Gold Fish Wall Hanging

This fantastic project was kindly sent to us by Linda Goldfarb, along with the detailed instruction (see below).

Linda has used several shades of cold and hot-tone blue-colored fabrics, in varying wavy shapes, to resemble water effect.

Finished size is 16�x23�.

The background was pieced using scraps from previous projects. It's a great project even for a beginning quilter, as it allows space for mistakes. Because, in freestyle quilting, one can hardly tell if something went not exactly the way it was originally planned!



Instruction:

1. Place 2 pieces of fabric 51/2�x 221/2� together RIGHT SIDES UP.



2. Cut a gentle curve lengthwise with the rotary cutter through both pieces simultaneously.



3. Separate and rearrange the cut curves so that you have 2 different fabric patterns completing each rectangle.



4. Place curves RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER, and sew using a scant ��� seam.





5. Press all seams in one direction.



6. Continue piecing curved rectangles until you have seven sets of curved pieces.



7. Repeat steps 1-6 using the already pieced rectangles, lining up the straight outer edges of the long sides. When completed, you will have a strip pieced curved background upon which to embroider your fish.



8. Fuse any tulle or organza onto background fabric if you want to show shadow and water movement.

9. Layer your backing fabric, batting, and your strip pieced fabric and hoop all three layers together.

10. Select the fish you want to use from the Goldfish Design Packet and stitch out designs.



11. Use a rotary cutter to cut your curved outer borders for the piece.

12. Use textured knitting yarn to couch onto wall hanging as coral. Couch yarn with monofilament in top and bobbin.

13. Drape and layer sand colored fabric onto bottom of wall hanging for sand (I used painted gauze.) Attach using Zigzag with monofilament.







14. Quilt as desired. (I used sulky metallic threads with matching polyester color in the bobbin.)

15. Bind using biased cut binding.

16. Attach beads, buttons, or shells for embellishments.

17. Include a label on the back.