Journey Quiltie and Memory ATC for Gauche Alchemy

Here are the first items I made with the wonderful Bare Nekkid kit, that I was send as their guest Designer for November, by Gauche Alchemy. The most important thing you need to know right from the start is that you can buy this kit yourself by going to this link here. You can read about it too on the Gauche Alchemy blogpost but I'm also going to give you the full instructions here on this blog about how to make both this quiltie and the ATC shown below.

Journey Quiltie
10.5” square

Start with one fabric, slightly larger than you want your finished size to be. I used a vintage linen napkin which had been tea-dyed. Layer it up with batting and iron the two together. On such a small piece there is no need to tack. The ironing alone will keep the layers together.
Sew materials randomly to the surface using your sewing machine and a thread of your choice (I used a metallic one). I added fabrics, laces but also sequin waste (kit) as well as corrugated cardstock (kit) and other papers from the kit.
When I added the embroidered green silk piece, it suddenly looked to me like a tree and that determined the direction I took my quiltie in. Always be on the lookout for where your art wants to go.
I started adding subsequent materials in a more planned way such as the Time text (kit). When happy with the layout, cut the piece to your desired size (mine was 10.1/2” square).
Cut out the paper bird from the paper (kit) and glue it onto the background where you want it, using either Wonder-Under, fabric glue or a Xyron Creatopia with the fabric glue cartridge (as I did). Stitch along the entire outline of the bird by machine using a thread of your choice.
Stamp your chosen word (I used Journey) onto one of the papers of your kit using a vintage colour such as Versafine Vintage Sepia and also distress the edges of the paper by rubbing it with the inkpad. Stitch into position as shown.
Cut out the backing fabric approx. 3/8” wider than the quiltie on all sides and iron on Wonder-Under to the wrong side of this fabric following the manufacturers’ instructions. Remove the paper from the Wonder-Under and iron the backing fabric to the batting, making sure there is 3/8” sticking out on all sides. Fold this ¾” over to the front of the quiltie on all sides; iron into position and then zigzag stitch it down along its edges.
Finally it’s time to add embellishments (always my favourite part!). I added hand stitching in the shape of running stitch to the red Indian fabric to slightly reduce the shininess and I also added cross stitching on the visible areas of the napkin. I used gold size 11 seed beads to decorate the tree, copper beads around the Journey word and finally green ones (echoing the colour of the tree) around the entire perimeter of the piece.
Don’t forget to add a label on the back with your name and a hanging sleeve and enjoy!



Memory ATC


Cut an ATC sized (2.5 x 3.5”) piece from one of the papers (kit) and layer with a similar sized piece of black craft felt. Stitch together along all the edges.
Stamp the eye (Eye & Brow no. 2182 stamp by Hampton Art Stamps) onto another one of the papers (kit), cut out and glue onto one of the brown tags (kit). Distress the edges of the tag using black stamp pad.
Glue onto brown torn wrapping paper. Glue all this onto the ATC as shown and stitch around the eye through all the layers.
Tear Memory text from one of the papers (kit) and glue underneath the eye. Cover with the wire ribbon (kit) and sew this on over the saying.
Cover the entire ATC with a transparent leaf fabric and sew around all the edges.
Layer the ATC with a black ATC sized piece of cardstock and using satin stitch sew around the entrie perimeter of the card using metallic thread.