Playdate: Two Buds Wall Quilt
megan • July 12, 2011 • 15 Comments

 

PLAYDATE: 1

Level: Daring Beginner

TWO BUDS WALL QUILT

by Elaine Wong Haselhuhn

Finished size: 21” X 12 ½”
Elaine from Wisconsin calls herself a new quilter, but we disagree. Would a new quilter rise to the challenge of a challenge so well, with the result being this fun and simple design that still manages to offer something different? We think not. Maybe she was a quilter in another life. Maybe she’s just instinctively tuned into the flow of thread. Whatever the reason, Elaine, baby, you are SO a quilter!

So the genesis for this lovely little fiber piece was a combination of two challenges: one with an online buddy looking to swap swatches and another through Project QUILTING on Kim’s Crafty Apple. (More on Project QUILTING below…) Her online buddy wanted to work with the colors red and aqua, and the Project QUILTING challenge said to use colors that shared the same first letter as the maker’s name. (E became electric blue, W became white and H became harbor red.) From there, Elaine tapped her scrap pile and came up with this cutie and then added two plastic test tubes to serve as bud vases. Elaine belongs to the Modern Quilt Guilds in Chicago and Milwaukee and she says she loves what she’s learning there.

Elaine’s work can be seen here.

 

Materials and Supplies

1 solid blue fat quarter for background

10 small scraps (nothing bigger than 6” X 6” will be needed)

¼ yard red and white print for binding

1/3 yard backing fabric (a fat quarter with leftovers pieced to it will work—you need a finished size of 17” X 25”)

17” X 25” piece of batting

Thread

12” length narrow ribbon or lace for embellishment

24” length wider ribbon or lace for test tube ties

2 plastic test tubes (to purchase go here.)

 

Cutting and Piecing

Blue Background

Cutting strips from the 18” side of the fat quarter, cut strips as follows:

  • Cut one strip 4 ½” X 18”
  • From that, cut one strip at 4 ½” X 12” (A) and another piece at 4 ½” X 5” (C)
  • Cut one strip 2” X 18”
  • From that, cut one strip at 2” by 12” (B) and another piece at 2 ½” X 5” (D)
  • Cut one strip at 4” X 14”
  • From that, cut one strip at 4” X 10” (E) and another piece at 3 ¾” X 2 ½” (G)
  • Cut one strip 4” X 10” (F)
  • Cut one strip 2” X 10” (H)

Binding

Cut (two) strips from binding fabric at 2 ½” by width of fabric.

Scrappy Strips

There are four pieced strips in this quilt, labeled (I), (J), (K) and (L).

1. The pieced, unfinished size of (I) is 2 ½” X 10”. Cut (six) pieces from scraps as follows from left to right:

  • 2 ½” X 2 ½”
  • 2 ½” X 2 ¾”
  • 2 ½” X 2”
  • 2 ½” X 1 ½”
  • 2 ½” X 1 ¾”
  • 2 ½” X 2”

Sew these together in the same order, from left to right. Press seams to one side. Then, just to be different, do what Elaine did and topstitch a strip of lace along the length of pieced section.

2. The pieced, unfinished size of (J) is 2 ½” X 10”. Cut (four) pieces from scraps as follows from left to right:

  • 2 ½” X 2 ½”
  • 2 ½” X 2”
  • 2 ½” X 2 ½”
  • 2 ½” X 1 ¾”

Sew these together in the same order, from left to right. Press seams to one side.

Then sew blue background piece, 2 ½” X 3 ¾”, to the right side of the pieced section. Press seam to one side.

3. The pieced, unfinished size of (K) is 5” X 12”. From the blue background, you’ve already cut one piece at 5” X 4 ½”. This is the far left piece. Then, cut (two) pieces from scraps, each at 2 ¾” X 1 ¾”. Sew these together along a short side. Press seam. Then sew to the right side of the blue background piece and press seam to one side. Cut (two) pieces from scraps as follows from left to right:

  • 5” X 2 ½”
  • 5” X 2 ¾”

Sew these together in the same order, from left to right. Press seams to one side. Then sew to right side of other pieced section. Press seam to one side. Then sew blue background piece, 5” X 2 ½”, to the right side of the pieced section. Press seam to one side.

4. The pieced, unfinished size of (L) is 3” X 12”. Cut (eight) pieces from scraps as follows from left to right:

  • 3” X 2”
  • 3” X 1 ½”
  • 3” X 2”
  • 3” X 1 ½”
  • 3” X 2”
  • 3” X 1 ½”
  • 3” X 2 ½”
  • 3” X 2 ½”

Sew these together in the same order, from left to right. Press seams to one side.

