Let the Stitching Begin!

Yay!  The Kingfisher Stitch-Along has officially started. 

This is our first of 6 weeks dedicated to making English paper pieced hexie flowers.  If you're starting from scratch, aim to stitch 8 per week to reach your goal of 46 flowers. 

I know not everyone likes to be so goal-oriented, so feel free to go with the flow.  We welcome all participants of all speeds and styles.  Even if you're doing something different, but inspired by the Kingfisher quilt, we invite you to stitch along!

Find all the details at Kingfisher HQ.

First up, this week Ange of A Little Patchwork  is tackling the big basting question:  to glue or not to glue?  Which could also be phrased:  to stitch or not to stitch?  Stop by her post to learn two options for this basic EPP skill.

For my Kingfisher, I am glue basting some and stitch basting others.  Both are working well for the basting and joining stages.  When I get to the stage of removing the papers, one of the methods may gain my loyalty.  We shall see.

Oh, and one thing I do differently than Ange (because there are lots of ways to do these things!) is not glue directly onto my papers.  Instead, I place the glue on the fabric only where fabrics overlap on the wrong side of the hexie.  Basically that means 6 bits of glue - one at each corner.  I hope this will make my papers easier to remove since the fabric is technically free from the paper.
 

You'll also want to check out Jodi's post, EPP Stitches.  Even if you're an old hand at joining EPP shapes, you never know what you might learn about alternative stitch styles.  She's curated a list of excellent resources to learn different styles of joining stiches.  Personally, I use the whipstitch, pretty much exactly as Jodi has demonstrated!  I like to use matching thread so that my stitches blend with the fabrics.  

Speaking of joining stitches, I have some Bottom Line and MicroQuilter thread on its way to me.  I'll be sharing my thoughts after I give it a good test!

Way to hit the ground running, folks!  The Instagram tag #KingfisherStitchAlong is full of action.  Follow the link (viewable to everyone) to see all the beautiful works already in progress!  All photos represent a chance to win our weekly participation prize.  This week Jodi is giving away a Kingfisher Kit with fabric scraps, or a $75 gift voucher to her shop!   Remember to follow @TalesofCloth and @StitchedinColor to be eligible to win.

Happy Stitching!