Easy Peasy Patchwork and THREE video tutorials!

Hi everyone,

It's been a bit quiet on the blogging front around here lately - life has been getting in the way, as it sometimes does and there hasn't been much time for cutting and sticking :o(

I have made some progress with my first ever patchwork quilt though :o) It's the perfect portable project to pick up and work on even if you only have a few minutes to spare and I'm really pleased with how it's going so far ...



This project started few weeks ago, when I spent a wonderful weekend in Oxford with three of my best friends - we always take along a crafty project to work on in the evenings and I decided to finally have a go at patchwork, using the Foundation by the Yard method ...


All you need is scissors, needle, thread, the printed foundation pieces and scraps of fabric. Being frugal by nature, I was too mean to buy fat quarters, so I cut up some shirts ...


... saved the shirt buttons and added a few hoarded oddments ...


It's brilliant that you don't have to cut fiddly shapes, mess about with bits of paper or templates or do any pressing as you go along - it really is easy peasy ... even when you've enjoyed a glass of red or three with your crafty mates :o)

Being a complete novice, I didn't realise that this is not a new idea - essentially, it's the "foundation piecing" method, but the difference with Foundation by the Yard is that the design is printed onto calico. Your fabric scraps are stitched directly onto this and it doesn't have to be removed from the finished piece.

The first thing I did before starting on this project was to look for a YouTube tutorial and I couldn't find one, so I thought I'd have a go myself, to show beginners like me just how quick and easy it is to do. It took less than an hour to make the video on my iPad, but it's taken over a week to get the blinkin' thing onto YouTube - I have so much to learn!! Eventually I had to upload it in three chunks. Here they are (experienced patchworkers and YouTubers look away now!) ...

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

What a lovely way to recycle your clothes and use up scraps of fabric - I love the idea of sewing your memories into a quilt, by incorporating snippets of a child's dress, your dad's shirt, or your granny's hankies! 

And what about this beautiful example I found on Pinterest?! Just gorgeous :o)

Thanks for popping in today, see you again soon 

Annie :o)xxx

Comments

Lisca said…
Thank you so much for taking the trouble to video the process. I've been thinking of doing quilting as I have my first grandchild on the way and I wanted to make a quilt. I've never done it. The method you use seems so easy (now that you've shown me).
I've been searching on the internet to buy this foundation piece method. The 'store finder' only seems to do USA and I live in Spain! Where did you buy it? Is there a UK (online) store that sells it? Please help. You've now whet my appetite!
BTW I love your blog and always read what you're up to....
greetings from (still hot) Spain,
Lisca
Annie Claxton said…
Hey Lisca, thanks so much for your kind words - hope you're still enjoying scrapping over at CSI :o) Here are a couple of online UK suppliers of Foundation by the Yard

http://www.threadsandpatches.co.uk/acatalog/Foundation_by_the_Yard.html

http://www.cottonpatch.co.uk/acatalog/Foundation_by_the_Yard.html

I guess it would be possible to draw the pattern out on to calico yourself if you can't get hold of it???

Good luck - let me know how it goes, great to have such a lovely reason to make a quilt! xxx
Val-Belle said…
I take my hat off to anyone who has the patience for quilting. While I love the look of quilts and wish I had one I just don't have the patience... Look forward to seeing the end result. x