Bountiful Bouquet–It’s Done!

Oh finally, I hear you roar.

Believe me when I say I have not enjoyed this final step.  I have learned a very important lesson when offering a quilt on a quilting blog, do it all 100% before you even talk about posting it online.  It’s what I did with Calm Blue Ocean and that was seamless. 

Bountiful Bouquet, not so much.

But here she is.  I’m really pleased with the way the outer border looks.  If you’ve got very good eyes, you can see that some flowers are not in place – they fell off when I put the quilt on the design wall.  Are you hating Vliesofix as much as me at the moment?

For this step, we will need that big amount of cream fabric that I made you get in the first step.

I’ve cut my borders in one long piece however if you are being a little more frugal than me, just go ahead and join your lengths.  It’s totally up to you.

At the end of step nine, your quilt should have measured 60.5” x 45.5” once you sewed those smaller borders on.

From cream fabric, cut two (2) 9” x 60.5” borders and two (2) 9” x 62.5” borders.

BUT REMEMBER, ALWAYS MEASURE TWICE AND CUT ONCE!

Stitch a 60.5” border to either long side of quilt and press.

Stitch a 62.5” border to top and bottom of quilt and press.

Your finished quilt should now measure 77.5” x 62.5”.

Give your quilt a really good press.  Make a big cup of your chosen beverage and set aside some time to draw and cut, because this will take a while!

Click on link and download all six pages of your diagrams.

Have a good look at my quilt picture above.  I have made four basket of flowers, which I have centred in the corners of my quilt.  From each basket, there are two vines filled with flowers, a total of eight vines altogether.  Each vine is very much the same as each other.  Can you see that?

I decided not to draw the whole vine length because it would just have been reams and reams of paper for you to print and stick together. 

Now this step is entirely up to you.  It’s your quilt, it’s your flower garden, you do as you wish.  But if you want to copy mine, this is what I did. 

From vliesofix, trace the following:

Baskets – Trace Four

Centre Flowers – Trace Four in two different colour ways

Long Windy Stems – Trace Eight of one, and Eight of the other (their bendy bits face different directions, eight go one way, eight go the other)

Short Bendy Stems – Trace Eight of one, and Eight of the other (as with above, eight face one direction, eight face the other)

Small Stubby Stems – Trace Thirty Two

Leaves – Trace approximately 100

For all the foliage (leaves and stems) I used the same green. 

Four Petalled Flower – Trace Eight

Five Petalled Flower – Trace Eight

Large Violet – Trace Eight

Small Violet – Trace Eight

Daffodil – Trace Eight

Large Daisy – Trace Eight

Small Daisy – Trace Sixteen

Large Pansy – Trace Eight

Flower A – Trace Eight

Flower B – Trace Eight

Iron these onto colours of your choosing and cut them out.

Now, I found it most easiest to pick a corner, work with that and get it right, and then copy that corner all the way around.  WE DO NOT PRESS OUR FLOWERS IN PLACE UNTIL WE ARE TOTALLY HAPPY WITH THEIR SET OUT.

As most ironing boards aren’t the right size (when will they invent a huge rectangle one just for quilters?), I found I had to do this step in two stages.

Lay down your basket on the outer edge of the quilt.

Place the long windy stems in place, and where they will roughly join up, cover them with the large daisy flower.

Lay down the short bendy stems in place.

Lay down the small stubby stems in place.

Lay your assorted flowers in the right area, covering the end of the stems.  You’ll soon discover if you like their placement or not.  Just move them around till you’re happy with them.

Tuck the leaves under in any places where joins are showing, or where you think that it needs it.  Copy my placement if you like. 

The leaves and the smallest daisies are excellent for covering up stuff-ups.  If you have a join that you don’t like, stick a daisy and leaf over it, and you would never know!

When you are happy with the placement, STILL DON’T IRON.

You need to tuck the long windy stems on the other side of the basket, so that when you iron the bits you have just placed on, the ends of the stems will be neatly tucked under the basket.

So – when you’re happy with everything, press the first part of your corner in place, being careful in the basket area not to press too far along the final stem, because we need to add stuff UNDER this one.

Now, you should have one of your windy stems facing the other direction of the basket.  Continue on adding bits and pieces as before, being sure that you place the pieces in (roughly) the same area as on the other side.

When you’re happy with your placement, iron in place.

Continue all the way around your quilt, making sure you copy your placement from the previous corner.  Ensure you don’t run over half way here:

When complete, and you’re totally happy, give your design a really good press.  I find if you just give it a lick and a promise when placing, you can lift and move things if they are in the wrong spot.  This is handy.  But after everything is perfect, a really good press will ensure that you don’t lose bits off your quilt, like I did when I hung mine.

When you’re happy, use your embroidery threads to blanket stitch all the way around.

When totally complete, quilt as desired, and bind using your usual method.

I can tell you, this baby won’t be quilted for ages.  There’s a lot of sewing there!

