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May we discuss Quilting?

Following on from the daily "what's going on" last week, I was set a challenge to get started on some quilting.

I sorted through my needlework box and I found:

- 4 squares of fabric, from 4" x 5" to 5" x 6", each with a border and a farm animal or 2 in the centre
- a bag of wadding
- various packets of ordinary sewing needles
- about 100 assorted reels of cotton

What else do I need to get started? (We don't have any old sheets or calico.)
Where do I start?
Which stitch do I use?

I also checked my virgin sewing machine handbook and the machine does ordinary back stitch and zig zag of varying lengths, including smocking and various buttonhole stitches.
spendy/she/her ***DEBT-FREE DATE: 11 NOVEMBER 2022!*** Highest debt: £35k (2006) MY WINS: £3,541 CASH; £149 Specsavers voucher; free eye test; goody bag from Scottish Book Trust; tickets to Grand Designs Live; 2-year access to Feel Amazing App (worth £100); Home Improvement & Renovation Show tickets; £50 to spend on chocolate; Harlem Globetrotters tickets; Jesus Christ Superstar tickets + 2 t-shirts; Guardians of the Galaxy goody bag; Birmingham City v Barnsley FC tickets; Marillion tickets; Dancing on Ice tickets; Barnsley FC v Millwall tickets
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Comments

  • I hope that Spendy doesn't mind me joining her thread but I would like some advice too - I have lots of vintage linens, they are all hand embroidered, with floral sprays, if I describe them as Granny's tablecloths and traycloths you'll get the idea.
    These all have holes or stains so can't be sold as they are but I had the idea of making patchwork cushion covers etc out of them, using 4 or 6 inch squares depending on how big the floral motif is.
    Some have a white background and some are ivory, so I have had to divide them up by colour. My query is - some have a finer weave than others, can I mix them or do I need to divide them again by weave?
  • spendaholic
    spendaholic Posts: 1,535
    Debt-free and Proud! Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
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    I hope that Spendy doesn't mind me joining her thread but I would like some advice too

    Of course I don't mind. :D We're all her for each other, aren't we?

    Your vintage fabrics sound fab, and what a great way to preserve them.
    spendy/she/her ***DEBT-FREE DATE: 11 NOVEMBER 2022!*** Highest debt: £35k (2006) MY WINS: £3,541 CASH; £149 Specsavers voucher; free eye test; goody bag from Scottish Book Trust; tickets to Grand Designs Live; 2-year access to Feel Amazing App (worth £100); Home Improvement & Renovation Show tickets; £50 to spend on chocolate; Harlem Globetrotters tickets; Jesus Christ Superstar tickets + 2 t-shirts; Guardians of the Galaxy goody bag; Birmingham City v Barnsley FC tickets; Marillion tickets; Dancing on Ice tickets; Barnsley FC v Millwall tickets
  • I have to be honest, they are a bit naff, they are made up mainly of lazy daisy stitch and are deeply out of fashion and even if they didn't have holes they wouldn't have sold as tablecloths! but I thought that if I condense them down I could make them 'shabby chic'
  • Allexie
    Allexie Posts: 3,460 Forumite
    For anyone wanting to do patchwork by machine...this is an easy and effective method


    LOG CABIN PATCHWORK

    ANIMATION OF LOG CABIN PATCHWORK

    spendaholic...you could you use your 'animal squares as the centre and do the log cabin thingy around the edges (cushion cover or piece them all together to make a quilt/coverlet thingy)
    ♥♥♥ Genius - 1% inspiration and 99% doing what your mother told you. ♥♥♥

  • [These all have holes or stains so can't be sold as they are but I had the idea of making patchwork cushion covers etc out of them, using 4 or 6 inch squares depending on how big the floral motif is.
    Some have a white background and some are ivory, so I have had to divide them up by colour. My query is - some have a finer weave than others, can I mix them or do I need to divide them again by weave?]

    Apprentice: how big are the holes? would you be able to cover them with a bit of embroidery over? you could iron on bondaweb on the back to give a base - i did this with some curtains I bought in Oxfam once and you couldn't see the join (little ern....) Are any big enough to make pillowcases out of? you could also applique over the holes...... just a thought..........

    I wish I had the time for patchwork but sadly that is something I am saving for any maternity leave I have................. for now it is the cross stitch (lavender and lace celtic summer at the moment - fab......)
    But I'm going to say this once, and once only, Gene. Stay out of Camberwick Green :D
  • I can't stress how awful these tablecloths are! even the most romantic BoHo home would not want them as tablecloths - some even have crinoline ladies in the corners! The only way they could be made to look half decent is by cutting out just the floral bits in squares and joining them, in a haphazard random arrangement and making them into cushion covers so there is just an explosion of bright colours. I can picture them in a cottage, tossed casually onto a plain white cotton bedcover on an antique pine bed...I read too many Country Living mags!

    It would have been a great idea to repair them if they had been worth it...thank you any way!
  • ah well, i think that you will have to save the crinoline ladies from a fate worse than death then and cut them out and patchwork them altogether. how about getting some cheap pillowcases and applique-ing them onto the corners - now that would be soooooo chic..........

    "now that would be really, really grate-ing!!!" :D
    But I'm going to say this once, and once only, Gene. Stay out of Camberwick Green :D
  • mah_jong
    mah_jong Posts: 1,284
    Mortgage-free Glee!
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    I love macking patchwork....... thinks back to the days when there was time to do it !!!!!
    I did mine all by hand... mainly cushions and were sold by a local shop.
    Ma

    deep in thought of the old days!!!
  • nicki_2
    nicki_2 Posts: 7,321
    First Post Photogenic First Anniversary I've been Money Tipped!
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    I've wanted to do this for a while as well. I'm currently looking at buying a set of pinking shears before I even start cutting everything up ;) I was thinking of making some quilt throws to go over the back of my sofa & chairs as they're second hand and scruff (read covered in glitter and little holes in places :rolleyes:)
    Creeping back in for accountability after falling off the wagon in 2016.
    Need to get back to old style in modern ways, watching the pennies and getting stuff done!
  • Queenie
    Queenie Posts: 8,793 Forumite
    Oooh :j oooh :j oooh :j *waves excitedly from the back* :hello: :j

    I've got to run out now ... but, I'll come back later when I have a bit more time to join in the thread properly. (Hopefully the site will have speeded up a tad by then too) :wave:
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    PMS Pot: £57.53 Pigsback Pot: £23.00
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