What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

Another old project I have been playing with, this time also in a new colourway. The original colours were very dark, and I love them, but I am also loving the softer colours in the new version.

Need to play a bit more … suspect a lighter background is needed in some places.

This is a new colourway, with some new block variations, of the Anna Pavlova project. I have been playing with this, and a few other project files, which have been sitting in my Electric Quilt folders for quite some time.

The old projects are new again!

I hope I never find a cure for my addiction to designing quilts … but I should spend more time at least finishing some real ones!

My fabric choices in this project file started with the busy pansy print. Then I added some not quite plain fabrics in colours featured in the pansies, and then chose a neutral background.

The second design is a bit busy for me, though perhaps it might look OK on a queen size bed.

The quilting as shown would be in a contrast colour to the background, but what is not shown is a filler in thread to match the background. Stippling would be my first choice, but small circles, or a simple grid would work too.

I wonder what method of applique I would use to make any one of the designs in this project file into a real quilt. Possibly fused and hand embroidery, with a little bit of trapunto added to the blocks with the bigger florals, or a miniature version could be machine embroidered.

The straight line quilting would be machine, the designs based on applique designs I would do by hand.

There are a lot of options in techniques, and that is after choosing colours! There is no excuse for making a quilt exactly like a pattern from any source.

Interesting flowers, from bulbs which burst out of the ground before the foliage.

My favourite today is the second design.

Soft and pretty, like Aunty Flo’s tatted lace.

The second is also pretty and dainty, and I think it might be my favourite of the two designs.

I haven’t opened this project for years, but thought I would bring it back into the spotlight today, as I have a yearning for lovely fresh strawberries. Unfortunately, I will have to wait a while as it is too cold for strawberries to bear fruit at this time of the year here.

Enough to make my mouth water!

Love the Clamshell borders in the first design. The applique block is there only to show off the borders!

The inner border has clamshells turned inside out, but the same size. It makes a lovely border like that, but in the second design the outer side of the clamshells is larger than the inner side … I am not sure I like it like that, but it was interesting enough to keep.

Lots of birds, but it means that the figs and apples won’t make it to the table … but this design might get there as a tablecloth.

The second design looks more like a tablecloth, and there are no birds on it to eat the fruit before humans sit down for a meal.

Lots of leaves on the first design!

Second deign has more room for quilting and so is my favourite for today.

This project file could be a great start to designing some fun quilts for children, and those grown ups who are young at heart.

I wonder if children are still allowed to blow bubbles!

A very formal design, something I would admire, but would like something more personal to sleep under, but it would make a lovely mat for the lounge room! After all, the block designs were inspired by a piece of old linoleum found in a drawer of a house in Brandis Street.

I cannot pick a favourite between these two … love both.

These designs are a combination of ideas for stained glass, which have a design within the glass, and leadlight, which has pieces of coloured glass separated, and held together, by strips of lead.

They would look great made in fabric, but I dream of making one of these from glass! I think I have left that idea a bit late … should have got a job with a professional glass worker when I left school over 55 years ago!

Pretty and dainty … and very feminine!

I can’t think of many blokes I know who would choose this for their bedroom.

I love the second design!

Another variety of banksia, and some quilting motifs in coloured thread based on the applique designs.

I am enjoying playing with the scale of the flowers in these designs.

Australian native Banksia flowers come in quite a few different varieties … this is based on one of them.

I like both of these designs, but if I was going to make either I would probably change something about them. At the moment there are just half a dozen quilt designs in this project file, but that will change once I hit the publish button for this post!

Very interesting, and my favourite for the day above.

A very neat and tidy collection of umbrella florals, but judging from the sounds outside, not a great day to be carrying an umbrella … rather windy!

Different project file but same blocks as yesterdays designs … but today they are set straight instead of on point.

Lots of room for some creative quilting in the second.

I like the first design today, but wonder if anybody would bother doing all that work for a single bed?

The second design would fit a king single … usually reserved for single adults and teenagers rather than those in single digit age group.

Very simple floral designs can be very impressive … I love the first design today.

I also like the second design.