I hate Squiggles

I hate squiggles when it is used as an allover design on a pieced quilt. They do nothing for me! I do not like the big irregular puffiness that destroy the straight piecing lines and let them all look crooked. The irregular texture do not invite me to touch the quilt and my eye isn't invited to explore the design of the quilt any further. I have stood in front of quilts at shows swearing at the long arm quilter who have destroyed another beautiful quilt.

I feel squiggles should be small and used to flatten the background so that the design can really stand out. Squiggles with loops stitched  in different directions, reflect the light in different directions to give a dull appearance, that do not distract the viewers attention from the actual show pieces. When used in this way squiggles is still a favorite pattern for me. I do not need 365 different background patterns. I am satisfied to have a few background patterns that I can choose from. A background pattern should never take center stage. It should play the supportive role that accentuate the beautiful and elegant quilt designs or the striking pieced design. It should not destroy the story the applique motifs are telling, but help them to do it better.

Quilting embroidery designs present some difficulties. Embroidery can stand on it's own when it is used in a tablecloth, as table runner or doilies. When incorporated in a quilt, unquilted areas can look very "disturbing". Quilting lines distorted unquilted areas and distract attention from their beauty. One must either not quilt embroidery designs at all, or very carefully quilt it so that the quilting do not distract from the embroidered design. When the embroidery is a small square, ditch quilting in the sewing lines around it might be the safer option. Once you start to quilt the embroidery-as in blocks that is bigger than 5-6 inches one must consider the options.

In this Redwork block I only follow the red outlines trying to create texture without drawing the attention away from the embroidery. I quilted it from the outside and was reminded why one should quilt from the middle out. A lot of the fullness was pushed into the middle and I saw it just in time to rescue the situation by quilting around the middle circle. This was not enough and I had to follow the curvy red lines to flatten this section a bit more. I echoed the outside and was wondering afterwards if I should not have left that part unquilted.

The problem is that an amount of puffiness was created between the outside edge of the embroidery and the ditch quilting line. Some distortion was forming there that made the further quilting necessary. This problem could be avoided if I had cut the embroidery block smaller with less "white" around the design. This might have looked as if the embroidery was squashed into the "patchwork". For me the extra white was necessary to make sure that the focus was on the embroidery.

I skipped the ditch quilting in this heart embroidery, because I placed the embroidery on the batting before I add the corner triangles, adding them in a quilt-as-you-piece fashion. I only added the backing once the block was sewn and thought that ditch stitching was unnecessary. I just outline quilted the block. This outline was sewn with the walking foot and I did not move the needle position. The outline was about 9 mm (3/8 inch) from the piecing line. This width and the feather design I quilted in the triangles distorted this area.

This was corrected by adding a ditch quilting line in the seam.

Incorrect quilting is distracting and can spoil the stunning aspects of a quilt to the extend that it is not appreciated. It is necessary to pay attention to everything one do, to provide you the beautiful results you try to achieve.

Some one was asking me what do I do with all the things I embroidered. My quilts I do finish one or another time (I have already completed more than 200 quilts- so I know I can do this even though it might take a number of years before it is finished.) When I have a specific project for my embroidery I also work towards "completion". I do have to admit though that I have a lot of embroidered blocks with no plan. Although I enjoy just looking at them I thought maybe I should do something about it so that others can also enjoy it. The two Redwork embroideries was pieced to form a pillow top. I planned from the start that the heart embroidery will be used as a pillow, so I just quilted it as well.

My birds, appliqued with a blanket stitch by machine, was also quilted and a cover for the box for my hand piecing project was made. I just stapled the green fabric to the sides of the box.

The book I am "doing"

I love books and purchase quite a number every year. I have realised that I often read a book and think I can do all the things described in the book. If I do not experiment with this information I do not not really know if I can do it. I often think of other ways to do it- or I take short cuts.

