Saturday 14 July 2012

My favourite bit of quilting-Designing!

This is half of what will be the centre block and it will be on point. The block size is large 21 1/2". I might add a flower in the centre....

And this is half of one of the four blocks which will surround it. (note the Dogue de Bordeaux slobber on the paper!)
Then there will be these four half square triangles, one on each side.
And the four corners.
It is based loosely on an 1883 quilt in the book Nebraska Quilts and Quiltmakers called Love Apples and Tulips, though I have neither Love Apples nor Tulips in mine. What attracted me to this quilt was it's use of colour. It could so easily have been another red and green quilt but the maker used quite a lot of blue in hers in the pots and the flowers. It literally took my breathe away.
I am tempted to make this in the colours shown in the book including using a tan/khaki which the green has faded to, but I would also like to use red and green on a blue background, or use impossibly bright prints and make it zing! (or if I don't bite off more than I can chew perhaps more than one version?),
The original quilt has a plain white border and binding. I am thinking swags and bows..... Back to my sketchbook. And I have discovered the joys of a battery powered eraser, who knew removing lines could be so much fun?

4 comments:

  1. I've never heard of a battery powered eraser. Must make drawing a whole lot more fun. I look forward to seeing the blocks done. Big blocks make the quilt go together quicker. Have you thought of cross hatch quilting for the centre of the block - if you don't want to add a flower?

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  2. Wow - I'm in awe. Did you draw these freehand? They look great. Ady

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  3. Thanks Ady. It's all done with trickery. I just draw half (or a quarter) of the design and then trace a mirror image over.

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  4. This is fantastic Sally. I love your feathers.

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