2020 Quilt block 16

I had fun with my 2020 quilt block 16 as I tried another new technique on it. Can you spot it? I will tell you about it in  a minute.

An unembellished block and finished block looks totally different. As you work a block it changes and many beginners get very concerned about how their block starts out, so I share what mine look like at the beginning. This is what this block looked like.

The pattern for 2020 Quilt block 16

If it appeals feel free to use the basic pattern of my 2020 challenge Block 16. My hexagons have 4-inch sides and measure 8 inches across from point-to-point, but  this pattern is suitable for other sized hexagons too.

The 2020 challenge item count

Ok so how am I going with my item count? The aim of the 2020 challenge is to use 2,020 different items on a quilt by the end of the year 2020. A counted  ‘item’ can be material lace ribbon etc, an object (such as buttons beads etc), an embroidery technique (thread painting, Brazilian embroidery, ribbon embroidery etc) or a type of stitch (eg herringbone stitch). While on the topic to find out more about the challenge, you will find the guidelines and list of resources here .  So here is my growing list.

The item tally from previous 2020 blocks is 427

• Fabrics: 5
• Lace, ribbon and braids: 3
• Thread: 3 (regular perle #8 and perle #5 thread is not counted)
• Silk Ribbon: 4
• Buttons: 8
• Beads and Sequins: 6 beads (Seed beads and  bugle beads are not counted.)
• Charms: 4
• Stitches: 5 Loop stitch (SRE),  Detached Buttonhole, Woven detached Chain stitch, Open Chain, Basque stitch.
• Techniques: 4

Total  42  items on my 2020 challenge block 16

This block brings the total of items used to date to 469!

Techniques

I realised as I was exploring a new technique on this block, that on previous blocks I was counting different stitches but had not been counting techniques. So I decided to start counting techniques! On 2020 Quilt block 16 I used Silk Ribbon Embroidery (I only get to count this as technique once although there will be many instances of it of it on this quilt). The second technique is couching a ribbon down using Open Chain stitch. The detached buttonhole cone flowers are a raised stitchery and from them are dangling bead tassels the forth technique.

Details of the stitching 2020 Quilt block 16

This is a newish technique for me. Click on the image for a larger version. I learnt needlelace and 3D detached Buttonhole technique about 20 years and at the time explored it a bit but other things got in the way. I have decided in 2020 to explore it more.

Jerry (my dear hubby and bloke behind the scenes on this blog) gave me some embroidery shoes for Christmas. What are embroidery shoes? They are a tool that you can tack to your embroidery, using detached buttonhole stitch you work a 3D shape over them, then remove the tacking and the shoe. These little bell like flowers were made this way. I can put my little finger in them. They are such fun and you will see me experiment more with them.

Here is a photo of the embroidery shoes. They are also known as half cone sticks. I have placed an Australian 5c coin, an American dime and a British 20 pence next to them so you have a sense of scale. You temporarily secure them to your work using the drilled holes and then once you have worked detached buttonhole or other needlelace stitches over the form you snip the thread to remove them.

The other technique to be seen in the photo above is bead tassels that dangle from the flower cones. Also the yellow flowers are a silk ribbon embroidery stitch called Loop stitch. The leaf like thing sprouting from the stems are created by using a silk thread that is about the same thickness as perle #8, to work a Woven detached chain stitch. Also you can spot one of my favourite charms a little fairy riding a snail. She is riding on a line of Basque stitch 

The second detail I want share demonstrates and extravagant use of vintage buttons over a braid. I only counted them once of course. The little square buttons I counted as beads as they are so small. I suppose since they are 3 different colours I could have counted them as 3 different things but I did not.

The final detail is a close up of a button cluster where I have used modern and vintage buttons and very long vintage bugle beads which I did count. They are made of a dull plastic. The cluster sits on top of and beside some tatted lace. The seam was covered with satin ribbon secured with Open chain stitch before adding some vintage sequins and secured with modern beads.

As usual in this series of articles where I have tutorials for the stitches online I link to them. You can try a similar idea out on your own blocks. If you find the other blocks in this series you can find them under the 2020 Crazy Quilt Category. To find out more about the challenge, you will find the guidelines and list of resources here 

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