Last year, I began stockpiling Liberty of London fat eighths and sixteenths from Queen Bee Fabrics and the Westwood Acres Liberty club with the hopes of combining them all into a floral patchwork quilt for my mom.
At first I settled on a checkerboard patchwork quilt like this from Red Pepper Quilts. Then I changed course and decided to make an orange peel applique quilt using the Orange You Glad tutorial from Crazy Old Ladies.
Here's my thought process while making the quilt:
Cutting and piecing the orange peels: This is so fun. I should only make orange peel quilts from now on.
Turning the orange peels inside out: This is going to take forever. It's a good thing I've got lots of TV shows to catch up on. Thank goodness for that purple thang
Fusing the orange peels to the background fabric: These are coming together so fast. This thing is almost finished.
Deciding to lay out the quilt in a rainbow gradient: Love this. Now I want to make one for myself. I should have bought two of everything.
Basting the quilt: So close to finishing!
Quilting the top: Yep, that free motion foot is not going to work for outlining these curves. I guess I'll have to use my walking foot.
4 hours later: This walking foot is going to take forever
4 hours later: I don't think I can do this anymore
4 hours later: I'm almost halfway done...
Days later after sewing the peels: Finally, finally, finally ready to free motion quilt the rest!
Needless to say, sewing down each of these petals with my walking foot and maneuvering the quilt in a full circle around each of the peels was the worst and most time consuming part of this whole quilt. Luckily, the quilting outlines on the back make up for the hours and hours of turning this quilt around. I have a new found respect for quilters who tackle spiraling circle quilting and know that it's definitely not for me!
I credit my mom with teaching me how to sew and instilling a love of crafting in me, so it's only right that such a special goes to her. After all, the first quilt I made her back in 2006 was a tiny crib-sized quilt. And it's only fitting that I finally got around to blogging this quilt on her birthday (Happy Birthday, Mom!)The quilt now lives draped on the foot of her bed as a reminder to me that I should probably have made my parents a queen-sized quilt to cover their entire bed. One of these days...one of these days. Her kitty, Charlie, is pleased with it nonetheless!
Size: 60"x60" - 144 petals in a 12x12 layout
Background fabric: Kona Biscuit
Quilting: Curved line with a walking foot and center echoes with a free motion foot
Started and finished in December 2014
It's so pretty! I feel you on the quilting. Sometimes I feel like a lazy quilter because I always think of a basted, not yet quilted quilt as almost done. I need to change my thinking and treat the quilting as a major part of the process, sometimes the most important! I just like piecing so much more, it's hard to think that way.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely stunning!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing quilt - Liberty fabrics are so pretty and feel so good too. I have been thinking about doing an orange peel / petal quilt but will probably make a mini just for fun.
ReplyDeleteso much work, but oh! such a gorgeous gorgeous quilt that it is so worth it!
ReplyDeletei love it!
-melissa
this quilt is amazing.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous!! And I agree with you that turning circles with the walking foot on a home machine is a pain!! A Royal Pain!!! :) Hugs, H
ReplyDelete