Quilted and bound - Simon is finished

 Just to recap - this quilt was made using a Dutch reproduction pattern called "Simon" in one of my favourite quilt books - the Quiltmania book 'Promenade in a Dutch Garden'. The colours and the combination of chintz and little prints really appealed to me. The quilt was started in September 2013, pieced using the EPP method as well as some needleturn applique, and it measures about 60" by 72" ( 1.5m by 1.8m). The colours are truer in the photos below - daylight helps!

The backing fabric is aged muslin

I quilted on my domestic machine - largely walking stitch in the ditch between every triangle. That might sound a lot of work but it was pretty straight forward - going in rows horizontally, vertically and then diagonally. I also free motion quilted around all the applique pieces and inside the outer border diamonds. For my liking that was enough quilting - and on this quilt it is all about the fabric and colours rather than the quilting.

Note the 'invisible binding' - more on that in a mo...

Quilting around the applique added lots of dimension

I mentioned on an earlier post that I would try binding in the traditional Dutch way - as described in the book. The instructions for this were brief but pretty clear. Unfortunately they didn't include illustrations of the process  - so I am hoping that I got it right. If anyone knows better please let me know! Anyway, this is what I did...

After quilting I trimmed the quilt edges.

Then I cut four strips 1 1/2" wide of backing fabric, cut on the straight grain. Two of these measured the same length as the sides of the quilt top. The other two were the same length as the top and bottom of the quilt plus 1/2" (seam allowance to tuck). The strips get sewn on individually (I did that by machine) and then all layers turned entirely to the back. Make any sense?

Here is the back - in the process of hand hemming the last binding strip to the back. The corners are tricky - bit bulky to manage - but it makes such a firm straight edging - I do love the finish and how it hangs.

 Here is the front - see - no binding visible!

I found a spot at home for the quilt - seems to go nicely with the old walnut table.

Medallion final border and Ann Randoll workshop

My medallion quilt top is finished - at a bit over 2 metres square (80inches) it is big enough, so time to stop adding borders!

Just to give you an idea of the sources of inspiration for the borders - I have loads of quilt history books and here are three favourite quilts from them that inspired the design, colours and borders. 

Here are the books in which I found the pictures :

So this is how far I got with my quilt design/ construction last time ... ready for another border.

I wanted to get a  zig zag border in there,  and I also especially wanted to use a large floral fabric - so decided to combine the two. Here are some sketches mulling over the dimensions...

Drawing up a paper pattern

Fitting the pattern to the quilt top

The triangles (background) was to be my floral and the zig zag strip was to be the cream fabric I had used for the applique border. To construct the zig zag there are various possible techniques such as making a bias strip to applique, or piecing it in blocks, and no doubt a lot more options too! I decided the best method for me was back-basted needleturn applique. So here goes... tracing the design on to the back of my floral (using light pad)

I then basted the cream fabric along those lines on the back, trimmed it back and needle turned the edges on the top. I found it an easy and accurate method - and really enjoyed the applique.

Basting is gradually removed ahead of the needleturn

Evolving

Finished!

Well - that stretched me a bit but I'm very happy with it. It is now on the quilting queue..

First I have to quilt  'Simon'  - which is on the floor getting pinned bit by bit. 

Meanwhile I spent a lovely weekend at Summer School in the Blue Mountains (organised by Karen Cunningham), in Rhonda Pearce's workshop - the Ann Randoll quilt. Here is Rhonda in front of her reproduction quilt, and students madly hand sewing... 

There are more borders to go but just look at this so far - wow! 

Rhonda' s Ann Randoll reproduction

Just a reminder - here is a picture of the original quilt 

photo from Sue Prichard's book Quilts 1700-2010

It was such a privilege and inspiration to attend this class - Rhonda is a needlewoman extraordinaire - I was in awe - the tiniest, neatest hand stitches ever. I shall be striving and striving but sadly will not be reaching that standard! However I am really excited to be tackling this one - such a variety of fun techniques. The next borders have more applique and tiny hexagons as well - great. 

We covered a few of the techniques involved - and made a start of bits and pieces (applique, bias strips, hand piecing curves) so we know what we're doing (that's the theory anyway!). Here's my weekend's work on the middle of the quilt - may not look a lot but it was challenging handwork !  I've placed the pieces together so you can see how it will evolve ...

And here is a photo (from the book again) of the middle of the original antique quilt - now you might see where I am going with this...

Great company, great venue, beautiful mountain location, yummy food and great teachers - looking forward to next year!

Hope all Aussies are enjoying the relief of cooler weather now - sigh....it is wonderfully cool and drizzling here now. Am off to do some garden work. 

Simon top finished and Benjamin Biggs Wedding Quilt

Simon - the top is finished:

The final borders are a little different from what was planned but I am very happy with it.  I am not entirely sure what happened to the measurements but do know there was some considerable "user error" with a tape measure! 

