I've never sewn a string quilt but I love some of the designs that TheEclecticAbuela comes up with on her blog and, with my two baskets of tiny scraps overflowing, I thought it was about time I had a go. I intended to make a mini quilt, but just went with the flow and ended up with two square panels to use on each side of a shoulder bag. I thought that this would be a really easy project, but I seemed to have to make quite a few decisions.
I started by cutting strips less than 1" wide from my fabric bits, although I did cut the really short pieces for the corners a little wider so that they wouldn't completely disappear into the seams.
Decision 1 - should I cut dominant fabrics narrower so that they don't ..... dominate? By the time I came to do the second lot of squares I'd decided that the answer was "YES"
I've marked a couple of the 'too wide' strips, in the first block that I did, with arrows, but there were more which I unpicked and changed.
I cut out 2" squares from paper - this is the size that I wanted the string squares to be before sewing them all together. I sewed 4 string squares at a time, without cutting the threads between them, so as to save on thread ...... and thread snarl ups.
I laid a strip across the paper square from corner to corner, right side up.
Decision 2 - should I mark a diagonal line across the paper square so that all the fabrics are at the same angle? "NO" because the wonky angles made the finished block more interesting ...... and even if I tried to keep them straight they'd be sure to go wonky!
I laid another strip on top of the first, right sides together and sewed them together with a small seam allowance and short stitch length.
I folded back the second piece of fabric and trimmed off some of the excess fabric around the edge of the paper square.
Now I could carry on in the same fashion, stitching all my seams through the paper (and sometimes I lost the plot and this is what I did!!), but it's a real drag when you get to the end of sewing the square and you have all that paper to tediously remove. Instead I sewed the next seams just through the two layers of fabric with the paper folded back out of the way, checking each time that the paper square would be covered by the new fabric.
In the pics below I'm adding more strips of fabric in the same way.
Once all the strips are sewn on I trim the edges back to the paper size.
I do like before and after pics - so this is where my squares get a makeover! Don't they look a mess before I trim them?
And on the back only one stitching line through the paper which tears off quickly and easily.
Then Decision 3 - how to arrange the squares for my finished block - I did both 6" blocks the same and (Decision 4) I pressed all the seams open. I added a check border. I laid them on some thin cotton wadding and machine quilted a spiral on each, starting just off centre and extending into the border.
These are the ingredients for my bag:
- 2 sides. I sewed some brown fabric from old trousers to the edges of the blocks to make them 10" wide by 11½" long
- 2 gingham linings the same size
- A 36" handle - the longest I could cut from a trouser leg. Cut 2½" wide and folded to make 4 thicknesses. I would have liked this a bit longer so I made the handle holding loops longer to compensate.
- 2 handle holding loops cut from the brown check
- A zip (from the trousers) with a brown check tab on each end. I would have liked the zip to be an inch longer but heyho.
I made up the bag in the same way as my last Sashiko Bag including a Boxy Bottom.
I didn't make much of a dent in my baskets of scraps. The blue/red/pink basket looks untouched and the "every other colour" basket seems just as full, but not quite so colourful!!
Well done if you've stuck with my marathon of a blog post to the very end .... and "thank you". - Anita x
I'm linking up with Fiber Tuesday
After an evening of reverse applique at the September Flowerpatch meeting I really wanted to carry on practising the technique. I'd been reading a lovely book by Gloria Loughman "quilted symphony" and felt inspired by her use of pattern within landscapes.
This is my take on Caradon an amazingly beautiful man-made landscape in SE Cornwall, sculpted by quarrying and mining in the past. It measures approx 12" x 9".
It's one of my favourite places to walk and I always take lots of photos whilst there.
I started my wall hanging by drawing the curved horizontal lines on paper and, using Gloria's method, traced them onto freezer paper in reverse. I ironed this onto the different fabrics, trimmed and folded the top edge over the freezer paper to make a hem. Then they were sewn down in order starting from the top and sewing along the top edge with the blind hem stitch on my sewing machine.
The triangles and "circles" and lines were done by reverse applique, tacking various coloured fabrics behind the main landscape.
Here are some close up pictures of the applique and stitching.
I extended the mustard yellow landscape area into the border binding after sewing on a tiny flange of the orange fabric. See this post on how to add a flange insert.
Life is Good - Anita x
At Flowerpatch Quilters we like nothing more than spending an evening surrounded by old quilts. Especially when they are accompanied by their very knowledgeable owner Sara Price - The Quilt Lady.
Sara started by showing us a quilt that had been especially made for a four poster bed with the corners cut out to accommodate the posts at the foot of the bed. She explained why some of the colours in the quilt had faded more than others as the quilt would have been originally made with very bright cottons and chintzs. The greens and purples are fugitive dyes and readily fade whereas blues remain strong. This quilt was made by the English Paper Piecing method and I hadn't realised that sometimes the "papers" were intended to be left inside the quilt. Only 5 minutes into Sara's talk and I've already learnt a lot!!
The next to be shown was a small folded log cabin - each strip was really narrow. Sara thought the design made by the positioning of each block to be very unusual and would love to know if it has a name.
There were a lot more quilts to follow including one which was made by a Cornish soldier in India. This wasn't done on papers, but the squares were barely 1" and it may have been used laying on the floor of a tent.
A silk and velvet tumbling blocks
A four patch scrap quilt in Springtime colours made by an 80 year old lady.
and many, many more.