The book I am "doing" now is Pat Holly and her sister Sue Nickels's book "Raw Edge Applique". How wonderful to read a book from such experts. Their regular prize winning quilts make it clear that they are real masters. What is so wonderful is that many books might give patterns and designs but then the essential information to guarantee success is often lacking. Not so in the book of these two sisters. They share all the little secrets showing step by step how to turn sharp and inside corners when using the blanket stitch.

A valuable statement they made was: One do not have to think because you are working with the machine that you need to sew at a top speed. When using blanket stitch on small circles one often need to do it stitch by stitch turning after every stitch ever so slightly.

My project after fusing

Unfortunately I try to take a shortcut when cutting the border piece by only marking one quarter on the applique paper and folding it in quarters- big mistake- as you can see with my uneven scallops. It is good to run into trouble- I have learned a valuable lesson- and hopefully will now take notice! Short cuts in Patchwork often lead to unsatisfactory results! The iron dropped some dirty water on my white background. I hope when I completed the project it will wash out.

Here is my nearly completed stitched project. I added the batting before I did the blanket stitch. I like the support the batting give to the stitches and already some textures are created. 

I am impressed with the way some of the many stitches on my machine can make 

wonderful patterns an can be used to add detail to a project.

 I added the birds fringe with machine stitches

The blanket stitch is just lovely.

What fun it was- to be on my own workshop. Thanks to my two wonderful teachers, Pat Holly and Sue Nickels. Now I just need to quilt this.

Redwork or Coral Red?

We are fortunate to have a wide choice of threads to use in our textile arts. I did this redwork in a cotton Mettler thread. When sewn out my daughter mentioned that is actually the new "fashion" colour of Coral red. It has a more matte finish that is also beautiful.

This redwork design was stitched with Isacord thread. Here is some close up detail. These designs are by Enigma Enbroidery at Oregon Patch Works.

I could not resist to sew out this mugs. I arranged the individual mugs in a row and fit it into my Jumbo hoop.

Do one always need an uneven number- or will 4 in a row do?

Priscilla's Star

I want to open a new static page of all the quilts completed this year and then refer to the posts where I showed it's progress. I then realized that I haven't post about some of them for various reasons.

This quilt was started in 2004 in a class taught by Priscilla Bianchi from Guatemala. She brought some hand woven Gautemala fabric and made up kits for this class. This fabric has very interesting patterns and is in wonderful colours. The draw back is that it is loosely woven and thicker than the cotton we worked with. In this Hexagon stars that we made, 6 points is meeting in the middle and the thick fabric made it necessary to be very aware of the direction you press the seams. I heavily starch the fabric before I cut it. The starch prevent fraying and ensure that seams stayed flat after pressing. The Gautemala fabrics are combined with cotton fabric in the stars. The background fabric and border fabric is hand dyed and coloured by Langa Lapu fabrics. The centre star is a commercial print cotton  fabric.

 Although I finished the piecing in 2004 shortly after I took the class, I only quilted it this year. I  took it off the frame in July. I love making a piped binding in the way Ricky Tims do it, but for this quilt I tried another way. Here you combine two strips lengthwise for the binding. The one strip is 1/2 inch wider than the other and then form the Faux piping. The advantage of this and Ricky's binding is that you can machine sew it on- there is no hand sewing and the results is very good.

I always look for quilting patterns that I can do from "My Head" where I do not have to trace a pattern. I choose quilting designs that is continuous so that there is few starts and stops- a potential place where threads can unravel. I have been quilting feathers for so long that I can easily do it from my head- as long as I draw a middle line. The advantage of feathers is;
It is always beautiful
It can fill any space
There is a lot of variations possible
It is elegant
It compress the fabric near the middle of the design and then puff out on the edges, this variation (flat and puffy) make the design interesting and pull the eye over the surface.

So all though it took a long time Priscilla's Stars is completed.

I have used a flannel backing and a wool batting inside. I will use this quilt as a blanket, the cats already start to lay on it. I also made sure that I washed the quilt to get all the starch out. it is now nice and soft and will not be attacked by fish moths.

