WOO HOO , I'm finally back on board after a rather busy summer and got my Aug block posted 2nite. I decided the BRITES were going to be too brite for me to look at everyday, so back to the stash to start over again, but I will go backwards til they are all caught up. I have all the templates drawn on freezer paper for each month which gives me a good jump start before Sept comes flying in. Sew . . . with DH keeping busy on the road trucking until my dad's wedding on Sept 27th, I will keep busy catching up on the BOM while also doing some garment and heirloom sewing.

TTFN & Happy Quilting & Sewing,

Linda

Camille, wonderful Baby's Breath!

Lots of great August blocks! Linda, Carla Camille, Nancy and Margarita - congrats on your great work! Steven - welcome to the BOM squad and I love the textured fabrics you used - the plaids are great! Mary Kay

Steven, I have used manilla folders, cardboard, thick wash away stabilizers for circles. I cut it out of the back after sewing like you did but with the smaller circles that's a difficult job. Presently I run a sheet of freezer paper thru the copy machine because I can't even trace a good circle. Then I iron another sheet of freezer paper on it to make it double thickness and it holds the shape really well when I draw the basting thread up. I sew about 3/4 around the circle and then wiggle the paper out and that's been working a little better than cutting the little ones from the back. But I think I'm going to buy those mylar circles and try that sometime soon.

Bonny and Camille love your blocks.

Margarita in Auburn, CA

Camille, AWESOME block! You rock! Your baby's breath is great! How did you do your cutout on the large leaf?

Maggie in E. Central Illinois, at work, it's raining, we aren't busy, got one project done (hand sewing on quilt label onto baby quilt and burying tails)

Finally finished the August block. The baby's breath I did with freemotion embroidery. I used the rainbow varigated thread from superior threads and a stabilizer in back.
Camille

Judy, both your blocks are BEAUTIFUL!!

Bonny, LOVE your colors!!

The rest of you, YOU ARE AMAZING!! How I wish I could keep up with YOU!!

My circles are not perfect. I have used the Circleeze product. It works pretty well, but I find they aren't perfect...but then nothing is perfect anyway. I applique them on with invisible machine zig-zag and you can't tell they aren't perfect.

I use Ricky's Stable Stuff in my applique pieces. I use Sharon Schamber's technique of Elmer's washable school glue stick to glue the seam allowance onto the piece, heat set it and then it's ready to go. I find this process quite easy. You do have to soak a while afterwards to get out the glue, and the Stable Stuff gets quite soft after the soaking. I've never tried using starch and after hearing Sue's admonition about it, I think I won't.

Nancy in NC

I'm going to try that with the little berries that I need to make for my next "GRAM SAYS" block. I like the idea of leaving the foundation in the berries instead of removing my manila templates. I'm also going to try it without the starch. I've personally never had a problem with bleeding due to starch, but it doesn't hurt to be aware and careful!

Sandy in Phoenix - I use the applique foundation paper also. It is very easy to cut into circles and I stitch around it like Sue did and it looks like a stuffed berry after it is washed. Wonder how long it would take to make 1,000 berries?

I'll chime in on the berry subject. I made a miniature Noah's Ark a long time ago and put a lot of 1/4" red berries on it. I used a hand dyed fabric which I had washed very well with Syntropal and had not had any problems with it before. When I made the berries, I used the starch method and after making the berries with Sue's method of sewing around the edges and then stuffing them and quilting the whole quilt, I washed it. Was I ever upset when I saw all of the berries had run. I did get most of the red out by washing with Syntropal but I always wondered why that red ran when it hadn't in other projects.

After starting this BOM and reading Sue's instructions about not using starch I finally realized why those berries ran. I no longer use starch when doing berries.

Steven, I use the applique foundation paper from Sharon Shamber instead of freezer paper. You can leave it in the finished quilt and don't have to remove it. After the block is done you need to soak and wash it to get the glue out and then the foundation paper will soften up. I have been doing my BOM with invisible machine applique using Elmer's School glue for both turning under the eges and attaching to the background and have had no problems. I believe Sharon has some videos on YouTube showing this.

Good Luck!

Sandy in Phoenix

P.S. Ricky had a similar product called Totally Stable. There had been a manufacturing problem with it and am not sure where that stands right now.

My husband was a tool and die maker and he had punches of several different sizes that I use to punch the heat resistant mylar. Then I stitch around the fabric, pull it tight, use a paint brush to apply starch and press. I let it dry completely then take out the disc and press again. I use Elmer's glue stick to hold in place and stitch around it. Sometimes, if I am organized and know I will have some time to sit for a while, I use the Elmer's liquid school glue and set it with an iron, then I can put them all on at once. Hope this helps. Oh, I haven't had any trouble with getting the glue out.

I've got the mylar circles that Sue was talking about, got them from the TQS Shoppe, and used them as the package suggested: soak your fabric circle in starch (spray starch into a shallow bowl and dip the fabric circle) bring the edges around the circle and iron dry. Not the best, and high risk for burnt fingers. I am going to try Sue's method of doing a running stitch around the circle of fabric, and pulling around the mylar circle. Then I will starch and iron. I know that Sue doesn't like starch and sizing. Different preferences. The mylar circles from the Shoppe have 10 each of sizes 1/4" to 1", increasing in 1/8" increments.

Maggie in E. Central Illinois, looks like the airconditioning will go back on today