I have a few readers who want to learn the art of quilting & patchwork, and yes it really is a bit of an ART if you take it very seriously (of course you don't have to take it seriously!!). There are alot of amazing quilters out there that are creating patchwork quilts that are nothing short of painstakingly intricate, time consuming & of course the results breathtaking. One of my favourite quilters is Sarah Fielke, you can see some of her inticate inspiring work below.
Of course I don't think I would ever have the patience or stamina to create such wonders....as I've said in the past I'm more of a plain square patchwork kind of girl, and you know if you made your quilt with love then that's all that matters.
Start small, start easy!
My friend Hannah who has only just recently purchased her first sewing machine whipped up the below GORGEOUS patchwork cushion! The front is patchwork & the back is just a neutral fabric & she has designed it like a normal everyday pillow case. As per the 2nd photo you can see she has an opening on 1 end & a simple flap to hold the pillow inside! Very clever & very easy! no zips required!
Let us know what you think of Hannah's cushion in our comments area below!
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Charm Packs
Making it even easier Hannah purchased her fabrics as a "Charm Pack" from an online shop called Busy Thimbles, they have a cute aray of Charm Packs & Jelly Rolls.
What's a Charm Pack?... Charm Packs are pre-cut packs of fabric squares of beautiful coordinating fabrics, this takes the guess work out of matching/coordinating fabrics & cutting all the squares, the fabric pieces are ready to sew! See below some pretty packs
Or if you want to go even easier you could buy a Jelly Roll, this is a roll of pre-cut, coordinating fabrics already sewn into a line, so all you need to do is sew your lines together to create a larger scale quilt. Of course I find the later TOO easy & to be honest that takes alot of the fun out of it!!
You could make a very cute cushion like my friend Hannah made in no time! Shop at Busy Thimbles OR simply google "Charm Packs" you'll be spoilt for choice! After some practice on patchworking some small home wares like cushions you can then try your hand at a larger scale quilt. Good Luck! & Be sure to upload any of your creations to the Sweet Mary Flickr Photo Group
Thanks for sharing this Katie, I've never done quilting before but it's something I really want to try, starting off with a cushion was something I was thinking of doing but I'd never heard of these charm packs before! I've already gone and chosen one (plus added in a few of their fabrics on sale, so many gorgeous things to choose from!). Thanks so much, starting with pre cut fabric will make it so much easier! Absolutely loving your blog too, keep up the great work, love it!! :o) x
ReplyDeleteHi Chryssie,
ReplyDeleteMake sure you upload a pic of how you go with your charm pack cushion! we'd love to see it & share it, just head to the Sweet Mary Flickr photo share group & upload anything you make!
I absolutely will, thanks again for the inspiration, I am absolutely LOVING your blog!!! xo
ReplyDelete