Sewing Projects
Indian Summer Wall Art
Memories of far-flung places, shimmering jewels and eastern influences – our summery wall art from Sally McCollin has it all, including 3D flowers and flip flops, free motion embroidery and decorative stitching.
Requirements
40 x 30 cm each of jade silk and fuchsia silk fabrics
22 x 30 cm of purple satin fabric
40 x 30 cm Vilene Cotton batting
40 x 30 cm calico backing fabric
30 x 50 cm Craft Vilene
1 pack of Bondaweb Heat Transfer paper
1 spool Bobbin thread (Alcazar 900 Black)
1 spool each of red, bronze and gold Metallic Machine Embroidery thread (Alcazar 9318 Red, 9319 Bronze and 9306 Gold)
1 spool each of cobalt, pale turquoise and pin Rayon Machine Embroidery thread (Alcazar 9615 Cobalt, 525 Pale Turquoise and 307 Pink)
Markal Paintstiks (or Dylon fabric paints): One each of Pink, Orange, Green and Yellow.
Stencil brush
Selection of Pink hot-fix diamantés, beads or sequins (optional)
Sharp-pointed sewing needle
Craft and fabric scissors
Prym Trickmarker or chalk pencil
A4–size Picture frame with backing board (purchase on completion).
Teflon baking sheet or backing parchment (to protect iron and ironing board)
Steps to prepare
1. Using a chalk pencil, mark a rectangle approximately 29 x 20 cm (A4 size) centrally on the Jade silk.
2. Iron a piece of Bondaweb onto the reverse of the purple satin. Cut off a strip 22 x 5cm and put to one side (for the flip-flops).
3. Print out and cut out the flower template (at end of article). Draw around it onto the Bondaweb backing paper on the purple satin 12 times (or desired number). Cut out flower motifs.
4. Peel off the backing and arrange the flower motifs (glue side down) randomly within the rectangle on the Jade background fabric. Iron in place. Place cotton batting underneath the jade silk, then place calico under the batting. Baste layers together using large, temporary basting stitches.
Embroider the background
5. Using Rayon machine embroidery thread in the top (615) and with sewing machine set to free-motion embroidery, use a straight stitch and randomly work in circular motions around the outer edges of the flower motifs, through all layers.
6. Using bronze metallic thread (931) in the top thread, continue in free-motion embroidery, working petal shapes over the top of each flower motif. Change to pink thread (307) and work free-machine embroidery following the outer edges of the purple appliquéd flower motifs, working over the top of the bronze stitching.
How to work the flip-flops
7. Draw then cut out the flip-flop template to make a paper templat (see template at end of article). Using a Trick marker, (marking pen) draw around the outer edge 4 times onto the Craft Vilene - 2 pieces for each left and right flip-flop. You will now have an upper left, upper right, lower left and lower right section.
8. Iron Bondaweb onto reverse side of pink fabric. Draw around the flip-flop template 4 times again, leaving 1 cm seam allowances all round each template, working 2 x left and 2 x right pieces as before.
9. Peel off the backing and apply to the four Craft Vilene flip-flop pieces, enclosing the pieces inside the folded sheet of Teflon to protect the iron and work surface. (NB: The seam allowance areas will adhere to the Teflon sheet. Leave to cool then peel it off the Teflon sheet.)
10. Clip the outer seam allowances all round outer edge. Carefully fold each section over to the reverse one at a time and iron in place.
HANDY HINT: use a wooden skewer to hold the tabs of fabric to avoid any accidental burns.
11. Work the embroidery on one left and one right section as shown on the diagram. We’ve used eyelet buttonholes for the toes and a graduating stitch to create leaves at the heel.
Straps
12. Cut 2 straps from Craft Vilene using the diagram as template. Take the 22 x 5 cm strip of Bondaweb backed purple satin. Cut in half lengthways. Remove paper backing.
13. Lay one Craft Vilene strap along the centre and fold edges over, ironing in place one at a time, to cover the strap completely. Ignore the raw ends as they will be concealed later.
14. Using red thread (9318), work a narrow zigzag stitch along the length of the strap.
15.Fold strap in half lengthways to find the centre. Mark this position then stitch securely to Flip-flop at A on diagram.
Toe section
16. Fold the strap in half and over-sew pieces together by hand, 10 mm up from where attached to flip-flop base on lower side and 6 mm up from flip-flop base on upper side so that when opened out the strap sections lie at angles.
17. Fold the raw ends of the strap under at markers B and C.
18. Place the lower flip-flop section under the top section and baste the ends of the straps in place to the upper side of the base section (so that when upper and lower sections are put together, the strap lies between the layers).
19. Matching edges, machine stitch through all layers using cream thread and trapping ends of straps securely between layers - you will need to start and finish twice to do this, due to the trapped strap ends.
How to work the cut-out flower motifs
20. Trace the flower motif 5 times onto the Craft Vilene. Using the Markal Paintstiks or Dylon fabric paints, add colour to the flower motifs changing colour between the flower centres and the outer petals and using a stippling action with the stencil brush. Leave to dry then fix with an iron under the Teflon sheet.
21. Using random colours of embroidery thread, machine-stitch within the outer edges of each Flower motif to define them. Cut out the Flower motifs. Add hot-fix diamantés (or beads or sequins), to each petal if desired.
22. Sew a flower to the top of each strap through the flower centre then apply another diamanté over the stitching.
To make up
23. Position the flip-flops at an angle as shown on the picture.
Spacers
24. Either use large beads or as an alternative, make your own thus:
- From the remaining pieces of Craft Vilene cut 4 strips 2-3 cm in length, 1 to measure 10 mm wide, the remainder measuring 5 mm wide.
- Roll up to form a tube and over sew the ends to secure in place.
- You may prefer to cover these with a spare strip of fabric backed with Bondaweb.
25. Position the flip-flops at an angle to each other on the background fabric with toes pointing downwards as in photograph. Machine-stitch each Flip-flop in place around top edge only and using 307, working over previous stitching.
26. Attach 1 each of the 5 mm wide spacers to the background fabric underneath each flip-flop so that it lies centrally between the ends of the straps (this will enable the heel section of the flip-flop to stand proud of the background). To do this, bring the thread out at the centre and take it over the top and down through the fabric, bringing back out through the centre again. Repeat all round to secure.
27. Position the remaining flower motifs on the background at top right corner of design as in photograph, then sew two spacers in position under the centre of 2 of these flower motifs.
28. Sew the flower motifs to background, 2 through the spacers and 1 flat on the background. Apply a diamanté in the centre of each to conceal the stitching.
29. Apply diamantés over the centre of each of the embroidered flowers on the background fabric where visible, if desired.
30. Mount work centrally onto a backing board using pins to secure in place around outer edges. Lace from side to side across the back to stretch in place. Frame as desired.
Further information
Indian Summer is designed by Sally McCollin of www.stitcharena.com for Brother UK Limited. Sally used a Brother QC-1000 sewing machine with free-motion stitching and programmed stitches facilities. For further information on Brother sewing machines, visit: www.brother.co.uk.
DIAGRAM AND TEMPLATES
