Time to show you how my Island Batik challenge quilt for June is coming along.
Remember earlier in the week I had some fabrics chosen and a plan for a modern take on Winding Ways? Well, as of last night I have a finished modern Winding Ways quilt top. Come on over and take a peek! 🙂
The Island Batik Ambassador June challenge is “Modern Batik”. I wrote about the start I’d made on a modern Winding Ways quilt last Tuesday. At that stage, I had reduced the Winding Ways block to its basic shapes and cut out a pile of fusible appliqué pieces from Elementz batik fabrics given to me by Island Batik.
Among the fabrics sent to me by Island Batik I also have some solid black yardage, so I decided to try something a bit different from my usual fare. A black background to show off the bold Elementz colours.
I set about laying out my appliqué pieces into “winding ways”. I stuck to the Winding Ways grid pattern, but only filled in partial blocks to give paths of colour across the black background.
As I went, I fused the pieces together as I was happy with them. But I still found myself fighting the forces of nature.
I did eventually work out how to keep the cat from tearing through my quilt layout process.
I laid a batting trap. Works every time. 🙂
Modern Winding Ways Appliqué
Once I was happy with my design and had it fused, I secured the winding appliqué paths with my favourite appliqué method. That is, 4-5 rounds of free-motion stitching around the edge of each piece with 40wt rayon thread. I recommend Madeira rayons for this technique – Madeira rayon threads have great colour, shine and strength.
Now, I’ll readily admit that large black expanses are not generally my thing. On quilts or elsewhere. So to break up the blackness and use the large black spaces to my advantage, I added some free-motion embroidery.
My favourite marking method for this kind of work is grease-proof paper. It works on any colour fabric.
I go around the design once and then remove the paper.
For this project I added two more rounds of stitching to the embroideries after the paper was removed to build up the colour.
I had more help with this phase. Mew thought perhaps I wouldn’t mind if he just rested his chin on the new quilt while I added the embroideries? “Technically” he is sitting on his own quilt. Need those boundaries tested? Who you gonna call….. ?
Here is my finished quilt top. I guess when the cat says it’s ok to do so, I will quilt it.
Do you remember those “Surprise” fabrics I received from Island Batik that I couldn’t show you at the time? Well, Spring Market has been and gone in the US and I can use them now, so I am planning some pretties for July and August. 🙂 More on that coming soon! What are you working on at the moment?
P.S. Linking up with Love, Laugh, Quilt, Cooking Up Quilts, Freemotion by the River, Quilting Room with Mel,
Ahhh, the adventures of Mew!! Dione, I love the way your modern winding ways quilt turned out! So greaseproof paper is like parchment paper? I have also used Press-n-Seal for marking motifs to quilt, but that was a long time ago and as I recall, it was sometimes difficult to get off, but it stuck well!
A batting trap – haha! Love it. I’d like to know what greaseproof paper is too. I thought maybe freezer paper? Clever idea. I like how it’s turned out!
Hmmm… greaseproof paper is a little like parchment paper but thinner, more see-through and less shiny/slippery. It is most like what we used to call tracing paper but it comes on a roll for baking (in Australia). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greaseproof_paper It is not sticky or adhesive, I simply position it with pins. It tears more easily than parchment paper but isn’t as soft as foundation paper… and cheaper. You could probably use foundation paper. It doesn’t repel fusible adhesive like parchment paper and also can be drawn on more easily. Definitely nothing like freezer paper.
It looks amazing! Love the fabrics and the way you integrated everything. I wasn’t sure I was going to like this quilt, to echo you the large black areas put me off. But I especially appreciate your detail pictures, as I think I could study the different fabrics and their intercepts for hours, just wonderful. Thanks for sharing, Dione.
I just love this! Such a gorgeous design – and I love the echo in thread in the black. Just perfect. It will be fun to see how you quilt it!
On the greaseproof paper, parchment paper is close and we do have something I have used called golden threads quilting paper which I have used and that works similarly – a little more sturdy than tissue paper. I’ll keep an eye out and see if there is anything in the “professional baking” section – which I never am in.
What an eye catcher! I really like this design and by the way, if you have more than one layer of stitching on the free motion embroidery design you are super precise, because it doesn’t look like there is a stitch out of place. The tales of Mew are entertaining….but probably not so much when you were in the middle of laying out your design.
Mew is the absolute best for testing a pattern or quilt!! Down here, or over here, I am sewing another Green Ted of Learning. The wee girl’s Dad graduated with a Master’s, in Engineering, at a different University at Canterbury, so he has to have a theodolite instead of a rock hammer, and a different hood lining. Love your modern “ways” and the way they link round the embroidery. Those fabrics are wonderful on the black . PressNSeal, seals so well, and REALLY hard to pick undone with a pin. I used it once, and gave the rest to a friend to use over basins in the fridge!!! I like the greaseproof method, and must try it.
Hi Dione! This is just fabulous – I really look forward to see it when Mew lets you finish. The colors and fabrics are so enhanced by the black background, and those spheres are just plain COOL.
Happy Saturday! ~smile~ Roseanne
But it might be Sunday there, so Happy Sunday instead!
Wow! Thanks for sharing the process. I learn so much from your blog. I rally can’t wait to see this one quilted.
I have your Mew’s twin sister on the other side of the world, and she is also named Mew! What are the odds? Mine is roughly 13 and was rescued as a feral kitten who was living beneath a building I worked in. She’s smaller than your Mew but otherwise an exact replica!
Your winding ways quilts is stunning. It looks so lovely with your assistant on it. Hahaha.
This is another fabulous quilt in the making, and well, of course it is with your cat inspector/surveyor/tester of all things quilty. Love the cat trap, must remember that for my Bella. I plan to use my Surprise fabrics this month!
The design of your quilt is fantastic, those stunning colors against the black background looks amazing! The embroideries are the icing on the cake!
Beautiful work Dione and what a unique design!