Monday 10 August 2015

Wheat and Woods

My new quilt is progressing quite quickly. I only showed a snippet last post as I had to sort a few  design "issues" (grrr) that I had with it. Now there is more to show. Might be a long very long post...

Here is the broderie perse centre for the quilt - all cut from Tree of Life by Mary Koval - in brown. I searched for a solid that would match the broderie perse background and found Moda Bella solid in 'natural' is pretty close. I cut a tree from the brown fabric and then added extra pieces to get the look I wanted - as marked on the photo above. 
It was a bit of a mess at first auditioning the pieces - so hard to visualise at that stage!

Once the broderie perse was done I wanted to frame the tree in a relatively subtle way, keeping a floating look. There was much research in books and sketching ideas, then sketching again..
Some drafting of patterns...
Am I making it sound simple? well I didn't find it that way! Having to resort to my very patchy memory of primary school geometry, and using a compass, some string, a calculator and a protractor it took a day to produce this...

then some needle turn applique...

That's when I thought the name 'Wheat and Woods' might suit this project - and become a theme.

I wanted the centre to be set in a square on point so I folded and pressed the piece vertically and horizontally, and used my Adjustable Square to mark the square.  
So it became this...

Adding another wavy wheat border - ready to needle turn applique..

Now for something in the corners. I toyed with more broderie perse but couldn't get it to look how I wanted so decided on applique trees. I love the look in antique quilts where large-scale fabrics are cut up and used in small-scale piecing or applique. So that was the aim and I came up with a simplified tree pattern. It has leaf shapes I plan to use in the rest of the quilt.




Can you recognise the fabrics? It took quite some 'courage' to cut up chunks of these lovely large prints but they have languished in the stash so long. I love the look of them in the applique so am glad it is done. 

So now the centre looks like this - with four applique trees between wheat borders.


Last post I showed the photo below and left you to wonder "what the heck?"
That was some experimental prep for the strips of border that will come next. 
I want to surround the centre with a very wide border of small floating brown squares and scrappy leaves. This could be achieved quite precisely by careful piecing, but I want to applique ( because I am applique-addicted and very stubborn about it!). So I know the result will not be precise - my squares are going to be 'organic'  - and I am OK with that...just so you know! 

This is the basic pattern of leaves and squares that I came up with - to be repeated in rows.

Marking strips of background fabric with my pattern
Here are the fabrics I have pulled from the stash - to use for the leaves. They're all the fabrics I could find with movement (ombres and favourite eccentric prints) and others that seemed to suit in wheaty and woody colours.


Applique in progress - this is prep for back basting which is then needle turn appliqued to the background. 

Here is a strip completed - it is organic but still looks quite structured from a distance don't you think? 
Making more of these applique strips will keep me happily busy for a while.  Meanwhile I'm thinking of a last outer border to finish off the quilt...more to come on that. 

Hand quilting of my Ann Randoll is over half way now. I've removed most of the pins which makes it a lot easier to move around on the lap. 

In the hoop at the moment
It keeps me pretty warm on these cold winter evenings. Can you see me frantically stitching faster and faster to keep even warmer? The heating thermostat is kept lower and if that's a saving on power bills then it's a 'win/win'!

47 comments:

  1. I love the wavy borders you are doing and your applique is always so nice to see - this one that you are currently working on is up to your usual standards of excellence !!

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  2. It looks absolutely fabulous. Are you going to produce a pattern? I would love to make something like this. I bought both the blue and brown toile and planned to cut it up to use. Just haven't got there yet.

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  3. Fantastic design you have come up with! I'm looking forward to seeing the finished result

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  4. Love your new project, Hilda! Gorgeous work.
    Thanks for explaining how you designed it.

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  5. What a pleasure to read about the start of a new quilt. Love the centre piece.

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  6. What an absolutely stunning start to your new project! I love how you described your process and can only imagine some of your frustrations in trying to get things into place how your were envisioning them in your mind. Love, love the organic needleturn applique efforts. It is something I understand completely as I too love the charm of the human touch as opposed to very precise efforts. What an inspiration you are! Thanks for sharing your beautiful work!

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  7. Wow Hilda that is so beautiful. And your own original design. 2016 Sydney quilt show?

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  8. I have been waiting for you to reveal your design, and I'm certainly not disappointed. I love your design and the colour scheme.......like a darker style of the neutrals on Auntie Green. I too love appliqueing leaves and I can see why you're featuring them. I hope you're taking notes so you can reproduce a pattern!

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  9. Quelle merveille !j'adore beaucoup ce quilt,il est sublime!
    Je vous souhaite de bien agréable heures sur ce merveilleux projet!

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  10. Well, dear Hilda, I have a problem ....because every photo shows a beautiful thing ! So what can I say exept that your work is so awesome, perfect and with lovely fabrics !
    Thank you so much for sharing these beauties with us ! You can be proud of your work...... Bravo !
    Xoxo

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  11. Beautiful and perfect stitching as usual and the designing of this is so interesting to watch. It's extraordinary. Such a lovely beginning to this...

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  12. Lovely new project. the border is great

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  13. Great design and this is going to be an amazing quilt. Take care.

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  14. Beautiful! I don't know if I could have drawn the scallop border that goes around the center. You did it very well.

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  15. Hilda, you are amazing! One masterpiece after another. Thank you for sharing a look inside your creative process.

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  16. What stunning work Hilda! I am impressed by your geometry skills. The colors are amazing and I absolutely love your tree of life. Your added elements really made the tree more full and appealing to the eye. You are a very talented lady! Thank you for sharing how you go about designing the different elements. Most interesting.

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  17. Love love LOVE your Wheat and Woods! I'm with Dorothy and Susan, you should publish a pattern for this beautiful quilt. Thanks so much for sharing your design process, you are the broderie perse queen!

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  18. Wheat and Woods is gorgeous. You have a real talent for design and combining fabrics. This is going to be a fabulous quilt. I've got some of the Mary Koval fabric and what you've done is a real inspiration!

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  19. I love everything about it--wonderful!!!

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  20. I am so pleased to witness this birth of a new quilt-designer!!! Love everything about your design, from the broderie perse to the scalloped frame, to the "organic" (well, I think it is perfect) border and your choice of colors and fabrics! I think you are creating a masterpiece, Hilda!

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  21. You are a true artist!! STUNNING!!!!!!!

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  22. I am in awe, you are so talented. Thank you for sharing.
    Greetings,
    Sylvia

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  23. It is all so lovely! I was very interested to see your work in the hoop. I am very new to hand quilting and I would love to know how you hand quilt, whether you stab up and down or rock the needle. I cannot quite get the hang of the rocking, I don't seem to have enough hands :-)

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  24. Wow! Great post describing your design process. The wavy borders around the center are perfect with great fabric choices. I like the use of the large scale prints in the appliqué trees, I will now take notice of that in quilts. Beautiful start!

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  25. Another awesome, beautiful piece of work. You're truly an inspiration and your description of your thought process is really wonderful. It's nice to hear when creativity takes time and effort. I think people get discouraged because they expect it to just happen lickity split.

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  26. As all your quilts this new one is also turning in in a breathtaking quilt.
    If you are deciding to produce this pattern....please put me on the waitinglist :-)))

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  27. You have such a flair for designing elements - fascinating to see how each stage evolved! The collection of creams, caramels and chocolates are mouthwatering. And I sure do recognize the brown/pink partridge fabric - one of my all time favorites. Have even used it as a backing for one of my quilts - have some left over so will have to work up the nerve to use it in smaller amounts...

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  28. Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!! It is so inspiring to stop by your blog, thanks for all that you share with us!

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  29. Your Wheat and Woods is going to be fabulously beautiful!! I love the wavy circle and that wonderful leaf and squares border. You're going to have people asking about a pattern... Your appliqué is beautiful as always. Half finished quilting Ann Randoll - your fingers must be flying :0) I'm feeling very inspired - I need to go sew.

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  30. This is absolutely gorgeous! You make THE most beautiful quilts : ) I love reading about your design/creative process. Thank you for sharing-it's such a joy to read your blog.

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  31. I am in love with your Wheat & Woods quilt project!
    Always wonderful to see how you work up your designs.
    I look forward to following your progress on this amazing quilt!

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  32. Wow. This is fantastic. I love everything about it.

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  33. So beautiful! You certainly have turned your vision into a work of art!!! Absolutely stunning!

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  34. Wonderful Hilda! This is going to be another stunning quilt with your keen eye for color and design. Beautiful!!

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  35. your new project is gorgeous, you have such a talent for applique and colours coming together.
    Will watch with interest to see your progress.
    happy sewing.

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  36. Oh, I just love the center medallion of your new quilt! Interesting use of that brown partridge toile--makes great stems and leaves :) Lovely border, too!

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  37. Gorgeous! Love everything about your new project. You know you could produce patterns. It's so great to see Ann Randoll and the lovely hand quilting you're doing.

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  38. Usually masterpieces take a lot of thought, time and effort and yours is certainly all of that. I really enjoyed reading your thought process as you tackle this project and to see your great results.

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  39. I dislike maths and all forms of geometry so I say to you well done. It will be stunning.

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  40. ohmy....what a beautiful project.....i am so awestruck by your design ideas and the way they are executed....you are a master quilter/applique artist for sure....thanks for letting me drool along....

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  41. How is it that each new project you create is even better than the last? I just adore your design. I love your all appliqued border. It makes the hand quilting so much better when there are no seams. I didn't think I had the courage to cut my panel up, but you have inspired me. It looks like it was born in the 18th century. So classically beautiful. Thank you once again for such wonderful inspiration.

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  42. Hilda, That is so wonderful and I love seeing your thought process. The name is terrific too!

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  43. Love your new quilt Hilda, and that adjustable ruler looks interesting too.

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  44. I was very interested to read about broderie perse, it is new to me, so I went straight to internet to do more research! :-)
    I love the quilt you are quilting now.
    xx

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  45. Hi Hilda I feel like I have just done an amazing structured course with you, what a beautiful quilt Wheat and Woods is going to be, just loved it from the first two scolloped edges to the appliqué squares and stunning leaf lay out. Thanks so much for the step by step tutorial I have so enjoyed it. Fabulous taupe colours through out with lots of movement in them. Gosh it has been cold down your way, even up here in Kuranda In the FNQLD it has been the coldest I have known down to 8C which is not cold to you but very cold for the tropics. Again thanks for sharing this beautiful quilt. Cheers Glenda

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  46. ohhh I Love you work so very nice beuatifull.

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  47. Fantastic, all of it. I really love the square/leaf applique border. You are so brave cutting those lovely prints, but what a wonderful project to do it with.

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