All the Trimmings!

 Trimmings.  Funny sort of word - it could be the little cut off edges, like here, or lace around a hat, or stuffing and food stuffs around a roast meal - before we even start to think about trimming sails or trimming a boat.....  Anyway, I was thinking about the first sort of trimming this week, as I set to work on the mini blocks that I was making for my 'storm at sea'.

This layout was the first that I tried.  I've tweaked it a couple of times now, but I haven't started sewing it together yet as I'm trying to find some secondary patterns.  I'm not sure that I shouldn't have done that before sewing the parts together, but I'm not sure that I have a household that wouldn't have fiddled with the tiny pieces before I'd got that far, so block making first seemed like the best plan!

 Whilst that layout is still under consideration, I decided that I should put some 'raw' fabric paint onto my favourite calico, just to have a reference chart.

 I learned from my previous Wendy Dolan inspired piece, and diluted the colours a lot more this time.

Of course, I think that I may have gone too far in the other direction.  Slightly paler than in my head!

This is the start point (fabric blocks, paint washes) of my next attempt.  I also used a little fabric paint that was supposed to puff but didn't, really.  More experimentation required!

This is the stitching start point, where I'd got the main lines down using the walking foot. 

This is closer to being complete.  Lines given more weight by going over then more than once,  curved lines and FMQ completed with a hopping foot.  I used a lovely variegated thread for the two different plants.

It's still not quite there yet, though.  I need to add a little more weight to the gate.  I need to add something in the bottom RH corner (perhaps a sketch pavement?  I'm not sure yet).

Overall I'm pretty pleased that it's a recognisable interpretation of my front entrance.  Lots of fun to do - and plenty more exploring to do on this technique.

Off to work on these two WIPS now!  I hope that you are finding some stitching time too!