A finish and a start

Finished project....

My version of  the Ann Randoll coverlet. 

Just to recap - I started it in January 2014 when I was lucky to attend a great workshop with Rhonda Pearce who had just drafted her own pattern. The original antique coverlet (in the V and A in England) is huge - 147 inches (3.75m) by 118 inches -  too big for me!  So I worked a few changes - made my version square, omitted the large outer pinwheel border, and drafted my own final border (the  one with hexagons and applique). My quilt finishes at 82 inches square - hand quilted. 

If you recall, I added a wide border of scrap fabric just to help in the hoop with hand quilting the edges. So that had to be unpicked and removed before trimming the batting/backing to size - easy enough (she says). 

Adding a solid brown binding to match the dog tooth edging:

...including a hanging pocket along the top at the back: 

There we are -  bound and hung (...sounds painful?)

I'm very happy with it and love the hand quilted finish but I tell you what - just for now - I need a change from brown! I actually really like brown but is it Spring and the timing seems right for something fresher and lighter. 

New project...

Shenandoah Valley Botanical Album sewalong (SVBAQ) - and no brown in sight here. For more info on this project see the SVBAQ blog

Picture from Marcus Mentions website

I've made a change in my greens selection for this quilt. There was a lot of dithering indecision last post trying to pick just the right shade of green, and I had a feeling it wasn't over! But now I am committed...out with the old and in with the new.  

So - to make a start - I am piecing my background squares (to make a 12 inch finished block). I cut background fabrics in to 7 inch squares (allowing the extra inch to play with) and machine stitched them together. 

Now I don't want a nasty big bump of seam allowance in the middle - won't be fun to applique over that! So I'm following a good tutorial "How to reduce bulky seams when piecing patchwork blocks" (thank you, thank you for this) and here is the back of the first block:

..and the front - nice and flat:

My chosen applique technique is needleturn with back basting prep. Here is the first block drawn on the back of the block : 

...and in no time I had two blocks completed. I think the idea is to complete one block a month but this is a relatively easy one, and will be repeated three times in the quilt,  so I couldn't resist making two:

They do feel like Spring don't they? Such a lovely pattern ....

I have three Dogwood trees in my garden. They don't grow fast here as the heat knocks them back a bit, but this Spring they are the best they've ever been - especially this little one. Now that is a good effort - extra mulch and water for you!