And that’s the end of Bountiful Bouquet.  I do hope you enjoyed it, I admit I had a lot to learn but that’s all good, don’t you think?  We can never stop learning!

Please email me with any questions you have.  And thanks again so much for participating!  Send me a photo when you’re done!

Download Diagrams for outer border from here

Download instructions for outer border from here

Bountiful Bouquet Month Nine

Click here for print friendly pdf

Hi everyone,

Sorry that this update is a little late – life with a young family tends to throw little curveballs at your routines quite often.

There are two steps to this month – firstly, we will be using this month to catch up on any steps that you may be a little behind in, and secondly we will be adding our first border.

So – to recap our months so far.

Month One – we should have a strip measuring 9.5” x 42.5”

Month Two – we should have two strips measuring 4.5” x 42.5”

Month Three – we should have our log cabin row measuring 7.5” x 42.5”

Month Four – we should have one strip measuring 4.5” x 42.5”

and one measuring 2.5” x 42.5”

Month Five – we should have one strip measuring 7.5” x 42.5”

Month Six – we should have one strip measuring 6.5” x 42.5”

Month Seven – we should have one strip measuring 8.5” x 42.5”

After all your blocks are finished and in rows measuring the above, stitch together as shown below.  It’s up to you where you place the rows, however feel free to copy my layout if you wish.

 

When all stitched together, your quilt top should measure 57.5” x 42.5”.

Now we need the half yard of inner border fabric we have set aside previously.  I have used a plummy purple.

Cross cut into six (2) inch strips. 

Join together into one long strip and cut this into four smaller strips, two measuring 42.5” and two measuring 60.5”.

Stitch a 42.5” strip to top and bottom of your quilt and press.  Stitch the longer strips to either side of your quilt and press.

Quilt should now measure 45.5” x 60.5”

Set aside for now, making sure that all your steps are up to date.

Bountiful Bouquet Month Eight

I’m so sorry this one is late, and it comes at the expense of photographed pictures.  But I’m assuming by now you know how to do my method of applique, as you’ve had a couple of months previously to do some.  I do apologise once again for the delay.

Click here for a printer friendly pdf

This month we will be making our lower appliqued strip:

You will require all your normal sewing requirements, but you will need the ten inch strip of background fabric you cut off in Month Two, plus various greens and coloured fabrics for your applique.

Press any centre fold seams from your background fabric.

Now, right click on the following files and save them somewhere safe.

Alternatively, you can download the diagrams from here:

Page One, Page Two, Page Three, Page Four

Now, right click on each of these pictures and when given the option to print, do so. PRINT TWO COPIES OF EACH PAGE. I'm in Australia, using A4 paper that measures 8.25" x 11.75". Tape them together with sticky tape all the way being sure to overlap where indicated.

It may help if you put the images over the light box when doing this step. You want to make sure that the ones underneath are laying in the right spot before you tape. Now measure your design - it needs to be in the vicinity of 7" x 40" but honestly, an inch or two different in size isn't going to matter as long as it's not bigger than your background piece (which will have a finished size of 8" x 42").

Write at the top of one of the papers REVERSED PIECE and set this paper aside for now.

Okie dokie. Now the fun starts.

**one of my lovely readers has drawn up these beautiful, crisp individual diagrams for each flower.  Feel free to download these and use them as your vliesofix tracing template if that works for you.  Not all of the individual pieces are on there (birds for example) but it’s a good start at least – right click to save them or download them from here and here).

For the next step, I lay my whole border piece of fabric onto an ironing board right side up. I then set up a smaller ironing board (or a folded towel, just a smaller thing to iron on). It will be on this smaller board that I do my fiddly work with the bits and pieces of applique.

Now you can see that I have numbered the floral appliques. It's easier to start at the first number and go on, slowly, while you plod through it. We will work from the first applique design first, not the one marked REVERSED PIECE.

Trace as many pieces as you wish to onto the smooth side of the vliesofix or fusible webbing, making sure that you leave a little bit of space around each shape. Remember to number each piece to correspond with your background diagram. This will save you going nuts later in the placement stage. Cut roughly around each shape in the space provided.

Decide what colours you wish to make each applique shape from. Use our photo for placement guidelines if you wish but be adventurous. Every garden is different!

With the iron on the dry setting (no steam) lay the rough side of the vliesofix onto the wrong side of the fabric you wish to use for each appliqued piece. Fuse the webbing to the fabric by ironing over each piece for a short time. Cut out on the line and let cool completely.

Now, take that other piece of paper marked REVERSE PIECE and lay it face down (or reversed) onto your ironing board. This is your placement picture so it needs to be reversed to the one that we are working with tracing our bits and pieces. You should be able to see your design through the fabric, but if not, I find that taping the paper onto a window frame or light box and then drawing your picture onto the reverse side. Centre your background over your design. The long vertical stem in the middle of the picture is the middle, use that as a guide.

Peel the backing paper from each piece and lay in place over the traced lines on your background fabric where it is indicated. I find the backing paper peels off much easier if you let it totally cool after pressing.

