Queen Poppy: Preparing the Fabric

Ready to start the Queen Poppy Project?

Great!

You’ll find a list of what you need on the Queen Poppy Stitch-Along page. As you gather your materials, I suggest using cotton fabrics to make your quilt top. Be sure to wash your fabrics before starting Step #2.

Here you see a green batik for the background and my hand dyed rainbow fabric from the Stitch Kit which has all the colors needed to make the poppy itself.

Step #2 Fusing the Fabric

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  • If you’ve purchased a Queen Poppy Stitch Kit, please skip to Step #3.
  • Cut the fusible web slightly smaller than the fabric. (See suggested fusible webs in the materials list.)
  • Place the fabric on the ironing surface then put the rough side or glue side of the paper on top. (If using Misty Fuse, place the web on the fabric and cover the web with parchment paper.)
  • Transfer the fusible web to the fabric using a hot (cotton setting), dry iron.
  • Glide the iron across the paper from edge to edge for about 5 seconds in each spot. Go to the edge and beyond!

Step #3 Silicone Release Paper

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  • Let the fabric and web cool 5 – 20 minutes before removing the paper. Do not remove the paper from the background fabric. 
  • Before removing the paper from the other fabrics, separate the fabric from the paper at one corner. Then trim any non-fused fabric off by following the paper’s edge. Peel the paper off without ripping it. Save the paper.
  • The paper you’ve just removed is called silicone release paper. It has a silicone coating and will be used to transfer pattern shapes to the fused fabrics.
  • Parchment (or baking) paper is similar to release paper and can be used in place of release paper. 
  • Either side of silicone release paper or most parchment papers are usable for fusing. Please note, however, that on some versions of fusible web only the “shiny” side of the paper is usable as release paper.
 

How to Make a Poppy Quilt

poppyflower3A favorite flower blooming in my garden right now is the poppy. Delicate crepe paper-like petals top long stems that then turn into attractive seedpods. I really like seedpods! Inspired by these extraordinary bloomers, I’ve come up with a new stitch-along tutorial for you called Queen Poppy.

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Queen Poppy is a fused art quilt that measures about 11″ x 14″ and is hand embroidered. (This is a small wall quilt so machine quilting is optional.) My version of Queen Poppy is made with hand-dyed fabrics on a green batik background. But you can use any fabric you like as your canvas (See a Note about Fabric Choices below).

Note that directions are first given here and then will be added to the Queen Poppy Stitch-Along page as we go.

Ready to start? Great! Here’s what you need to begin:

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Click here for a Queen Poppy Stitch Kit. Both the pre-fused fabrics for the quilt top and the pearl cotton threads for hand embroidery are available.

Or assemble the following items:

  • 11″ x 14″ green batik for the background
  • 2 1/2 ” x 5″ turquoise for stem
  • 6″ x 6″ orange to red for bud parts
  • 2″ x 4″ turquoise for bud crown
  • 2″ x 1 1/2″ yellow for bud top
  • 2″ x 2″ purple for leaflets
  • 4″ x 8″ red to purple for left and bottom leaf centers
  • 5″ x 8″ green for left and bottom leaves
  • 1″ x 9″ yellow for dots
  • 1 yard of fusible web  (Pellon Wonder Under paper backed #805, Soft Fuse, or Misty Fuse (used with parchment paper) are recommended. Please note that some other brands of fusible web are tacky and will be difficult to hand embroider.)
  • 11″ x 14″ batting (Hobbs Heirloom Premium 80/20 Batting or wool batting recommended)
  • 11″ x 14″ backing fabric
  • Size 12 and 8 pearl cotton embroidery threads
  • Size 3 and 5 hand embroidery needles

A Note about Fabric Choices Fabrics with no finish like 100% cotton hand-dyed and batik fabrics work best for raw edge fusing because the color goes through the fabric. (Fused elements from printed fabrics with a white back will show a white edge when cut.) Fabrics with a higher thread count fray less when cut. Wash your fabric to remove any starch or sizing before fusing and do not use fabric softener.

Other items needed: