Diary in Stitches Blog Tour + Giveaway!

I am so excited to be a part of Minki Kim‘s Diary in Stitches Blog Hop here at WeAllSew!

Diary in Stitches Blog Hop at WeAllSew

Minki Kim creates her thread drawings with a special technique detailed in Diary in Stitches. This book includes in-depth explanation of thread drawing with stitches from A to Z, moving from simple projects like a coaster to artful work like a family portrait. And of course there are step-by-step instructions and patterns to make several projects featured in the book, along with over 60 unique and uplifting designs to mix and match.

There are so many fun designs in the book it was hard to choose just one! My first project from the book is a pillow using the design “Good Things Happen When You Go For It,” which features a sweet scene complete with sewing machine and notions!

Diary in Stitches Pillow Cover

I have to mention that I actually have a clothes line hanging in my studio to display inspirational bits and photos, just like the little scene from the book.

Diary in Stitches Blog Hop at WeAllSew

After enlarging and printing the pattern, I had lots of fun digging through my scrap bins and pulling out just the right fabrics to fill in the appliqué areas of the design. I love saving even the smallest bits of favorite fabrics, and these projects make for the perfect use of those little crumbs of fabric.

The base for my pillow is a white linen fabric with a lovely texture. I used my Wafer Lightbox to help me trace the printed design directly on the fabric, and to trace the appliqué shapes to the paper backed fusible webbing. If you don’t have a light box, you can try placing a light under a small clear plastic bin to help you trace, or even taping your pattern to a window can help.

I just love the little characters on displayed above the sewing machine! Did you see who’s on the left (I couldn’t resist adding a little Spock to my design!).

I chose to work with Open embroidery foot #20C to create the drawing with stitches, the open design gives a clear view of what you’re sewing. It’s a great foot for appliqué or any situation where you want to keep your eye on your stitches as you sew.

I also shortened the stitch length to about 1.6mm, and used the Hover feature when stitching. Hover allows the foot to raise up when I stop sewing in the needle-down position, and this made pivoting and moving in those tight corners a breeze.

I finished the design off as a 12″ x 12″ pillow for my sewing studio, and it fits right in. I really love it!

And it looks like my studio assistant Bea agrees!

Want to see how I created this quick pillow cover featuring an invisible zipper? Come back to WeAllSew soon for my Invisible Zipper Pillow Cover Tutorial!

For a chance to win an ebook of Diary In Stitches, please add a comment below and answer the following question:

What is your favorite quick project to sew with appliqué?

The giveaway is open to all WeAllSew readers. One comment per fan. Comment must be submitted to the WeAllSew.com blog by November 15, 11.59 p.m. Central Time. Winner will be chosen randomly. Winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to contact to claim the prize. Good luck!

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