Category:

Twisted Ribbon Border

5/8/2013

Sorry to spoil things, but I just HAD to show this picture first of all!! I was trying to take a simple photograph of the completed quilt top this afternoon. The quilt was blowing gently in the breeze and it moved just as I took the photograph - anyway, I thought oh that will do - and posted it on all the quilting FB groups that I belong to, and received SO many lovely comments!! I've had lots of requests about where the pattern can be bought from, and I honestly have no idea. This was a scheme called "Stash Pot Pie" which my local quilt shop Quilters Haven took part in. It lasted for a year, and each month we were given a list of fabric requirements and the cutting instructions - the idea was to use up fabrics from your stash. Then on the day of the class we were given the instructions for making the quilt top, and had a tutor to show us the techniques and to help us. It was a great class, and I've shown some of my other "Stash Pot Pie" quilts on my blog earlier here. So if anyone wants the pattern, I would suggest they contact their local quilt shop for further information!.....

.....anyway - back to the quilt top! The next stage in the "Lattice Top" quilt was to add the borders. An inner border, an outer border, and in the middle a twisted ribbon border. The pieces for the twisted ribbon border had already been cut 5 years ago when I took part in the class for this. However it was then packed away and forgotten about! Having the pieces already cut out has certainly made life a lot easier. I thought the middle border looked a bit tricky, but found it wasn't that difficult after all, and I'd already joined pairs of the twisted ribbon blocks 5 years ago - once I'd sewn a few pairs together it wasn't so bad.....

.....I used different white tone-on-tone fabrics for the inner and outer borders, in keeping with the different tone-on-tone fabrics I had used for the blocks. This shows the way the borders will look when they are all joined together - HOPEFULLY!! A pieced border always looks really tricky, and I was wondering if it was going to fit.....

.....the inner border was a "spacer" and would need to be trimmed to fit, according to the pattern instructions, after they were sewn into place. I thought this would be wasting time AND fabric, so I did a few sums - and because my blocks were accurately pieced, I quickly worked out what measurement the inner borders needed to be before I added them to the quilt top. And yes!! my sums were right! The pieced "twisted ribbon" side borders fitted perfectly!.....

.....I then added the 4 corner stones to each end of the top and bottom pieced border, pressing the seams inwards, to make it easier to "nestle and wrestle" the seams. The top and bottom borders also went on very easily - no unpicking at all! Then it was just the outer borers to frame the whole quilt.....

.....now it's going to be packed up ready to take over to Janette as soon as she's back from her holidays to be longarm quilted - I was thinking about having an all-over meandering stars design for this one. As yet I have no idea what colour quilting thread to chose - maybe I'll leave that up to Janette - she always manages to pick just the right colour! Oh and for those of you who are interested yes this WAS made mostly with fabrics from my stash - the red and blue fabrics were left over from my "Road to Oklahoma" quilt, the background fabric for the blocks was from a fat quarter bundle of whites and creams - it's amazing what I've found stashed away in my very own quilt shop at Foreman Towers!!

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Lattice Top Awaiting Borders!

1/8/2013

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I couldn't resist sharing a better picture of the "Lattice Top" quilt top - it was so sunny today and there was just a cool gentle breeze blowing - perfect for taking a photograph!! The next stage is the twisted ribbon border and I'll tackle that at the weekend.

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Progress Update

31/7/2013

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Well I'm making good progress on the "Lattice Top" quilt! This is a quilt that I started several years ago and was part of the "Stash Pot Pie" scheme that involved using up fabrics that were lurking in your stash. Well I managed to piece the star blocks together yesterday and then I had the mammoth task of sorting through the pieces that had already been cut out for the 9-patch blocks. It was a bit like sorting out a jig-saw puzzle!.....

...once all the 9-patch blocks were sorted into piles ready for chain-piecing I was ready to go! I have used a grey Mettler thread for the piecing as this seems to blend with whatever colour fabrics I'm using. Oh my goodness there was SO much chain-piecing too...

.....well all that chain-piecing was very worthwhile, and the remaining blocks were quickly pieced together. I used a variety of white and cream tone-on-tone prints for the background, and really like the subtle scrappy effect.....

