Words on Quilts

Recently the ThreadBenders had a small challenge that invited members to make a quilt using a word or words in some way. Whenever I take this type of challenge I like to come up with new ideas and try different techniques so that it becomes a learning experience. That was the case this time, so I didn’t use the Repliqué technique from my book, but rather I decided I would hand embroider my words. The question then became ~ which words??? As I often do, I prayed about it, asking the Lord for ideas that would honor Him. I’m never disappointed with this method 😊.

And what words came to me? The”Fruits of the Spirit” from Galatians 5:22-23. So I grabbed some fruity colored fabrics, wrote the words on them, and took them along to embroider while traveling to and home from Paducah.

A week before the challenge was due I decided I’d better make those words into something. Hmm. Well ~ fruit is often round, so I found my Perfect Circles™ templates and followed the included instructions. I’ve used a running stitch to gather fabric around a template before, but this method recommended “painting” the seam allowances of each circle with starch after gathering the seam allowance to the back, and then pressing with an iron to set the crease. It worked great!

Once they were made I wondered what I should do with them. Hanging them from a tree branch seemed pretty obvious. And what’s wrong with doing the obvious? I had a delightful fabric in my stash that was printed with Bible verses about love, and fusing the branches to it was simple enough. I pinned a few different arrangements to my design wall, adding leaves as I went.

The leaves were then fused in place, and the fruits were appliquéd with invisible thread and a very narrow zig-zag stitch. I set the machine with a 1 width and a 1 length,

making sure that the needle went into the background only on the right, and into the edge of the circle appliqué on the left.

Here’s a close up of the stitching. It almost looks as good as hand-appliqué.

After the fruits were attached I decided I wanted them to puff a little, and I had an idea for how to add a bit of trapunto. First I trimmed out the background fabric circle from behind an appliqué, 1/4″ from the stitching.

That became my pattern for cutting out a batting circle not quite 1/4″ wider than the circle.

This was tucked under the appliqué, and repeated for each circle.

Til they were all “stuffed”.

Now it was time to layer and quilt. Free motion quilting in the background around each circle made them puff nicely. And I had a lot of fun stitching veins into the leaves. A gradation fabric made for the perfect binding, and it was finished in time for the ThreadBenders meeting this month.

It was such fun veining the leaves.

And even more fun seeing what “words” my friends used in their quilts. To see those quilts please click here, and enjoy!