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Blanket stitch - great for applique and decorative impact

The Old Button Play On The Go © Play Scenes - Safai Zoo What is blanket stitch Blanket stitch is an edging stitch, traditionally used to finish the edges of woollen blankets (or other woven items) to stop them unravelling.  Sewn in a connected row, the stitch forms neat 3 sides boxes, with the effect of "down" side stitches connected by "top" stitches, but they are formed by looping the thread in a continuous stitch.      When used as an edging stitch, it wraps itself around the edge, with down stitches showing at the front and the back, and the top showing across the outside edge.      The Old Button felt flower brooch Securing applique As it can be eased around curves and used on angles of any shape, including internal ones, blanket stitch is also great for securing applique patches.  I use it a lot with felt, but it also works well on cotton or wool fabrics too as where it has the added benefit of catching in any fraying threads.  The Old Button heart an
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Something Old....Something Blue - a Get Crafty Wedding Challenge

Wedding heart made from bluebell coloured indian silk and cotton guipure lace
Something Old.... Something New
This month is the 18 year anniversary of starting to make my wedding dress. A weird date to share I know, but it's all in a good cause.

I was asked to make something for a Design Team challenge with the theme of weddings. So, I'd decided to make a wedding heart using the traditional wedding rhyme as my theme.


"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in your shoe."  

Something old was easy - I used left over fabric offcuts from my own wedding - many years ago.  The floral lace was from my dress - I used this gorgeous guipure lace as an overlay to my bodice - and as it is slightly stretchy, it worked really well when I over-stuffed the heart to give it a really plump look. Around the outside of the heart, I hand sewed a remnant of the simple cotton lace trim I'd used to hide the machined hem of my dress - (I didn't feel I could cope with a blind hem as it had a huge train!)

I managed something new by using new stuffing, and something blue was simple too. I made the heart out of the lovely bluebell Indian silk I used for the bridesmades dresses - it is a really unusual shade - it was a perfect match for the blue dress worn by my mum but came out rather more lilac in the photo album we had printed! I nagged the photographer to double check her originals but had to admit defeat when all my friends' photos had the same colour.

But I really struggled with the other parts of the rhyme - something borrowed and the silver sixpence. 

 I had worn a silver sixpence in my shoe - it was special - a coin dated with my own birth year that I'd borrowed from a friend. But I'd given it back and although my son had a sixpence in his coin collection, he point blank refused to let me have it for this project. Scuppered.

So thinking laterally, I used one of the silver buttons from the waistcoat I'd made for my soon-to-be husband. It looks a little like a silver sixpence, and you could say I "borrowed it" as I doubt I'll be sewing it back on!
  
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