Sunday 9 March 2014

Ann Randoll's middle is made

I finished the vine border and the large saw tooth border.



Here it is all attached and the centre finished. 


Following on in Rhonda's pattern ...next step is a wide pinwheel border. I need to make and attach 112 scrappy 3" pinwheel blocks. This is an opportunity to add lots more colour if you wished.

Just a reminder - this is a photo of the original antique that we are reproducing - with the pinwheel border located between two vine borders: 
photo from Sue Prichard's book Quilts 1700-2010
Auditioning a little bit of my pinwheel border:


 


I am making my pinwheels by English Paper piecing. There was a bit of trial and error to make sure the pinwheels ended up 3" across - just adjusting the paper size to suit. The sides of my triangles needed to be just under 1 1/2" (a little smaller than the templates provided in the pattern). 


Triangles ready to be whip stitched together into pinwheels. I am restricting my colours to mostly dark browns contrasting with light shirting-type prints - but with touches of bright blue and salmon pink. I'll be thrilled if it ends up looking something like the original colour scheme - because I love it!


That's two pinwheels done ...and 110 to go. But it's not about counting ...it's about playing with fabric isn't it?

Something completely different - Benjamin Biggs block 3. And this one is such a lovely pattern. 


I did have a wry smile when I downloaded this pattern - and saw all the tiny stems. I had just changed my blocks from 16 inches to 12 inches ...which made the stems just that little bit smaller. Hmm...be careful what you wish for?
I had trouble managing the recommended bias stems - couldn't make them small enough somehow. So I made them with back basting, making sure to use a very fine weave fabric for the stems to reduce fraying. It worked really well for me. The only part not back basted are the cherries - because of the fussy cutting. They were just cut out, pinned and needle turned . 



My son is turning 20 in three weeks and he has just told me that what he really wants for his birthday is a knitted beanie. I made him one last year and he wore it almost to death in winter, and then sadly lost it. So, guess what I will be doing every evening for a while?

23 comments:

  1. Your Ann Randoll is looking fantastic! It is great to follow your progress. What beautifully sewn cherries (I need to use card for my circles to make them look like circles).

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  2. Gorgeous! I love the blacks/darks in the pinwheels.

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  3. Beautiful work Hilda. Good luck with the beanie!

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  4. Lovely show and tell Hilda.

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  5. I'm always amazed at your beautiful work. I'm curious why you chose to EPP the pinwheel blocks. The fussy cut cherries are such a wonderful touch. It'll be beanie weather soon. I hope we get to see pictures of the one you're making.

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  6. Love how it's coming along Hilda. Beautiful detail but simple and uncluttered too. I like your choices for the pinwheels too.

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  7. Lovely stitching, Hilda. Love the Ann Randoll quilt, and your Benjamin Biggs is coming along beautifully too. Love the cherries.

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  8. Beautiful work, Hilda! How large will the completed Ann Randoll quilt be?
    Love your BB block, especially your fussy cutting.
    Have fun knitting the beanie.

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  9. The Ann Randall quilt is gorgeous! Did you choose to EPP the pinwheels to make them more accurate? Love the color scheme and since I don't particularly care for brown, that says a lot!

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  10. Ann Randall is stunning, can't wait to see those pinwheels added. I really love those fussy cut berries. Simply wonderful!

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  11. Your Ann Randall is amazing. Those Benjamin Biggs stems are small on the 16” block they must be really tiny on a 12”. Nice job as always.

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  12. Wow, that Ann Randool's quilt is amazing. I cannot imagine paper piecing those pinwheels! I just started my 12" Benjamin Biggs block and am so impressed with your tiny stems. I have decided to embroider the little cherry stems. A bit of a cheat but I am OK with it. :)

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  13. Your Anne Randoll is gorgeous! Can't wait to see it with the next border added!

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  14. Beautiful work. the fussy cut cherries are so cute. Looks like the epp is a good way to center and feature the fabric the way you want - clever

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  15. So beautiful! Love your work on the Ann Randall quilt esp. but those tiny stems are very impressive too.:)

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  16. Wow - and double wow!!! Your quilt is really coming along & so interesting to see that you are doing pinwheels by way of EPP. Love the shirtings too! Oh yes those BB stems are tiny...I also did fussy cutting for the cherries. I need a couple more evenings to finish up the block.

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  17. The pinwheels really will be a stunning addition to this quilt center.
    Love your BB quilt. I decided the stems weren't necessary at all. :)

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  18. Your BB block is lovely! I like the little fussy cut cherries:0) I would never have thought to EPP pinwheel blocks - your blog gets me thinking about how and why I do things. The pinwheels will be wonderful with the bits of brighter colors. Good luck with the beanie!

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  19. First of all let me say how lovely your medallion quilt is looking!
    The fact that you are creating all of those pinwheel blocks by hand via EPP is amazing and very impressive! What a joyful journey you are inviting us to share with you!
    Your Benjamin Biggs block turned out beautiful! Those fussy cut cherries are a wonderful addition.

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  20. The medallion reproduction is looking wonderful. I must say OMG (very 2014 social media speak,lol) all those pinwheels over papers and hand pieced!! Not for the faint hearted....not for me, ahem. I absolutely love the fabrics you have used for your BB Block 3, the fussy cut cherries are lovely. I am inspired to get cracking on mine now! I do so enjoy seeing what you are up to with your talented heart and hands. Thanks for sharing.

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  21. I back baste my tiny stems too :-)
    Love your pin wheels. You are so right...a great way to play with fabrics.

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  22. I am loving your BB blocks. I was planning on backbasting the stems, too. I usually do that for stems.

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