teaching sewing confidence, tip by tip

Tuesday 18 June 2013

What Do You Get When You Mix Essex Linen With Cashmere?

Another quilt for Flicky of course!!!

I've talked about it for long enough about it and it's finally complete ... Flicky's University Quilt



It all started way back in July last year when Flicky chose an Essex Linen fabric 'La Femme Deco Vines' by Melissa Crowley for Robert Kaufman on a trip to Purl Soho and it took me until September to find a backing fabric that I loved to put with it - a Betsey Johnson cashmere plaid - and you can read all about the bargain I grabbed at Mood here:

An Unexpected Trip To Mood

There's been mention of the quilt throughout the year but not much action:

Let's Get Acquainted
 What A Girl Wants ... She Usually Gets! 
 Welcome To My Second Home 

  but all that's put to rights now with lots of help from my little furry friend Tatty - she looks pretty fed up herself with how long this quilt's taken to make!

 

Flicky wanted a lofty quilt so instead of my usual batting Quilters Dream Request Cotton I used a double layer of Quilters Dream Puff and I did wonder just how I was going to manage to quilt it through the throat of my Bernina!  I thought it would be a really hard fought battle but actually, it wasn't and it took just 3 hours to finish the quilting.



Here's an Instagram pic of Tatty helping me to sew the binding - boy I look serious!



And here's the finished quilt


 

I quilted diagonal lines following the design lines of the print and just love how it makes the vines appear 3D - they're practically climbing up over the loft of the quilt as you look at it.



 Here's the back of the quilt - that cashmere is so soft and snug and silky.



The binding is Kona Solid - Robin Egg and it really makes the blue line running through the cashmere plaid pop.








The best of it is that, although Flicky and I both love the new quilt, it turns out it's incredibly heavy and thick to package up and send off to St Andrews.  Also it doesn't hold the same memories for Flicky that her original quilt does - you may remember I told you all about Flicky's quilt, the first quilt I ever made, here - so the consensus is that this new quilt will stay here, in Flicky's room, and her original quilt will go off with her to university to remind her of home.


Updated at 9 September 2014
On 3 August 2013 I received an email from Melissa Crowley who designed the La Femme fabric which reads:
"A friend forwarded me a pic of the quilt you made using a fabric I designed for Robert Kaufman. It's such a treat to see the vine illustration come to life in such a beautifully crafted piece! Of everything I've seen my fabrics become, your quilt is my absolute favorite"

To receive recognition from the fabric designer really made my year :D


What a really great start to the week! :)


Disclaimer: 
This post is for informational purposes only, no payment or commission is received on click-throughs and opinions are my own.


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23 comments:

  1. Ohhh the colours, the colours!!! So very pretty. I agree - the quilting DOES make the vines look 3D - how wonderful!!!

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  2. Wow I am so impressed. I wouldn't think that would fit through the sewing machine. I love this.

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    1. Brute force!!! No it really wasn't that difficult in the end - the long middle sections were the hardest but only about 3 to 5 lines of quilting at those points and the rest was much easier :)

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  3. That is so gorgeous! I love, love, love the top fabric--Flicky has great taste! And lucky you for getting to keep it for awhile. :)

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  4. loving this! it must be so puffy and cuddly :). impressed that you pushed that threw your bernina, whew!

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  5. Wow, this is very, very pretty.

    Nana, who´s coming soon to NYC!

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    1. Only two weeks now until your trip - are you going to pop into The City Quilter, I hope it's a day I'm working if you do, did you see my post about getting a job there?! :)

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  6. Oh, it's just beautiful! I'm glad you & Tatty get to "guard" it while Flicky is at St Andrews. :-)

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  7. This truly is a stunning quilt, and I am so lucky I got to see it for real! (Well almost real!) It looks perfect on the bed so I think it's a good thing it's staying there :-)

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  8. This looks so lovely and cosy Chrissie. Flicky is a lucky girl! She could do with that snuggly quilt in St Andrews in winter but at least she will have another one to keep her warm x

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  9. That quilt is truly beautiful...I love the puffiness.

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  10. Congrats on your lovely finish and also being featured - that's fantastic!

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  11. It looks wonderful - I love the puffiness!

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  12. It is a beautiful quilt. I looks so cozy and snuggly. And Tatty is such a good helper.
    Congratulations on being featured.

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  13. It's a beautiful quilt! It looks wonderful!
    Silvana

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  14. I love the cool aqua look and the comfy plaid look. A stunning whole cloth quilt if ever I saw one.

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  15. such a lovely quilt, basting that must have been a nightmare!

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    1. I roped Flicky and Simon in to help me with the basting. I managed pretty much the whole quilt in the same time it took Simon to do 5 pins and Flicky did 2 rows. Flicky did say that I make it look much easier than it is! It actually wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be, which I put down to my great quality super sharp basting pins! :)

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  16. Stunning, absolutely stunning, Chrissie!!!

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  17. I am so in love with this whole cloth quilt! Those colors are to die for.

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  18. What a nice two sided quilt! I like finding backings that complement but also contrast the front. I'll bet that cashmere back makes it doubly cozy -- the double hug of a hand made quilt!

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  19. A beautiful quilt, front and back!

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  20. Hey Chrissie....such a simple but yet stunning quilt! Love that plaid back...adds a lot of "cozy" to the quilt. Thanks for rejuinvating this post at Tuesday Archives!!! :)

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Chris Dodsley


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