Yesterday was such a beautiful, warm, and sunshiny day in Mendocino that I spent most of the day in the garden that was in great need of weeding. Today I pieced six of the apple core pieces. This is the front. I have six more pieces to add tomorrow.
This is the back.
And this is a close-up of the back stitching. It was a bit tricky getting the curve to fit from end-to-end, but after doing two and taking out one, I figured a way to balance and align the space. I love this kind of sewing. Hand piecing is a nice way for me to calm my mind and be present, a form of meditation I find hard to ever achieve doing anything else. When I am there holding the pieces, finding the rhythm, sensing the space, I relish the quiet it gives.
How lovely! I see that you use the same stitch to piece that Jude Hill does. Interesting. I’ve always used a running stitch on the seam line but I shall try this “new” (for me) way on the next piece I hand piece. And I agree, hand work is slow but so calming and therapeutic–I love it.
Must tell you that I look forward to your posts!
I gather you follow Jude as I do. She is so inspiring both in her art and her writing/thoughts. This was a new technique since the other piecing I have done has been the running stitch along the seam line too. I wanted to see how this would work in a paperless piecing practice that Jude uses. I liked the way it came together, but certainly would do equally as well with the former method too. Thank you for your comments. I will have to keep to sewing and textiles and not divert to other subjects.
These are wonderful and the work is fabulous both front and back. Lovely!
What a generous comment. Not sure how I will use this, but it will be used for some creation in the near future.
wow, you proved me wrong….worked just fine, i have to try curves!
Well, you are being too generous because there is no right or wrong, just trial and error. Actually, this might be more effort than it is worth, but I did enjoy the process. When I hand-pieced my first quilt with the curved pieces, I did use a running stitch along a marked seamline, and found that to be very accurate and easy.
I really like those apple core shapes and what you’ve done with them. You have some lovely pieces of Katazome fabric… and I see that perhaps you live in or near Mendocino county. If I could pick another place to live in the USA, that would be it! I visited there in 2004. Lovely blog!
Actually I live most of my life in Portland, Oregon and occasionally in Mendocino. Mendocino is a very hard place to leave as one settles into living very quietly and peacefully. The Katazome fabrics I actually found at an estate sale here in Portland. They belonged to a Japanese woman who lived a block away from me. It was indeed a fulfilling treasure hunt. Thank you for your nice comments.