A Welcome detour

  I am up to 30 of the string blocks.   Along the way---between colored blocks---I used white, beige, and cream strings  to cover  some smaller pieces of the foundation.   I figured they would be a good background for a small piece.   Then my package arrived from Connecting Threads with the wire stand table top display! Time for a detour......

    I decided on a pineapple for the applique.  I know this doesn't look like much, but it is how I began.  Using the gold, to orange and some brown strings, I did a wonky style braid.  I began with a small almost square piece at the top and added a string to one side and then to the other----until I had a large enough hunk of wonkiness to work with.

Pineapple fused onto string background 

   I had a pattern from a magazine article---it looked more like an egg to me--- that I used for the pineapple.  This I  traced onto fusible interfacing.  This technique is one that Eleanor Burns uses----
    Draw pattern onto the smooth (non-fusible side) of the interfacing.   Place fusible (bumpy side) side down on the right side of fabric and pin together.  Stitch on the drawn line of the fusible...all the way around.  Trim the excess fabric and interfacing away--close to the seam line.  Then slit the interfacing in the center and turn fabric right side out.  Use a dull or round end of chop stick ( or other "poker")  to smooth the seam line edge.  Be careful not to poke through the interfacing.  I do a lot of "finger pressing" here to make it work.  Once it is flattened / smooth / shaped, then the applique can be fused onto the background for stitching.

 Fused  leaves added

   I like this technique for larger applique pieces, or when I want the applique to appear raised and not flat.  I chose to use it here because of all the bias edges created by the braid technique.   A buttonhole stitch was used around all the applique.   For the top knot of leaves, I just fused them in the normal way and then stitched them too.












  Finished size was a consideration....so only 2 sides got a border.  The pineapple was not perfectly centered, so I just used that as a reason for the 2 sided border.

  No swirls!  I quilted teardrops  for the background.   I like the feathered effect they create.    In the border I did parallel straight lines.










  I added a narrow tube sleeve at the top and Welcome is done.
    Finished size is 12 1/2 inches by 14 inches.



  Our local guild has a quilt show this weekend....so today  I am baking some pumpkin bread for the hostess break room.  Then maybe a few more string blocks....happy stitching.