New Fall Swap block

I had started my fall swap block ( for my crazy quilt group) a few weeks ago, last week I started stitching on it and decided before I made my hands hurt too much I would scrap the block.

I love the block but a few of those pieces are upholstery fabrics.  I did one seam and thought there is no way I can stitch these fabrics, not only was it hard on my hands, it pretty much ate my silk pearl thread.  YesI was using the correct needle, it was the fabric, to dense and too textured.

one really nice thing about doing crazy work, you really only use small scrap sizes for the piecing, it wasn't too heartbreaking to toss this. 

I started my fresh block and used a few tricks I've learned in my BCQC (basic crazy quilt class)

To wrap my Q-snap frame:  I used  Micropore tape ( a medical tape).  I bought a box of this last year to make homemade washi tape - which was just way to much work.

This wrap should last through many hoopings

 I wraped my q-snap for the first time and like it much better!  Plus instead of creating a foundation block and then sewing a skirt on it for hooping, I am just using a big piece of muslin for the foundation  that will have enough margin to hoop. That alone saved time, I don't know why I never thought of that!!

I pieced my fabrics without too many problems ( operator errors)

 I decided to square this block off so I could better determine the true block edges - plus it kinda bothered me raw like this.

Here is what I did:

8.5 x8.5 template for the finished size of the block

I used painters tape to create the square

 removed the paper, and now I have a squared block. Wen I am done stitching , I will add a backing with my label and serge the edges.

Hooped, nice and tight.  from here this hoop went into my lap stand.

I hope you find this helpful.  In an earlier post, I wondered if I would be able to stitch the heavy upholstery fabrics, now I know - and you do too!

It's not really great for hand embroidery!

Thanks for stopping by,

Ginny M