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Friday, February 17, 2017

Hearts in Bloom

Finally finished - another UFO bites the dust!  The binding has been hand stitched down, and I’ve added a label.  So my beautiful quilt is completed at last, has been taken outside for a few photos, and is now at home on the bed in our caravan.
 
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Hearts in Bloom, on the caravan bed

This quilt was always going to be a caravan quilt.  I have very happy memories of stitching each block while travelling around in our caravan on Summer Safaris with a group of friends. We would travel in the mornings, do a little sight seeing, then relax later in the day under a shady tree, with a cup of coffee and my stitching. The flowers and leaves were then coloured using fabric pens. The floral designs were “12 Days of Redwork”, designed by Alex Anderson.  I then put the embroidered blocks together with 9 patch alternate blocks in pink and green.

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The pattern was 12 Days of Redwork

Next was an applique border, using large green ric-rac in place of a vine, with appliqued flowers and leaves.  And I needed an extra border to complete the quilt, and decided on checkerboard in mixed burgundies. More by a stroke of good luck rather than any particular skill on my part, the side borders fitted exactly down each side of the quilt top.

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Ric rac border and checkerboards

My finished top then took a trip to Taupo to be expertly machine quilted by Razzle Dazzle Quilter, Linda.  And what a wonderful job she did – I am absolutely thrilled with her skills.  There is beautiful freehand McTavishing and pebbles around the applique border.

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And beautiful feathers around each floral block.  This is the first quilt that Linda has done for me and it certainly won’t be the last.

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Linda’s beautiful quilting

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Arty shot on the back fence

11 comments:

Kate said...

Your quilt is absolutely gorgeous, Jenny, be very proud of this one!!

Eileen said...

Beautiful

Tired Teacher said...

Well done - the quilt is beautiful. You and Linda made a great team.

Michelle Ridgway said...

Oh how beautiful Jenny....well done xx

Nancy J said...

Gorgeous, and the last photo, that seems to be the way,... to hang, casually drape, and shoot. Lovely,and with all those memories, a true keeper.

Katie said...

Just gorgeous! :-)

Stop_the_world_I_want_to_get_off said...

Jenny your quilt is amazing and oh so beautiful!

Sewmotion said...

What a pretty quilt, and it's wonderful how it will always remind you of your travelling adventures, sounds perfect!

Razzle Dazzle Quilter said...

How's exciting to see this post pop up today. Your quilt looks perfect in your caravan. Thank you so much for asking me to quilt it.

Maria said...

The quilt looks gorgeous on your bed in the caravan Jenny. What gorgeous memories of your travels ...

NickiJ said...

It's always a wonderful feeling to complete a beautiful quilt and this one is sure a beauty. Lots of happy stitching in this one and I bet lots of cosy nights under it as well on your travels.