The first thing I do to begin to make my Play quilt is to draw a quick sketch of what I have in mind. Very quick, I might add, probably 5 to 10 minutes. Nothing fancy, just the gleam of an idea.
I then gather together my fabric scraps and pull out a small selection of colours that I feel I would like to use. I play around with my colours and contrasts until I am happy with my choice. Nothing is set in stone. I just lay them out together until I am happy with the mix. For this quilt, I knew I wanted a red check tablecloth as my starting point and then built up colours around it.
Now I begin to sew my quilt from my centre focal point (the tablecloth) outwards and here you will see photos in stages of how I continue to build my quilt around this centre starting point.
To begin with, I have cut the shape for my tablecloth and then sewed a strip to three of the sides. Colour choices for these strips are made as I progress and purely chosen as I go, by what I feel gives a pleasing contrast. Strips are not cut any specific width, the only criteria being that they are cut straight. I press each strip with the iron before I proceed to the next strip.
For my next strip, I decided that I would piece together some colours first. You will notice that before adding this strip to the top, I have cut down my pieced block. I have trimmed it down with a nice angle. I do like to use angles! I don’t want my strips to look too uniform.
I have then sewn this pieced strip to the top of my block.
Then I have added another strip.
Now, I am happy with this so far, but then I refer to my sketch and decide I need to start some piecing on the sides. I haven’t much idea at this stage as to what colours I want to use next, so I lay out a few fabrics either side of my block and play around with them until I feel the colours work.
Once, I have a further feel for my colours and am happy with my choice I then continue to add strips to one side of the quilt block. Sometimes skinny strips, sometimes wider strips, (never measured) and after adding each strip I press and then rotary cut making sure I keep cutting some crazy angles.
Now (referring to my design sketch again), let’s add a strip to the left side and bottom. Ooohhh and here we need a curved seam on the bottom strip. I like to add a couple of curves into my quilt.
I then continue to add more strips to the block, each time referring to my sketch for guidance. I always press each pieced strip and then rotary cut the last piece to my desired angle before adding the next strip. I sometimes piece together a strip of colours first, to use as a strip. I sometimes add a gentle curve here and there. But I progress thus until I have completed my Play Quilt design.
You will notice that my final pieced strips on each side are very large (wide). This is because I want to make my Play Quilt into a picture and it will be wrapped around a canvas which is 2″ deep, so I need extra fabric on the edges.
I now appliqué the shapes – mug, chimney and hearts – to the block.
Finally I add wadding to the back and quilt through the block adding decorative stitches often with variegated threads. I also add a few buttons.
Here are some close ups of my quilting stitches.
Et voilà! You have the finished Play Quilt.
Wonderful This is Art. Congratulations.
Thank you very much.
Hallo,
You are a really artist, CONGRATULATIONS!!!
I expend some time with your tutorials, thank you very much, but, this…….is really nice,colours, everything.
Please, visit my little blog,
Greetings, Julia