Block 4 is a bit of a reprieve. Lots less to appliqué down, but those cast on stitches? You are about to become an expert!
Always check the pattern corrections page for changes.
Arrange all of the pieces on your background according to the placement guide in your pattern. Pin them down before you begin appliquéing. Some pieces are tucked under other pieces.
Sheep Bodies & Head Fluff
Using SP5, your goal is to make swirls to imitate wool. Something like this:
So come up from the back of the wool on the outside endpoint of the swirl. Go in on the inside endpoint of the swirl, coming back out at the outside endpoint, but before you pull through, unthread the needle and add the wraps. The large swirls have 45 wraps. The smaller swirls have 25-30.
When you pull the needle through, carefully hold the wraps and twist them into place. Be careful not to pull the thread too tightly, just snug enough to keep the swirl formation. Tack the swirl down in 3-4 places.
Fill in the entire head fluff & bodies of the sheep. Add shorter cast on stitches and French knots to fill the space.
Backstitch around the bodies and head fluff with the same SP5.
Heads:
Backstitch around the gray head with SP5 S. Add a line of buttonhole stitches to form the inner ear, for all 6 ears. (Don’t mind the photo of the other facial features. I decided they didn’t add to the quilt, so I unpicked them)
Grasses:
Using SP5 add a few grass blades (straight stitch & lazy daisy —couched as needed) to the front and back of each sheep. Close to the sheep the grasses should be 1 ½ inches tall, down to ¼ tall.
Wheat heads or foxtails: SP5 bullion knots on ends of the straight stitch. 6-10 wraps depending on length of the “stem”.
Sew Blocks 1 & 4 together:
Press the seam towards Block 4.
Lengthen the line of the sand dune by chain stitching from where the dunes “meet” down to the right a couple of inches (and over the seam).
As always if you have any questions, please contact me: rachelleludwinski@gmail.com