A Confession

I am a devoted blog reader and a lazy blogger. When I read this post- I decided it is time to write again. Thank you dear reader of my blog- without your comments and page views I would have quit long ago. When I began blogging I thought I will do it just for myself to keep a visual record of how I spent my days- and of how my quilts grow- from idea to being quilted.

Well I am sure if you are blogging you know how important feedback is- here I want to thank Liri (have you seen a more beautiful header than Liri's in blogland?)-  your comments are always building my confidence as a blogger- and why have we not see a blog post from you for so long?

I will do the hand piecing tutorial, although nobody have indicated that they are going to join me, in a future post. I have spent a few days with my children at a hot water spring, Goudini- near Rawsonville in the Cape. This gave me lots of time for hand piecing and I completed another 12 blocks.

My embroidery weeks came to an end now with all the heart embroideries completed for this quilt. It is on my design wall- but will have to wait patiently while I work and complete my quilt for the Tri- Nation exhibition. I am scared of the quilt and have found an excuse to put it off till TOMORROW, but tomorrow I am going to work on it.

(To fix a sideways photo-read here)

I also worked on a Blackwork "strip". After I stitched out one block I was so pleased with the results that I want to make a five block string. However I could only fit 2 blocks in a hooping- so it took 3 hoopings. Every time one need to make sure that the blocks are correctly spaced and placed. Hanlie Snyman- our Bernina teacher (The best of the BEST) find this challenge thrilling- that is what make it interesting to her. For me- it is an adrenalin pumping exercise and I do not like adrenaline and what it do to me!

I used Perfection cotton thread that Pam Holland gave to me for the Blackwork and just love the results.

On this redwork piece I used a multicolor pink to red. I liked the background but when it sewed the satin stitches it did not look so good any more. I can try to isolate the satin stitched parts and give it a second colour. Then the background will be this lovely: "Now you see it, Now you don't." Or perhaps I should just make it in red?

Hand piecing- Gather your Tools

I am inviting everyone to hand piece a quilt with me. While making this quilt I will describe my time saving and very useful method based on Barbara Johannah's machine piecing method. Even if you do not want to make this quilt- you might find the method valuable to use in your own projects.

Tools
You will need to make three triangle templates: No 2 (Straight sides 5 cm (2 Inch)), no 3 (straight sides 15 cm (6 inch)) and no 4 (straight sides 25 cm (10 inches)) as in the drawing.

You will draw around the template. In a big quilt it is best to make the templates from plastic like Mylar (I use old x ray's). For a single block, cardboard (as from a cereal box) will be fine. We do not need a template for the square- but you will need a perspex square of 15 cm (6 inches) with lines marked every half cm or every 1/4 inch. You will also need a bigger square: 30-40 cm (12-16 inch)

You will also need a multi- line perspex ruler marked in centimeters if you are following the metric instructions and an Inch ruler if you prefer to use that measurement. A rotary cutter and cutting mat is also essential. Perhaps I should call it Hand piecing with a Rotary cutter?

I draw around the template with a HB pencil, make sure it stay sharp or use a mechanical pencil.

I sew with a between needle (the same one used for hand quilting.) I see most books and people recommend using a sharp needle. I find them to long to control to make tiny stitches. I use cotton thread and I prefer a thin thread (no 50) so that there is no bulk in the seam lines.

Fabric
For this quilt I have used a jelly roll with pre-cut strips. The pinking cutting make the strips  a little thin.(I will talk later about this again). I used 18 of the strips- a medium value, 6 greens, 6 reds and 6 blues. I like to use many fabrics in my quilts. I feel it make a quilt more interesting and unique. So I have only used one strip of a particular fabric. You do not need to use pre cut fabrics. You can cut a 6,5 cm or 2 1/2 inch strip of 18 different fabrics. You will also need to cut 23 strips of the same width from a very light or very dark fabric. I have used white to make sure that I get a good contrast.

