INSTRUCTIONS FOR MOLA


by: Lowese

You will need:

bulletFour pieces of fabric 15 inches square, colors red, black, yellow, and various small scraps. The bottom layer is not to be cut anytime during the appliqué process. But it shows through many of the designs. It shows through a lot of the appliqué work though. The ladies on San Blas Island use pima cotton.
bulletA design, your choice. I used a turtle and a horse.
bulletThread and needles to go with your choice of fabric.
bulletScissors. Both large and small with very sharp blades.
bulletA stencil of the design you wish to make.

This is an appliqué and the worth of a product is determined by the way the stitches are hidden. So, practice your needleturn appliqué stitch.

Stack your squares in the order in which you want the colors to show. Draw your design on the top fabric.

Baste tightly, 1/4 inch from edge of design. Carry your basting all the way to the edge of the stacked squares. You can use the regular basting pattern of corner to corner and in between.

Cut out design.

Turn under with needle. Using the appliqué stitch and thread to match the fabric, complete the design. Do not try to turn under the entire design. Just turn under maybe 1 1/2 inches at a time.

Draw another design in the second fabric. This can be the same design, or something different. Quite often they just do the same design, which will give you about a 1/2 inch smaller design.

Now, in the second fabric, cut little holes for inserts. You can make slashes or circles or diamonds or squares, and anything else you might want to include. Carefully insert your scraps through this opening and continue with your appliqué.

After you have done as much as you can do on the three original squares, start on the area outside the main design. Here again, you may use any design you wish. One I have has a small butterfly.

The Books I am using are:

bulletMola Design Coloring Book, by Frederick W. Shaffer, a Dover book. 1982
bulletYer Dailege! Kuna Women's Art, by Mari Lynn Salvador, published by The Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1978
bulletThe Electric Mola, by Jane Hill, published by Hillcraft Needle Arts, P.O. Box 2573, Boca Raton, Florida 33427.

For further information, contact:
lowese@quiltchat.com

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