It’s been some time since I wrote something for the Baltimore Halloween Block of the Month. Tracy took some pictures of a partially finished block 3 and I want to share a few more tips with you.
On the background square I used the 12 weight Sulky that Pearl recommended. It covers with only one thread, acting like a fine perle cotton. I liked it better than floss because there are no strands to separate and it looks good on and in the curves. When doing the stem stitch, it looks a lot nicer if you come back up in the exact same spot where the last stitch went down.
The little spider was made with circles from Karen Kay Buckley’s product called Perfect Circles. The method of gathering a cloth circle around a template and then starching to keep its shape is a common method. What is great about the Perfect Circles is that the templates are laser cut and perfect circles. The mylar doesn’t melt and is thin enough to get those circles starched “perfectly.” I’ve never been able to cut a perfect circle out of anything. She has instructions with great pictures in the product package.
I used the same gathering of fabric for the spider’s body, except I did have to make a template. I used Pearl’s method of printing out the design on Ultimate Applique Template paper, ironing another piece of Ultimate Applique Template paper on the side that is printed and cutting out the template. The trick is to use a small curved scissors to cut your curves. I have been doing this with many of my freezer paper templates. You can curve the scissors in the direction that the curve of the piece goes. It is easier than using a straight scissors to do the cutting. Then use a fine emery board to get the little roughness off (I do this with my mylar templates too.) If I have a lot of pieces the same I feel it is worth the time to cut out a mylar template. They are still a little stronger than the double freezer paper ones.
Lastly don’t forget the Roxanne’s Basting Glue for putting the little spider together. No pin. You can also use it to put the wings on the bat in this block.
I just looked at Block 4 and there are no new techniques for the block. I will probably use Ultimate Applique Template paper underneath as my method for the brooms because of the sharp indentations, the only drawback is that I will have to cut out the back to get the paper out. I will also use the glue I recommended in the first notes to keep the deep insets from fraying.
Be sure and check out our Baltimore Halloween page here on the blog for additional tips and recommended accessories.
Happy Stitching !
Joan