The 15 cm (6 inch) triangles were cut from dark Kaffe Fasset fabrics. Once again try to use a variety. You will need 72 of the triangles and will be able to get 12 from a fat quarter. I like to have a wider variety and cut only 6 triangles from a specific fabric- I had 12 different fabrics. So you will need  of 6-12  fat quarters.
The biggest triangle form a pathway. I used Westminster big prints in a medium to medium light colorway. OI coloured it to form a green, a blue and a red/pinkish path. (See previous post) One could make it one solid fabric through out and do some lovely quilting on it or you can have it in a variety of dark colours and make the smaller triangle a medium value. (If the small triangles stay a medium value it will look as if the triangles are part of that fabric and can create an interesting look.)

In this quilt I will first piece all the triangle units. I will then lay it on my design wall and audition fabrics to decide if I will use a dark or medium fabric for the big squares. You will get 4 squares from a 30 cm (12 inch) cut of yardage. You will need 9 squares in total. I think at this stage that I will have to green, two blue and 5 red/ maroon squares but I will make a final decision later.

Here is another EQ diagram coloured differently.

 I prefer to put my fabrics in a tub full of hot water. I want to shrink it and let extra colour come out. I keep the light and dark fabrics separate. I press it with steam to make sure it has no wrinkles.

If all the preparations is complete we are ready to start.

Hand piecing and Barbara Johannah

In 1982/3 when I started again doing Patchwork (as we called it in South Africa) the rotary cutter and rulers were not available yet. In my 5 magazines I have read an article about Seminole patchwork and immediately saw how I could apply it to other patterns like the lone star. I immediately started to cut strips, using a cardboard ruler of 6,4 cm, drawing lines with a pencil and cutting 4 layers of fabric with my pair of scissors.

Although I could only hand quilt it after my trip to the USA I could complete the top before I left. I experiment a lot with Seminole strips and till today use strip piecing whenever I can. (Remember- I am a Stripper).

I planned a trip to Europe and the USA, to travel with my backpack, staying in youth Hostels and see the wonderful sights in Europe, then going on a quilt tour in the USA. I knew that all the shows were listed in the quilt magazines- remember I had 5! After three weeks in Israel, Greece and Italy, I realized my money will be finished before I reached the USA. So I changed my plans, flew to London and arrange to leave for New York 5 days later, after exploring London a bit and visit the Victoria and Albert museum to see some quilts.

When I arrived at New York Airport I got on the shuttle-as per my 10$ a day book and ask if it was going to New York. They want to know where I want to get off- at Manhattan? Did I not read my book properly? I was unsure and realized how ignorant I was- here I want to go to New York and I did not even know it has 5 Burroughs.

I walked the streets of Manhattan- going into every bookstore in search for a quilting magazine. Can you believe it, not one of the bookstores had a quilting magazine! I found the offices of Lady Circle (I think I got the address in a phone book) but lo and behold- they did not have a magazine in the office- it was just the subscription office. I was devastated! Will I now have to go back home without seeing a quilt in the LAND of QUILTS ?

My last change was the library but neither did they have any quilting magazines. When I walked out of the library not knowing what to do, there was a News and Magazine stand just outside. I searched the stand and - I wasn't heading home anymore!

I found myself a postbox- yes I had a Manhattan address once and wrote letters to the organizers of Quilt events. With a map of the whole country and the available shows I planned a possible route. In the youth Hostel where I stayed, I learned that for (I think) $50 foreigner youths with a student card (which I had) could purchase a pass to travel for 5 days on the Greyhound buses.

I also saw that the next week there was a Quilt Festival at Northfield Vermont. (In one of my 5 magazines I have read about the Shelburne Museum) So I use one of my passes to travel to Burlington. I went to visit the Shelburne museum and saw the wonderful quilts- and learned something about the history of "America". I immediately felt more at home. I could see all the similarities to our own history.