...well as you could see from the first picture, the blocks were all completed and I spent the afternoon sewing the rows together. This pattern uses a 5x7 layout. The next stage is the twisted ribbon border, but that will have to wait until the weekend! This is the first time that I've spend a few hours at the sewing machine since my surgery, and it's been absolutely exhausting - I'm off to bed!!

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Lattice Top Revisited!

29/7/2013

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About 5 years ago I took part in a scheme organised by my local quilt shop, Quilters Haven, called "Stash Pot Pie". The idea was to encourage you to use your stash - fat quarters, scraps, whatever you have. The pattern for each quilt gave yardage amounts for lights, mediums, and darks, allowing you to choose whatever colour palette you would like to use. This was great for people like me who often went on a fabric buying binge! Anyway, this one is called "Lattice Top" and I used a combination of red, white and blue fabrics (very patriotic hehe!!) and there are several different fabrics in each colourway to give it a very scrappy look. The quilt top is made up with 2 different blocks - a simple Friendship Star, and a variation of a 9-patch block sometimes known as Thrifty. As you can see, I didn't get very far with it! I'd made several star blocks and a couple of 9-patch blocks and some of the pieced border and that was all I'd had time to do on the day of the class. I'd packed it away with other started projects and there it had stayed. So, as my challenge with the "Tour de Fibre" is to finish 5 projects before I start anything new, I'm now going to tackle this one! This is going to take me a bit longer than my other ones, but as usual I'll update you regularly with pictures of my progress!

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Friends Needle Case

28/7/2013

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I know, I don't normally blog TWICE in one day, but here is the completed "Friends Needle Case" - pattern designed by Rosalie Quinlan. I'd bought this as a kit from The Fat Quarters back in 2008, made a start on it (well - I'd completed the stitchery) and put it one side - and as I'm still taking part in the FB group "Tour de Fibre" I decided to tackle this as my next project. Hanne who organises the group challenged herself to complete 5 unfinished projects before starting a new one, and I also took up the challenge! This is my fourth project that I've completed so I'm doing quite well! And here it is - it really is very pretty - and just like shoes and handbags, a girl can never have too many needle cases.....

.....first of all I traced and cut out some hexagon templates, using some template plastic. I've stored these away in my sewing box incase I ever need these again! Then it was time to cut out the main fabric, the lining, the pocket, the wadding and the woollen felt for the needles - all hexagon shaped of course!.....

.....I constructed this a bit different to Rosalie's instructions. Firstly I decided to machine applique the stitchery onto the front of the needle case, and used a pale pink King Kut thread for this, stitching quite close to the edge of the applique, and stitching it into postion before attaching the lining. I used the same colour thread when I made the handles, and to top stitch around both pieces of the needle case too.....

.....I love the vintage style buttons that decorate the inside of this needle case. They are SO pretty! Oh and another slight change in the construction - I used a button magnet to keep the case closed (really this was because I forgot to attach the tab to loop over the button, but don't tell anyone!! and also I sewed through the pocket making 2 smaller ones as I thought it would be easier for storing a couple of packets of hand sewing needles, reels of thread, etc. This was a super kit, as it had EVERYTHING I needed to complete the project without having to search for other supplies. Now - where's my next unfinished project?!

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Sew Sunday!

28/7/2013

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Well I've found yet ANOTHER unfinished stitchery project! This one is called "Friends Needle Case" and is by the Australian designer Rosalie Quinlan. I bought this kit absolutely YEARS ago (?2008!!) from The Fat Quarters, and they still have this pattern in stock if you're interested in making one too!! The kit had just about everything I needed to complete it - the fabrics (Lecien - my favourites!! - part of the Dunham Quilt collection), the pellon, the stitchery stabilizer, the embroidery thread, even the cute buttons for embellishment. AND it is a hexagon shape - too cute! I had initially completed the stitchery and then packed it away - and goodness only knows why as it's SO pretty - or should that be SEW pretty?!! I had traced the pattern with a fine Pigma pen, and stitched the design using 2 strands of DMC embroidery thread. As everything was included in this kit, I was ready to go - however, life got in the way - and it didn't get finished, like so many of my other projects! So today I am having a super sewing Sunday and hoping to get this one finished! What are you busy doing today?

