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Vegetable quilt (N)nModerator Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 334 Posted: 21 Feb 2006 11:15 am Post subject: Vegetable quilt -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Someone was asking for quilty book suggestions. I have this book on my shelf and I was wondering if anyone would like to do a "block of the month" type project. The book is full of vegetable images, and each is offered in a curved seam "freezer paper" method which give a more realistic impression of the vegetable in question or a " foundation paper method" which is all done using straight seams. There is lots on the web about foundation paper sewing so I won't go into it now, I can find a good source if anyone is interested. It's easier to do and only involves short seams. The key to success with these blocks is to use LOTS of different fabrics. The link I am posting is to the American amazon site because it gives the chance to "look inside" the book and you can see the list of veg included on the contents page. I'd be happy to post out directions, ie a diagram, for one vegetable each month, by snail mail so that by Christmas you would have an allotment! If you want to go faster than this then you probably need to buy the book. The idea with block of the month projects in quilting guilds is that part of the fun is waiting to see what will come next. Also it can be done along with other projects and isn't so overwhelming that it takes over completely. Of course if you fall in love with the carrots or the aubergine, you can make a whole bed of them and just have a large and beautiful carrot patch. By doing one block a month you also have a chance to gather the oranges or purples or greens you might need, and to swap fabrics among the group... we'll all put them together differently so none of the quilts will look the same. Anyone who comes to this after it has started can also join in without feeling the need to catch up. http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1...t/102-3265991-1512164#reader-link n Last edited by n on 21 Feb 2006 01:35 pm; edited 1 time in total Back to top Jesse Site Admin Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 2188 Location: West Sussex Posted: 21 Feb 2006 12:33 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- COOL!!!! Yes please, count me in, I love the idea. Would it be easy enough for me, a novice, to do? Back to top n Moderator Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 334 Posted: 21 Feb 2006 02:35 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- See if this makes sense. http://www.nmia.com/~mgdesign/qor/technique/pfp.htm It's for a boat but you'll get the idea. You only need to be able to sew a 2 or 3 inch seam in a straight line, and because you sew it all with the fabric underneath and the design paper on top, you have a line to follow as you go... but don't worry, I'll do a demo carrot or peapod or something in stages with photos so you can see how to do it. Most importantly, because the seams are so short, it can easily be done as a hand-sewn project... even taken to the allotment to be done in the shed during a rain shower! Don't go buying fabric for this. The finished vegetables will be made up of perhaps 8 or a dozen pieces of fabric, all different, and ranging from a 2 or 3 inch rectangle down to an inch square scrap, so buying fat quarters etc is going to tie up a lot of money in fabric which you may only use once or twice in your quilt. Depending on whether you want an earth/soil coloured background, it might be good to start looking for browny fabrics. I don't usually use recycled fabrics in quilts because the quality is inconsistent, and if you are a beginner, it's much easier if all fabric is the same weight and finish and all 100% cotton. However in this kind of project, the pieces used are many and varied and a few people looking in charity shops for brownish mens' cotton shirts of a reasonable weight to divide up amongst the "gardeners" might not be a bad idea. Once you have made a few blocks you may feel more confident about a splash of red velvet in a tomato or green satin in a cabbage. Remember fabric can be used "inside out" so everything has two sides to play with too. What I would envisage is a list of people who are happy to give me their address so I can mail them the pattern each month. Some of you may also want to send out bits of chopped up shirts etc but if you don't want to divulge your address to the group, I'm sure everyone will understand, and possibly it can be done on a more individual pm-ed basis. I'd rather not act as a hub of fabric distribution, as I don't have the time, and it would become a chore, so I hope it would be a more spontaneous "found a green checked shirt and some orange splodgy stuff, would anyone like some of them?" type thing on the thread. Fabric swapping would NOT be compulsory, just a bit of fun. We really are talking about an ordinary sized envelope of smallish scraps, not huge parcels here, so the cost is really down to half a dozen stamps, not shares in parcel-force. I definitely won't have time to do this before the weekend so there's plenty of time to think about it. n Back to top Jesse Site