The Purple Patch Quilt

Yesterday was spent tidying my sewing area and organizing my stash.  I am actually a very messy sewer, and have a bad habit of not re-folding and returning fabric back to where it came from.   It is not unusual for there to be a fabric mountain on my work table. Whilst going through some of my boxed fabrics I came across the Purple Patch Quilt.  It was put aside, way back in November, to await the arrival of the binding fabric.

So today was spent sewing on the binding with fabric that arrived quite some time ago.

The binding fabric as well as all of the solids are Kaffe Fassett shot cottons in the colorway Lilac, Lavender, Heather, Prune and Grape.

Shot cottons, as opposed to true solids, add so much more depth and interest to a quilt with shifts in color from tonal variations.

Purple is still my personal challenge color, it is slowly growing on me. Slowly.  I wonder if other quilters have color issues?

The Purple Patch Quilt is now available in my Etsy Store.  Sold

Thanks for stopping by!

Purple Patch Quilt - backing

The Strips and Bricks Quilt II

The custom Strips and Bricks Quilt is very much finished and in between showers and windy weather I have managed to take lots of photos.  So herewith a picture post: ~

The finished quilt measures 70 inches x 70 inches

This quilt is based on the Strips and Bricks Quilt Pattern by Malka Dubrawsky and was featured in the Sew Hip Magazine (April 2009), although I have tweaked block size to accommodate the larger quilt size.

As usual the back of the quilt is also pieced and incorporates more of the Strips and Bricks Pattern as well as featuring some much loved Amy Butler Lotus prints.  The solid fabric is Robert Kaufman  Kona Cotton in Ash.

The quilt is quilted with straight lines from edge to edge of the quilt, both vertically and horizontally.  Where the quilting lines cross paths a very busy intersection of stitches is created.  Avoiding tucks and puckers at this point comes down to good basting.  I pin baste and use lots of pins; at least one pin every four inches.  I do think that basting is something you get better at over time.  You eventually get a "feel" of how to match the tension of the top and back of the quilt. (I hope to write a more thorough basting technique post soon.)

   

When quilting I do increase the stitch length so that the stitch itself is a feature.  This particular quilt was quilted with a stitch length of 4.0 (Bernina 440QE) compared to a usual piecing stitch length of 2.0.  I do adjust stitch length according to quilt size; larger quilts can cope with longer stitches.  My usual choice of  quilting stitch length ranges from 3.5 to 4.0.  Larger stitches also makes stitch ripping a little easier. 

Straight line quilting is time consuming with this particular quilt taking approximately 12 hours to quilt and 6 bobbins.  It gets boring after about 1 hour so a little patience and determination is definitely required.  The overall effect is well worth the effort though.

This quilt is now off its new owner.  It is difficult to part with this one, although I take great comfort in knowing that this quilt will be very much loved and used.

Rita

Relevant Links:
Strips and Bricks Quilt I
Strips and Bricks Quilt III

Gone Quilting

It has been a little quiet on the blogging front this week only because I have instead spent time behind the sewing machine.  Not only have I started and finished a quilt that I cannot as yet show you (which I am pretty excited about!)  but have also pieced a quilt backing for the Strips and Bricks Quilt II top pieced last week and basted the quilt sandwich.

I was so nervous about basting this large quilt as it really dictates how smoothly the quilting will go.  I find it  very difficult to cope with fabric pulls and puckers particularly for custom quilts.  I need not have worried so much, and should have had more confidence in my own basting technique, as in fact I am  very pleased with how the quilting is going.

Foundation Grid

I started quilting by creating a foundation grid to stabilize the quilt sandwich.  Lines were quilted both horizontally and vertically by stitching a 1/4 inch inside of the strips of the quilt that will be filled with quilting lines.

Now that the foundation grid is finished I have started filling in the strips by quilting organic lines.  I have not marked any of the lines, instead I have been using the outside edges of my walking foot as a guide for stitching the next line.

There is still a LOT more quilting to go, and let me re-assure you that whilst I am sitting behind my sewing machine I will be getting a very physical work-out as a I wrangle with the bulk of the quilt, and  hoist it over my shoulder to ensure that the lines are continuous and straight.  Muscle building for sure.

Stitch, stitch, stitch ...

Lucky Me!

A hand delivery all the way from Liberty of London in the UK; a gift from my sister (Quilts on Bastings) who has just returned from an European and UK vacation.

 Liberty of London - Tana Lawn - cotton fabric quality doesn't get any better than this, and the prints are just so gorgeous.

Now I know that the color purple is not a favorite in my fabric stash, however I certainly will make an exception of these!

