Sadie brought home this picture she had done at school this year. How ironic! She was dong koalas, too!
Before we get to the koala quilt, I have to show you Sam and Sadie's applique efforts from this morning. Sam's applique dinosaur quilt block from his own drawing. I taught him and Sadie how to do applique today.
Sadie's applique rocket from her own design.
I got the mood to start the koala quilt this morning at 5:40 when the dogs got me up to go outside. I wanted to try reverse applique with a pieced body for the koala. This is my scrap bucket.
I sewed together some random dark pieces of brown, black and blue fabric until I got a piece the size of the koala ( about 8" x 9")
I checked to make sure the koala pattern I traced from the cover of the box would fit with enough room for a seam allowance of at least 1/2".
Then I flipped the pattern over and traced it on the back of the 12" x 13" orange square I was using for the background.
Then I cut out the inside area, leaving a 1/4" border so it could be turned under for the edge of the applique.
I made clips in this border up to the the pencil line and used a kid's gluestick to hold the fabric in place as I folded it over.
This is what it looks like on the backside when all the edges are turned under.
This is what it looks like on the front side when all the edges are turned under.
The pieced patch is put behind the cut out opening and pinned in place. Front view.
Back view.
I then use the sewing machine threaded with orange thread to sew a straight stitch closely around the edge of the opening on the orange fabric.
It looks like this after being sewn.
This is the koala next to the box graphic. I still have to do all the embroidery and add the tree branch. I plan to do the tree branch in applique (not reverse applique)so that it sits on top of the fabric. I thought this would create the effect of the koalas slightly hiding in the trees.
I've made two so far.
I've begun to add the details to the face--felt eyes and mouth, a black cotton nose. I used the sewing machine to attach them but am using a thicker piece of embroidery to do designs on the koala.
This definition from Wikipedia: "Mano-a-mano is a Spanish and Italian construction meaning "hand to hand". It was used originally for bullfights where two matadors alternate competing for the admiration of the audience. Current Spanish usage describes any kind of competition between two people where they both compete trying to outdo each other."
Sadie's applique rocket from her own design.
I checked to make sure the koala pattern I traced from the cover of the box would fit with enough room for a seam allowance of at least 1/2".
Then I flipped the pattern over and traced it on the back of the 12" x 13" orange square I was using for the background.
I've made two so far.
I take my little embroidery kit with me to piano lessons, and while my little darlings practice, I embroider. When Sadie is watching Reba, I listen and embroider. It's our nightly ritual to pile in my bed and watch Reba. The other night I was going to watch Ghost Whisperer, but it looked to be a sad one so I decided not to. I told Sadie it looked too sad and so I was going to give it a miss. She gave me an exasperated look--and mind you, she cries over everything that even hints of sadness on tv or the movies--and said, "Mom! These kind of shows start out happy, get sad and then end happy! It's a pattern. Do the math!" She and Sam pronounce "pattern" like "pat-a-run." I see myself slipping from that perch where I was once the ultimate authority and source of wisdom. Oh, well. It was good while it lasted.