The final quilt that Sara showed was a "Red Cross" quilt. These were sent from Canada to the UK during the war and given to those in the greatest need. You can read a little more about these on this Quilters Guild website page.
All in all a fascinating and friendly evening - thank you so much Sara.
Our next Flowerpatch meeting is on 13th December at Cowslip Workshops, when Jo will have us doing some exciting sewing in the cafe. Please bring along sewing kits.
Happy Stitching - Anita x
The Textile Maids recently held an exhibition of their work at the Castle in Bude. It was a brilliant exhibition - I spent ages there, and if you missed it you can see some pics on their blog. I particularly liked seeing the books they had made especially one by Margaret Pellow - every page was filled with the joy of stitch, one page for each month.
It reminded me that I had made a book of the seasons a few years ago before I started blogging. The front is a rectangular block sewn in the way of courthouse steps with the soft colours of Spring at the top, vibrant colours of summer to the right, the oranges of Autumn at the bottom and greys of Winter to the left.
The book measures approx 6" x 5" and the pages are 5" square.
The first page is Spring and this was inspired by a "corner" at Flowerpatch Quilters meeting where Julia F and Trudy explained how to do a pineapple block.
Summer next and at the same meeting Jane showed us how to make a Rag Rug on a hessian backing.
For Autumn I wanted to have a go at some 3D oak leaves and I sewed them onto a background of Kantha stitches. This was yet another FPQ meeting with Tricia Warman who was so expert at Kantha.
Lastly Winter which is supposed to be like looking through a window at night with snow falling and laying a little. The background of blacks is made from many small squares of different textures of fabric which are stitched over with free machine embroidery as shown to us at FPQ by Jan Tillett.
The ties that hold the hinge together, and make the closure loop were also one of Jan's ideas. Mine are wool covered with zigzag stitching.
The backs of my pages looked very blank so I added some appropriate words for each season.
I remember this as being such an enjoyable experience that I really must find the time to do another book. I'm thinking of calling it "The LOVE of Stitch". :)
Happy making
Anita x
I'm linking up with Busy Hands Quilts - Finished or not Friday
As expected our October meeting at Flowerpatch Quilters was a very busy one. It gives me yet another opportunity to show you our 'Over the Rainbow' quilt which was made to raise money for Guide Dogs for the Blind.
We were thrilled to be able to give a cheque for £2600 to Trudy Sherwood as a representative of the charity. Trudy gave a delightful talk about the charity and her own experiences with her beautiful dog, Connie.
The raffle for a Quillow was drawn and this was won by Liz B. The Quillow was made from left over blocks from the main quilt and every person who made a block was entered in the draw.
The cushion cover
and the quilt inside
This meeting was our AGM, but business was soon dealt with and we had lots of time to browse the lovely fabric and quilting sundries that Painter's Crafts had brought along to tempt us ........ and I succumbed of course!!
At our exhibition in August we displayed our 'Chinese Whispers' quilts and these were shown for the last time at this evening meeting. Bear with me while I try to explain what these are for those who don't know. It all begins with a photograph, chosen by one member and handed to another who uses it to inspire the making of a small wall quilt - ours were approx A4 size. This first little quilt is handed to another member who uses it as inspiration for their own wall quilt - they don't get to see the photo. They pass their quilt to yet another member who again uses it as inspiration for their quilt piece. This carries on for as many times as you wish with each person only ever seeing the wall quilt before their own.
We did two sets starting with two different photos. How exciting when the results were revealed, but also how puzzling as the designs seemed to go full circle!!??
Below is set no.1, starting with the photo.
and the first wall quilt by Liz B
followed by Iris L then Anne W
Next Anita then Pippa
and the final two by Ruth then Monica B
So how did those beautiful flowers in the first quilt change to the rugged Cornish coast and back to flowers again??
This is set no.2 - the photo
and the first wall quilt by Christine T
The second quilt by Jane, then by Dawn
Next Dy and then Annie
and the final two by Lois and then Sue S
We had quite a change in the season in the middle there, but soon came back to the sunny coast!
I think this must mean that many of us belonging to Flowerpatch Quilters are like-minded and on the same wavelength!
There was just time left for the Flowerpatch committee to do a bit of a Show and Tell. Many had brought along their very early quilts to show, some dating back over 20 years.
During the meeting packs were handed out for making next year's charity quilt and the charity was chosen as the new air ambulance for Cornwall.
Our next meeting is on the 8th November 2018
Happy Stitching - Anita x
The Launceston group of West Country Embroiderers recently held an exhibition and I'm delighted to be able to show you some photos of their lovely work. At present they only have 20 members so it was a real surprise to see so much sewing on display and such varied items!
This is one of Joan's beautiful cushions
and Moira's exquisite framed embroidery on silk.
Ruth's riotous garden in a hoop looked such fun to do. She must have used every single embroidery stitch known!
and she also made these delicate ribbon work flower twinchies.
Valerie had been very busy and made these two boxes - both lovely and practical,
and she sewed a set of 8 mandalas displayed in hoops. These 4 were my favourites.
This is Anne's sweet redwork snowman - I like the border she used, too.
and I loved this single colour relief embroidery, but I'm not sure who's nimble fingers created it.
There was so much more than the above to see and many beautiful stitchings beneath glass which I couldn't photograph sensibly.
Launceston embroiderers would love to welcome new members to their group. They meet at St Cuthbert Mayne Hall on the last Friday of every month from 10 am to 3 pm, when they share ideas, learn from each other or have a workshop with an expert tutor.
Happy Stitching - Anita x
