• Home
  • My sewing projects
  • Patchwork quilts
  • Cake!
  • About Me

Thimbles and Teapots

~ Tea, cake and sewing…

Thimbles and Teapots

Tag Archives: Higgs and Higgs

A little quilt for a little Lily…

07 Sunday Aug 2016

Posted by thimblesandteapots in Patchwork quilts, Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Baby quilt, binding, Cori Dantini, fabric, free-motion quilting, Higgs and Higgs, patchwork, quilting, Sewing, The Fabric Guild, The Festival of Quilt

In a previous post, I mentioned that I’d been given some lovely material when I went to the Stitch Gathering in Edinburgh last year. I used this fabric (from Cori Dantini’s The Makers collection) to make a quilt for a friend’s new little arrival, Lily. Unfortunately, I ran out of fabric before I could finish the quilt and was a bit stumped as I couldn’t seem to find much online. Happily this problem was resolved during a recent trip to The Fabric Guild where I discovered several fat quarters  in the same collection so  I could finally crack on with finishing it. I was quite relieved as I was a bit worried that Lily might have grown up before I could present her with the finished quilt!

I hope that this might inspire Lily to take up sewing in the future…

Front of Lilys quilt

As I only had fat quarters, I decided to sew them all together in a courthouse steps design so that I could create a backing ‘fabric’ for the quilt. It was a little bit improvised and I just carried on adding strips to the main square but I do think that it looks quite good.

Backing of Lilys quilt

I did a little bit of free-motion quilting on each side in a flower design (about the only design that I can successfully complete at the moment). I know that the recommended stitch-length for free-motion sewing is about 1/8 of an inch. Sometimes I achieved this…sometimes I didn’t…but I don’t think it looks too awful overall! I also sewed a few hearts at the top and bottom of the design and added a bit of ‘stitch-in-the-ditch’ quilting just to join the middle section to the backing fabric.

Close up of flower quilting

I took my quilt top to a nearby sewing emporium to ‘audition’ binding for the quilt as I wasn’t quite certain what would work as a border. I hadn’t expected to choose green but I think it works wonderfully and really brings the colours together. I finally bought the binding from Higgs and Higgs, who have a brilliant selection. Definitely a good find for future makes.

This is my second completed quilt and, as ever, I learned a few things whilst I was completing it:

  1. Don’t just start trying to make a quilt-top because you’ve got some really pretty fabric and you really, really wan’t to use it. Have a plan! Had I planned this, I might not have taken quite as long to complete it! I kind of made it up as I went along. Happily, the finished result isn’t too awful..
  2. Using a very small cutting board is not ideal for cutting out your fabric when you are making anything bigger than a placemat. You therefore need to prevail on your husband to buy you a much, much bigger one as, fortuitously, your birthday is approaching…
  3. Use fabric basting spray to bind your quilt layers together. It’s a revelation. No pinning and you can re-position your fabric as many times as you like!
  4. Spend time looking at different types and colours of binding. I was just going to order some pink binding but I’m so pleased that I had a bit of time to consider different colours.

I really do feel that I am developing my skills in this craft and I am also particularly proud of my mitred corners! I do hope that Lily will like it!

Well, I hope that you are enjoying this sunny afternoon wherever you are. Look out for my next post, which will undoubtedly feature my annual visit to the Festival of Quilts. Only a week to go!!!

Happy crafting,

April

 

 

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets

Social Media

  • View aprilperrie3’s profile on Pinterest

Recent Posts

  • It started with a hexagon
  • Sewing in strange times…..
  • A fresh start…
  • A quite wonderful quilty retreat
  • On sewing for my sanity, UFOs and motivation..

Recent Comments

thimblesandteapots on Sewing in strange times…
Louise Lee on Sewing in strange times…
thimblesandteapots on Sewing in strange times…
thimblesandteapots on Sewing in strange times…
Mary on Sewing in strange times…

Tags

Afternoon tea Aix-en-Provence Amy Butler Amy Gibson anxiety Baby quilt baking bias-binding binding blog Bunting cake Camille Roskelley cats Cori Dantini Crafts Dashwood Studio dressmaking Duck Egg Threads Edinburgh embroidery English Paper Piecing EPP fabric fat quarters Festival of quilts Foundation paper-piecing fountains free-motion quilting French French markets Great British Sewing Bee Half-square triangles Happiness Project Higgs and Higgs holiday Il etait une fois Illness janome Jo Avery Kaffe fassett Log-cabin Love patchwork and quilting love sewing LPAQ Marseille Modern Quilting My Bearpaw New Sewing Year owl patchwork Patchwork quilt piping Quilt Quilt as you go Quilters' Guild quilting Quilting Bee quilts sampler quilt Sewing Sewing machine sewing techniques stained-glass Stitch Gathering teapots Textile The Fabric Guild The Festival of Quilt The Quilters Guild Traditional Quilting Vintage vintage bus Wedding writing

Archives

  • June 2020
  • March 2020
  • June 2019
  • February 2019
  • April 2018
  • January 2018
  • August 2017
  • June 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • November 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013

Lovely things!

Flowers collage
meringues
???????????????????????????????
???????????????????????????????
Completed quilt 1
Front of patchwork teddy 1
Patchwork cushion
Kaffe fassett lampost

Blogs I love!!

  • An English Paper Piecing Journey
  • The Berlin Bridge
  • Atelier de Cocopatch
  • Lincolnshire Quilters
  • Texas Quilting
  • Blossom Quilt & Craft
  • Blossom Quilt et Craft
  • patchworkhexagones
  • Live. Grow. Nourish. Create.
  • Catbird Quilt Studio
  • Stitches of Time
  • Chris & things
  • 365 Days Handmade
  • The Plain Needlewoman
  • Granny Mauds Girl
  • Sewfrench
  • WOMBAT QUILTS
  • SEW KATIE DID
  • Diary of a Madfabriholic
  • Dandelion Dream Co

Blog at WordPress.com.

An English Paper Piecing Journey

Crafting by hand In a corner of Scotland

The Berlin Bridge

British Amateur Photographer Capturing Stories of Berlin and Beyond

Atelier de Cocopatch

le patchwork, pour mettre de la couleur dans notre vie!

Lincolnshire Quilters

Texas Quilting

- Quilting in the Lone Star State

Blossom Quilt & Craft

Tout sur la nouvelle génération du patchwork et du quilting moderne

Blossom Quilt et Craft

patchworkhexagones

hexaddict

Live. Grow. Nourish. Create.

Catbird Quilt Studio

Be powerful. CREATE!

Stitches of Time

I have created this blog to share my interest in all forms of stitching, quilting, sewing, knitting, medieval re-enactment and costume making - particularly my love of historical embroidery. I also love travelling,especially when it also involves any of my other interests.

Chris & things

Pour partager avec vous : travaux manuels, lectures, musiques, recettes et autres !

365 Days Handmade

Making life a better place, one day at a time

The Plain Needlewoman

Quilt Study, Sewing, Vintage Textiles, Collecting quilts and other old odds and ends.

Granny Mauds Girl

Sewfrench

living the french life

WOMBAT QUILTS

An Aussie's adventures in quilting

SEW KATIE DID

because thread is the best glue.

Diary of a Madfabriholic

Quilting, knitting, and a bit of crochet for good measure

Dandelion Dream Co

Cancel
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy