Wednesday 7 October 2015

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

Civil War quilt... Quilt, Botanical, 1859 Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. Album quilt of local flowers with Union Forever square Made by Esther Matthews for her grandson Addison Blair Martz (died at Chancellorsville, May 1863) Cotton; appliquéd and quilted:
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! 



59 comments:

  1. Your quilt of `Ann Randoll Coverlet` is amazing. Congratulations on such a lovely quilt. Happy Stitching.

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  2. Your quilt is wonderful. Congrats on finishing, and straight on to the next one. The Dogwood flower is so pretty, wish I had one in my garden.

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  3. Congratulations Hilda for your amazing work !! You can be proud of it !!
    About your new project, I knew it because I read Wendy's blog....I noticed you often chose light fabrics for your projects and it's a very good choice !
    Enjoy every stitch.....
    Hugs !

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  4. Please, please, please join the Guild and put Ann in next years show! It's beautiful.
    Love the dogwood too!

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  5. Congratulations on your finish Hilda. It looks fabulous. I love your two blocks. The colours are mouthwatering.

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  6. Un merveilleux coverlet,j'admire et vous félicite !
    Ce quilt est splendide ,cela fait bien longtemps que j'aimerais le réaliser,mais ne trouve pas le patron.
    Ne trouvant pas le contact pour vous joindre par mail.
    Bravo a vous
    Amicalement de France

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  7. Congratulations on your exquisite finish...I have enjoyed watching the progress of this quilt on your blog. Lovely pineapple blocks! :)

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  8. Your quilt of is so beautiful !! Love your new project

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  9. I love brown too so I am drooling over your Ann Randolph! Your hand quilting really finished it off nicely.

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  10. Your quilt is lovely but then everything you make is beautiful. I like the new fabrics you selected for the Shenandoah Valley quilt. This pattern looks interesting but not enough time for me to participate. I'll just follow along with your pictures. Gretchen gretchenscorner.wordpress.com

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  11. Outstanding finish! Just beautiful!

    mary

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  12. Your finished quilt is quite handsome! Great color choices for your next project. Even your dogwood tree looked like it belonged in this posting of beautiful things. I'm envious!

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  13. Your finished quilt is awesome! Will you keep it for yourself?
    I am also making the botanical quilt. It will be interesting to see the fabric choices each person makes.

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  14. Absolutely beautiful work! Congratulations on your finish! And thank you for demonstrating how you applique. I'm trying to learn and so look forward to your blog posts for inspiration.

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  15. I have been waiting to see the big finish and I am so glad I didn't miss it - what a beautiful quilt, I have been watching you make this one from the beginning and love it so much. I have been traveling and with poor wi-fi it took forever for your blog to open this morning so I could see it and leave you a comment! great job

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  16. Your Ann Randoll is breathtaking! I adore it. I started my botanical block last night. I hope I get as ambitious as you and make more than one a month! I love your background idea. Can't wait to see more.

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  17. It is so exciting to see your AR finished. I too love brown and have a good amount of it in my stash. We are just heading towards winter so the browns hold a special appeal for me right now but I understand how when the weather turns pleasant that you want fresh and lively colours. Your Shenandoah quilt is going to be yet another masterpiece. I've not yet purchased the pattern but am sorely tempted to do so! Congrats on a fine finish and a lovely start!

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  18. What an amazing quilt! Just beautiful. Your changes are perfect.

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  19. Beautiful in every way. It feels good to finish a long term project like this. Thanks for sharing your inspirations in cloth.

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  20. Your adapted version of the quilt is just beautiful! I love all the choices you made--including the brown--lol! It looks like your new project is going to be very happy and cheerful and your dogwoods are amazing--your garden looks like a wonderful place to do some stitching!

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  21. You have made a Master Piece. AMAZING!! Congrats.

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  22. Your Ann Randoll quilt is simply Stunning! Congratulations on a masterful finish!
    I really like your pieced backgrounds for the SVBAQ! Both blocks are beautiful.

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  23. congratulations to a wonderful ,spectacular finish,susi

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  24. Love your coverlet, abosolutely stunning : )

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  25. I love everything about your quilt, the gorgeous colours, EPP and applique. What a beautiful piece of work, you must be very proud.

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  26. Hilda your handquilting is the glorious finish on your beautiful quilt! It's so lovely! I like your new applique project start as well. Glad you are now happy with your greens. The Dogwood is fabulous - nothing like that grows here!