Last post I had the centre top finished and the outer pieced border strips finished , and was debating the fabrics for the narrow joining borders. After auditioning a few, and taking note of your comments (thanks!)  I decided the paisley fabric was the way to go...

Paisley fabric just auditioning for two narrow outer borders - not stitched yet

So I carefully trimmed the top and the pieced border strips. All EPP papers had been removed and seams ironed open ( they needed trimming as I don't cut seams precisely before using the papers)...

Squaring and trimming with 1/4 inch seam allowance

Then I fussy cut my border fabric and machine stitched them to the quilt top. This is where the "user error" occurred - the strips were way too narrow. By then I had stitched them on and I was not undoing it all....

So I added another narrow strip all around  - cut from the same fabric :

That fitted fine so I stitched on the pre-prepared pieced border - phew:

At this point I had a look at the pattern again and read about 'traditional Dutch binding' - it is not visible on the front of the quilt (all the binding is folded over to the back). With that in mind I decided not to add a final border of paisley as I felt the quilt needed a dark outer edge. So ... am just going to finish on the pieced outer border. Besides...I am rather tired of sewing on borders LOL!

I am planning on domestic machine quilting this one (it is a manageable size at about 60" by 72")  and I am looking forward to giving this Dutch-style binding a try. 

Benjamin Biggs Wedding Quilt: I could not resist signing up for this free block of the month from Just Takes 2 (Gay and Brenda). I'd been itching to do a large reproduction applique project, tossing up between a few options. So many nice ones out there. Another reproduction antique is just my style and the gorgeous swag border on this quilt won me over - charming and a bit quirky, without being too challenging. Famous last words?

Picture from Just Takes 2

There is a Benjamin Biggs Wedding Quilt blog created for posting progress and there are already several wonderfully different blocks to look at there. I leaped at the chance to use reproduction reds and poison greens (having all these already in the stash just waiting for the right project). Here is progress so far:

Block 1- back basting needle turn applique

 OOh it is nice to be using red again!

Fabrics selected for my blocks

Medallion quilt:

Just to show this has not been abandoned - here is a peek at the final border progress. More on that next time....

"simple" Simon border and a new project

After not posting for many weeks this is my second post in one week.
Well it's that time of year - no work, Christmas rush is over and a few days to relax and catch up on quilting... The house that was cleared of quilting clutter to make room for entertaining is now littered with piles of auditioning fabric.

My Simon quilt top is almost finished. I just have to decide on the fabric to use for the outer first and third borders -"should be simple" she thought?
Here is 'Simon' in the Dutch book - the antique original and the authors' reproduction - showing these borders:

The antique quilt in "Promenade in a Dutch Garden"

Outer three borders on the original antique quilt - a lovely diamond print. Photo from the book.

Outer borders on Petra and An's reproduction - a beautifully coordinated stripe. Photo from the book.

Here is a collage of some fabrics I trialed with my quilt top and strips of pieced border - just auditioning, not stitched yet. I think I would like to keep the colours close to those in the original quilt - cooler/lighter colours - so these are rejects for this project.

The bottom right is my favourite of this lot but still not right...

Then I tried a Dutch chintz floral and a paisley print - I love them both and can't decide. I'm edging towards the paisley print because I love it's simplicity.  But it seems to make sense to use the Dutch chintz on a Dutch chintz repro quilt! Ho hum... not such a simple Simon border after all.

Dutch chintz print

Paisley print

Meanwhile - new project...

In a couple of weeks I am going to Summer School in the NSW Blue Mountains with Rhonda Pearce to make her version of the Ann Randoll quilt/coverlet - so terribly exciting as it is just my cup of tea. What's not to love in an antique British quilt with applique, clamshells and loads of fabric choices! And I have had such fun learning to make clamshells in my Chintz medallion quilt (still in progress). 

Unfortunately I didn't get to see the original quilt when it was on show at the Queensland Art Gallery but at least I have the wonderful book/catalogue they produced ("Quilts 1700-1945").  There are also great pictures in this book below:

Photo from book above

Centre of the quilt - photo from book

Photo from book - wonderful fabrics!

Some possible fabric selections I've made for the centre using the requirements list:

  Lots Some more set aside for scrappy piecing and clamshells - loads of small prints needed.

I've not seen anything but a small colour photo of Rhonda's work on this so am keeping my options open a little regarding fabrics and colours. You can read that to mean I'll be taking half my stash along to class! 

Thought I might review my quilting year - 2013.

A collage of projects that were started and finished this year:

All started and completed in 2013

Then there are the projects part-done this year: 

Baltimore - blocks 14 to 23 made this year, the rest were previous years

Burnt quilt - top finished 2013, still needs to be quilted - some time!

Lucy Boston - Started 2012, finished 2013

Medallion quilt - started 2013, working on it now

Simon - started 2013, working on it now

Double X - just started

Pretty happy with that lot.

But I'm a bit shocked to find there are 5 quilts still in progress ...and I am starting a new one! Such is the quilting life. All the best to you all for much inspiration and fun quilting in 2014!