07 February 2012

Patchwork... Without the Patchwork



This baby-sized project is a whole cloth quilt, meaning that there are no pieced elements-- just one piece of Kona Snow for the front, and Kona Coal for the back. I loved having a blank slate for a bunch of hand-stitching, and the time to just sit and stitch away! It's a perfect winter project.  


My inspiration?  Staring at full boxes of embroidery floss, arranged in perfect order, and just needing to do something to showcase the color possibilities offered.  I wanted to experiment with a quilt where the stitching, not the fabric, would become the focus.  


I sandwiched the two pieces together with some batting and machine-quilted a 5-inch grid.  Then, I set about filling every other block with squares of hand-stitching in green, gold, aqua and blue tones. 


It's patchwork without the actual patchwork!  The hand-stitching provides both design and texture. I think it's the most deliciously textured quilt (or other item, for that matter) I've ever made.

I just want to squeeze it! 

I think it's very simple and modern, but also intricate and interesting.  Subtle.  It was very refreshing to work on this quilt, free from prints, with a limited palette.  

Because the stitching shows up on both sides, it's pretty much reversible, too.  


It's bound with a gold print from Heirloom by Joel Dewberry.  I like the contrast of the print against the solids, and how it coordinates with the stitching.  



What to call this... post-modern quilting?  Deconstructed patchwork?  This quilt is a little philosophical. To me, it is a real fusion of modern and traditional quilting, and I hope to make more like it.  

This one's in the shop.  

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32 comments:

  1. Genius idea! Such a sweet and simple little quilt, I love it!

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  2. It's wonderful! I love your quilting, what a fantastic, and frankly, classy baby quilt!

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  3. this is freaking adorable...love it!

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  4. This is a really great idea and has gotten the wheels turning in my head. The stitching is gorgeous!

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  5. i love this! the colors and everything! I really like how you add little touches of hand quilting to your other quilts as well.

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  6. I love it! One question, the knots for the floss would be thicker. Are they pulled in and hidden? Or do you use another technique to secure the stitching?

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    1. Thanks!! I pull the knots through the back layer of fabric, just like with regular hand-quilting. Sometimes it's pretty tough, but any pulls in the fabric are erased with the first wash. I only loop my the floss around once for the quilter's knot, instead of 3 times, as I would with regular thread.

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  7. I'm not really too bothered what it is called...other than Simply Stunning!

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  8. Found you from Sew, Mama, Sew... this is beautiful! I'm inspired!! christina112358 at gmail dot com

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  9. Found this through Pinterest--I *love* the minimalist beauty of this piece! It's sort of the opposite of deconstructed patchwork, isn't it?

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  10. Oh, I love this quilt! What a fantastic idea.

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  11. Gorgeous! I found the picture through see mama sew as well, and I'll have to make one of my own.

    Thanks for the inspiration inspiration.

    Sarah

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  12. I really love this. I'm not a quilter ... yet, but this is going on my must-do list.

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  13. Anna, it is stunning! I have quilted with Perle 8 and loved the results. Did you use all six strands? What size needle did you use? There are so many more color choices with floss. I can't wait to try it. Thank you so much for sharing your talent.
    Susan

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    1. Thank you, Susan! I use 3 strands of embroidery floss... just the regular DCM kind usually used for cross-stitch, I think! So many colors :) As far as needles... I just use the smallest one in my pincushion that I can get three strands through, sorry I don't know exactly what kind. I've seen size 24 chenille needles recommended, though. Good luck!

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  14. This is one of those projects I have laid awake thinking about, since I saw it on pinterest (I hope you know what I mean, and I don't sound like a nut job)!
    I was going to make myself finish my first free motion before I started this, but they are totally different, so it probably won't happen.

    YUM!

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  15. This is absolutely great. Thanks for posting it.

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  16. I'm knee deep in deadlines at the moment, but I keep day-dreaming about this quilt and finding myself sourcing the perfect solid fabric for post-deadline. I can't wait to get started!!!

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  17. It looks like japanese sashiko quilting. Beautiful work!

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  18. Anna, I love it and am going to make one. The stitching is great.

    sandra

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  19. Does anyone know what type of thread she used ?

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    1. I used regular embroidery/cross-stitch floss, 3 of the six strands :)

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  20. Love the simple beauty! Thanks so much for sharing your creativity. Did you pre wash your fabric?

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    1. Thanks so much! I don't pre-wash quilting fabric because I like when the entire quilt shrinks a bit after the first wash/dry, which makes it very crinkly and squishy. (The quilt in this post was made this way, and photos are after the first wash/dry). For a flatter final product, I would recommend pre-washing.

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    2. That's just what I wanted you to say:) I love that comfy cozy feel, too. Thanks for your quick response.

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  21. Hello! I'm wondering if you used a stencil for your stitching or just went for it. Thank you! Beautiful quilt!

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  22. This is so pretty. Often the simplest things are the most glorious! My question is did you pencil in squares within squares so you had a guide for your embroidery thread quilting?

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  23. i love the clean lines. I tried it with wool batting, however i had a hard time sewing the grids so this is on hold at the moment, I might try it with a flatter batting. Any suggestions will be appreciated. thank you for a great simple design. they are the best!

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  24. This is gorgeous!!! I must attempt one!

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