Elegant Teapot Table Topper

Learning from a project.... 
alternate title  ... Averting Disaster

This week, I was so lucky to get a new paper pieced pattern from Kristy, of Quiet Play, to test!  It is called "Elegant Teapot."  I was already inspired to make it, after watching the beginning of Season 3 of  "Downton Abbey" ! (LOVED it!!)

Kristy's Elegant Teapot     QuietPlay.blogspot.com

The teapot block is very  fun and straight- forward to make.  It had some more complicated areas (the handle and spout), in which I shaded in the pattern for different fabrics with colored pencils, so I don't get confused when piecing . I chose some  stash fabric with roses on it, for the traditional feel, and yet modern colors.

Fabrics from Moda -Mill House Inn

The sections  joined together 

Now, what would I do with this ?
I decided that I wanted to use this block as the feature, in a table topper.  

• The teapot block was 10 in unfinished
• I chose to make sash strips 5 in wide by  9 1/2 in
• I wanted 4 corners, with blocks, sized to 4 1/2 in unfinished
• I chose a basic block: HST pinwheels:   began with 3 1/4 in squares
• This formed a 18 in topper.   I chose to make a' backing as binding" , with 1 in extra added to all 4 sides
• I used Warm and Natural cotton batting layer
• I chose Sulky Embroidery thread (Champagne color) for  my machine quilting 
• I decided to attach my new Walking Foot on my Viking Topaz machine, for quilting

Things were moving along smoothly at this point. (Mind you, I was pleased, but not arrogant :)

• I stitched straight lines 1/4 in  apart on the sash areas
• I stitched swirls on the 4 pinwheel blocks in the corners ( to soften the angles, and create a feel of steam coming from the teapot)
• I stitched on top of some Wash-Away Stitch Stabilizer (by C &T Publishing) (THANK YOU , Amanda!)....  the word "tea" and some steam swirls

Disaster Struck (boo hoo)  when I used a wet towel to dab/dissolve away the stabilizer under my  "tea" and swirls   !!
A huge BLUE INK SPOT formed from the water and printer ink (from my paper piecing pattern scraps accidentally left under stitches on the back of the teapot!)  I don't know HOW that paper ended up remaining there....    I was lazy... and didn't tear away all of the paper from underneath my stitches.  I usually don't use water, so I haven't run across this situation before!
After I stopped crying....

• I used a mixture of water, chlorox, and OxyClean, to dab at the ink spot
• A hair dryer on low helped to dry the area faster, so I could see that I made progress, and nearly eliminated the ink stain.  

The area was no longer 'sticking out like a sore thumb' ... but looked "dirty" on the stitching, and some stitches had pulled loose.  It  didn't look like steam coming out of the teapot spout.  (sad face)

After thinking about my problem,  crying a little, and  making myself a Hot Toddy ( just kidding, but I should've!), I came up with" Covering Up" the stitching.  I chose a Satin Stitch on my machine, with a width that would cover up the little bits of stabilizer  remaining and the  writing!  (Hallelujah !!)

I was going to keep the real teapot on top of the ruined "tea" area, if it didn't work out!

Ta-Da!  My finished Elegant Teapot Table Topper

Closer details of the machine quilting

The "stained" area  is soooo much better now  (whew!!)(Not perfect, but I can live with it on my dining room table , and still  love the topper!)

Things that I learned from this project:

• It is easy to use my Walking Foot on my Viking Topaz... and there are no puckers with the quilting!
• Use the Walking Foot for the binding, too!  No bunching up!
• Pull away ALL pieces of the pattern after the block is finished
• I found a nice Satin Stitch on my machine
• I love Kristy's patterns!!   (check out her blog Quiet Play, her patterns on Craftsy, and her BoM  And Sew On.  (See my first block soon on my blog.)
• Don't give up if you goof up.  Find a way to make it work! ( I won't use use Duck Tape in my sewing, though!)

I have lots of things to make  to keep me out of trouble... on my "To Do List":

• Make more Bird Pincushions for Across The Pond Sew Along  January 2013 project
• Make  first Block in the Quiet Play   And Sew On  BoM
• Make a pillow

 Want to join in with me?  Do!!

I'm off to my sewing room!

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