Merry Mayhem presents: Case #116

Seven Bags for Seven Sisters

©2000 Merry May 

Big things can be made into small packages as you wind your way through this unusual 28” x 34” project

 PART 5:

Are we having fun yet??? 

Locate Bag #6 and remove its contents (pretty sparse when compared with the previous bag's contents, isn't it?). 

Trim TWO 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" pieces from your Fabric C strip and set them aside for the moment. Repeat with your Fabric D strip. 

Sew the remainder of your strip of Fabric D right sides together with your Fabric E strip, along one of their long edges. Press seam allowance toward Fabric D. Then cut this piece into TWO segments, each 3 1/2" long. There should be a fairly long piece of Fabric E left over.

Sew the "leftover" strip of Fabric E to the remaining strip of Fabric C. Press seam allowance toward Fabric C. Cut this piece into TWO segments, each 3 1/2" long. 

Go back and locate your 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" segments of Fabrics C and D which you set aside earlier.

Sew your rectangles of Fabric D to OPPOSITE ENDS of your TWO Fabric C & E segments as shown at right. Press seam allowance toward Fabric D.

Sew your rectangles of Fabric C to OPPOSITE ENDS of your TWO Fabric D & E segments so they look like the diagram at right. Press seam allowance toward Fabric C.

Spin these little rectangular units around until they look good; then sew them together into a 4 1/2" x 8 1/2" rectangle. There's no particular solution to this "leftover" block! The layout at right is merely a suggestion of one of the possible combinations.

Return your "Leftover" block to Bag #6.

The Inspector presumes that you have no idea as to what the contents of Bag #7 will be transformed into. This is as it should be! (The Inspector LOVES to torture you!) Please remove the contents of Bag #7.

Find your 1" x 11" strip of freezer paper. Using your utility scissors, taper one end of it to a gentle curve. (Must the Inspector remind you once again that we are creating folk art?) Center the creatively trimmed freezer paper, shiny side down, on the right side of your 1 1/2" x 11 1/2" bias strip of Fabric D. Iron it in place. Trim the fabric to about 1/4" away from the freezer paper. Again you'll need your water soluble glue stick to "baste" the seam allowance to the wrong side of your "asparagus stalk." 

Fold your 6 1/2" x 12 1/2" piece of Fabric A in half lengthwise and crease it to mark the center. 

Place your glue-basted "asparagus stalk" on the fold... sort of! We tipped ours slightly to one side. Glue-stick the stalk in place and applique it, using your favorite method. (Looks pretty funny so far, doesn't it?) 

OK - next you'll need your 3" x 5" piece of paper. Fold it in half and cut it apart to make TWO 3" x 2 1/2" pieces of paper. Fold each piece in half lengthwise. Keeping the first piece of paper folded, cut a "leafy" shape, something like the drawing at right. Repeat with your second piece of paper, varying it a little from the first one; a little longer/shorter, wider/narrower, for example. 

Find your 4 1/2" wide strip of Fabric D and fold it in half, right sides together. 

Lay the smaller of your two paper "leaves" on the doubled strip and trace around it. Repeat twice, leaving about 1/2" of space between each tracing. 

Trace your larger "leaf" twice, again leaving 1/2" between each "leaf." DO NOT CUT THE SHAPES OUT YET!!

Sew all the way around each leaf. Use a short stitch length and TAKE YOUR TIME; there's no race here! After they've all been sewn, NOW you may cut them out, about 1/4" outside of each seam line. Clip the curves. Slit one layer on each leaf and turn your leaf right side out. Finger press. 

Arrange your leaves as desired on your "stalk" (slit side down) and use water soluble glue stick to tack them in place. At this point you have three options for securing your leaves to your "stalk:"
OPTION 1: Wait until later and quilt your leaves directly onto your quilt using size 8 Perle Cotton or embroidery floss.
OPTION 2: Tack them down, leaving some of the 3-D aspect to them. Be sure to stitch completely around the slit you made so it won't fray too much later on.
OPTION 3: Applique them in place, using your favorite method.

Your final task before we go on to Part 6 is to make a total of TEN "yo-yos" and attach them to your stalk as well. You'll need your two 6" x 12" pieces of Fabrics E and F in order to do this. You'll also need to go on a scavenger hunt around your house to see if you can find something that's round and has about a 3" (or 7.5 cm.) diameter to it, more or less. Here are a few suggestions for possible sources:

o round magnetic pin cushion

o inside (open) area of a roll of masking tape (often exactly a 3" diameter!)

o coffee mug?

o empty margarine container?

Layer your two 6" x 12" pieces of fabric and trace your template onto the wrong side of Fabric E five times. When cutting your circles, cut some of them ON the line, others about 1/8" OUTSIDE the line, and others about 1/8" INSIDE the line. This will cause the yo-yos to come out to slightly different sizes.

By now, your'e probably wondering how to make a yo-yo, aren't you? OK - here goes!

Turn under the raw edge of one of your circles a scant 
1/4" (or less, if you can manage it) with wrong sides 
together, as shown in the diagram at right. Thread a hand-sewing 
needle with a single ply of thread, and knot the thread. Turning the raw edge as you go, do a running stitch around the outside of the circle (through both layers of fabric). It's best if your stitches are each about 1/4" long (yes, it's OK if they're big!!). 

Once you've made your way around the circle, pull the thread tightly to gather your stitches. Be sure your fabric is facing right-side out! Then, knot your thread on the seam allowance just inside the yo-yo. 

After you've made your ten yo-yos, arrange them on your stalk until they look good and tack or applique them in place. We're just showing you a sample (at right) of how they might be arranged. Remember, though, there are no "rules" here!

You may now finally return this block to Bag #7.

Now you can go on to part 6 for the final installment!

This series is contributed by Schoolhouse Enterprises, exclusive manufacturers of Gridded Geese and Other Fun Stuff! Gridded Geese is a fast, accurate way to mass-produce Flying Geese units up to 24 at once (no kidding!)

For a free catalog which includes a sample of Gridded Geese, e-mail your snail mail address to: inspectr@cluesew.com Or, call 609-628-2256. Major credit cards are accepted.

Visit Schoolhouse Enterprises' Home Page for more information about their products.