Wheat and Woods quilt finished

I started this one in July last year - all appliqued apart from joining the sections by machine. The aim was to design and stitch a quilt with lots of hand applique but with enough variety in technique to keep it interesting, and then to hand quilt it. 

About 80 inches square (2 m)

There were some challenging moments but I loved the process and the fabrics. I wanted to get some structure in there without actually doing any piecing. The repeated lattice of leaf and squares looks simple enough but required quite a bit of care. I was worried it might look more 'organic' than precise in placement but worked out fine in the end (see posts from August and September last year for more detail). In contrast, the random placement of the broderie perse (or tile applique) in the outer border was great fun to do and much more relaxing. I'd like to do more of that in a future quilt.

The binding is a fabric I've had in the stash - the ombre stripe seemed just right. 

The backing is also an old repro that's been in the stash - a large border stripe. I'd been 'saving' it for a border but not sure that time will ever come. So ...it's now a backing. 

It's been a long while since I updated my progress with my Sarah Fielke BOM (started January). The 12 inch blocks are getting more difficult - as you'd expect with a quilt that is a series of classes in different techniques. That's exactly why I signed up - to get more proficient in areas where I am deficient! While it is not strictly my style of quilt, it is a great source of practice and I am in awe of Sarah's sewing skills. She has stitched three of each block (using different colour ways) and that is quite something, what with the difficulty of some recent blocks. 

The foundation paper piecing has required maximum focus. Sarah was kind enough to provide an applique circle to cover the meeting of 16 points in this block - phew!

Another foundation pieced block

And an applique block - this was more my sort of thing! I used back basting prep and needle turn here. 

And a few made earlier that I've not yet posted ...

There are 24 of the 6" star blocks in the quilt and I've made a point of hand piecing those. That has improved my hand piecing no end. I'm still not able to perfectly 'eye ball' (as Jinny Beyer says) a scant 1/4 inch seam - but am getting there!

Here's my design wall so far - might not be the final layout. Should look better with the wide dog tooth border that goes around the outside - in red on cream?

It was warm enough yesterday to sit for a while and enjoy this little crabapple tree flowering in the garden. Glad I did because today it's blowing a gale and there may be no blossoms left on by tonight!

Hope your week is going well :)

A stitching month in pictures

How's this for a lazy quick progress post...

SVBAQ Bouquet block

Sarah Fielke BOM - hand pieced

Sarah Fielke BOM

Sarah Fielke BOM

needle turn with back basting prep

Harrison Rose hand quilting 

...and a Mother's Day gift that has drawn me back to this table far too often - so addictive! 

Adventures in Melbourne

Just back from a little trip interstate to Melbourne 

When I say "little" - it took 6 hours travel to get there and nearly 8 hours back - with all the waiting and connecting between trains, shuttles, planes and taxis! So I crammed in as much sight seeing as I could while there...including the Australasian Quilt Convention of course. Unfortunately we cannot share photos taken of the many inspiring quilts. Annette Gero's collection of War Quilts was the most outstanding for me and a google search found these links for pics here and here and here. 

I finally got to shop at L'Uccello - they had a lovely stall at the AQC - a new pattern and a tin from there, and pretty toile (Mas D'ousvan) and stitchy supplies from other stallholders.

I followed that up with a visit to the shop itself. It is well hidden (no shop front) in this building...

image from Design Files

...enter through this arcade - a bit dark and mysterious but beautiful

image from Nicholas Building blog

up two flights of stairs... the suspense was building!

then this burst of colour at the doorway to welcome visitors! 

Some chat and some more shopping. These threads are new to me - fine waxed French thread for applique (Fil a Gant) in gorgeous colours and not expensive  - looking forward to trying them out.  

Melbourne's streets in the CBD are great fun to walk around - lots of history and character and colourful trams. Wandering down one narrow street (Flinders Lane - historically the centre of Melbourne's rag trade) I spotted a sign - couldn't go past of course! 

image from Tessuti website

It is a dress fabric shop but does include some gorgeous linens and Liberty fabrics. I "rescued" this piece from a table of half price roll ends - labelled "silk cotton" (feels like a very fine lawn) and if nothing else might make a pretty scarf? 

 

Some stitching updates: 

Hexagon Star - the centre star came together quite quickly as half inch hexagons don't take long to sew together once the prep in done - and I had been prepping obsessively! 

Travel can provide a lot of opportunities for stitching (all that sitting around waiting) and I had some EPP supplies with me. I got loads of hexagons prepped in little bags - grouped by colour...

... and more stitching has been done and so it grows...

My Quilt group holds a Mother's Day stall fundraiser each year and members are asked to provide/donate some stitched items. I thought I'd make a few mug rugs. Now don't look if you are squeamish as this involved some sacrifice of doilies - all in a good cause mind you! And they were pre-damaged doilies...

I machine pieced some fabric scraps in a random crazy-quilted style around the embroidered doilie pieces.