I use the same bus pass to go to Northfield  two days before the classes and exhibition began and helped to hang the show. What a privileged to held in my hands some antique quilts. I was in Seventh Heaven. There were still openings in classes and I took a class from Nancy Halpern, Jinny Beyer (who's book "The Quilter's Album of Blocks and Borders was then already my quilting bible) and Carla Hassle. I also took a class on machine applique on the Bernina- a class that convinced me to trade in my Elna for a Bernina when I reached home.

In Carla's class I learned that for handwork the template do not have the seam allowance added as in machine work, you draw around the template with a pencil- on the wrong side of the fabrics. You pin the two patches together and while sewing on the pencil line, you flip the work to the back to make sure that you are still on the drawn line of the patch at the back. (I have since learned Jinny Beyer's method as well where you only have dots in the corner -from her handwork book- I will blog about that at another time.) We made a block where we also pieced a quarter circle and a triangle. We learned that in handwork you never sew a seam allowance down. You flip it out of the way so that you can accurately get right to the exact point where the patch end. Here you make a double stitch before you pass the needle to the other side and again start with a back stitch to make sure the two patches meet accurately at the corner.

I also learned to take 3-4 running stitches on my needle before I pull the thread through. I then start with a back stitch and again load 3-4 stitches on my needle. I start with a knot and double stitch and end with a double stitch but also work 2 more stitches backwards. I work with a between needle- so hand piecing is good practice for hand quilting. I try to make small stitches to ensure a stronger seam.

(I will later tell you more about my Quilt trip in the Eastern parts of the USA- now I want to get back to the hand piece story.) I bought some Liberty of London prints in Greece and was making this Middelpos wall hanging for Stephanus. I pieced the word Middelpos with my new found knowledge, in this maroon Liberty of London fabrics.

At the Quilt Festival in Northfield I received a Goodie bag- the first of many to follow at all the events. In this bag was a piece of Iron- on Vilene with this grid printed on it.

So I asked the quilters what this was meant for- and learned about the quick piecing method Barbara Johannah  has described in her books. They explained that the soft iron on Vilene was a "quick" version- otherwise one need to draw the lines on the fabric. (This is the method that many books described- some only use a variation with  squares and others has it in this bigger format. One also get some printed papers or suggestions on how to print your own papers from the computer.You cut a piece of the two fabrics, draw the lines on it or use a pre-drawn paper or vilene. You sew on either side of the diagonal lines and cut on all the green and diagonal lines to create a number of squares consisting out of two triangles )

I was pondering this method and have seen the wonderful tool- a rotary cutter that were shown at some of the shows. At that stage I was stacking layers 4 high, drawing lines with my set of perspex rulers (or sometimes cardboard rulers) and cutting the 4 layers with my scissors. I could just see how the rotary cutter will eliminate the pencil line and how much more accurate it will be- the scissor lift the fabric while the rotary cutter press it accurately down while cutting. I could not understand why people would want to do all that drawing and then only cut two layers if they can cut 4 or 8. (I can still not understand that people are still doing it- but this will also be a later subject.)

I suddenly realize that this is actually a wonderful method for hand piecing. This method will eliminate drawing all the lines around the template for all the pieces, then checking all the time while you sew that you are still sewing on the bottom line as well. With Barbara Johannah's method adapted for hand piecing I set out. I grabbed a piece of dark red fabric. I have cut some pieces from it so it was just a scrap piece. I made a template of a triangle less than 1 inch on the straight sides and start marking triangles on the fabric. I then lay it on top of a piece of calico (unbleached muslin) and start hand piecing the diagonal side. This job I did on the airplane when I returned home three months later.

The triangles was the start of the Feathered star of this quilt. I hand pieced the whole top using variations on this quick hand piecing method. I have refined this method over the years. I have used this method to hand piece a quilt a year. This was done in times waiting in the doctor's office, waiting for the children at sport events and in the evening when I kept my husband company.

