The quilt is "Friends of Baltimore", but instead of making the applique blocks, a group of students and I are busy digitizing them. It has been a real challenge for all of us, and I think everyone has learned so much!
My usual thing is to just test sew some parts of a design. My first tests were to establish how big my blocks were going to be. The original design has blocks that are 16" square, but when embroidered I thought they looked to clumsy, so I experimented with shrinking them until I settled on the size you see. I also decided to set the block among some fancy stitch work, and so created the framing you see and the cross hatching, and cross hatching with candlewick stitches. I'm delighted with the result, and the only changes I needed to make was to change the order a couple of a couple of elements.
I'm so looking forward to stitching out the four blocks I've finished and get on with digitizing some new ones. Before I can do this I need to decide on what colour I want for the background. I think that the soft cream I used looks nice.
I've had a few customers ask me if I would create some DVD Tutorials so people could learn how to digitize a project like this, and the news I have is that I am indeed working on doing just that. It will take me quite a while to do, but I'd hope that sometime before Christmas I will have something ready.
Oh, my gosh. That is simply gorgeous!! I've tried digitizing much simpler designs, and I'm really no good at it!! How do you do it?
ReplyDeleteNow, may I suggest you sell the designs? Or is that already the plan?
Can't wait to see all that you do,
Linda
Glad you like it Linda.
ReplyDeleteThe patterns are actually already available, as a Block of the Month from Susan H. Garman. If memory serves me the quilt Friends of Baltimore one a major award at Houston the year before last, or last year. What we have done is take the original pattern for needle applique, and interpreted it in embroidery. I won't say it is easy, and nothing a beginner should think of tackling. But I am working on developing a range of Tutorials which will be available as Instruction Sheets and as DVD's in the near future. The quilt I have chosen for the project is another Baltimore style quilt by Susan.
Meantime if you like the pattern's you can buy them from us as a pattern set, or as a pattern of the month. Although I'm not absolutely sure where you are from, and of course there may be a local shop to you which has the patterns available.
Thanks so much for the lovely feedback.