Mini Mania for March

In my wisdom I set the Mini Mania for March and this was the brief -
"Something different for this month and it's all about numbers.

I love English history and this month's challenge is based on this and especially two dates that every school child in the UK should be aware of in 2016.

It is 950 years since the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and 350 years since the Great Fire of London in 1666 and so we will be working on these numbers only; 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 9.

Your 'Mini' should be designed using numbers, using any medium, any technique, any shape, 3-D if you like, but there must be some sewing, either hand or machine or both and it must not be bigger than 20" (51cms) when finished."
This idea was based on some designing I had done years ago when I first started my patchwork and mentioned here.

I decided to make a sampler using different techniques for each number and after a great deal of head scratching, pencil sucking, erasing pictures, practising with silk painting and Markal sticks I came up with this -

 Each number is different either how I drew it or how I attached it to the fabric.

A few years ago I was very lucky to go on a workshop with Dawn Cameron Dick and her wonderful Invisible Machine Applique (IMA) that has three different methods of appliqueing and I used all three in this sampler.  By the way her Pocket Tutor is a must have for anyone who is not too sure what needle or thread to use for what project and my copy is always handy.

Here goes for each number -

Silk fabric painted using gold gutta and attached with IMA

The 6 and 9 are self explanatory and I used machine blanket stitch to attach them.  They were aligned first and the others added around them.

Markal pen brushed outside the shape and beads added to outline

Markal pen on the inside of the shape

Silk fabric painted and then salt thrown at it when it was wet.  IMA attached

I chickened out on this 2, as originally I was going to embroider over soluble fleece but in the end I used blue net and free-motion embroidery so it wouldn't all fall apart in water!!  It is free-motion attached to the background fabric.

This is my least favourite number as it is a variation on log cabin and is rather 'heavy'.

 Finally, this 2 is appliqued on using IMA again.

So there you have it and now to get on with the April Challenge which is Drunkards Path in plain fabrics,

and I have my shapes cut out!!

Actually I made a floor mat using this method but that will be written about at the end of the month.

PS: Update on the 'toadspawn' from the last blog - it is still there but no toad has slid down the pole!!  I will let you know when anything happens - if it does.