I have decided on a name for my latest quilt. I’m calling it “Shadows of Auntie Green”. 🙂
Would you like to see how my Shadows of Auntie Green quilt is coming along?
Well, Taa daa!!!! Here it is so far.
I have been making pretty steady progress on this quilt over the last week since my latest show and tell. If you’d like a pictorial walk through the process, then this post is for you. And perhaps you can help me with a few of the final details……
Shadows of Auntie Green – the beginning
If you haven’t joined me in a while, or haven’t been following the conception and construction of this quilt, it is for my April Island Batik Ambassador challenge. You can read about the ideas behind and the start of this quilt here. The fabrics for this quilt (excluding the organza) were given to me by Island Batik.
Here is where I was up to this time last week.
Since then I have finished the appliqué cutting and layout
I have added the shadows
I layered the fused appliqué over a layer of HOBBS Thermore polyester batting and then over a layer of bamboo/cotton batting. Then I covered the appliqué with a layer of organza to turn the raw-edge appliqué into shadow appliqué.
This is the same sandwich order that I used for my recent shadow appliqué cushion, and you can read more about shadow appliqué in that post.
Once the four layers were firmly pinned, I free-motion stitched around the outline of every appliqué shape with 12wt polyester/wool thread from Madeira. The plant stalks joining all the shapes were created with four passes of stitching.
I pre-marked the stalks using pencil. A mechanical pencil and ordinary eraser work really well for marking organza.
Here is a close-up of the shadow appliqué:
And the whole quilt once I had finished the shadow appliqué and gone slightly mad burying thread ends:
I would normally secure thread ends with tiny stitches, but I don’t trust this method to hold 12wt thread… and the thread build up of over-stitching is too noticeable. So…. I buried every last thread….. and a little of my sanity.
And I’ve started the quilting
I lightly blocked the quilt overnight at this point to pull the four layers back into shape before quilting.
Here’s a secret……. The back of the quilt was a bit of a mess. It looked like this:
But not to worry! All of this is now hidden by the backing that went on next. I used the pink (heather coloured) Bark batik I was given by Island Batik from the Blue Moon collection for backing. It was exactly the right size!
So then the whole thing had to be pinned again.
Now I am quilting around the appliqué to hold all the layers together. So far I have completed the centre oval and about a third of the outer floral arrangements. Here are some of the completed parts:
Help wanted
I hope you have enjoyed how this quilt is coming together. I am not actually certain I am going to get this one 100% finished by the 30th. It is turning out a little bit special and I want to get the finish right. So it may take an extra day or two.
But perhaps you can help me…… there are two decisions I have to finalise very soon….
Firstly – do I do extra quilting in the background to make the appliqués stand up more? A lot of work, but it could be worth it. This quilt is a wall hanging, so I am quilting for visual effect not tactile optimisation.
And secondly – what to bind it with? A single colour binding or a scrappy binding? I have to stick to the Island Batik fabrics I have – that is part of the challenge. I could use the scraps from the fabrics I used in the appliqué. Or I could use any of the fabrics in this picture below.
Or I still have enough of the dark red purple (grape juice) Branches batik fabric at the base of this photo for binding. Which would you choose?
Opinions wanted on the quilting and binding!! Please share your expertise and leave me a comment. Much appreciated.
P.S. Tomorrow we are starting sneak peaks for the Beary Colourful BOM for May. The Green Bear teasers will appear on the Clever Chameleon Facebook page up to the 1st May. I hope you will be interested enough to investigate…….. and yes, that is a clue to the personality of our Green Bear…….. 🙂
P.P.S. Sharing on Crazy Mom Quilts, Busy Hands Quilts, Powered by Quilting.
Oh, Dione, this is lovely! As for the binding, I’d audition either the light blue or the light peach? Something that wouldn’t distract from all of the lovely applique.
Wonderful applique quilt! I was thinking the light purple in the group choice for the binding, although piecefulwendy does make a great point about distracting from the lovely applique. I would go with more quilting for the applique to stand out more
I have enjoyed reading and following along this journey of yours. I am also looking forward to the next bear! I consider myself very much of a beginner so still learning. My thought is that more quilting will distract from the beautiful quilt. I am leaning towards either the very dark or very light color (in your block of choices) with some interspersing of scraps for the binding. I am looking forward to seeing your final choices!
