My Simple Folk Applique Quilt

It's been a long time coming!  Started January 2018, finished September 2020  my Simple Folk quilt from Sarah Fielke's Block of the month 2018 is now complete.  We had a delayed weekend away in late September so I took it with us to get some pretty pictures...

It has been quite a journey working my way through all the blocks, then the lengthy assembly process but I've loved it.  I chose this block of the month because I wanted to improve my appliqué skills- all the picture motifs are needle turn appliqué and I loved how Sarah's design made the whole quilt sing rather than focusing on a centre and working outwards.  I had a clear vision for this when I started but it is so much more impactful than I ever imagined!  It was quilted by Trudi Wood and she painstakingly freehand quilted around every animal and motif and added some gentle geometric shapes around the framing shapes.  She understood exactly what I wanted when I didn't truly know what I wanted!

It was a long time coming but definitely worth it.  Sarah Fielke's block of the month combines written instructions and photos with video tutorials. She's just started trailing picture hints of her 2021 BOM on her Instagram if any of you are tempted!

Round and Round and Round Quilt

It's always a good day when I can write a blog post about a finished quilt.  This is 'Round and Round and Round', named after the Joni Mitchell song, Circle Game.  It came about as an idea for an exhibition quilt- the South West Modern Quilt Guild is exhibiting for the first time in October!  It's also a teaching aid for the 2019 Threadhouse retreat (I'm teaching Dresdens and Petals) and most importantly, it's marking a time of change for our family as our daughter prepares for Uni. She helped choose some of the fabrics, we bought the binding fabric on a day trip to Bath and like me she's a fan of these colours and prints. 

There is a little colour theory in this quilt.  Each block pairing is based on contrasting opposites (or as close as I could get from my stash).  I tried to use what I had- I had to buy one solid fat quarter and the binding fabric, but everything else was from my cupboards!

For the quilting, I had a spiral idea initially but didn't want a circular spiral, so I happened upon an archimedean square spiral and this was relatively straightforward as once it's drawn on as you can sew continuously. To draw on, I used a Frixion pen; I know they have their drawbacks as they can leave odd residue marks, but I knew I needed to see more than a crease and I have no other fabric markers that would be better. I used a steel tape measure and some vintage irons as weights to keep it in place.  Each line moved by 3.5" as that was the furthest apart the batting could be quilted. This design works best on a square quilt.

The binding (seen from the reverse) is by V and Co for Moda, Color Theory collection. 

Quilt details:
Size 54" square.
Sew Easy Curved Dresden ruler
Sew Easy 45 degree Petal Ruler
Wadding Hobbs Heirloom 80/20
Quilting thread Aurifil 40wt

A Mended Quilt

I made a lap quilt for Lottie six years ago and it is much loved.  It is very much hers and she associates it with sitting on my knee.  If we need to travel or go somewhere with her, it calms and settles her.  She has another quilt and more blankets, but this one is special.  When I originally made it, I combined vintage fabric with Denyse Schmidt and some of the vintage squares in the centre started wearing out a couple of years ago.  I had darned them on the machine but more washing and use meant more drastic action was needed.  So, I pulled together some similar fabrics- DS and other repro styles and made a centre Around-the-World block to applique on top.

Before, a rather threadbare centre...

 Around-the-world mid-construction.  The centre dog is from a  Michael Miller/Tammis Keefe Tribute Dogs fabric from a friend.

These squares were cut the same size as those in the original quilt, but it has been washed and used so many times that the old squares had shrunk and the new additions extended over them when I zip zagged the block edges on top.  I quilted through the new squares to match the previous quilting.

Here she is, just about to snooze.  She's been fortunate to respond to the various heart medications well so we feel we've had extra time.  She's still a happy, silly loving pup, living life to the full.

Dog Quilt for Lottie

I've been meaning to make our dog Lottie a new quilt in ages.  Her old one, despite repairs has worn through in many places. I recently wrote a feature in my Sewing World Final Thread column all about subscription boxes (it's in the current April issue) and Amy and Angela at My Sewing Box kindly sent me a dog themed box as an example of what they put together on their one-off gift boxes.  I mixed some of those fabrics with some similar colours from my stash, plus some precious Heather Ross dog fabric, and using a Fancy Tiger Double Star Quilt pattern from a Creative Bug class and stitched her up a little quilt. 

Simple quick construction.  Wide lines of echo quilting, an extra quilted star in the middle and a hand quilting star in Aurifil 12wt in the centre.   Finished size of around 40" square.  Lottie is very happy with it and quickly identified it as her quilt and I enjoy having her and the quilt sat on my lap. 

