Snowflakes! Applique for Christmas and winter.

I have had so much fun designing snowflakes, they have such lovely symmetry and the crystals form in so many ways. Firstly, I looked at magnified photos of snowflakes and they are mind blowing. Of course they are based on 6-fold symmetry, but sometimes they do form snowflakes with 12 points. I tossed up whether to use geogebra or EQ8, but for ease of scaling I used EQ8. I went to the create motif worktable and I drew a simplified outline down the side of one spike. I reflected this and joined it to make a whole spike. then I rotated the spike 60° to make a second spike, and so on til I had a snowflake.

My next step was to transfer the designs to my scan’n’cut. I’ve decided the computer program for the scan’n’cut hates me and it’s easier just to scan the diagrams in, so I did that. I printed them all at 6 inches so I could fit 4 neatly on a 12 inch square. I then prepared the fabric with a fusible webbing. I’m using one from Tajima which seems to have just the right level of stability for the scan n cut. I set the speed to low and checked the blade depth. Then the fun began. My snowflakes started appearing.

Initially my plan was for some sophisticated white and silvery grey bunting. I’m happy with the effect. The fusible is very good and works well even in the humidity. But I’ve still free motion stitched over the edges of each snowflake with a find thread and needle.

Now, being in Australia we are surrounded by the most cheerful and celebratory of colours at this time of year. The jacaranda and flame trees are out, the silky oak is just finished, the mangoes are ripening. The poinciana is bursting forth in all its glory. The stone fruit and berry fruit are ripening. So I used the ‘negatives’ to create an Aussie table runner.

jacaranda, flame tree, poinciana, silky oak, mangoes, warm seas, blue skies and peaches: the colours of Christmas.

Now, I thought I was nearly done playing, when my daughter suggested it would look really cool if I put some on organza to make a sheer curtain. Well, it worked. I thought I’d need too much heat to press the snowflakes and the organza would melt. Not at all. It did shrink a little, so I pressed it first and then ironed the snowflakes on. I’m thinking of turning it into a food cover.

snowflakes on organza

Here is the same sample up against a window. It looks good from front and back (this is the back, taken from outside, with lots of reflections).

snowflakes when its 37°C (99°F)

I also cut the snowflakes with freezer paper and used the freezer paper as a stencil. It worked fine, except I should have painted a second coat to make sure I got the silver look.

snowflakes and hailstones: we definitely have the hailstones.

Well that is the end of my snowflake experiments: bunting, table runners, curtains and food covers…. I’d like to make a table runner out of hexies, each with a snowflake on…. It would be so cute.

If you would like to download all 25 snowflakes, I’ve put them on Craftsy

Check my blog on the 24th or 25th, I have a few Christmas quizzes to share, just some Christmassy quilty fun.

I hope you have a happy Christmas in every way.