Cottage in Bloom

Cottage Garden & Cottage Garden in Bloom: 2003  (Started: 1998)

A couple of us were invited to attend a Windflower Workshop with Sandra Edwards run by a neighbouring local group (a Sunday Group) at Maroubra on the 4 July 1988.

This was a fun quickie quilt and I had enough pre-cut pieces to make 2 single bed size quilts.  I found it easy to machine piece and learnt how to join 8 point stars (I wonder if I could still remember how to do it so precisely today?).  We also learnt rotary cutting techniques which proved invaluable over the years.  Just to keep it hands on, there was some hand applique of leaves & stems.

First Twin (Cottage Garden) #29

Backing CG #1

Blues with mustards and pumpkins were my colours of choice, with a few hand-dyed blues thrown in for good measure (more on that later, but I’m guessing you know what I’m going to say!).  I even tea-dyed my background fabric (seeded calico) to make it more interesting. 

For backing, I added leftover blocks plus “interesting” bits.  There were probably enough leftover pinwheel blocks to have made a third quilt but two of the same is really my limit.  I discovered that my temperament suits making one of a kind, and then needs to move on to the next challenge.  I’m not good at repeating…

Nearly Twins #2 (Cottage Garden in Bloom #30)

Fewer scraps for the back of this one, CGiB
(note 3 dye splotches on back)

Anyway, I eventually machine quilted in a pattern of straight lines, quite basic really, as I was just starting to feel comfortable using my new Bernina and that fabulous walking foot.  Still a cautious machine quilter and not quite ready to cast off the walking foot for a go at free-motion quilting!  Both quilts were all machined by Sep or Oct 2003, part of my wild effort to get as many UFO’s finished before I departed for India, Feb 2004.  Our notes described the finished SB quilt as a cottage garden of flowers, hence my quilt titles. 

Cute pinwheels

Just for the Record:

Quilt Finished Size: 131x 175cm (CG) 131x 174cm  (CGiB)
Block Size: 6 ½”
Cut in: 1998
Pieced & Basted: Machine 2001
Quilted: Machine 2003
Quilt Type: Workshop
Quilt Finished: 2003
Exhibited:  No
Collection: Home# 029 & # 030
Pattern Name: Workshop provided - Pinwheel
Pattern Source: Traditional
Fabrics Purchased: 1998
Fabric Design: Prints & Plains
Fabric Style: Cotton
Materials Type: Cotton
Wadding Type: Cotton
Backing: Cotton

Lessons Learned:
This is one of those sad washing tales. I keep my quilts flat on a bed in a spare room and usually air them for a short time over Christmas when the bed is needed for family or guests. One year I arrived home to a pile of musty smelling quilts. A south facing window had been left open and I suspect it had allowed moisture into the room.  There was nothing left to do but to wash everything.  I’m no fussbudget and use the washing machine (on a gentle cycle) to give my quilts a bit of a wash. Aside from using a woolmix & conditioner (both Earth Choice) I also add a dash of Dettol to the rinse water for good measure.  This washing project (over a couple of days) worked a treat with only two casualties.  One was my Amish houses wallhanging.  The black cloth I’d used for a background must have been poor quality and a few little pieces shredded a bit.  The second casualty was my Country Garden quilts.  The quilts held up fine but the hand dyed blue I used bled, even through to the backing.  It’s not a major disaster, certainly only noticeable to the quilt- trained eye but worthy of follow-up…one day.  So, the lesson is to test hand-dyes (& perhaps all other fabrics if you're especially keen) for those renegade dyes!

A close-up of the nasty dye effect