Mid April progress

I am really happy with the progress I have made this fortnight on my tablecloth.

The honeycomb panel in the centre is finished.

I have now started to fill the honey comb in.

It is lovely seeing the cloth coming to life.

tablecloth progress

My cloth has moved along over the last two weeks

This is a photo of the centre as it was two weeks ago.

Here is the picture of my progress.

I am really loving working on it and would spend everyday stitching on it if I could.

The mammoth tablecloth project

 This is the pattern for a cross stitch table cloth started more than 20 years ago.

The pattern is from an old Anna Burda magazine.

I was unable then to buy the width of linen that I need so I have modified the pattern.

The centre honeycomb pattern will now be narrower but the entire cloth will be longer so that it can be used an the extended table.

This was were I was at when I pulled it from the cupboard two weeks ago.

  

Centre honey comb section

  

Close up of corner block

Close up of next block

The centre honeycomb has hearts around the edge and will all filled in different colours. 

There is a border with little birds.

The Wedding Quilt

It was my privilege recently to make a wedding quilt for a very special couple.

Here are the beautiful couple

The bride is from India so I primarily used the fabric line from Leesa Chandler called

 " Passage to India"

There are 9 Mariners Compass blocks which will always point you home

There are red and gold log cabin blocks.

These reflect the colours worn by the bride and groom.

The red blocks have a red centre that reflects the fire in the hearth.

The gold blocks have a gold centre that is the light that guides you home.

Together they represent the home that you create together.

This jewel print is used in several borders. The tear drop shape is commonly used for wedding and special occasion jewellery and decoration.

You will see the  gold border teams beautifully with the green and shows with harmony with which the Indian and Australian cultures merge.

 The border fabric was inspired by designs of 17th century Indian porcelain. It is found in the henna design worn by the groom and also in the decoration of the bride's sari.

The Quilt has double hearts quilted into the corners

    

and stylised lotuses into other panels.

The lotus can represent beauty, eternity, prosperity and fertility in Hindu.

The label is edged in purple, a favourite colour of the bride and groom and has the seven Hindu marriage blessings.

May you always be blessed with an abundance of comforts and resources, and always be helpful to one another in all aspects

May you be strong and complement each other, mentally, spiritually, and physically.

May you be blessed with prosperity and riches in all ways

May you have eternal love and trust together

May you be blessed with a happy family life and children

May you live in harmony together- staying true to your promises to your selves and one another

May you always remain best friends

The quilt contains all our love and best wishes for a long and happy marriage.

A pleasing finish

This top had been in the cupboard for about 10 years.

I used it as a teaching sample for an advanced patchwork class.

The stitching was by hand.

 Grandmother's Fan

Tumbling blocks

  Drunkards Path variation

Reverse appliqué butterfly and flowers ( my design)

Double Wedding ring

Flying Swallows

I machine quilted the top, firstly with the walking foot and then free motion quilting.

I traced the design onto Golden Threads paper

Layered as many squares as I needed, free motion stitched through the layers without cotton in the needle and that gave me the perforated designs ready to pin onto the squares and quilt through. The paper was then torn away.

Here is a closer look at one of the finished quilted squares.

I was not very happy with the quilting in the border. I had not pinned the border properly and there was some puckering on the back but it looks fine from the front.

This was the last quilt that I had basted ready to quilt so that feels like a good accomplishment.

I do have some more tops finished that are yet to be basted, so after I have finished three more charity quilts I will get the next tops basted.

My goal is to get caught up on the tops waiting to be machine quilted and then to keep up with my quilting in the future.

Finished bird

I have finished stitching my little bird and I am quite happy with my first attempt at thread painting.

I still have the pansy to stitch to finish the design

Back to the legacy

It has been a very long time between blog posts.

I have been completing many things which are detailed on my other blog pamsprogress but mostly those projects don't fall into the "legacy" category.

I am now going to tackle more of those sort of projects.

The first is from an online class I am doing with Trish Burr.

The design I am doing is this robin and pansy

It is miniature thread painting and I have made a start on the tail.

The finished design will be a little over two inches.