Insetting my Compass

 This week I've made some more cords.  In fact I worked so hard on my cords and beaded cords that I gave myself a blister on my finger - ouch!

Needless to say I decided to something else after that, but I've forgotten to take a photo of the ruched fabric flowers that followed that little escapade.

My other sewing this week has been to complete the compass ring for Love Entwined and add it to my background fabric.  Here's how I did it.

Having appliqued the compass onto the ring with the little dots, I decided to inset that part into the background fabric.  I suspect that I'm not quite doing it to the pattern, but I don't think that it matters, as it's my version of what is being provided!


I started by gluing two pieces of freezer paper together, shiny sides out.

Then I used my trusty pair of compasses to draw a circle (my circle cutter isn't big enough for this size, unfortunately!). 

Using the fold lines on the paper I was able to line the 'hole' up in the centre of my background fabric (which I'd already machine basted the straight and diagonal lines on).

 Then I cut out the centre circle of fabric.

After this I used baking parchment on the circle template and 'tack' ironed it to the background fabric in exactly the right place.

Then it was time to carefully clip the seam allowance to within three threads of the edge of the hole and iron it all down.  Having 'shiny' freezer paper facing both ways holds the fabric to the template beautifully.

 

The next step was to turn the background fabric the right way up (isn't it lovely? it is a Kona Cotton solid called 'Cloud') and put the compass into the window that is just the right size.  I made sure that the points were facing the right way along the basting lines - I didn't want a wonky compass!

I ironed again (baking parchment underneath this time so that I didn't get freezer paper sticking to the ironing board where it was bigger than the compass.

This will stick the insert - for me the compass and ring - to the background fabric.

It was simple to run a line of stitching around to hold it all together before removing the freezer paper and trimming the compass insert to make it neat.

I wish that I'd ironed it before taking this photo - it lies flat in real life!

This week I hope to make some more progress on this quilt, as well as carry on with my C&G stuff which has fallen by the wayside slightly.

Less than a week until the school holidays start and my DD's are able to 'help' with my sewing, so any precision work needs to be thought through now!