I had some nice colorful bits lying around from a variety of sewing projects lately, and thought I would put them to good use. Enter the scrappy table runner! To be honest, I was planning to put this up on Etsy to sell, but I botched the seam where I turned it inside out, so decided to keep it for now. Basically, I started sewing bits of pieces together to make pieces swaths, and then connected them together in pleasing ways until I had a swath that was approximately runner-sized. Nothing more complicated than that in terms of technique-- I was just looking to use up some scraps and create something pleasing to the eye. :) Double stitching around the border, sandwiched with light batting and backed in a substantial purple cotton, this should wear well, and looks nice on my dining room table with the telephone wire bowl I got in Joburg. So maybe it is fate that I screwed up the seam. Either way, I am happy to have turned some bits and pieces into something practical and beautiful. On to the next project!
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I like the look of cathedral windows in quilts, but am not a fan of appliques and complicated piecing. So when I saw Susanne McNeill's video on a simple quilt block with three seams, and Jean Truelove's video with details on how to turn the original design into cool blocks with cathedral windows, I was intrigued and wanted to try it out.
So behold the twin-sized quilt experiment as a wedding gift for Kate B. and Micah W. this September 2017. I tried to take some pics of the process as it unfolded, but best to watch the linked videos. In short, starting with 42 base and 12 'window' 9" blocks (but whatever size blocks you want, but I used 9") your three seams are:
I did 12 of these blocks in a semi-planned pattern with a variety of batiks, African cotton and blue-green graphic prints, used a simple complimentary border of navy and orange William-Morris inspired floral print, and backed it all in a heavy purple cotton to add some extra weight. I quilted it simply following the diamonds and some stitching in the ditch. I actually quite enjoyed this technique and would definitely use it again--- the quilt top comes together quickly, and I like the look of the diamonds-- lots of versatility there, and a fun way to show off some of your favourite fabric combos. Hope the newlyweds enjoy their quilt! This creative little baby quilt was a collective labour of love, with each block being made by a different staff member for Nathan B.'s new daughter, Caitlin. Most of the people on staff had not sewed or embroidered before, so putting this together included embroidery 101 lessons, covert crafting sessions over lunches, and using a mixture of fabric paint, ribbons and buttons, embroidery floss and thread to decorate the blocks. The theme was Baby New Brunswick (as both parents are from the province) and everyone approached the project with gusto!
After everyone completed their awesome contributions, because we didn't have embroidery hoops so some of the blocks got a little wonky, I squared up those that needed it with a sea-themed fabric to meet the 9x9 standard block size in order to put it all together. I decided to forego a more complicated framing and kept things simple, showing off the various blue-backed blocks with a simple forest-themed flannel so that the blocks and people's work was the focus. I backed the quilt with a wood-grained cotton, and (not shown) hand-tied the four corners of each block with multi-colored yarn. It was a lot of fun undertaking this project all together! Hope that Baby Caitlin enjoys her gift from her 'work' family! |
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