Dec. 5 – Pansies In the Windows

(OOPS!  I intended to crop this picture… please over-look the messy cabinet behind the quilt, and this is probably not the last time you will see it!)

1997 – Copy of a quilt made by DH’s great-aunt Madge.  I drafted the pattern from the original quilt, then made my pattern pieces.

I know…. you say it looks like cat faces.  I have had LOTS of people say that, but I wanted it to be the same pattern as Madge used.  I think it is the embroidery on the yellow petals that make people think “cat whiskers”.

There were a couple of “firsts” on this quilt… first applique quilt, and first time using prairie points. 

Lessons learned:  Cut away excess fabric where pieces overlap… there is some MAJOR shadowing of the green pieces showing through the yellow… should have trimmed that closer. 

Secondly, The window sashing quilting design needs to fill up the entire length of the sashing.  As you can see, there are some puffy areas in the light sashing because I did not make the design large enough.  I was JUST learning to draft quilting patterns, and had no clue about density of quilting being important.  The pansies puff also, from lack of quilting, but that doesn’t bother me on this one since they are the “star” of the quilt.

And I learned… prairie points are not as much fun as I thought they would be.  I haven’t put them on a quilt since!

I also FINALLY “got” the rocking motion of hand quilting!  This piece has tiny quilting stitches.  However I was still using blend fabrics because that is what my advisor (the same one that told me to use poly batting and #7 needle) suggested… Palencia broadcloth solids from Wal-Mart.  Hey… in my defense, there were no local quilt shops anywhere near where I lived.  And even if there HAD been, I would have keeled over at the prices … I just didn’t get it at that point.   HAHA!!  Dh probably wishes I still didn’t GET IT!!

TOMMORROW:  My first venture into designing my own pattern!

Kat