Any time saving method usually only save time with the initial joining of the patches. With this method you do not only save piecing time, but also cutting time and marking time. The other advantages are that one is not working with a number of small units that can get lost when one take this project everywhere with you. When sewing triangles with the machine the bias diagonal side do not stretch if you handle it with care. When sewing by hand this diagonal seam do get stretched over your fingers and it is almost impossible not to stretch it and get a wonky piece that do not want to lay flat. With this method the diagonal seam is only cut after the piecing is done- so  stretching is eliminated.

I am busy with a new project and will explain my quick hand piecing method while giving the details- so if you would like to try  hand piecing - why don't you join me? (In South Africa hand piecing is associated with hexagons and Cathedral Windows. When quilters see me hand piece they ask why I do not do it with the machine. Well I do most of my work by machine so my hand project is for when I am not at home or not at my machine-when I have company etc. Now that I am determined to master applique- I also do some hand applique in these times.)

The quilt I am hand piecing is a variation on Delectable Mountains called Delectable Star and it appeared in the QNM of Jan/Feb 2000 made by Marilyn (I have searched everywhere for the magazine now. As soon as I find it I will give the proper credit here) This pattern has big patches where one can show of the fabrics- so it will be an ideal quilt to make with a variety of modern fabrics. This is my EQ version:

Here is a line drawing to colour- I do not know how to make a pdf file available- will supply if I figure it out.

So instructions for hand piecing this quilt will be in several blog posts-will you join me?

Hand piecing and History

I love hand piecing. It hasn’t been like this always. When I start quilting in 1982 I said I will do it if it can be done by machine.

In the 1980’s quilt or rather “Patchwork” classes was very popular in South Africa. I saw the pillows some of my friends made using paper hexagons with fabric basted onto it. With a small overcast stitch these hexagons were sewn together.

When I was about 14 in 1971, I started my first Quilting project. I took home economics and was doing some Florentine embroidery. This looked very grand – it was easy to get even stitches on this even weave fabric. I took out some handwork books from the library and must have seen in these books or in a magazine something about patchwork.

My mother made our clothes (4 daughters) and had a box full of leftover fabric. I had to beg some pieces from her. If it was a dress we were still wearing, I could not use the scraps- in case she will need some fabric to patch the clothes up.

I cut squares from these fabrics- more or less 12,5 cm (5 inches). I fold this diagonally and sew the two sides- leaving a small gap on the one side.

I turned the triangles through the gap and stuff it with a polyester stuffing or old stockings I snipped in pièces. I  closed the gaps with machine stitching- not doing a very neat job. You can imagine- this did not look very well at this stage. I did not turn the corners to neatly either, so the triangles had blunt points.

Then I had to sew these small pillows together- and that on the bias stuffed edges as well. I start doing this by hand but the stitches looked so horrible that I made another plan. I butt the two edges and sew with a zig zag to join two triangles to form a square.

In South Africa we do not have a “patchwork” or quilting tradition. I had no one to show me how to sort your scraps in value or colour piles. I did not realize I could create patterns by paying attention to color and value placement. When I have completed about a meter by a meter (more or less a square yard) piece, I was so disgusted with my work that I through the half finished project away. (It looked so disgusting- and luckily I have nothing left to show you- it was a big flop!)

So in 1982 when Patchwork became popular I was very interested. (10 years ago I did not only attempt the triangle project on my own- I also made a knitted patchwork blanket) Now there was a possibility to learn to do it properly but I knew my handwork was not neat at all. Besides I have received an Elna sewing machine from my parents and was making my own clothes. I already loved machine sewing' so was only interested to do it by machine.