A little wadding, backing, machine quilting with walking foot, and binding. Attaching the binding strip took the longest of course lol! So I tried Self Binding (the rug on the right) - it was a quicker method but not such a nice plump finish to the edges. I later found a Youtube video on binding a mug rug - looks like a good method and I might just try that next time.

Sarah Fielke BOM - two more blocks and they are applique this time - a large Bird block and a Hearts/tulip block. But I dithered getting started as I was getting that itchy feeling that I needed to mess with them - will I/won't I? And in the end I did make changes because I felt the bird was not in keeping with the style of fabrics and look I had in mind. Sarah's bird is lovely for a modern quilt and certainly a great choice for an applique beginner: 

small pic from pattern notes - 12 inch bird block

I came up with this sketch - same branch but with a more classic bird to suit my fabric choices - especially in view of the bird toiles I have used in the star centres: 

my version - 12inch block

I also changed the Hearts/tulip block because I am a fuss pot and not keen on heart motifs

Sarah's block

my version - 12 inch block

Here's a look at some of the blocks together - not the final layout but gives an impression

Oh dear - it has been another long post. If I posted more often this wouldn't happen of course! Catch22 because then I'd not get the sewing done...

Anzac Day long weekend coming up - hope you all get extra sewing time too :)

Harrison Rose heads into the hoop

There was a little jostling in the hand quilting queue after I finished quilting my red CWB quilt - and Harrison Rose won out! It was going to involve something a little bit new and challenging for me - marking an entire quilt top before basting.

Dawn's pattern includes full quilting lines as on the antique original. My intention was to follow the pattern but my quilt is smaller (only 9 blocks instead of 16) so my border quilting pattern needed adjusting. And once I started adjusting there was no stopping! The antique quilt border has corner quilting like this (from Dawn's pattern plan)...

Looking at the heart motifs and this way of feathering around the corner - bit quirky and very charming but maybe not 'me'. I had a peruse of a very favourite, oh-so-inspiring, book of antique quilt patterns...

Inspired by a corner treatment in the book and a three pointed motif, I redrew a simple corner of feathers and made my own paper pattern from a roll of bake paper...

Then the quilt marking began - echoing that motif in the blocks...

Marking wreaths (traced from the pattern) and triple parallel lines across the blocks...

And now apologies for a bit of waffle about tools and batting - just because sometimes I get asked: 

In the past I have found the large triangle ruler is invaluable so scored lines don't wander off perpendicular - and used the same method here when drawing lines. Well worth the quick check of lining it up with the edges of borders and blocks as I draw along the edge long ruler.

The marker I am using? General's Sketch and Wash pencils. New to me but recommended by a blogger - I think it was Dawn herself but my memory is so shocking that could be wrong. I've had bad experiences with markers in the past (not washing out, marking poorly etc) so I bought these pencils last year and have had them 'handy' for this quilt. Before starting I did a wash test on an off-cut of my fabric - all good - washed off perfectly with a mild detergent in cold water. I have to say they are an absolute dream to draw with on fabric - so soft, no pressure needed to get a clear line, and no drag on the fabric at all! 

Preparing a wash test fabric strip

I've been a bit of a 'stick-in-the-mud' as far as batting goes - almost always use wool with a pretty high loft as it gives great definition to applique and has been easy to quilt - Quilters Dream being a favourite. But this time there is less applique and the quilt will be well washed. I thought I'd try cotton and was tempted by the promise of Quilters Dream cotton Request (for hand quilters) "stitch as close as needed and your quilt will remain soft and flexible" and achieve "the antique puckered look". Sounds good? Well - compared with the wool this is a very thin batting and I had my doubts about it when it arrived. But, being a trusting soul, I went ahead  - pin basted the quilt and started hand quilting. 

So far - I love it! It certainly quilts easily (just as did the wool), the quilting shows up well, and it is so light and soft to manoeuvre . I'm looking forward to washing it later to get that antique look. 

Indigo Circles is progressing - after a large prep catchup (again ) of the 2 inch blocks with foil wrapping method

Then we had a full day power cut - no ironing possible. So I went back to plain old needle turn of some 4 inch blocks and really enjoyed that method again.

The blocks are all pinned on my design wall and looking like a quilt in the making. 

Sarah Fielke BOM  - also growing gradually. To get an idea of how it might all look together  I placed a lot of the blocks on the floor in a random way  - not how they will end up but gives an idea of balance of colours. Not balanced yet but there is a long way to go...

Another little project completed - my new favourite pincushion - a free tutorial  Sunny Day Dresden pincushion. That could just be my first Dresden plate block ever - fun to make too. 

I used the same fabrics to match this purse made in 2013

Something I really enjoy (that isn't quilt related) is walking. There are so many benefits but enjoying the scenery is top of the list and makes exercise a pleasure. Walking and vehicle traffic do not mix well so I feel very lucky to have a few traffic-free options near home. This river walk (10km return track) is a favourite and perfect this time of year.

Feels and looks very rural but only just on the outskirts of town.

After exercise like that, a couple of hours sitting quilting ( or heaven forbid, looking at blogs) is guilt-free don't you think?