Cheese & Mustard

Scrappy Bow Ties: 2021  (Started: 2020)

There’s nothing better than putting together all those odd scraps that are too good to throw away but just never seem to be "just right" when planning a new quilt.  I certainly needed to find something to suit a bundle of squares I’d cut ages ago that were sitting idly in my scrap bin.  Enthused by Bonnie Hunter’s scrap philosophy, and the amazing results she achieves, I launched into her Cheddar Bow Ties pattern (2011).  

All I needed were 3 x 2 ½" squares of each fabric to be able to cut sufficient bow ties to make blocks for a decent sized quilt.  Bonnie used a cheddar fabric as her background. Yellow cheese is very popular in the US.  (US-ians like their butter white, too!  We think it’s a real hoot since we’re partial to white cheese and our yellow butter!).  Back to background choices…for some mad reason I went for a caramel colour (Dijon mustard, anyone?) which looked fine with my individual blocks but somehow became Doctor Strangelove and took absolute control when the top was finally pieced.  It was too late to make any changes, so I just had to go with the “flow” and try to make the best of a not-so-appealing background.  

This was supposed to be a “quickie” but I guessed machine quilting was not going to do anything to soften my background choice, so instead settled on hand quilting and using a thick perle cotton thread.  Deep in my thread box, I discovered some skeins of sashiko thread; a nice variegated red through green with an acid green/yellow as well.  I needed a crowbar of a needle, no hoop, miles of masking tape and lots of patience; but it’s finished at last.  The lines are ½” apart and I worked out each one took about 45 mins or more to do.  At best, I managed 3 rows a night, with regular breaks to rest sore fingers.  I’m holding off doing some Japanese boro work for a little while now.  Although I NOW have to confess to loving the look.

I tidied up the edges with a wild Aboriginal design full of colour and movement.  It’s Shirleen Campbell’s “Women Dancing for Rain‘.  It’s an unusual choice for me for this type of quilt but came about after (fabric) shopping with my quilting buddy, Yvonne.  It really does help to step back sometimes and consider other people’s opinions.  

Just for the Record:
Quilt Finished Size: 169 x 169cm 
Block Sizes: 10” (made up of 4 x 5” bow ties) 
Cut in: 12 Apr 2020 (started)
Pieced: 22 May 2020
Basted: 18 Jun 2020
Quilted: Hand: 28 Sep 2021
Quilting Thread: Japanese Sashiko Thread x 2 skeins
Quilt Type: Traditional 
Quilt Finished: 30 Sep 2021
Exhibited: 
Collection: Home #073
Pattern Name: Cheddar Bow Ties
Pattern Source: Bonnie Hunter, 2011
Fabrics Purchased: From the Stash…
Fabric Design: Prints, Stripes & anything to hand really
Fabric Style: Old to Bold
Materials Type: Printed Cottons 
Wadding Type: Cotton
Backing: Pieced using left-over remnants 

Further Reductions to the Scrap Box

Doll’s Bed Quilt: 2021

Little Miss came to stay and while I stitched some of her “clothing repairs”, I set her a task to make a pretty design using some 2 ½” squares I’d cut from leftovers for my scrap bin.  I’d been inspired by Pat Sloan’s very practical scrap sorting philosophy.  Let’s just say, it’s a fantastic idea and soooo organised…but a lot of work (just yet for me, anyway!) with my scrap box still fit to burst.

We decided that her design looked so nice it was deserving of being sewn up into a doll’s quilt.  I finished it off after she’d left for home, adding a cute little pillow and as a special surprise, finished off a cloth doll kit she’d been given as a gift. 

How wonderful to finish something in a matter of days! 

I watched quite a few great videos to work out sizing and this one by Treasurie (less than 4 minutes) was certainly helpful, particularly for making the pillow and pillow case.  Size depends very much on the doll and the bed you have. 

Just for the Record:

Quilt Finished Size: 37 x 40cm

Pillow Finished Size: 19.5 x 11cm
Mermaid Finished Size: 36cm tall
Block Sizes: 2”(quilt & pillow) finished
Cut in: 18 Aug 2021 (started)
Pieced & Basted: 25 Aug 2021
Quilted: Machine: 25 Aug 2021
Quilt Type: Doll Quilt
Quilt Finished: 28 Aug 2021
Exhibited:
Collection: Gifted #23
Fabrics Purchased: From the Stash…
Fabric Design: Prints, Stripes & Dots
Fabric Style: Brights
Materials Type: Printed Cottons
Wadding Type: Cotton
Backing: Pieced using left-over remnants