What a great job you did. It's just beautiful. The colors are so bright and cheery. I'm sure you'll find a good quilter. And, get some rest.

Very pretty!!

Very nice. A very good job of applique. It will be so nice when it is quilted and I am sure you will find someone who will have fun with it. TFS Jayne

How cute! I love the different blocks below each house. It's just great.

Donna

That is wonderful. I like the purple color with the cute polka dots. TFS.

~Geraldine

If I was quilting at 3:30am, it sure wouldn't look this good! Super, super job!

SharonG/FL

Thanks for all the kind words!

The appliqué was not at all difficult. Certainly much faster than handwork! The credit all goes to the machine for its, ...well... machine-like precision. I think starch turning the elements made it easy to work too. No raw edges to conceal. I didn't even have to adhere the flower units (I did the vines and leaves). Nor did I use any stabilizer. I just held them down with my fingers and a stiletto because the starch made them so stable. So there's no stiffness. Yay! All I had to do was go slow and keep the right-hand needle drop close to the margins.

I did the vines and leaves on each sashing unit before I sewed them to the blocks. The narrow units went through the machine easily -- up one side, down the other. It was only the flower units I had to do when the sashing was all assembled. And, even then, I did the teal and red center circles on each purple flower before I put them in place and tried to move all the fabric under and around the needle on the machine.

Just in case it's helpful for anyone to know the process.

And I used a 30wt Mettler thread designed for machine embroidery -- which I've never done either but it's what the ladies at the Bernina store recommended.

The pattern with the traditional piecework was part of the reason I chose this quilt. The other reason is I wanted to take another class from Diane Johnson whose work I really admire. This pattern with the quilt block "foundations" is called "Patchwork Cottage" and it's designed by Lydia Quigley of The Rabbit Factory. Diane did one in dark folksy colors (which was how it was designed) and another in pale shabby chic florals (very modern and romantic). They're both spectacular and as different from one another as this is from them.

I'm glad you think the purple works, day2day. When I got the call that the class (that had be cancelled twice before!) was actually being held the following day I was very busy with other demanding things. I grabbed a selection of fabrics that I've had and never used for as long as 10 years. I had no concept whatsoever. ... and not such a great attitude either. =o

When I got the blocks done they were so busy I had no idea what I was going to do next. Black calmed it down so that decision wasn't too hard to make. Then I just carried some blocks and the solid black along with me to several shops until I found things I thought would work to fill it in.

This is soooo NOT the traditional muted folk colors I usually choose. I'm so glad and relieved to hear that you think it works. My husband also responds more to these colors than anything I've done before.

And, let's face it, geezerfolks, after midnight I was just putting on the borders. ...and it took until 3:30 because I spent more time ripping than sewing. =o

Question: Since you appliqued the vines and leaves onto the sashing before attaching to the squares, did you cut the sashing a bit larger and then after appliqueing, measure correctly?

I wouldn't even be able to see the stitches to rip them out at that time. @:)

SharonG/FL

Nope. I suppose that would have been the smart way to do it but I had the sashing pieces already cut and the pattern for the the placement gave me the stitching lines as a guide to the layout.

You can see that there are a couple places where the vine isn't really centered properly. But, for me that's part of the organic nature of nature. And I was careful to keep the leaf margins well inside the 1/4" seam allowance. I also was generous in laying down enough vine under the flowers so that I had plenty of grace room for placing them in the intersections when all the seams were sewn.

I was just wondering if stitching the applique on first made that much difference in the size........for future reference. @:)

SharonG/FL

Wow. When I first saw that, I thought it was a pre-printed panel. It's great and the applique borders are the perfect touch.

What a fabulous job! Very pretty and I love the bright colors. I haven't done an applique yet but it's on my list.

Susan

I was just wondering if stitching the applique on first made that much difference in the size........for future reference. @:)

No. I don't think so. At least it didn't for me.

Laying the vine out quite precisely was important of course. And being mindful of where the tips of the leaves were was important too. The trick with being precise on black fabric was using a lightbox. I don't think if the sashing fabric hadn't been directly over the light I would have been able to read black lines on the design through black fabric.

In any case, I would definitely appliqué as many pieces individually as I could in the future. It was much easier in small pieces than once I had to move the large constructed piece under and around the needle.

Appliqué is so charming but I came to it really late myself because it's so time intensive. I'm working on a big medallion piece now by hand that will probably take me years. ...if I finish it. ;>

I did this one by machine because I just wanted to get it done and get back to the things I need to be working on. Like that baby quilt that needs to be finished by Aug. ;> As much as I genuinely wanted to take this class, when it finally came up I went into it with a lousy attitude taking my least favorite fabrics and my let's-get-this-over-with attitude. I really, REALLY didn't deserve to end up with a top that I'm as pleased with as this turned out to be. ;> ...or maybe I should learn something about being less intense about things in the future. Not sure which. ;>

I may have to take a machine appliqué class and learn the skills so I can do more of them faster. I'm working on a king size quilt of North Wind blocks that could really use some nice flowing appliqué to relieve all that geometry.

It's a wonderfully successful color combination. If someone told it to me, I'd be skeptical, but to see it for myself, it really works. Something about the purple & its interaction w/ the red & white check & the sashing. Somehow it's really bright & lively, animated but not too much, congratulations, well done indeed.

I vote for less intense. I've taken some classes too & tried to leave any expectations at home. All but one class were great & I learned a lot. The one I didn't was on foundation piecing & I think both the teacher & the technique were just not for me.

I love it! I think the colors keep it nice and modern instead of "traditional" folk-artsy. Thanks for the tips, too. Did I miss the name of the pattern? I would love to try this one.

beverly

It's called "Patchwork Cottage" and it's designed by Lydia Quigley of The Rabbit Factory. I dropped in a link to their site below.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Rabbit Factory

I love it!!! Your applique looks perfect! I wasn't really a fan of 'folksy' in the past but I have several Thimbleberries and I am changing my mind so I'm going to try one.
Her quilts are all so cozy looking.
Thanks for the link.
Rosa

That's the wonderful thing about quilting. There are sooooo many variables that there's a style and a method and a challenge level and a color palette for everyone! ;>

You nailed it right there with your last post Rainey. I love your quilt. Isn't it amazing how sometimes when we go outside our comfort zone we find that there are new things to like & appreciate. My "likes" have expanded greatly over my quilting years.

When I went back up to take another look @ your top, I found that the "yards" in front of the houses are all different patchworks. Neat! It's a quilt that has a lot of interesting things to pick out. Job WELL done. And thanks too for the in depth explanations.

I love this quilt!! So cute!! You did an awesome job on the applique!

WOW! Your quilt is incredible. I do not have the patience for applique and am always impressed when people do it and do it so well. the colors are so fun and the pattern is great.
TFS!
Sue/polardream

I used to feel exactly the same way, Sue. Consider machine appliqué some time. It went so fast!