So I found my elephant idea weeks ago. I was stoked on getting started so I loaded up my babies and drove the 30 minutes it takes to get to joann only to discover that our ghetto new jersey joann had none of holly's beloved fabric selections. So I chose some others, hoping they would go with the color scheme (and picked up some lightning mcqueen fabric to make baby #1 some new pajama pants). I should have just stuck with the pants because those turned out marvelously.
I started cutting out my elephant only to discover I didn't have any heat n bond. I went to walmart and learned that since my last visit, their craft section had decreased 50-fold. Blast, no heat n bond. I refused to go back to joann so I ordered it online. 7-10 business days for delivery and they aren't overestimating one bit, mind you. Meanwhile another speedier-than-i quilter whipped her darling elephant out using the same pattern. Doh!
So I finally got all my supplies and appliqued the elephant only to realize I left no seam allowance for holly to bind this thing together. So now I must start this whole process again. Kill. Me. Dead. Or wish me luck, I guess.
Oh Man! That's a true sob story!! I don't want to kill you dead, so I hope you have better luck.
ReplyDeletewhat if you added a border to the bottom and right side to make up for the seam allowance? Would that work?
ReplyDeleteoh! i'm so sorry. i hate it when things like that happens. it takes the fun out of sewing!
ReplyDeleteWe could be friends; I've had more than my share of those moments. I love your idea of the partial elephant...SO CUTE!
ReplyDeletethanks for all your well wishes :) good idea, liz- i might be able to add a border to the right side. i just need to figure out how much seam allowance she needs because i want the elephant right at the edge so there isn't any white. kwim? so it looks like the other half is behind or wrapped around or something and not just cut in half.
ReplyDeleteoh ya, and luckily i find lots of joy in knitting so it makes up for my terrible times with sewing! :)
ReplyDeleteI think,what I might do, is just very carefully cut out the shape around of the elephent (including the applique thread edge) then I would apply whatever fusible medium you use...glue, spray, wonderunder...sorry, I can't remember what you wrote you use. Then I would make the white square again. (finding out of course what the seam allowance should be, and then replace the elephant in the proper spot. Finish it up one of several ways:
ReplyDelete1) do nothing if the fusing is strong enough (but I might be concerned as some of the thread may have accidently been cut. (though fray check all around the edge might easily solve this problem)'
2) do another zigzag over the already zigzagged spot (if it's too thick looking in your opinion then you can pick out the thread from the back)
3)hand sew it onto the square
4)or just do a straight stitch just inside the initial thread edge.
Hope this finds you in time, or that you find it helpful at all. I do a lot of french hierloom sewing and I find most things are generally NOT "all is lost)
P.s. the idea of sewing a white/or printed fabric border to the right and bottom would work too...but it might be easier this way.