I always like the start of a new project. This one has been in the pipeline for years. I knew I wanted to make a proper Little House on the Prairie flowery quilt with pale florals and lots of white. I saw this quilt in an interiors magazine and I thought it would be perfect. I started saving bits of fabric for it a long long time a go. I think after the Swoon quilt, making something old fashioned is called for, so I got all the bits out today and had a look at them.
It's the first time I've laid them out next to each other and I can't really see them all working together, but then I imagine all the white separating them and I think it might just work. I can't really tell, but I have loved these fabrics over such a long time that I feel loathe to change my plan now.
Here are my favourites. all collected at different times or leftovers from other projects.
Some of them were expensive Japanese fabrics with textures running through them. They were all the rage at Birmingham a few years a go but I haven't seen any new ones since then.
So here is the basic layout based on the photo. I've tried to work it out to have exactly the same number of blocls. I had always wanted to do huge 16" blocks. Just big and simple sawtooth ones showing off the fabric. My mum warned me that often big blocks don't look that great and after looking at the Swoon and the offcut Swoon, I am beginning to see what she means. Don't get me wrong, i like the big Swoon blocks but they are immense. They're 25"; a lot bigger. But in general, I have now come round to the idea of making them smaller. I think I've settled on 10" blocks because if I make the exact number of blocks as the picture then I will have an 100" quilt ready for a kingsize. It might be too big though so I have the option to drop out some of the blocks and make it smaller. I'll see how I get on. Big quilts are a bit of a pain in my small space.
In an effort to be a bit organised, I have tried to work out how much material I will need. I only have fat quarters so I need it to work well in the given yardage. So I did a little diagram based on a 10" block. I worked out the sizes of the pieces:
A: 5 1/2" x 3
B: 3"
C: 5 1/2
D: 3"
Then I worked out I could get enough for 4 blocks out of a fat quarter. It's a bit of a squeeze on the width though, plus I need to factor in the half blocks round the edges so the planning continues. I might make up a sample block and check the measurements.
So finally I have finished hand quilting the massive Swoon quilt. I just need to trim it and attach the borders. Pictures after that's done. We have an imminent house move so it might get put away for a while in the move.
In the meantime I thought I shouldn't neglect the Swoon offcut quilt which also needs quilting. I did pretty big stitched just over 1/4" away on the Swoon and now I wanted to do something tinier and more intricate so I am a lot closer in to the seams now. I'd say 1/8".
I've got two quite bright red and green mercerised fine cotton threads going on here. Green for the centres of the white stars and the red for everything else. I am pretty pleased with how it is coming together and with how soft the backing is. It will be good to get it done. I finally feel like I am making headway through the quilt backup!
