K

Capitol K and Lowercase k

As you make these two letters, repeat after me: “My reward for making K is getting to make L.” Maybe repeat it often.  I had troubles with this one, certainly complicated by the gilt chevron fabric in the background, so my first piece of advice is to choose a non-directional background print.

I made the k twice, the second because I felt so confused by my first attempt.  I also chose a non-directional fabric for that second go-round, so it's easier to see.  Therefore, I will show that one first.

I cut a piece of background fabric about 5 inches wide and 10 inches tall.  This is oversized, but as in most improv, a maker is flying blind – so to speak – and has to leave room for error or creativity.

I cut a strip of letter fabric 2″ wide and laid it across the background at an angle that I though would mimic the lower stroke of the letter K.  I stitched it on, the cut away the background and ironed it to the right side (pressing seams toward the dark side).  I took the remaining background and laid it on the K-stroke (in green fabric), but I wanted that stroke to have a narrowing where it joins the stem of the capitol K, so I laid it at an angle, as shown.

It’s now stitched, trimmed and ironed to the right side.  Now you can see the narrowing of the “stroke.”

Now where to put the upper stroke? I laid the ruler on what I have constructed so far, so you can see dimensions, and also for me to get my bearings.  The top right edge of the upper stroke can’t be higher than about 7″ for that is the size of the letter I’m aiming for.  I know I will trim later, so this is a good approximation.

I used the fold method to determine placement: I lay the 2″ letter strip piece on the fabric where I like it, fold up the background and finger-press it so I know where it goes (shown in the middle). The last photo shows it from the backside, where I’ve made sure that the letter (green) piece is aligned 1/4″ from the fold.

Stitch and trim (left).  

NOTE: I want to use that upper piece of background, so I cut off the chunk with the seamed-in green strip and discarded it.

Again, because I want the stroke to narrow at the inner edge, I lay the background fabric at an angle.

Sewn, trimmed and pressed.

I need to trim this into shape. I laid the ruler over so you can see dimensions.

Sew on another 2″ wide strip of letter fabric to the left side, and trim up the letter.  I don’t mind if I cut off a bit of those two right-hand strokes.

More will be trimmed off as I construct my word (see Words I’ve Made) for the full word.

Now that the final K has been shown, and it looks like a K, the steps for the first attempt at this letter are below. 

I cut a longish strip of the background fabric about 5″ wide, and then lopped off a piece about 5″ to begin.  I laid the lower leg of the K randomly at an angle and stitched.  Then I took my rotary cutter and angled the leg, narrowing it at the top.

I laid another 5″ square atop that, and stitched.  Press toward dark.

Well, okay.  Should have probably done something matching with the chevrons, but I push on.

Trimming time, not only to help shape the letter, but also so I can re-orient myself back to the letter’s form.

Lay the next stroke at an angle you like and stitch.  The first time I made a K, I remember that these angles drove me crazy, but after doing a few more letters, the process, and the angles, became more intuitive. 

This looks strange, but after trimming (see below) it will make sense.  Trim off the left side, then sew on a rectangle of background fabric on top of this unit.

The lower right hand corner is consisten in both this photo and the one above.  The difference is that 1) approximately 1 3/4" was cut off the top of the strange shape, and a rectange of fabric sewn on top, and  2) a 2" wide piece of letter fabric was attached to the left.

I realized after doing the green and white K at the top of this post, that I had complicated my life unnecessarily by using that chevron background in my original construction, and that was the source of a lot of my struggles.  There’s a lesson here to be learned.

This time I decide to pay a little more attention to the angles and the directional print on the background.  I cut a longer first block, about 6″ from my 5″-wide strip and sew on that first leg.  For the second piece,  I cut an even longer piece from the strip–about 8″ to allow for trimming–and place it behind the first assembled unit, lining up the background.

I fold over the fabric, and using my thumbnail, “iron” a crease in the fabric.  Now I have a guideline to follow.  I flop the piece back over, arrange the darker leg of the K so I have 1/4″ seam allowance (the crease is your seamline, so make the necessary adjustments) and with RST, stitch. Press toward the dark.

Well, that turned out okay.

My mistake on the first K was the size of this second piece, but by making it longer (the 8″ dimension), I can keep going.  I lay out my pieces so I know the angles aren’t going to defeat me.

I fold up the lower assemble over the angled upper leg, and give it a thumbnail crease.  Adjust for the needed 1/4″ seam allowance (remember that the crease is your seamline) and then stitch.  Trim and press toward the dark.

Now for the top background. I match up the chevrons.

I fold it over and give it a thumbnail crease.

I circled the crease for you to see. I also put a pin where the chevron needs to be matched.

I flop the assembly over, matching the pin to the chevron, scooching over the raw edge of the leg piece to allow for that 1/4″ seam allowance (shown in the orange circle, again) and stitch.  Press to the dark.

Trim up, then stitch on the left-side stem.  Trim up once more.

Look!  I can spell a word!  If this were to be my word, I’d fill in the top part of the c, add some spacers between the i and c and k.  Making the letters is the first challenge, but it’s fun when you start adding your spacers and making your words.  The spacer width between letters is a strip cut to 1" wide.

The gang thus far.  I have to say I really do like the look of that uppercase K with its gilt chevron background fabric; like everything else in life, it will require practice to become better at making the letter K.

This project originally began as a way to encourage my friends in a bee we'd formed specifically to make words and letters.  Carla has just opened up a knitting shop in Canada, so she requested knitting-themed words.  

Now you can see that second K, and how it looks pretty spiffy in the word Knit.

k is for knit and Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope, (No. 116), from here

This was my first English Paper Pieced project, as well as one of the first times I tried to free motion quilt it with some advanced techniques.  It took me over 2 1/2 days and 16 bobbins of thread to quilt. I also used this quilt to do a tutorial on faced bindings.