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  27. Your version of the Ann Randoll is beautiful! No surprise! You do such lovely needlework.
    I hope to start the SVBA eventually. I live in the Shenandoah Valley. The museum with this quilt is just 30 minutes from me. I'd start today but I have so many other projects going on and my hands have been hurting. I really need to give them a rest. LOVE that you are piecing the block backgrounds. You are off to a great start!
    Dogwoods are having a hard time of it here even though they are native. Some sort of fungus. Yours sure is bursting with blooms. So pretty.

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  28. Your quilt is extraordinary! Just beautifully done--loving those clamshells especially...hugs, Julierose

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  29. Wonderful finish Hilda. Your hand quilting is beautiful!! Love your start on SVBAQ.

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  30. Awesome!!! All of it.. everything in your post.. simply Awesome!!!

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  31. I would have to agree with Chris, Ann should go to the show next year. It's a magnificent finish and you should be so pleased with the end result. Love your selection of greens for the new project, off to a great start with the first blocks.

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  32. Your Ann Randoll quilt is a stunning achievement. Congratulations on finishing this in wonderful style.

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  33. I so love your blog posts! You make such lovely quilts with superd workmanship. Your Ann Randoll is another breathtaking example of this! Can't wait to watch the progress of your new project. I must say Dogwoods are one of my favourite Spring flowers, yours is gorgeous!!

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  34. Your Ann Randoll is so very pretty. I really, really like peiced backgrounds on appliqué samplers, it always adds a layer of interest to the whole quilt. Nice start :)

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  35. Such a wonderful finish. The hand quilting is perfect and enhances this quilt beautifully. I love your new stat. Thanks for inspiring me to work towards some finishes!

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  36. Your quilt is wonderful! Have fun with the next one.

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  37. Your work is always so beautiful. And your finished Ann Randell is no exception. Then you're already off and running with your new project. I like your new selection of greens and the pieced background for the applique. It looks like another wonderful quilt. Have fun. Oh, and your dogwoods are an explosion of color. Happy Spring!

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  38. Your quilt is truly magnificent, and the handquilting is just perfect.

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  39. I so love your blog posts! You make such lovely quilts with superd workmanship. Your Ann Randoll is another breathtaking example of this! Can't wait to watch the progress of your new project. I must say Dogwoods are one of my favourite Spring flowers, yours is gorgeous!!

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  40. Congratulations on this wonderful finished quilt. It is a true beauty, what a joy to look at all the pictures.
    Greetings,
    Sylvia

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  41. Congratulations - it is gorgeous and an instant heirloom

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  42. I just love your finished quilt--it is truly a masterpiece! I'm fascinated with the back-basting technique and look forward to seeing more applique blocks. Beautiful Dogwood!

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  43. Your work is so beautiful. Congrats on a wonderful finish and the new blocks look super.

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  44. Your Ann Randall quilt sings beautifully!! And will enjoy watching the progress on the Shenandoah pineapples are a gorgeous beginning to this unique and fascinating quilt. Would so love to join in as my roots are in Virginia. Think I will just order the pattern to have it for its historical interest. That technique of opening the intersecting seams is so useful. When I taught Jo's Little Women club that was one of the first things shared...

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  45. I shall enjoy the process of this appliqued quilt via your blog. I just don't have the time to invest in this amazing quilt. Enjoy!

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  46. Another beautiful finish. I like the fabrics you have chosen for your SVBA quilt especially the different backgrounds.

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  47. The Ann Randoll quilt is absolutely beautiful and so well made. Is there a pattern on the market for this quilt, or did you just do one of those creative things and made your own?
    Wonderful work

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  48. Can I just say this again, you.are.amazing!!!! And I hope one day to see your work in person.

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  49. wow....beautiful work and quilts....and love your pink dogwood...mine was white and it was nice but the pink is so much more spring!

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  50. Wow, what a fantastic quilt; congratulation!
    xx

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  51. Well done your quilt is such an inspiration.....congratulations

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  52. I like the new selection of greens better than the original. And I like that you used different backgrounds on a block.

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  53. Love your "spring" decisions!! I agree about leaving brown behind for a little while. Your garden is so pretty!!

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  54. Love your "spring" decisions!! I agree about leaving brown behind for a little while. Your garden is so pretty!!

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  55. Congratulations Hilda on a superb Ann Randoll finish!!!! Your version is just beautiful and I think you chose the perfect way to bind it to suit the brown dog tooth border. I'm really looking forward to more posts on the Botanical Album quilt, I wish I had time to make that one.

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  56. First of all, that is one amazing beautiful quilt!!! Wow, just wow. I'm joining in on the Botanical Album quilt. I really like how you are piecing your backgrounds - the overall effect once the whole thing is put together is going to be SO pretty.

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  57. Bravo !
    Votre Ann Randoll coverlet est superbe !
    Je suis en admiration.

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