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Peace and Plenty

27/7/2013

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I've finished ANOTHER stitchery project as part of "Tour de Fibre"!! This pattern is called Peace and Plenty and is designed by Leanne Beasley. I had bought this a few years ago, and didn't start it until a couple of years ago when I had a long train journey to the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham! Then it was put away, and I did a little bit more last year on yet another train journey to Birmingham (yes, to the Festival of Quilts yet again!). Anyway, there was just the top right-hand corner to complete, so I managed to get this finished on Friday. I already had this red tone on tone spotted fabric, and thought it looked perfect for the borders.....

.....the next stage was to think about getting it framed - which can be a rather expensive procedure! Mr F took me shopping today, and I saw the perfect picture frame in a local DIY superstore, so thought I'd have a go at doing this myself. Well my other stitchery picture, "Sew Laugh Love" will definitely be framed professionally - doing this one myself, I managed to break most of my nails, and said a lot of VERY bad words while I was struggling to do it! Not quite sure where I'll this hang up, but it does look smart!

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Beehive Sewing Book - Completed!

25/7/2013

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This pattern is called Beehive Sewing Book and is by Lynette Anderson. 3 years ago I started this project when I went on a class at my local shop, Quilters Haven. The class was taught by Lynette, and she was a great teacher - we learnt all about needle turn applique, and stitchery, and oh yes - Colonial Knots!! and most of all we had lots of fun. My friend Eva was staying with me, and she really really enjoyed this class too. Well, I'd put the project away, and never seemed to get round to getting it completed. Now I am trying to get some of my unfinished projects completed before I start anything new. So today I've been very busy!.....

.....I had already cut out all the remaining applique pieces last week (see this blog post) - some more flowers and LOTS of little leaves all from wool felt. I spent a wonderful afternoon sitting in the sunshine stitching these into place, and look at the finished sewing book - it's super! It's embellished with some beautiful buttons.....

.....here you can see the inside of the sewing book - a little woollen patch for needles and pins, and pockets for packets of hand sewing needles too. I added a sew-in magnetic button fastener (I bought these from Sew and So's at Bungay a few weeks ago). And the inside is also trimmed with applique flowers and leaves and embellished with a cute little beehive button. Oh and of course I didn't forget to add one of my "Quiltystuff" labels either! I really love this - and can't wait to show it to Lynette when I see her in a couple of weeks at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham.

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Sew Cute Tuesday - 15/07/2013

15/7/2013

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It's Tuesday again already!! I haven't posted anything for "Sew Cute Tuesday" for ages, simply because I haven't had anything to share, but all that has changed this week!! I've had several emails from blog followers asking me to show you a bigger picture of "Sew Laugh Love" (pattern by Leanne Beasley) so here it is - hopefully this is going off to be framed this week, so will show you lots more pictures when it's returned. Anyway, I'm now off to have a browse on the Better Off Thread blog to ooh and ahh at all the other crafty goodies on display!

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Sew Laugh Love Completed!

14/7/2013

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Well it's finished - all the stitchery has been done, the borders are on, the applique has been neatly stitched in place by hand, the the final flourish - cute little white buttons secured with coloured embroidery thread. This is called "Sew Laugh Love" and is designed by Leanne Beasley. I originally bought this as a kit online from an Australian store, Quilt Fabric Delights a couple of years ago and finally got around to sewing it. It's also available from Coast and Country Crafts in the UK. This has been very therapeutic while I've been taking it easy for the last couple of weeks. I'm going to get this mounted and framed, to hang on the bedroom wall. I'll share some pictures of that when it's done!

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<<Previous

Twisted Ribbon Border

Lattice Top Awaiting Borders!

Progress Update

Lattice Top Revisited!

Friends Needle Case

Sew Sunday!

Peace and Plenty

Beehive Sewing Book - Completed!

Sew Cute Tuesday - 15/07/2013

Sew Laugh Love Completed!

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