Around the Block - July

For the July Around the Block swap Jan from Sewjourn  sent out a bundle of fabric including pre-cut borders to make three 8.5 inch blocks.  For the center of each of the blocks Jan asked for "simple but interesting". 

The pre-cut borders for each block were a different width, therefore each of the pieced centers varied in size accordingly.  I particularly enjoyed the challenge of fussy cutting whilst making the most of limited fabric.

I truly love simple and interesting and look forward to seeing Jan's finished quilt.

More inspiration in the Around the Block Flickr Group

I also enjoy browsing the Quilting Bee Blocks Flickr Group -  loads of block ideas! 

Sunday Stash #59

A new arrival that is patiently waiting to be cut into:

Tufted Tweets by Laurie Wisbrun (Scarlet Fig)

I love the vibrant colors of these fun fabrics and cannot wait to make a quilt - definitely one for the couch - from these quirky prints.

Work in Progress ~ Strips and Bricks Quilt

It's been a little quiet on the blogging front this week, but have no fear I have indeed been busy sewing.  In fact, I have spent quite some time on my design floor and behind the sewing machine.

If you are a long time reader of my blog you may recognize this quilt.  I have previously made a smaller version of this Strips and Bricks Quilt, way back in June last year.  The quilt design is by Malka Dubrawsky and was featured in the April 2009 issue of Sew Hip Magazine.  My original quilt was purchased by a customer who loves it so much that she has since requested a larger version of the same quilt.

The quilt top made this week measures 70 x 70 inches, which makes photographing just that bit more tricky !  (Don't let that little bit of sunshine coming through the quilt top fool you either, it was rather cool here this morning).

 I have tweaked block measurements to suit quilt size.  437 individual fabric pieces were laid out on my design floor, and after much rearranging they were methodically pieced together.  Perseverance.

There are lots of little detailed prints in the quilt for added interest, although I think it is the quilting itself that will give this quilt its character.   But first I am going to have to await the arrival of the backing fabric.  Patiently.

RELEVENT LINKS:
Strips and Bricks Quilt - A Finished Quilt

Work in Progress

I have commenced work on a custom quilt.

It involves loads of rotary cutting individual pieces of fabric, some of which are from my scrap bin. 

I really do think that some of my best and most creative quilts have come out of my much loved scrap bin.  My scraps are like a catalog of my favorite fabrics, some of which are no longer available.  The pieces vary in size, including some very small bits that I just cannot part with, yet.  Working from my scrap bin is however a messy business.

I've got many more hours of cutting ahead of me!

Sunday Stash #58 ~ Dream On by Urban Chicks

Now and again a fabric range outside of my comfort zone catches my eye.

Pretty floral prints in soft oranges, yellows,

greens, and blues with lots of white for contrast.  Reminiscent of vintage bed linens.

Dream On by Urban Chiks for Moda.  Yardage  coming later this year.

A Sweet Princess Quilt

I know!  There weren't exactly any progress reports for the Far Far Away 2 Quilt, it just kind of happened, from Sunday Stash to a finished quilt on Thursday.  Admittedly there was a fair amount of time spent working on this quilt during this period.

This quilt was largely unplanned.  I knew I wanted to fussy cut the larger prints from the fabric range, and then piece four-patch blocks from the smaller scale prints to alternate.  The layout/quilt size was then very much limited to quantity of fabric from the Far Far Away 2 on hand - a fat quarter of each.  As each of the fat quarters were cut at a different interval of the fabric repeat, not all of the prints resulted in the same number of fussy cut blocks.  As it so happened I was able to fussy cut the most blocks from purple Sleeping Beauty print.

The linen blend fabrics are a heavier weight than the standard quilting cotton, however they are definitely much easier to use than the double gauze from the first Far Far Away range.  I did not encounter any difficulties piecing a quilt from these fabrics, and remembered to use a heavier-duty sewing needle ( 90/14).

The back of the quilt features some of the left-over pieces of FFA2 fabrics, and I have used a Kaufman Kona Cotton Solid for the rest of the quilt back to try to balance out the extra weight of the quilt due to the heavier linen blend fabrics.

The quilting ensures that the fussy cut prints continue to be featured, with diagonal lines running only through the small scale prints.  I also thought it appropriate to crank up the stitch length on these linen fabrics, and turn them into another feature rather than just a straight line.  

From last week's delicate and lightweight voile fabrics to this week's linen blend prints I have certainly enjoyed the challenge of piecing and quilting with such very different textures and fabric weights.

I also thought it would be fun to add a piece of the selvage to the bottom left and right hand corners of the quilt as a tribute to the designer and a reminder of the name of the fabric range.  A cute little detail.

The finished quilt has now been listed in my Etsy Store.  SOLD