Quilting with Love #3

THE COMPLETED QUILTS

Quilting is sewing with love. I can not rush a quilt. My favourite quilted piece I made is the pink cushion for my mum. Made for Mother’s day about 8 years ago. She loved it.

I love camping and travelling in a home on wheels and have made a few quilts that found a home in my micro camper a few years back. The colourful retro van life quilt was made using a 1970’s candlewick bedspread and adding some campervan and tape prints. I later sold this one and the 3 cushions.

The William Morris and Sanderson print quilt was made from free fabric which was going for the skip! I added the selvedge as a detail and added my label.

The brown and navy quilt was sewn together randomly. Scraps from jeans, shirts, linen. It is lined in a copper coloured silk was was donated by an interior designer.

I have collected fabrics from various film jobs I worked on and the sofa was once upholstered in Game of Throne costume department fabric scraps. The sofa was since reupholstered and now is sold. The cushions on both sofas are handmade.

Of course our sewing machines need some protection when not in use. Sewn with scraps and lightly quilted. It is lined in linen and makes use of repurposed jeans pockets to hold the vintage instructions.

The handstitched quilt was dyed with natural dyes . It was machine sewn together and free style quilted. Natural dyed in turmeric yarn was zig zagged on with a domestic machine. It is a combination of silk, cotton, Polish and Irish linen. The coral coloured linen was woven by Flaxmill Textiles. After backing it in linen, I decided I wanted to add some hand stitching which undyed linen.

CHAKRA AND WHITE

The colourful Chakra quilt was gifted to my friend. It was made from charity shop clothes finds in linen. It is bound in white silk taffeta. I am planning to recreate this for myself.

The white quilt I really love. A lot of time was put into making this quilt and hand crochet, embroidered linens, silks were all used to make this. Hand stitching in a silver metallic and also a cream silk thread with buttons really brings this quilt to life. I had machine quilted lines in one of the squares, but it took away the whole essence of this quilt.

QUILTING FOR FRIENDSHIP AND COMMUNITY

Sewing and quilting can really bring people together. It is not only about connecting the shapes, it is about connecting with other human beings. Memories can be made for engagements, and memory cushions and quilts. Stories can be shared and it brings a wonderful sense of achievement and purpose. These community quilts were made in Belfast and hang proudly in the reception areas. Some of the wonderful women have passed away, but these memories are always around to be seen. Human touch is very powerful when sewing cloth together.

To finish, I love finding sewing machines, meeting others who sew. The final photograph of the window and the quilt was taken when I booked an impromptu road trip to the West of Ireland. The quilt had its very own story.

Quilting starts with a straight line, and is a very suitable project for a Beginner to start with.