Sunday 24 January 2010

Winter Harvest


While writing the instructions for my Tree Quilt Series, I realised I never got around to blogging this quilt properly. In keeping with my plan to post about the quilts I somehow missed, here you go!

It was originally intended for me to keep, after I made the one on the right (above) for DQS7, but I ended up putting it in my Etsy shop, where it was my first sale! I made another for myself, which I will blog shortly.

I made a few minor alterations; flipping the tree and using a different tree fabric.

It's quilted in the same Emming style, to give the appearance of snowflakes swirling in the wind.


Each time I quilt in this style, it evolves and improves a little.

This picture shows some of the mess of threads on the back to finish-off after the quilting:

I've found a good way of stopping at exactly the right point when machining on my bindings, so that when I fold them over and handsew them down, I get a perfect mitre every time. One day I might do a photo tutorial about it here, but it uses a small ruler with a 45-degree line, and a hera marker (though this latter isn't completely essential).


The pattern is almost ready. It is written for the winter tree, but includes information on how to adapt it to make the Autumn and Spring versions, and even a Summer one. The instructions are written and have been proofed twice. I think I've worked out a suitable layout. The pattern has been drawn up, but I need to work out how to touch it up and print it full-size - my scanner and printer can't cope with A2 paper! If tomorrow's workmen (I've been getting a lot of odd jobs done while I'm on leave) come at a reasonable time, I'm planning to visit a few places and check out my options tomorrow.

2 comments:

FlourishingPalms said...

While I can't begin to compare my free-motion machine quilting with yours, even after nine years of practise, I have a suggestion about binding. A friend shared with me a unique way to approach it, not as one continuous strip, but as four separate pieces. Please visit my blog where I have shared a tutorial.

PiecefulChaos said...

Yay! I have been waiting for the pattern since you blogged that you were going to do one! I can't wait! I love this quilt series!