Raspberry Cobbler Quilt

(queen size quilt)

One of my favorite quilt blocks is "Arrowhead" by Anita Solomon; a block introduced to me at her Craftsy.com class online. 

HOW THE BLOCK IS CREATED

Two squares of fabric (one light, one dark) placed with right sides together,
sewn around its perimeter,
then sliced . . .
1. diagonally once
2. vertically once
3. horizontally once
then the slices are arranged and sewn together to form this beautiful block.
There are formulas for different finished block sizes. 

Peach/Ivory Solid border decorated with Lined Prairie Points

THE FABRICS:

Light Fabric: a very traditional pink rose with vines on a cream background.

Dark Fabric: a raspberry floral that reads solid from a distance.

ASSEMBLING THE QUILT:
I added a third fabric (a peach/ivory solid) around the perimeter decorating it with raspberry prairie points lined with leafy green.  I quilted over the extra thicknesses of the prairie points, but did it slowly and cautiously. 

PAIRIE POINTS:

Details--how to make lined prairie points . . .

FREE STYLE QUILTING:

The edge to edge quilting is my free style sequence "Floral Bouquet".  It is a "S" curve ending in a spiral, back tracking with feathers down the spine, and returning with feathers up the spine.  The sequence takes me under two minutes to do, and covers an area 12" high x 15" wide. 

THE BACKING - decorated with art panels using up leftover blocks.  I always put two art panels in a queen size backing, always different block combinations, usually one wider than the other.  Below--the smaller art panel features a nine patch of the dark raspberry floral fabric paired with contrasting peach/ivory solid. 

Final Step - Adding Binding

After the binding was added I took the quilt to the dining room table to turn and hand-stitch binding in place.

PREVIOUS ARROWHEAD BLOCK QUILT:

Notice how the white fabric shows off the quilting better?

I created this queen size quilt in 2015

Fabrics are from "Magical Garden Collection" by M'Liss

Loading Quilt on Frame

Detail of Quilt Top prior to long arm quilting

It took me a long time at the fabric store, looking at this M'Liss collection of three companion fabrics "Magical Garden" to figure out how I was going to use the fabrics.  I mean, really!  Just look at that solid mass of flowers on the backing.  

I chose to frame each Arrowhead block in the lighter fabric.  It tamed the busy fabric and made the quilt look airy and reminded me of pie crust.  I introduced a double row of color into the border--to help make sense of the saturation of color in the backing. 

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There's more coming soon.  A new queen size quilt I call, "Gray with all the Trimmings"

" Gray with all the Trimmings" Quilt:

Last week I finished the assembling the quilt top, and this weekend I started adding art panels to the backing.  I may be able to finish today--and get the quilt loaded on the frame to quilt.  More photos to follow soon.

As you can see from these photos--this scrappy quilt is a combination of 4 patch framed in gray and 16 patch blocks.  All sewn at the dining room table on a 1939 Featherweight. 

Next post, I will tell you the story about acquiring the fabulous little sewing machine and why I was working at my dining room table instead of the studio.  

***

My Focus Again This Year:

To reduce my scrap bins (now numbering 4 very big, full tubs).  But it was worse last fall--I had 5 tubs full). 

Into the Light:

I made a promise to use up many bolts light fabrics this year--to make oodles of pillow cases.  It is time to remind myself why I bought so many lovely light fabrics the last five years.  I didn't buy them to decorate my studio, I bought them to use.  Ha. Ha.

Thank you for stopping by.  Leave me a comment; I like hearing from you. 

P.S. - It's Spring:

The ground outside is still thawing and mushy.  Not quite ready to start up the Condor high lift so we can climb aboard and scrape the alligator paint off the ancient barn.  Because of my recent bout with inner ear dysfunction (dizziness) I'll be working close to the ground.   

The past two seasons our lovely neighbors Renee and Steve have worked silently and generously with their time to remove small trees and bramble around the old barn and clearing scraggy bushes between our properties.  They are absolutely amazing people.  I don't know how we can ever repay them.  They do so many wonderful things for lots of people.