A friend gave me this book: Quick and Easy Patchwork on the Sewing Machine (Dover Needlework) [Paperback]

Susan Aylsworth Murwin  and Suzzy Chalfant Payne

I immediately start with the 8 point star and the next thing I did was sewing hexagons on the sewing machine! I was hooked. I bought some Quilt magazines and studied them till they fell apart. The only puzzle that the magazines and books did not solve was how and with what to do the quilting. I knew I had to go to the USA to take some classes and learn how to do HANDWORK. Initially only thinking about appliqué and quilting- but in 1984 I took a class with Carla Hassle and learned handpiecing the Hassle way.

To be continued......

Onbekend maak onbemind

In Afrikaans we say that the unknown cannot be loved. In South Africa the "modern" prints are only showing up in the last 3 years. So first I looked at these fabrics and thought "How can one use this in piecing a quilt?"

I have now realised that this wild fabrics need to be shown off. You cannot piece a star- it will get lost in the multi-colour prints. But if you use bold big pieces you can make a vibrant quilt. I have hanged all my new purchases of this wild fabric on my design wall. And looking at it for a week while doing my embroidery. I can truly say: I think I like it!

I completed some more blocks from Aie Rossman's Heart applique. I have now realised that the perfect setting for a blanket stitch in my Artista software is 1,5 wide and 1,5 spacing. I have also seen if I off set it I get the neatest results. I have also started to put applique paper (Steam a seam) on my applique fabrics. Although I am using mainly batiks, they still fray and do not have a neat appearance. The applique paper bond the edges and give a very neat result.

I have admired this embroidery piece for a long time- and the results is just as stunning as it look on my computer screen. I will embroider some more of this designers work. I selected the same colours that was suggested to get this wonderful effect.

I was enjoying seeing all the embroidery designs stitched out. So I got an idea for a quilt to showcase them all. I have recieved two rolls of Moda fabric strips 4 cm wide(1and1/2 inch). I used half of both to create blocks of Double Irish Chain. This is my idea of how to combine it. I will use the black and bright green blocks in the center and the red and blue blocks on the outside.

So I had a new motivation and I could embroider 50 designs. I decided to embroider all of the many heart designs that I have on a cream fabric and the other designs- not bigger than 4 inches, on a white fabric. I have nearly completed all the designs on the white background and will be able to start piecing the rows tomorrow.

This lovely Blackwork look like hand embroidery. I have used a cotton thread. I see that the fabric need to be reinforced- it get distorted from the stitching. I will use iron on  interfacing  and also sew it on cotton batting to support the stitches.

Russian Inspiration

Here it is! I am proud to show you my quilt: Russiese Inspirasie (Russian Inspiration.)

When we returned from our trip to Russia last year, I knew I had to make a quilt. Not only as a reminder of our wonderful trip and all the inspiring things we saw, I wanted to recreate some of the treasures in the museums.

I use a tile on the wall in Yaroslav for this block. (A thousand year old town)

All the blocks in the quilt was made in the embroidery hoop. I selected a pieced block and modify or draw it in my Electrical Quilt program. I then insert the drawing into the Embroidery program. I use the outline drawing to digitise the piecing sequence. I use some of my photographs or parts of it to digitize embroidery designs or applique designs.

I then insert the embroidered designs in the pieced designs. In this way I could accurately place the embroidery or applique on the correct patch.

The design from a plate-embroidered in the corners

Once this was done I digitized an outline to attach the backing fabric. I then digitized the quilting design.

This inlay work on the floor was used to design the centre block of the quilt.

Another floor design was the inspiration for this block.

The embroidery on the big triangle in this Flying Swallows block was also designed using a floor pattern.

The centre of the quilt block was from a door knob.

I have used 35 different Bernatex fabrics in this quilt- 5 of them on the back- the other 30 on the front.

The blocks was then pieced together and a binding strip on the back was used to cover the seam allowances.

I was very disappointed  that Russian Inspiration was not exhibited at the National Festival. There wasn't enough space and only the ten price winner quilts was exhibited. I like to share my quilts with the viewers- that is mainly why I enter competitions.

Thank you that I could share it with you!