Technicolour Scrappy Simple Sampler

This quilt is my second take from the Making a Quilt  10-part series I wrote for The Sewing Directory.  Fiona and Julie ran a Simple Sampler quilt along and I couldn't resist another version.  This is from my scraps with the occasional raid on a half used fat quarter. The binding and backing were from my stash so nothing new was purchased.  My nephew claimed it part way through the process and he happily had it for Christmas. 

Seeing other people make the quilt was such a thrill, looking at the different fabric combinations or block interpretations, the sashing and border choices, such variety!  To create a slightly larger quilt than the original, I used wider sashing and partial seams which creates the log cabin effect around each block - tutorial here.  All the other construction techniques (blocks, binding, basting) can be found here.   Check out #simplesamplerqal on Instagram and take a look at the different versions. 

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Log Cabin Wreath

A few weeks back, I  saw a picture on the Quilt Now Instagram feed with the most fabulous wreath quilt on it.  When Quilt Now issue 4 came out, I discovered the pattern was by the lovely Jessie and I knew I had to make it.  Its a beautifully simple idea- sixteen log cabin blocks and a little careful colour arrangement for those squares to form a circle:

It took a little time to get the colours and contrast balanced and although it looks scrappy, there was some planning involved so that certain prints were spread throughout the quilt and the levels of contrast maintained in the right places.  It's a smallish quilt- about 43" square and I was able to use my stash with minimal extra shopping- just some new emerald additions: 

Moda solids in Emerald

Moda Dottie small dots in Emerald 

Little Linea Penguin

All the background fabrics had a white base.  I find white fabrics relatively hard to find- I have an excess of creams, but few whites.

I stuck to spiral quilting using my downloadable printable spiral starter to get the quilting going.  I printed this on very thin cheap paper, cut to size, pinned on and tore off.  The method is here.  For quilt basting, I starch the quilt front and back so they are very flat and stable. I then use Rita Red Pepper Quilts basting tutorial and follow it precisely- I find it very successful, even though I hate basting quilts.  I also use a Kwik clip- an invaluable tool, your fingers will thank you profusely. 

I had  a few problems with my  machine foot and the quilt bar so instead I used a small ruler and my trusty, much used Sewline fabric pencil  to follow the spiral.  I made dots approx. 4" ahead of where I was sewing.  I looked to the dot as I stitched, just like a ballerina looks to a constant location for multiple turns, I looked to the next dot rather than at the sewing foot and this helped the flow of the stitches.   It's not perfect but it's perfect enough for me.  Spiral quilting is one of my favourite ways to quilt.  To make it denser, I sewed a second spiral within the first so the final quilting lines are ½" apart.

I decided to round the corners  to echo the curves of the wreath.  I did it the same way as I did on my Wonky Circle of Stars quilt.  I glue basted my bias binding- see here for method.  The stamp is as far as quilt labelling goes for me- just a reminder of when it was made!  I use a Versacraft ink pad.

I added a quilt sleeve so I could hang the finished quilt on the wall.  I ended up using the sleeve as a way to push drawing pins through fabric and into the picture rail whilst keeping the quilt away from the pins.  A little adhoc but it has worked.

I am so happy with the result, a very happy winter quilt indeed!  Thankyou Jessie for great pattern, I would love to have though of this.

Wordless Wednesday Winter Quilt

xxx

Take a Letter Miss G

You may have to indulge me a little, a squillion quilt pics in this blog post.  This quilt is 'Take a Letter Miss G', a present for my sister's birthday- she has happily received it now so I can share it with you!

My sister is a 'writer' in the same way that I am a 'sewer'.  It is her creative outlet and she is good, award winning even!  We are a creative family- my brother is a digital artist working in below the line advertising- it hasn't lead to riches but not bad for three state school kids.  

My sister's breakthrough poem was 'Imperial 58', inspired by our dad's vintage typewriter.  

The fabrics all relate to her- candy colours, lots of pink, text, typewriters, recipes, pretty things.

The design was a simple tile quilt from Jane Brockett's The Gentle Art of Quilt Making.  I made it as a quilt as you go project- that but did seem to take forever with an unforgivable amount of hand stitching- but worth it.  

The backing is a mix of Amy Butler's Organic soul blossom prints, very soft and silky plus random greens that fitted in.

Aurifil 50/2 for piecing, quilting and hand sewing the binding.  Hot pink is not a good colour for machine binding I found out!

And a beautiful day on Sunday made for a great photo outing.  Lula is crouched behind the quilt below, just making sure it doesn't fall into the stream.

One special square for the top right, stamped with Versacraft ink.