Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Quilting Cruise Memories


Quilt Documentation # 136

Here's a piece I just finished.   I was very lucky to be able to take a workshop with Sue Spargo while a quilting cruise in New Zealand and Australia, this past January. The classes were held on the days at sea, so we were still able to partake in all the excursions while in port.

Quilting Cruise Memories
This was really out of the box for me. I had never worked with wool and although I had a little knowledge of some embroidery stitches it was a real eye opener to learn where and how to apply them to the applique design, as well as learn many new stitches.

These are close-ups of the blocks:

Block #1

Block #1 - before quilting

Block #1 - quilted

Block #1 - detail & lady bug
Sue showed us how to make lady bugs and bumble bees.  Then I copy my roommate's caterpiller on Block #3.

Block #2

Block #2 - before quilting

Block #2 - quilted

Block #2 - detail - bumble bee and red leather circles


Block #3

Block #3 - before quilting 


Block #3 - quilted

Block #3 -detail &  caterpiller 

The border is from a piece of wool that my husband brought back from Peru.  I believe it is Llama wool (which I felted for this).

I was not sure how to finish this quilt but I know Sue uses cotton in the blocks as well as backing and binding. I used a cotton print for the back and decided to face it with the same fabric instead of adding a binding. Little triangles in the corners are used to insert a slat for hanging and one could be placed at the bottom to weigh it down if it was needed.

Quilting Cruise Memories - back

label


I really need to thank my roommate, Susan who so generously let me “shop” in her wonderful stash of hand dyed wool and threads, as well as Sue Spargo who shared all her supplies with everyone. Thank you Sue and Sue.

I have already used a lot of the embroidery stitches in another project and really, really  liked working with wool and will definitely be using it in more quilts.

I can see a lot more hand work in my future.


Happy Quilting,

Terry



DOCUMENTATION:
Quilt Name: Quilting Cruise Memories
Description: Folk Art Wool Applique and Embroidery
Pattern: Sue Spargo patterns
Size: 9” x 30¼”
Fabrics: Wool, cotton, leather, wool, cotton and silk threads, beads
Predominant colours: Turquoise, lemon, khaki, red
Construction Techniques: wool applique, embroidery
Back: 100% cotton
Batting: wool
Edge finish: facing
Quilting: Free motion quilted on Domestic Machine
Quilted by: Terry Whyte
Sleeve: yes (corners to insert rod)
Label: yes
Date completed:2013
Inspiration: from a workshop with Sue Spargo while on a quilting cruise in New Zealand and Australia.
Maker: Terry Whyte

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is really beautiful! All the embellishments really make it work. (I LOVE that orange stitching on the turquoise up in the top block - gorgeous.)

Margaret said...

Lovely work--you must be very patient!

Carli The Quilter said...

Loving your beautiful hand work!!

Carli The Quilter said...

I'd love to follow you via the option of INBOX directly to my email address. Can you pop one of those options on your blog? You just go to your dashboard in blogger, then go to layout and add a new item to your sidebar called 'inbox following"
Please and thank you.