Some say...

What could possibly go wrong?  Famous last words often heard on BBC's smash hit Top Gear, and while hand stitching this fun quilt. 

can't...leave...quilting...top...gear...

 First off, the top is a duvet cover made of one thread count.  The bottom, a length of cotton, is of another thread count.  I know the rules about using sheets for backing or in this case tops of quilts, but that has never stopped me in the past, and it will not stop me in this case either. 

While obtaining the batting and backing from the fabric store we were giving stink eye was given when it was revealed that this quilt was half sheet and half cotton quilting fabric with a cotton batting.  The lady with the scissors was very helpful in reminding us that sheets were not meant for quilitng.  Uh hunh and just tell Jezza, James and Richard that they can't use whatever they damn well please to make a car or a quilt or even a caravan.   The Stig would not have been amused. Nor was I.

Rules, like traffic signs are only suggestions unless there's a cop around.  <wink wink>

I am familiar enough with the properties of cotton broadcloth as well as the quirkiness of sheet fabric.  I understand the different shrinking rates of fabrics and take that into consideration.  As it is I am a rebel and do not prewash or pretreat (short of ironing) my fabric as that handmade dorky look is what I am trying to achieve with my stitching magic.



Binding detail

When quilting a panel, which this quilt essentially is, it tends to take a special bit of planning particularly in terms of batting, stitch length, detail and open spaces.  I like to really get intricate with the detail on panels as there isn't a lot of filler I am willing to do by hand.  If I was machine quilting, I could fill in the open areas with squiggles and other stuff also called "stippling." 

I prefer instead to stitch around the highlighted areas - namely the printed bits and leave the rest open.  Warm and Natural allows for stitches to be up to a massive 10" apart.  I'm not sure I believe this claim, but rather than quilt, er court disaster I am making sure there are less than 10" spaces of clear and unstitched areas between the quilted bits. 

    

Stig Approved.




 Vital Stats:

Approximately 43 x 70 inches finished.

Stitch Per Inch: 8 spi body of quilt and 4spi on binding.

 Batting Type: Cotton - Warm and Natural brand

Binding: pre-purchased

Fabric: Front-Top Gear duvet, Back-cotton broadcloth





Kelpie Quilt - Breakin' the law (image intense)

The Kelpie Quilt is a different sort of design for me. Sometime ago my hanai* sister, Carra, had used this design for a hobby site of ours and I was quite taken with this design.  I decided about 5-6 years ago I was going to make this design into a quilt.  I just had to learn how to quilt and figure out how to put the whole thing together into a cohesive design.  Sometimes things have to gel for a while before I complete them.  As it was during the gelling period I got in on a fabu sale on designer sheets in a rainbow of colours, which I had specifically picked out for this and the matching project.  When I finally did start this project I chose not to use regular quilting cotton, I went with my marbled sheet material - a big no no or so I am told.  Whatever, it was there and I used it.  

When I first started this quilt I did the kelpie centre piece.  I did it my way...that is I duct taped the print out to my living room window and then proceeded to duct tape the fabric and start tracing with my handy dandy - untested Crayola Washable Markers.  After I was finished with this process I had to leave things for a while because I didn't know what I wanted to do to finish the quilt...so I let the middle section sit for a year and a half...then when I got ready to work it again, I ironed it to make it flat - GASP!  

At this point I went for broke and used black, brown and green on the rest of the quilt units, what the hell I figured.  If you have not guessed, I am a quilter who likes to bend, break and generally cause mishap and mayhem with the rules.

Design stitched into Moss Green panels

Design stitched into Turquoise corner squares

•  

Overall the design came together perfectly and quilting was fast and fun and I was able to finish the whole quilt in about a month's time.  It was bound in denim - which the quilt's new owner chose for the binding, at first I wasn't sure, but it really brought the whole quilt together nicely.  Note: denim is interesting to work with...

Click to view detail

The backing fabric was done in the marbled turquoise and shows the full design of stitching. 

Click for detail of Back and stitching.

As you can see from the images, all the Crayola Washable Marker ink came out, even after sitting for a year, and being ironed...I washed it on hot and let it soak overnight.  I couldn't be more pleased.  For the Win, Crayola!  For the WIN!

I am currently designing the companion piece: The Phoenix.

Peach Out Apricots!
Morg

*Hanai loosely means: to be adopted in Hawai'ian.

Eleanor Burns made me do it.

Cross stitch quilting

The idea intrigued me: Making a quilt from a cross stitch pattern.  Some time ago I had picked up a booklet by E. Burns instructing how to make a Cross Stitch Quilt.  The patterns Ms. Burns utilised were of course pretty vintage flowers and stuff.  No such nonsense for me, no way.  I had to make something different, something unique...something that would drive me crazy.  I managed to find my dog cross stitch pattern books and decided that I was going to do a Great Pyrenees like my dear friend Staci's dog, Diesel.

Now began the search for the right size fusible backing material just like Eleanor's examples...I finally found what I was looking for online, only I decided not to go with the one inch squares (which as we all know would end up as half inch squares when all the seams are sewn) but with two inch squares which would be slightly easier to work with...or so I thought.

Choosing the fabrics proved to be a challenge, but a fun one.  I went with a green for the background because Diesel likes to lay in the grass, red for a border as he wears a red collar and a crazy polka dot for the back because Staci doesn't have a favourite colour, she likes them all.

Assembling the squares was insane.  One row at a time, each square was placed and every three rows or so I would run it all over with a hot iron to adhere the fabric to the gridded interface...then came time to sew it...

I will not be labour the details of this misadventure and the times I swore if I ever even finished this quilt I'd never do another one as long as I lived!  EVAH!

Six months of letting it "steep" and I was ready to tackle the quilting of this monster.  I went with the stitch in the ditch method of hand quilting and I was surprised as how fast it went.  I usually stitch about a quarter inch in from the seam but this time I went right along the seam line.

All in all, I couldn't have been more pleased with the resulting quilt and the look on Staci's face when she unfurled it - priceless.  The dog image is roughly half the size of the real Diesel and the quilt itself is about as big as his whole body.

Diesel - Quilted

The 1980s are calling...

A taste of things to come.

It's pink (and black), boldly so.  I did this quilt for a friend in her favourite colours.  I went with the braid design for several reasons.  One she usually wears her hair in a braid and two, it looks sooooo cool with these colours.  I started gathering pinks and black material throughout my travels, a yard here, a half yard there, a fat quarter, whatever caught my eye or tickled my fancy.

Whole shootin' match.

Kinda tacky, definitely unique, this quilt was a fun one to make.  I actually combined brick and braid in the design of this one.  I used the brick as the middle sashing to flesh it out a little.  It adds some more visual interest to an already burgeoning visual palate, but when you are going to go bold, go all the way!  

It was cut and pieced in late 2009 but finished in approximately February of 2010.  I used a bed sheet for the batting as we decided to go with a summer quilt weight.  Sheets make for interesting batting.  My preference is still the Warm & Natural Cotton, but I've done: fleece, poly, poly cotton, and now a bed sheet as my quilt innards...whatever works - right?!

Close up of the backing fabric

The little doggie prints and hearts are in honour of my friend's late little Chinese Crested, Bria.  She was a wonderful dog and left paw prints on the hearts of everyone who knew and loved her.  This backing fabric couldn't have been more appropriate as it all turned out.  

I will probably do more of this design as I like both brick and braid and the scrappier the better.  LOVES me a funky scrap quilt!

Peach Out Apricots,
Morg

Rail Fence Acid Trip Quilt



The Infamous Acid Quit

I am not quite sure what came over me, but I had had so much fun with Shelby's quilt that I asked another friend what colours she liked and started to make her a quilt.  Well, as things turned out she was not the person I thought she was and soon she disappeared like socks in a laundromat dryer.  No biggie, I ended up giving it to another co-worker for her daughter.  She too has left the building, but this was a fun quilt to make.  Unique, different, a conversation piece.  I understand, this gal's daughter was over the moon thrilled with the unexpected gift.

Done in Lime Green, Orange and Black with a pink squiggly design, sashing in dark green to match the back and bound in Teal.  Wait!  Is that the phone?  "Yes?  Uhm, the 1980s are calling and they would like their quilt back." 

Full View of Acid Quilt



Back view

Yeah, it's a strange one. About 120hrs of hand stitching with the piecing done in an evening on the machine.  It's a scary one, but a little girl loves it and that's all that matters.

Peach Out Apricot!
Morg

Quilt for Shelby

Stitch detail

This is a quilt for my friend Shelby.  She had made a quilt for her niece and had waaaaay over bought the necessary fabric for it and didn't know what to do with it.  I asked for the scraps and made this one for her.  I let her pick the pattern, the thread and everything.  She went with crazy wild colours for the thread: chartreuse, purple and green.  This is the first rail fence I've done and yes, I obviously suck, but I am getting better.  It was a lot of fun to quilt.  Took roughly 120ish hrs.  Give or a take a few.  I don't really keep track, I know I should.  I suspect I would be disgusted with the amount of time I was not being adequately compensated for.  However, I do this stuff at work and they are paying me to be nice to people on the phone...and I get the scraps as partial payment for my work and that feeds my stash...so...I guess it's really a labour of love and in the long run "Love is all you need," so sayeth the Fab Four. 

Full image of quilt.

Back and detail shots of the quilt:

Back of Quilt to show colur/stitch detail.



Peach Out, Apricots.
Morg