doing things now with our Artistic Edge 15 Digital cutter which is spoiling me for ever going back to those boring scissors!) , then you move on to arranging the daffodils on your quilt sandwich ……instead of in a vase.

Step 7: Remove the release paper from the back of each daffodil cut out. And tip of the day: don’t waste time and finger nails trying to pick at the cut edge of the paper. No, just score the back of the applique paper with a pin, needle or point of a pair of scissors. Then peel the paper off. SO much easier!

Step 8: When all your daffodils are planted in your garden, fuse them in place using an applique pressing sheet to avoid a gummy, messed up ironing surface.

Step 9: Thread up your machine with a yellow thread and either zig-zag around each applique or use your Janome free motion foot for a faster “tack – down” of your raw edge appliques.

Step 10: Add a border to your mini wall quilt or edge by couching a thick yarn around the trimmed edge.

step 11: Hang on your wall & say Hello to April!