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Posted By: Sandy W. Crazy quilts - 02/11/14 07:12 PM
I have a lot of fabric and would like to make a crazy quilt. How do I evenly space the embroidery along the seams. I have practiced on a square and I tend to vary the sizes and spaces of the design. What do I need to do to keep it even. I am doing hand embroidery and it will be on dark velvets and silks. Thanks for any help!
Posted By: Judie Quilting Editor Re: Crazy quilts - 02/11/14 08:28 PM
Hello Sandy thanks for your query. I like to use an erasable pen to mark lines when looking to do neat embroidery. Please don't fuss too much on the embroidery - because it's hand made one expects there to be little defects and for it to be not quite perfect - that's the delight of hand embroidery.

Hope this helps
Posted By: Sandy W. Re: Crazy quilts - 02/11/14 08:47 PM
Thanks. I thought about that but can you get one to show up on dark fabric?
Posted By: lmm Re: Crazy quilts - 02/12/14 05:25 PM
Sandy, try using a yellow or white colouring in pencil on dark fabrics, you can buy a yellow fabric pencil. I find these work well with dark colours. I am with Judie on the hand embroidery and defects. I love crazy patchwork and have just started making a crazy patchwork quilt for my granddaughter incorporating silks, cottons and anything else I can find in greens and pinks. It will be all machine work, and I do not worry about mistakes in embroidery, when cotton snaps and there are mistakes because I have moved the fabric when rethreading. I always notice the mistakes, but when you look at is as an overall completed project, it is the effect that you have created that stands out. I never seem to get points fitting correctly, and I used to worry, but now, when the project is quilted, unless they are a major mistake, they become hardly noticeable to everyone except other patchworkers. But then I am not wanting to enter into competitions, but make an article that will be given to a family member or friend to be used and washed and reused.
Posted By: Sandy W. Re: Crazy quilts - 02/12/14 08:37 PM
Thank you so much. I never thought about colored pencils. I have use regular pencils on white and light colored fabric before for other projects. I am working on a small crazy quilt for my granddaughter and I am not real happy with the inconsistency of some of the stitching. This is my first crazy quilt. I have embroidered since I was 9 but have always had a stamped pattern to go by. Now I have another question. The quilt I am working on now is a small size so I went on and joined the whole quilt before starting the embroidering. But when I do the one with the velvet and other material, I want it to be big. Soooo, is it best to make it in squares, embroider each one then join them and embroider the joining of two squares? If not it is going to be too big and heavy I think. Is this right?
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