The Challenge
Already read all this and just want to see the updates?
Day2 update: assembling the individual three sections.
Day3 update: the assembled quilt top, sans window trim and vase of poppies.
While visiting Poppiesfabric.com last month, I saw this great idea for a challenge quilt contest using the Stained Glass line of fabrics by RJR. Well, my mind immediately started to wander. I ordered the kit for a mere 10$, for 8 fat-quarters, mind you. That was a deal in itself. I also ordered 3 additional yard cuts since they were on sale. (Hey, I can't pass up a good sale.)
If you want to skip all of my gibberish, and just see the progress pictures. Go to Images
Coming up with a Concept
I then went through the arduous task of finding an idea. Many went through my head, including paper-piecing ideas, traditional quilt block ideas... but I really wanted to do something like stained glass, since the fabric is stained glass. What cinched it was when I was at Joann ETC and they had many spools of the fusible bias tape on clearance. I then knew I just had to do stained glass.
Now, when most people think of stained glass, they likely think of Cathedrals and Churches. Not the Webmistress. Her mind immediately thinks of art and architecture, so a Frank Lloyd Wright-esque (Her favorite architect) stained glass creation was in order.
Since I neglected to buy the "Frank Lloyd Wright" book when I was visiting Falling Waters, I had no immediate images in mind, except for a glass tumbler purchased at the art museum. So, my search on the web began. I spent hours searching and nothing popped out 'quilt' to me. But finally, I happened up one called "Parade - Coonley Playhouse." Well, this one definitely spoke to me. I opened it up in Paint Shop Pro and went to town cropping, mirroring, adding, subtracting. This is the original:
Drafting an Idea
I wanted this to really look like a window, so I had a colleague help me 'draft' it to look like a window frame/sill. Then came my next masterpiece idea. The Quilt Shop is called "Poppies" so why not include a vase of poppies to put on the window sill. I added this to my image, and it was complete.
Here is a picture of the 'rough draft':
The Creation Process
Next, came the actual creation part. I mean, it was easy enough to look at on paper, but, how to actually create. So I got out some graph paper and started transferring my image to the graph paper. This image was adjusted here and there for effect. So, now that I had my rough draft, I was ready to start washing/ironing/cutting and sewing.
Day 1
Well, I figured out very quickly at the sewing table that my 1.5" per square calculations didn't quite work correction when I cut them because of seam allowances. So, heck, had to adjust as I go along. It'll all work out, right? I got a great thing going, everything coming together. I added a few moda marbles to help the thing along. So, here we are on Official Day 1 (05 August 2001). I started on the flags first. Ok, they aren't traditional colors, but I am trying to work with the challenge fabric, after all. They went together pretty well. On to the top. Alot of adjusting. But, I was just to anxious to get a look of the real "stained glass effect" with the bias tape. So, I went ahead and added that. Now, this kinda I got is lame, so let me tell you, doesn't smell good under the iron, but so far so good.
Sewing Down the "Leading"
Well, after spending almost an hour looking for the twin needle for my machine that I bought specifically for this purpose, I finally gave up and started sewing down the bias tape the long, hard way. I kept my 1/4" piecing foot on and it really wasn't that bad. Lesson learned today, do all of the vertical fusing/sewing before doing the horizontal. I had some areas that didn't really meet as they should have. So, on the other side, I will do the vertical pieces first and see how that goes. But, all is well, thus far. :-)
Images
This is the top approximately, one-third of the quilt:
These are the "flags."
So now you are curious about how this all came to be..? Go Back to the Top
That concludes Day1 with approximately 3 hours of creation time.