Sunday, August 29, 2010

Beige Floral Finished

Beige Floral
62" square
Based on Scrap Bag Shadow Boxes pattern from
Slice 'Em and Dice 'Em Quilts by Nancy Brenan Daniel
Mostly from stash
Donated to my church, to be given to someone going through a difficult time

Quilt top - all three sections quilted
See Beige Floral Part 3 for details on quilting in sections

Design notes

I attached the side borders in the same fashion as joining the side sections (see Beige Floral Part 3 for details).  After that, binding and the quilt was finished.

For lots more photos and process details, please see the previous posts Beige Floral, Parts 1-3.

Beige Floral Part 3

Left, center section quilted.  Right, side section to be joined and quilted.

Design notes

Trimming quilted section where side will be joined
Quilted area trimmed

Right section (top) will be joined to quilted center (bottom)
Pinned right sides together.  Unquilted side section is on top.  Quilted sandwich is on bottom.
Setting up backing, which goes under quilted section, right sides together.
Batting added to back of all layers.
All layers pinned together (excess batting trimmed).

View from the back.

Trimming excess batting

Pinned together, ready to sew through all six layers

Layers sewn together

View from the back

Take to the ironing board.  Press on front side of quilt.  I don't press on batting side, in case it melts.  Open up layers so right sides of top are showing on front and right sides of backing are showing on the back.  Batting will be in the center.  Press.  The seam will be lumpy.  It doesn't bother me but you can trim out some backing from the seam allowances if you like.

View from the back

Center, right side sections joined together.

View of the back

View of edge where sections were joined
Folded back top and batting to spray wrong side of backing with basting spray.  Folded batting down on sprayed backing.  Sprayed batting, folded top onto batting.

Side section spray basted, ready for quilting

After side section was quilted, joined other side section using above method.

Center, side sections quilted.  Note top/bottom borders are already attached.  Next step, attach side borders.

Beige Floral Part 2

Blocks with dark center (throwaway)

With theme corner block

Blocks paired up.  Will be cutting up and switching pieces between each pair.
Center blocks

Blocks cut:  Vertically along each side.  Then horizontally along top and bottom.

Swapped top/bottom pieces.

Swapped side pieces

Top and bottom pieces sewn to center.

Side pieces sewn on

Block trimmed up
All pairs of blocks cut, swapped and sewn together.  One leftover block from center (throwaway, not shown) will be given to Project Linus, along with scraps from this and other quilts. 

Blocks sewn together in three columns


This and next photo:  Auditioning border fabrics

Settled for this green print.  Really wanted a purple floral found at Joann's.  On sale, but still too much.  Green less expensive.  Looks okay.


Design notes
Not happy with green border, gave in and bought purple floral, seen above.
Preparing to quilt.  Quilting in sections:  center, sides.  Started with center section; quilt layers spray basted.  Using 1/4" quilting tape to mark the edge for quilting, leaving seam allowance unquilted.

Stitched curved lines from corner to corner around beige floral and brown toile areas.

Back of quilt (center section)

Beige Floral Part 1

Inspiration fabric for Beige Floral Quilt

Design notes

Auditioning fabrics
Starting at bottom left, going clockwise:
Medium, busy; lights; medium dark busy; medium; dark; alternates
Laying out beige floral for theme cornered blocks


Design notes

Not enough beige floral, so substituting this fabric for central block

Auditioning lights
Was working mostly with fat quarters, which yielded few 6.5" squares.
Had to bring in variety of fabrics to fill in.
This and next photo: auditioning fabrics for tropical floral block


Auditioning reds for a little punch

Beige floral squares laid out.  Notice center striped block.  Didn't like tropical floral in center.  Wanted to use beige floral, but had only scraps. 

Pieced two scraps with purple stripe down center; looks pretty good.

Light purple squares laid out on diagonal.  Generally two different fabrics per block.  Tried to maintain symmetry.

Switched out stripe for tropical floral.  This block is a throwaway, anyway.  Will use outsides only, center will be discarded.

First nine-patch sewn together

Five nine-patches sewn together
Design notes
Laying out fabrics for dark corner blocks

Realized previously made center block should have had striped center.  Removed tropical floral; stitching is undone about 1/2" in all directions in order to insert striped center.  Rest of block is intact.  No need to take it *all* apart.

Striped center laid on top

Sewed side seams.  Pressed.

Top and bottom seams sewn.  Block is correct now.

This is the real throwaway center block.  Will be using the outsides only.