Peek-a-boo I sew you!

I have finished the top of my blue and cream version of Di Ford's Antique Wedding Sampler (re-visited) - yay! 

Unfortunately my closeline no longer winds up to its full height so the quilt is left dragging on the ground. It's quite a big quilt as my sashings were cut wider to accomodate the design on the fabric. The last time I blogged about this quilt I was doing the broderie perse and I don't think you've seen the centre vase and you can see how I cut the sashing fabric. I got the sashing idea from Sofie and the vase of flowers design from Lynne - it's great to have friends to get inspiration from!

I felt as though I needed a border or some kind of break between the busy triangle blocks of broderie perse and toile and for some crazy idea I decided to do a 'peek-a-boo' inner border (hmmmm, I think I can blame/credit Veronique for this one). Initially I just pinned the binding style strip sandwiched between the quilt top and the outer border and sewed it together on the machine. 

Well this was a complete failure and came out all uneven. Would you believe I sewed on two sides without really looking at it and then I had to do about 4 metres of reverse sewing (unpicking) - ugh!!

So I decided to be a lot more methodical - this is the process I came up with. First carefully measure across the quilt top and mark to match up equal distances.

One problem I had was strip not staying folded and together nicely...

....so I spray starched it (as I would for bias stems). 

Even though I did not cut the strip on the bias it was still acting floppy and stretchy so I stitched the two raw edges together onto the outer border with a large tacking stitch on the machine 1/8" from the edges.

Then I sandwiched it together and pinned, using the lines I had marked earlier with the frixion pen.

Also pinning carefully on the diagonal to catch the seam allowances on the triangle keystones.

Then sewing it all together, with a 1/4" seam and I used a slightly larger seam stitch.

Hopefully you can see the 1st large tacking 1/8" seam that attached the strip to the outer border and the normal 1/4" seam that sandwiched it all together.

A good press...

...and voila!!! Nice and straight and even.

I then mitred the corners the Di Ford way...

Where you hand fold, pin, tack and hand sew the border strips together. You can find Di's mitring method on YouTube.

I don't know if I would ever do another peek-a-boo border on a large quilt but I think it was worth it in the end.

Be sure to hop over to the G'nT Sisters where you can see Lynne and Sofie's AWS quilts just back from the quilter.

Thanks for your well wishes from my last post, I'm completely recovered from the flu.

Oops I nearly forgot, what's one of my posts without a CCCQ update. Here are my latest blocks only one more to go....

CCCQ Block #28

CCCQ Block #33 or the 'Jatz Biscuit'

I have substituted this wreath block from

 Corliss' Celebrating Mary Brown pattern there were lots of inner curves in this one!

Cheers

Carole

G'nT Sisters - New Blog!

Announcing my new blog that I have created for the G'nT (Gin & Thread) Sisters - aka my sister and two friends, Sofie and Lynne who you have met here before.

We are all sewing our own version of Di Ford's Antique Wedding Sampler (re-visited) quilt and try to get together every month or so. I have just finished this block after starting it at our AWS Fryerstown retreat

AWS Block #20

To see more of our AWS blocks please go and visit the Gin and Thread Sisters at our new blog.

Many thanks

Carole

Broderie Blocks finished

I haven't posted for a couple of weeks as we have been living on the other side of the city and I haven't been sewing. Most of what you see below I did before we moved.

Anyway I have now finished the last two broderie perse blocks for my Morrell quilt. HOORAY!!!

I'm afraid there are going to be a lot of peacocks in this quilt...

Who says you can't make lots of colour thread changes when sewing broderie perse by machine?

I have also finished another block for my Comfort Quilt.

Comfort Quilt Block #9

And my sister and I are making a baby quilt for a new family member.

I need to quilt and bind it. Just LOVE the caravan fabric.

Have a safe and peaceful Easter.

Carole

Broderie Blockbusters

I've completed another 4 broderie perse blocks for my Morrell quilt - all of these are from a piece of '1840's Birds and Basics' by Harriet Hargrave for P&B Textiles. These were done by machine. This time I tried a 100% Gutermann silk for the cream areas. I love using silk for hand needle-turn so thought I would give it a go on the machine.

Only need to do two more blocks, then I will have completed all the broderie perse for this quilt. Looking forward to that!

21 Today!

21 today - I've finished my 21st broderie perse block for my Morrell quilt so only six more of this style of block to go  - yay!

I like the roses from this fabric as they look old. I used needle turn for the vase and machine blanket-stitched the flowers and leaves.

I've also been working on Block #5 of the Chester County Criswell quilt - the crazy nasturtiums. I liked the way Sharon used two fabrics and decided to look at some pics of nasturtiums on the internet. I liked this one because of the blue hue in the leaves as I am using blue fabrics (instead of green).

For the stem I traced around freezer paper with a silver gel pen.

Then when I came to the leaves I was going to use the freezer paper and starch method but I couldn't get smooth curves.

So changed tack and decided to trace the shapes directly onto the fabric using the light table (box). I should do this more often as it completely by-passes the use of freezer paper.

Two leaves done and five more to go - one for each day on the bus next week. Then I'm on holiday for a month - woo-hoo!

I'd better start thinking about Christmas, might even put up the tree today.

Cheers

Carole

Busy with Broderie

I have completed four more broderie perse blocks for my Morrell quilt. They are all very different because of the fabrics used.

 

Remember these two that I accidentally sewed together here? 

All repaired now and worth the unpicking.

My other projects, particularly the 12 Days of Christmas and the Chester County Criswell quilt, continue to be neglected but I'm on a Morrell roll. I've even booked it in to be quilted so I have to finish it!
Cheers
Carole

More Morrell

I've been working on my Morrell quilt and have finished 5 more broderie perse blocks...

I use a small button hole stitch on my machine. I change the top colours but keep a light grey in the bobbin. I worked on all five of these blocks simultaneously, ie all the green leaves, then yellow flowers etc. My other projects have been languishing but it feels good just to power through on one thing for a change.

Cheers

Carole