Monday, January 2, 2012

Charming wall hanging complete...

I am about as excited as I have ever been in completing
a quilt!!
But then, this is not just any old quilt...





It all began  in January 2010 
when I was at our guild and someone had some 
"free" quilting magazines
and this wall hanging was on the cover.
"Charming" by Carol Armstrong.


McCalls Quilting April 2007

I was "charmed" from the first look.
So, I took the magazine home and quickly opened it up
to page 56 where Carol Armstrong's pattern and completed
quilt were pictured with instructions.
I studied it for days trying to decide which fabrics I would use and perhaps would need to get some from friends...but then this would make it special...
Each of the 169  2 inch squares is hand appliqued using needle turn
with three lovely little tear drop flowers on the side.
Of course it is hand quilted and hand embroidered.
Each square is a different nature print and has a perfect green border
to enhance the overall nature theme.

Before I could get started, I realized that the floral
applique pattern sheet was NOT in the back of my magazine.
I had no idea who had owned the magazine.


What did I do??
1. Contacted McCalls who checked their files- No pattern
2. Looked on the internet to see what popped up- No luck
3.Tried to contact Carol Armstrong- No success 

Well, my husband often buys me quilt magazines
(isn't that real nice!!!)
and guess what he brought home???




McCalls Quilting February/March  2010 issue.

AND WHAT WAS IN THE issue????
A QUILTER FROM MISSISSIPPI DISPLAYING HER
VERY OWN "Charming" quilt....
Can you believe it?????????



Mrs. Joan Beasley form Mississippi !!!
who worked on it while her son & grandson were deployed.

SO, I wrote her, after finding someone by that name in the online white pages
and she sent me a copy of her pattern in August 2010...
I mean ...are quilters the best OR what!!!

I began to prepare my muslin fabric for the background by using Southern Belle, my favorite applique fabric. 
I had to mark it in perfect grids to guide placement of each square of fabric. 
So I checked it many times before, during and after to make sure they were straight. Look closely at the following pics to see light blue lines.
I used a water soluble fine point mark-b-gone pen in blue. 
Then I went to my stash and to select fabrics with nature prints...trees, leaves, rocks, flowers, moon, stars, animals, sea shells,frogs, birds, and a few scriptures which would make it special...

I began appliqued the squares in the center first



Since our God is the maker of all things, I thought I would place Him in the center.



 trying to make sure the colors were spread out
to make it appealing to the eye.
Then I appliqued the flowers and embroidered the stems.






Friends gave me fabrics and I hunted for the perfect 
green for the border.



It has been a delight to work on and a challenge with all of the 
needle turn applique and hand quilting..


Here are some pictures of my progress along the way.









I love using Downy Wrinkle Release to steam out those seams.



Layering & Basting

 I often use Thermore poly for wall hanging batting
but this time I used Dream Cotton 
and I really like the way the appliqueing and hand quilting looks.





Supplies used were Y L I 
silk for appliqueing,
cotton quilting thread and
basted with Sulky neutral .





and embellished with beads...


AND where does this completed 
January 2012 master piece get the privledge of hanging?






On my sewing room door, of course.
That way I can look at it every time I come and go!!






Blessings,
Kathy
and how blessed I feel to have been blessed with these talents...


oh....I am sending a copy to Mrs. Beasley to thank her...and to McCalls too
look for a post in the future.

9 comments:

  1. I just love your quilt. If you can't be out in the garden with the flowers this quilt will surely give the feel of gardening. You quilting and gardening are the loves of my life. Thank you so much for sharing the journey of this quilt. Love ya Lois

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  2. Oh my! I so enjoyed reading your post. The wallhanging is absolutely beautiful! You are so talented in so many ways! I thank God for having met you and being able to stay in touch! I am glad you persisted to find the rest of the pattern. Save it! I may want to tackle one of my own one day! Love you bunches! Shirley

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  3. Wow Kathy! What a beautiful quilt and a great story...just shows what persistence, great friends and the internet can do to get what you need!!! Love this story..what an accomplishment!

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  4. I have awarded you the Liebster Blog Award. Stop by my blog at
    http://creationsbydina.blogspot.com/2012/01/liebster-blog-award.html
    to claim it. You have a great blog and I enjoy reading it.

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  5. What a beauty! It deserves the place of honor on your creativity space door. You look so proud on the first picture, it made me smile with you ~
    :-}pokey

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  6. I can readily see why you're especially excited about this quilt. It's beautiful!! Way to go on following through until you found a way to reach your goal!!

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  7. I loved reading your story about making this beautiful quilt. It is truly lovely.

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  8. I have a friend who made this quilt and you both totally amaze me. I can't imagine how hard it was to keep those lines straight - I just know mine would have slanted to the right or something. :) It's beautiful....really beautiful. blessings, marlene

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  9. Beautiful...and loved the story!

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