Back Basting More Leaves

In amongst all the fun summer activities, I have actually found some stolen moments for hand stitching. The project is still Lake Effect, of course, and bit by bit I am attaching all the leaves on my viney panel.

Discovering the back-basting technique has been a true game-changer for me. I no longer dread the prospect of stitching these panels, and I am actually seeing improvement on some of my more recently finished sections when compared to those first bits I did last summer.

Getting the panel ready for stitching takes some doing, however. Above, the loosely-cut leaf shapes are attached to the panel with thick, dark thread. I have basted right on the traced lines which are on the back of the panel. The reason for using thick thread is important. When stitching, those basting threads are removed a few stitches at a time. I use the tell-tale line of the basting stitches as my guide for where to turn under my raw edge. Of course, the reason for using dark thread is simply to see it better. *wink*

 

But before any of the actual stitching can begin, those loosely-shaped leaves need to be trimmed down close to the basting stitches. Also, corners and curves must be clipped and notched. By taking a close look at the photo above you'll see that two of the leaves have been trimmed, notched, and clipped. Those are ready to be stitched.
 

These final two photos show my little pile of cut-away trimmings. This technique requires precision cutting with sharp, pointed scissors. 

As I often do, I am linking up with Kathy and her Slow Sunday Stitching bash. Go have a look to see what everyone is working on.

Happy Quilting, Friends!