Begin in numerical order. Start with number one and continue onward. Gradually add the layers that are on top. Lay as many out as you feel comfy with and then press in place. This is why I use two ironing setups, you will NOT want to move the background fabric when all the bits and pieces are laying in place.

When all your bits and pieces are in place and you are happy, give it a good final press to secure any loose corners and using a new needle and two strands of matching embroidery floss, blanket stitch around all exposed edges of your applique shapes.

Trim border length to 8.5" x 42.5" and set aside for now.

That’s it!  Please email me if you need help.

Till next time,

Suzie

Bountiful Bouquet Errors (sorry guys)

I thought I was so clever but I think I've found a little error.  Nothing too major, it'll just mean you may have a few inches of fabric wasted.  I really do apologise for that.

In month two, I asked you to cut five 9.5" squares from your background fabrics.  You may be able to see that I have amended the picture so that there are now six small appliqued floral blocks instead of five.  My maths was wrong.  So you can still use the five squares you have already cut, but please cut another cream square as well.  This one will only need to be cut about eight inches, but if you want continuity of size, feel free to cut this the same as the other ones. 

All six of these blocks will be cut back to measure 7.5" when appliqued.  The cutting back will be done after we stitch our blocks, because they will be raggy at the edges.

Again, I apologise.  Hopefully it's not too big a deal for you all.

See you soon!

Suzie

Bountiful Bouquet Month Four

Happy New Year!  I'll be posting a little more about resolutions and the like later on this week, but for today, here is your next instalment of Bountiful Bouquet.

click here for printer friendly PDF

Are you ready for the next step?

I'm aware this is the worst possible time to find a spare five minutes to sew, so I've made this month's tasks easy ones.  Just a couple of blocks to make and then you can relax!

I apologise for the picture heavy post, but I think it makes it easier. 

Please note *** and this is important!!*** The picture below is a little different from my actual design.  I've been trying to fix the diagram but it's a little complicated for my tired self right now.  I tried my little pants off to fix the diagram, but somewhere between when I did the diagram and now, I got stupid.  Or I need sleep.   I will in due time amend the diagram but for now, just follow my written instructions and photographs and don't rely too much on the picture below.  Just use it as a basic guide.

First of all, we will make a long border of flying geese.  You can either make them from random colours or you can do as I have done and make them all the same.

Cut five 4.5" x 2.5" rectangles from one fabric.

Cut ten 2.5" squares from another fabric.

Draw a pencil line across the diagonal on the wrong side of the 2.5" squares.

Lay one square right sides together over 4.5" x 2.5" rectangle. 

Stitch on line.

Press back in place.

Lay other 2.5" square over rectangle.

Stitch on line

Press back in place

From another colour, cut four 4.5" x 2.5" rectangles and two 3.5" x 2.5" rectangles.

Stitch into a row.  I have stitched a plain 4.5" rectangle in between the five flying geese, and then stitched a 3.5" rectangle on either end.  Make sure you press nicely, and this row should now measure 42.5" x 2.5".  See photo at the end of the post for details.

Put aside for now.

Now, because that was so easy peasy, we'll just do another quick row.

For this step, we will be making snowballs and hourglasses.   Make as random as you wish, or copy me and make them all the same.

Snowball block - make five

From assorted cream fabrics, cut five 4.5" squares.  From assorted colour fabrics, cut twenty 2.5" squares

On the wrong side of all the 2.5" squares, draw a light pencil line across the diagonals as shown.

 

Lay one of these squares right sides together as shown over a 4.5" square.

Stitch on line as shown.

Press back into place.

Repeat this step with the remaining sides of large square, being sure to press each small square back as you go.

Hourglass blocks - make six

We will be using two separate colours for this step or you can choose to make random hourglasses.

From each fabric, cut three 5.5" squares.

Draw a light pencil line across the diagonal on wrong side of one colour.

Lay this block over other coloured 4.5" square.  Stitch 1/4" from either side of the drawn line.

Cut on pencil line.

Press open, being sure that you press towards the darker side.

Draw a diagonal line across the seam on the wrong side of one half square triangle as shown

Lay half square triangles right sides together, with seams matching.  It's a bit hard to explain this step, but you want the opposite sides touching. 

I found this website very handy in this step - if you're stuck, they do a much better job than me at explaining.

Stitch a 1/4" away from both sides of pencil line.

Cut apart on traced line

Press each square open.

Trim each block to measure 4.5" square.

Stitch the hourglass blocks to the snowball blocks, alternating them.  Your row should start and finish with an snowball block.  When complete, this should measure 36.5" x 4.5".

From another fabric, cut (2) 3.5" x 4.5" rectangles.  Stitch to either end of your row.  I used the purple from the hour glass blocks.

When complete, this row should measure 4.5" x 42.5".  As always, adjust if necessary.  See photo below for details.

And that's it!  We'll see you next month!  Please email me if you have queries.

Suzie