Today_s_Quilter_-_November_2019

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COUNTRYSIDE QUILTING l planning for winter


Margaret Mew were close behind
and both arrived at Cowslip to
teach their quilt ideas. Lynette
Anderson arrived soon after and
we taught together for four days,
which was a first, but it all went
really well and the students went
away with two quite extensive
projects to complete. Lynette is
truly amazing – she opens her
case and it is like a Pandora’s
box of exciting projects. Her
embroidery is just exquisite,
and she had quilts from both
of her new books to show us
all too.
My projects have had me
thinking about winter and
Christmas since August – it
always feels bizarre starting
the process so early on in
the year! I have made a small wallhangingforthe
past two years, so I wanted to do something totally
dierent this year, and then up popped Rudolph’s
Magic saddle bag. I designed the front of my bag
to look like a saddle flap adorned with a little house
and reindeer. Upon lifting up the flap, you find that
the reindeer and snow scene continue all the way
around the bag. I designed it so that it could be a
wall hanging if students preferred – one lady even
reduced the size, which looked fantastic. I usually love

todoallmyappliquébyhand,butsometimesthere
justaren’tenoughhoursintheday,soI decidedthat
Rudolphprobablywouldn’tmindif I usedbonding.
Thebagis startedbypiecingthebackgrounds,then

theappliquéis added.I usedCloverbiasmakersto make
the window frames and tree trunks which, once pressed,
are so soothing to sew down by hand or machine. I cut
the fabric on the bias so that you can do mitred corners
and this also give the tree trunks a quirky bend. Once
the appliqué was on, I laid the pieces on scrap wadding
and quilted them with silver thread, remembering to
use a metallic machine needle. I love to make the little
up-down-over-back-across stars and fill them in shading
with the silver thread. Then I made very fine in piping
using my machine zipper foot and then attached it to the
bag to give the front panel a really detailed edge.
I used Pellon underneath the front flap, then backing
and then turned the whole thing out the right way. I’m
very pleased with the finished shape and it made me
think of lots of other designs you could use this for, like
an autumn bag with apples and a scarecrow or a dog bag
for storing grooming tools. The ideas just keep coming
and it’s a welcome change from a quilt.

The front of Jo’s magical
saddlebag
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“ I usually love to do all
my appliqué by hand, but
sometimes there just aren’t
enough hours in the day...”

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