Sections

1. The left section is pieced, from top to bottom along long edge, as follows:

(H) to (J) to (F) to (I) to (E). Press seams in one direction.

2. The right section is pieces, from top to bottom along the long edge, as follows:

(A) to (L) to (B) to (K). Press seams in one direction.

3. Sew two sections together along 12 ½” edge. Press seam to one side.

Finishing

1. Layer backing fabric, batting, then pieced top together. Baste as desired. (Quilt Goddess Jake strongly recommends spray basting with 505 Spray and Fix.)

2. Quilt as desired.  Elaine used straight lines sewn randomly through quilt’s top, and also outline quilted pieced sections. This is what she had to say about her choice of quilting:

“For quilting, I decided to use straight and diagonal lines to reflect the coming together of us and others in the sewing and quilting communities. We come from all different places, experiences and skills, and when we meet and encourage each other, it can be the most uplifting experience.”

3. Topstitch securely two lengths of ribbon, about 12” each, to quilt’s front, to hold test tube in place.

4. Use rotary cutter to carefully trim edges straight, if needed. Bind quilt as desired. Add sleeve on back to hang and label quilt. Last, bow-tie test tubes in place and add something pretty. Enjoy!

 

***********************************************************************************

Project QUILTING

Elaine’s quilt was inspired by her involvement in Project QUILTING, an online challenge created by Kim Lapacek of Kim’s Crafty Apple. Kim, a major Etsy crafter with a special love for jewelry making and small sewn projects, says she started the 12-week challenge just a year ago with her mother-in-law’s encouragement. Now in its off-season, Project QUILTING has run for two seasons with a third to start up around January.

The way it works is the participants check in every other week for six weeks. Each check-in issues another design challenge and participants have one week to complete their challenge, post the results on Kim’s Flickr site and sit back for the judging. Kim always has two judges, who write critiques about that week’s work. Participants are awarded points and at the end of the season, prizes are given.

“The first season I only had eight to 10 participants,” Kim says. “And then the second season I was getting upwards of 20. The biggest thing is having enough time for the judges to critique.”

Elaine participated in Season 2. She says the first assignment’s critique was harsh and she wondered if she’d have the chops to try again. But she did and quickly improved from there. But because she’s modest, it took a phone call to Kim to find out that not only did she improve, but Elaine WON the third and fourth challenges and came in second place overall for Season 2. Way to go Elaine! We love bowing before excellence and that’s one of the reasons to participate in challenges—to improve your skills.

“Even though I got critical comments, they were all really helpful because they made me a better quilter,” Elaine says. “It’s fun to see how people interpret things in different ways. I really enjoy it and if I can, I’ll do it again.”

Even though it will be a few months until Project QUILTING starts again (Kim just had her third daughter people—give her a break!), she’s issued off-season challenges to keep the creativity flowing. Just check in on her website for more info.

 

15 Comments

  • quiltzyx/sue • 13 years ago
    COMMENT #1

    What a cool wall hanging!
    Great job Elaine!!! :^D

  • Laura in Chesapeake VA • 13 years ago
    COMMENT #2

    Elaine, Great job, can’t wait to make one for myself!

  • Tess Holland • 13 years ago
    COMMENT #3

    What a great idea! I have an empty wall space that could use just this sort of thing! Thanks for a wonderful project!

  • Carole • 13 years ago
    COMMENT #4

    very creative!!! I just gotta have one!! Thanks for sharing!

  • Merrie Jo • 13 years ago
    COMMENT #5

    I purchased a couple of dozen test tubes at a college surplus sale. Didn’t know what I was going to do with them…now I know!! Thanks!

  • Jessica Nichols • 13 years ago
    COMMENT #6

    I just started Generation Q yesterday and I already love what I’m seeing here!

  • Jessica Nichols • 13 years ago
    COMMENT #7

    just started *following* Generation Q. sorry!

    • jake • 13 years ago
      COMMENT #

      Jessica, GenQ is all about all of us, so you can absolutely say that you started GenQ as well! Still counts, Girlfriend. Thanks for checking. Please spread the word.

  • Annie • 13 years ago
    COMMENT #8

    ok how cute is this!! ??? love this little project.

  • lynnk50 • 13 years ago
    COMMENT #9

    What a great idea! I love combining quilting and floral arrangements! Can’t wait to make one myself! Have a guild challenge coming up and this is a great inspiration!

  • chris • 13 years ago
    COMMENT #10

    What a clever one she is.This is gorgeous.

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