Sewing project: patchwork quilt and pattern

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History, dexterity and thrift are the qualities that underpin the timeless beauty of a homemade quilt. The earliest known pieces date back to the time of antiquity. It’s thought that returning crusaders, with quilted garments beneath their armour, brought the technique from the Middle East to Europe in the 11th century. The first examples of quilted bedding, used by the Romans, were little more than stuffed sacks, and the technique was adopted throughout Europe as a practical solution to the harsh winters of the time. As skills developed and fabric became finer, quilting evolved into a decorative, highly prized art form.

In 19th-century Europe and the US, a respectable woman was expected to be both industrious and domestic. Quilting bees became a social highlight as they offered a fitting excuse to get out of the house, and a competent group could produce one or more quilts in an afternoon. Some say the history of a rural area can be traced through the quilts produced by its womenfolk. Album quilts, assembled from blocks made by individual stitchers, were a popular style and often chronicle the concerns and preoccupations of the time. Memory quilts were another favourite. Made to commemorate significant events such as weddings, christenings or birthdays, each patch would represent something special to the recipient.

By the Victorian age, ‘crazy quilts’ were all the rage. These featured a highly complicated abstract pattern, all the better for highlighting fine silks, velvets and faultless needlework. For modern quilters, there is a lot of pleasure to be gained from using saved and vintage fabric, in the original spirit of quilting.

Patchwork, quilting and applique are all different skills used in the creation of a quilt, though the terms are often confused. Quilting is the technique of stitching a sandwich of two pieces of fabric with a soft padding or lining between them. Patchwork is the process of piecing together squares of contrasting fabric to create a pattern. Applique refers to a picture, pattern or design made by affixing pieces of fabric to a cloth background.

Getting started

Before you launch into your first quilt, you need basic equipment

• A selection of quilting needles; a walking (or even-feed) foot for your sewing machine
• Coloured threads
• Dressmaking scissors
• A rotary cutter
• A transparent plastic ruler
• Measuring tape
• Ball-head pins and a thimble.
• You may want to supplement the basics with clear plastic template material and a cutting mat.

Before you buy fabric, choose a pattern. Notebook: and quilting supply store Material Obsession are offering every reader an online pattern for the tulip patch  below.

Making the quilted tulip block

The tulip block is one of the many flower blocks that make up the Annie’s Garden quilt designed by Material Obsession. We’ve included the block here as a stand-alone project for those who would like to tackle a small project. Made as a single appliqué piece, the tulip could be used to create a cushion cover, as the centre of a simple cot quilt or as a small wall hanging.

If the block were to be made as part of the whole quilt it would be appliquéd onto a background piece measuring 17cm x 9cm. To make the block as a stand-alone project you should use a background piece measuring 17cm square.

Download the tulip template here

To purchase the pattern, or a kit, for the whole Annie’s Garden quilt please contact Material Obsession on (02) 9817 2733 or through their website www.materialobsession.com.au

You will need:

Selection of fabric including one 17cm square for the backing piece, one patterned fabric for the tulip head, two complementary patterned fabrics for the stem and leaves. Fabric should be 100% cotton and ironed.
20cm length of Vliesofix fusible webbing.
2Bpencil.
Paper scissors.
Fabric scissors.
DMC stranded embroidery cotton in colours to match the appliqué fabrics for hand stitched appliqué or machine embroidery cotton for machine appliqué.
Iron.

To begin print off the template and use the pencil to trace the pattern pieces onto the Vliesofix. Also known as Wonder Under, Vliesofix is a fusible webbing used to strengthen fabric for the appliqué process. Vliesofix has two sides, a smooth paper side and a rough webbing side. Make sure that you trace the shapes onto the smooth paper side. Using paper scissors cut out the flower, leaf and stem pieces. Don’t cut along the lines but outside them, leaving a border of roughly 1cm outside each piece.

Place the pattern pieces on your chosen fabric with the rough, webbing side against the back of the fabric. Use a hot iron to fuse the Vliesofix onto the material and allow to cool. Use the fabric scissors to cut along the pencil lines of the pattern pieces. Peel the paper backing off the finished shapes, leaving the webbing behind.

Turn the shapes right side up; position them onto your background piece so that they are in the correct place for the finished effect. Carefully remove the flower head and leaves so that only the stem remains. Use a hot iron to fuse the stem to the backing fabric. Working one piece at a time, replace the leaves and fuse in place. Replace the flower head last and iron in place.

If you are hand appliquéing, choose and embroidery thread to match, or contrast, each section. Again, beginning with the stem, use a blanket stitch around all raw edges. Any edges which have another piece ironed on top do not require stitching. Next, stitch the leaves, and finish with the flower head.

If you are appliquéing by machine, set your blanket stitch to a width of 1.5cm and a length of two. Try the stitch out on a piece of scrap to make sure you are happy with the result, then stitch around the shapes as above.  You now have a finished block.

If you wish, you can quilt the tulip block on its own to create a small wall hanging.

You will need:

17cm square piece of backing fabric – 100% cotton and ironed.
4 x 17cm by 5cm strips of binding fabric.
17cm square piece of cotton wadding.
Machine embroidery cotton.
Masking tape.

Place the square of backing fabric on a clean, smooth work surface with the wrong side facing up. Smooth out any wrinkles then secure in place using masking tape – tape the centre of the sides first, then the corners, to avoid pulling the square out of shape.

Place the cotton wadding on top of the backing fabric so that all the edges line up. Iron the finished tulip appliqué block and place, appliqué side up, on top of the wadding. Smooth the layered piece from the centre out to remove any wrinkles being careful to keep the pieces correctly aligned.

Working from the centre of the block outwards, and working in a grid pattern, use pins to secure the three layers together. Once the whole block is secured, carefully remove the tape.

Using a normal running stitch, carefully quilt the block using your desired pattern. For beginner we recommend simply stitching across the block horizontally, stopping to avoid the appliquéd flower for a neater finish. Make your first line approximately half way up the block and then stitch a line approximately 2cm above and then 2cm below the central line, alternating until you have covered the block. Choose a thread that tones closely with your chosen background for a finished look.

Once the block is fully quilted, trim away any excess wadding or fabric so that each edge is straight and even. Iron your strips of binding fabric in half lengthways. Place one strip on either sides of the block; make sure the binding strip is right side down and that the edges align. Sew in place using a running stitch, then turn the binding over the edges of the block, press in place and carefully cut either end of the binding so that it sits neatly on the diagonal at either corner with a tiny hem. Fold an press the extra length at each corner then stitch the length of the binding strip to the backing fabric. Take the two remaining strips, place on the top and bottom edge of the block, and repeat the instructions above. Finish by closing each corner of the binding strip with a small, neat hand stitch.

Join a group

A quilting group is a great way to start. Contact the Quilters’ Guild in your state for more information.

Photography: Scott Hawkins. Styling: Rachel Brown.