My latest double bed quilt came about because a friend had done a quilt in soft greens and yellows. It looked so calm and peaceful, and full of the promise of Spring, I just had to do a quilt in similar colours (with a splash of red).
So I started by making up these little 4" flower blocks.
Hand applique is not my forte really - it takes me ages, but I persevere because I love the way it adds so much to a quilt. I cheated in that I stenciled the green leaves onto the calico before sewing on the petals. I used a stencil that I cut from a piece of clear plastic packaging and Dylon fabric paint. I put the absolute minimum of paint on to my stencil brush, to avoid bleeding under the stencil, and I pounced more paint along one half of the leaf to add dimension, like in this leaf.
This is a link to the flower applique and leaf design. The flower is turned a little for each block making them all slightly different.
The strips of fabric are cut ½” longer than the 4½” needed. This is so that they can be trimmed to size after sewing them together. Also, instead of calculating the exact number and width of fabric strips to get the correct width of finished block, I sewed strips of random width together until the block was longer than needed and shortened by adding small pintucks to the wider strips.(It never does quite work out even when I try really hard and I usually end up with a silly small strip which almost disappears into the seam! ). I like the way that the pintucks add some texture.
This is a finished 12" x 12" block. The 4" squares either side of the flower have a bit of a swirly pattern on them.
I ran out of steam a bit towards the edge, but the plain-ish border looks fine when the quilt is on the bed as it hangs over the side. The outside border is more of the strips with pintucks. It's lovely to have a "Springtime" quilt on the bed when we're heading towards the winter months. Not that I really hate the dark winter - extra sewing time!
Happy Stitching - Anita
PS. Two lovely quilt exhibitions coming up on opposite sides of the world:
29-31 October 2015: Trevithick Quilters Exhibition. Elim Centre, Kerrier Way, Camborne, Cornwall, UK, TR14 8FH. Open Thurs – Sat, 10 – 4
12-14 November 2015: Launceston Patchworkers & Quilters Exhibition, Punchbowl Christian Centre, 100 Punchbowl Road, Kings Meadows, Launceston, Tasmania. Open Thurs - Sat, 10 - 4.30
Not just an AGM, but a busy evening with lots happening at Flowerpatch Quilters last Thursday.
Firstly we were delighted to be able to give a cheque for £2,700 to the Cornwall branch of the Samaritans. This was the proceeds of our quilt raffle and other money raising ventures in the past year. Two representatives joined us to accept the cheque and to tell us about the Samaritans and about the Truro branch in particular. Do read about the wonderful work they do here. I was really interested to hear about all the training they have to do to become a Samaritan volunteer, and to learn that they can also be contacted by email, text and in person. The Samaritans have a new phone no. which is completely free to call from a landline and mobile - 116 123 .This is a link to the newspaper article in the Cornish and Devon.
Next came the AGM bit which was swiftly worked through. Lots of compliments from our Chairman Liz for all the hard work that every member does to make for a successful year - we think she does a great job, too!
Then the member's raffle. When we make up the blocks for our charity quilt we always do a few extra and this year they were made into cushions to be raffled among the members who did some of the sewing. We had three cushions and these were won by Elizabeth, Mary and Iris.
Here is a link to the floral border quilt so you can see how it all fitted in.
The applique flower cushion.
The two double-sided log cabin cushions.
These were finished using a really simple method from Jo Colwill's book "Cushions and Quilts". A narrow lining is sewn to the edge of the cushion as it is being made up and this tucks inside to hide the cushion pad.
Onwards to a show and tell of "Beginner's Quilts" and lots had been brought along. There were paper pieced hexagons and dresden plates, sample block quilts, simple pieced squares, etc and many had been made using fabric from dresses, skirts, blouses and curtains as this was well before we had access to all the super fabric choice we have today.
Finally Julia and Sue from Cartwheels Craft Centre had come along to tell us about the shop and the varied workshops they have at Merrymeet - not just patchwork, and they kindly brought along fabrics and supplies for us to buy.
Well, I said it was busy and there is yet more because, while we enjoyed our shopping and refreshments, next year's charity quilt sewing packs were being handed out; subs were collected - this is still only £15 a year; Charles Causley poetry lines were studied and chosen; and quilting books pored over!
I came home buzzing with the anticipation of another great Flowerpatch year.
Next month on 12th November Barbara Chainey will be giving a talk - "It's all in the Stitch!". An evening not to missed and eagerly anticipated.
Happy Sewing - Anita