Admin Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 2188 Location: West Sussex Posted: 21 Feb 2006 03:41 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I've got to rush out now n so will have a read of that link later tonight. I absolutely agree with the swapping thing, will be nice if we can swap bits between ourselves. Back to top Kathy Moderator Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 1008 Posted: 21 Feb 2006 04:06 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm flicking between fixing PCs and reading posts, so I will look in more detail later as I don't quite understand what it's all about. I can sew a straight seam but my cutting is diabolical so perhaps scope for improving my cutting skills here? _________________ Take care Kathy Back to top Jesse Site Admin Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 2188 Location: West Sussex Posted: 25 Feb 2006 11:36 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Had a chance to read the link n, it makes sense and seems quite straightforward, although the boat looks a lot simpler than the vegetables. It will be easier to know though once I sit down with given task and try it out in real life, I'm sure I can do that, may just need a little help and perseverence I like the idea of being able to hand sew some of it, will probably be easier for me when it comes to shorter and curvy lines. Back to top Kathy Moderator Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 1008 Posted: 25 Feb 2006 11:41 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sorry, it doesn't make sense to me at all. If you can post photos of the process as you are doing it, I will be able to make more sense of it and perhaps join in later. _________________ Take care Kathy Back to top Greenlady Evergreen Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Posts: 549 Location: Scotland! Posted: 25 Feb 2006 11:58 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I would loved to be involved in this, but I have to say I am a complete amatuer, having no previous experience. Photo's with accompanying instructions would be great and I have scraps of fabric which i'd be happy to post, i'm always on the look for more too! _________________ Don't eat fruit and nuts. You are what you eat... Back to top Lottie Evergreen Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Posts: 740 Posted: 26 Feb 2006 12:45 am Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greenlady wrote: I would loved to be involved in this, but I have to say I am a complete amatuer, having no previous experience. Photo's with accompanying instructions would be great and I have scraps of fabric which i'd be happy to post, i'm always on the look for more too! Me too, but it would be a fun challenge. With others doing it it would be like a cyber workshop - and we could motivate each other - says she! I will read the thread tomorrow if the sun doesn' t shine! How are we going to fit this in Jesse with working up the allotments looking after chickens and family etc. Have you seen the size of my allotment?? HUGE _________________ I am at that purple age! Back to top Jesse Site Admin Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 2188 Location: West Sussex Posted: 26 Feb 2006 10:14 am Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Not sure Lottie but I think this project is nice in the sense that it's going to be one block a month so not hugely time consuming. It will be nice if others can join in. I'm very new to quilting and sewing as most of you know so I'll be learning a lot along the way. The one thing I did learn from the last quilt is that it didn't take as long as I expected, and when you know the sequence of piecing everything together and have clear instructions on what to do it's actually not all that difficult. Looking at the finished piece I would have said no way I could make something like that, but breaking it down into step by step instructions made it really quite easy. Back to top Lottie Evergreen Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Posts: 740 Posted: 26 Feb 2006 07:06 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It does look mind boggling difficult to me - but I am up for it. (Says she quaking in her socks) ' One block at a month' - so long as we don't have to stand up in front of eveyone else and say. 'My name is Lottie, and this month I fell off the wagon and only did one leaf of my cabbage for the quilt! _________________ I am at that purple age! Back to top Jesse Site Admin Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 2188 Location: West Sussex Posted: 26 Feb 2006 07:12 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lottie I'm sure you won't be alone if that happens. But the great thing is that if we keep all the discussion in this thread then it will be easy to come back to it if one of us falls behind or if others join in at a later date and want to go back in history to catch up. Back to top n Moderator Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 334 Posted: 26 Feb 2006 11:25 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- V. busy weekend, so will get to posting this/ making samples next weekend probably, however it is a long term project so I hope you'll understand if I'm a bit slow! n Back to top |