This is so beautiful Dione! I can’t believe how detailed it is and all of the work you have put into it. I think adding more quilting to the background will really accent your applique work! Binding……I’m not sure which would be best.
Awesome! You can also consider a pillowcase finish.
I would use something light and not scrappy, to keep the focus on the appliqué. As for quilting maybe a nice simple grid in the outer border. Small stippling between the appliqué elements. This project is really beautiful!
Your quilt is magnificent! As for the quilting, I think that a lot of quilting and bringing your applique front and center is an excellent idea. You have put so much time and effort into each piece and it shows. So, let it shine some more! As for the binding, I would chose the blue fabrics to go with your borders. It would be a nice way to finish this gorgeous work or art! Thank you for sharing!
Dione, this is truly a work of unbelievably painstaking attention to detail, and CARE and PATIENCE and work-woman-ship! I am in awe, and I know these pictures do not do it justice, but I love the close-ups on the quilting detail, which would drive me more than slightly mad going around each and every shape… but the sheen of the organza really shows up! I could gaze at it for a very long time…I certainly did at several of the photos… Binding. Have you considered a flanged binding? Normally I like a dark binding but I think the purple might be too stark with the soft and exquisite details of your piece. The flanged binding is a bit wide I find, so I did a tutorial to make it 2.25″ but the flange is narrower too. Maybe a blue main binding with the purple or a pink flange? PS You’ll have company I suspect in the a bit late for April 30….(moi).
Lovely piece. I like the blue or purple since the twined border has blue and purple in it. Probably darker rather than light to frame it.
Dione, this quilt is absolutely stunning and what a treasure it will be! I have to see it is more than a “bit special!” And, wow, that’s a lot of pinning!! LOL I’m not sure how wide your outer border is going to be but IF it is wide enough, crosshatching would be nice in the border. I think I would definitely do extra quilting in the background to make those applique pieces really pop. Since the intertwining vines are multi-colored, I think a solid border, or even a border with piping would be nice, but definitely solid colors. I just have to say once again – this is absolutely, drop-dead gorgeous – a true work of art! Can’t wait to see the finish.
I am in awe and in love with your quilt! What a tremendous amount of work you have put into it already! I would go with the extra quilting and bind it in white. Who is going to look at the edge of that quilt anyway? It’s amazing! Have an awesome day!
Dione, it is looking just lovely. I think the quilting your doing is enough, but, I also think you may be a pit more of a perfectionist than me and may prefer the denser quilting around the pieces. I would vote for the dusty rose or light blue for binding, I think, but since it is not right here it is hard to tell If they are just right. It is a gorgeous masterpiece/heirloom. Be proud!
A gorgeous piece of work. I know what you mean about burying the threads!
Absolutely stunning!
Beautiful. You should be very proud
It’s the 30th today so I guess you may have already made your decisions! I love this – love all the extra applique you’ve added since the last time I saw it. A very special – and inspiring – piece!
Such an important decision, the binding colour I mean. The piece is exquisite. Way to go!. I have gone back several times to get a fresh look, but still don’t have an answer about the colour.I’m not sure that the work requires more quilting. It is both delicate, and delicious. Whatever you choose, enjoy your success.
Lynn
This is gorgeous! I think you should take the time to add more quilting, but it’s beautiful as is. As for binding, how about that light blue? It’s hard for me to say without seeing it right up next to the quilt, though. So beautiful!
Hi
I know this post is a year late….but I am very interested in the concept of shadow quilting and think I may have a raw edge applique on which to try it out. A couple questions tho….I see you used 12 wt thread after the fusing was complete and the organza laid upon it which bound the fused layer and the organza together. What kind of thread did you use when you did the second quilting when you attached the fused, organza, batting to the backing? Did you use monofilament or repeat the 12 wt?
My other question is what is the size of the finished quilt? i am glad you decided not to quilt more on the background.
Stunning!