Exploring Creativity: I would like to buy a vowel, please! + Tips!

This post is a part of the Exploring Creativity series. You can read all about it HERE. And HERE is the post sharing the pattern for this month, My First Alphabet.  

I have been in full on letter piecing mode, and that is the phrase that I keep thinking over and over again!

"I would like to buy a vowel"

Do you know what that's from? I feel like I might be just old enough to know it, so I'm curious to see who else does too.

Here are my completed letters so far. I made the easiest ones first! So I could feel like I was making fast progress. ;)  The rest are in progress and should be done soon

I have to say, with those tiny pieces on letters like B and R, it's harder to chain piece them. I just can't seem to do it! They are so intense that I just have to get through them as quickly as I can! How about you? Do you make one letter at a time? Or do you chain piece them?

We're at the last week of exploring the My First Alphabet pattern!! That went fast! :)

Have you linked up your projects? Just as a reminder, you can link up any project that you've made with this pattern! Even if you made it 3 years ago! Thanks to everyone who already has! It's fun to see the variety in what people make, and how they use the pattern.

Did you start working on a new project this month? How are you incorporating the letters into your projects? I'd love to see and hear about your experience!

 

As I've been working on my projects this month, I've learned a lot of new tricks and have really enjoyed using up my scraps that I've been keeping, but haven't been using. The smaller sections of the letters have been awesome scrap busters!! So if you feel overwhelmed by your scrap pile, print out a few letters and turn them into something scrap-tastic! ;)


Here's another new tip!

Tip: Using Dark Fabrics

I think it was on Instagram, someone commented on how they fold the paper back when they paper piece. I'm not exactly sure what they meant (if it was you, please share! I'd love to know more about your tip!), but as I was piecing with my dark fabrics, which can be so hard to see through for piecing, I decided to try folding my paper back. WOW! what a help that was!

So of course I'm going to share with you...


Even with my old school light table, it can be hard to see through dark fabrics to see where the sewing lines are on the pattern. It does help to close the blinds and make the room darker, but even then it can be difficult.

The next section will be on the right.

I drew over my next sewing line in red so you can see which one I am trying to see (it's to the right in the picture above - but it's too hard to see).

Fold back the paper exactly where the line is.

When you flip it back over, you can see very distinctly where the line is, because now the light can easily come from the fabric, instead of also being blocked by the paper.

If you glue baste, which I highly recommend!,  draw a thin line of glue to the side of the line as shown. (I usually don't use that much glue... oops. I mean I did it like that so you could clearly see where it is. yep. ha.)

Next, take the piece of fabric you will place there, and fold under the edge by 1/4". Crease the fold.  Align the crease on the "line", or in this case the line created by the shadow and the light, so the crease will be perfectly aligned with the sew line.

Carefully unfold the paper and make sure that the fabric is overlapping all of the edges of the section by at least 1/4", flip over the fabric and stitch on the sew line and continue like normal.


Wasn't that easy?! I love this technique of folding under the edge of the fabric and aligning the fold with the stitch line. It makes it really easy to align my fabric and takes out all of the guess work!! No more seam ripping, hooray! ;)

Happy Monday everyone!! I can't wait to see the projects that you finish up this week! Link up your finishes below! I'll announce the winner on Friday in my newsletter!

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