Saturday, April 2, 2022

Alphabet Quilt

This is the panel that drew me away from paper crafting and back into my sewing space.



For a long time I’ve wanted to make an alphabet quilt.  But I didn’t want to make the letters and I wanted them to look artsy.  When I bought this panel, I didn’t know it was a Marcia Derse design.  No wonder I love this panel.

(Not to worry, all those prewash wrinkles will disappear as I work with the panel)


I didn’t need to worry about wonky with this panel.  The alphabet is intentionally somewhat wonky so any further wonky added during printing the panel would not be an issue.  Looking closely at the panel, the letters are collaged on notebook pages.  First thing I did was cut the notebook pages apart. 



I wanted the letters to be separated from each other, so I cut them apart.  That left raw edges very close to most of the letters.  I cut 1/4” strips of Wonder Under and fused it to that raw edge on the wrong side.

    

I then fused that raw edge to a strip of another fabric and stitched a zig zag to applique the two pieces together.  That would allow me to have a seam allowance for piecing.



I arranged the letters in rows, staggering them somewhat.  I then began a rather measured improv piecing to make them into uniform length blocks.  But within each block itself, if it was wonky, I left it that way.  You can see what I mean in the closeup below. (The a, B and C are the most obvious).



A close up of the first row.


After getting the quilt body all sewn together, I added a narrow 1/2” purple border and a scrappy neutral border outside that border.


I almost forgot to get the selvedge into the quilt!  My panel didn’t have any color dots (sad face).  As the finished quilt top waited on the design wall for me to get a backing, I decided I didn’t like the narrow purple framing border.


I started thinking about how I could change that.



A bit of a wild idea came to mind.  So out came my overflowing storage box of selvedges.


Continuing with the measured improv, I trimmed and stitched selvedges over the top of the purple border.



I think I’m figuring out my style...eclectic.

When I pin baste my quilt layers together, I don’t leave much backing and batting extending past my quilt top.



Quilting with a walking foot has proven that the backing and batting don’t pull inwards, so I stopped wasting extra fabric for the basting and quilting process.  I mostly just quilt with straight lines as this look is my favorite.  



Now look at the fun mistake I made and discovered halfway through the quilting.
I set the Z block upside down.



I began to panic!  What about the H?  What about the I?  What about the N?  What about the O?  What about the S?  All just fine.  Then I got to the W and I noticed a portion of the map was upside down and I thought I used the M upside down!  Then I remembered the m was lower case.  Whew!!!
So just the Z is flipped.  I decided it is a fun mistake and I’m embracing it.



Now I know my ABCs ... and flipped Z!

15 comments:

  1. Amazing. Professional artwork 😍

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  2. What an incredibly beautiful quilt, Annie. I would never have noticed the flipped z had you not pointed it out. You are a brilliant seamstress, dear. Embrace your abilities.

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  3. Beautiful quilt! The use of selvedges is fantastic. The neutral background is perfect. Very impressive!

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  4. LOVE it!!! That's one of the coolest alphabet quilts EVER!!

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  5. Absoutely fabulous, BIG wow! Hugs, Valerie

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  6. Annie, this is absolutely beautiful 😍 ❤ I love the neutrals, and the salvage edge was perfect for this! Definitely love that over the purple. This Is another top favorite of your quilts for me♡♡♡ maybe 2nd round my all time favorite of your all neutrals one... it is also in a tough race with a few kf your Halloween ones, UT just love the artsy look, and mostly neutral colors on this!!!

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  7. Oh I LOVE your eclectic style quilt Annie! I am eclectic too as I love so many different styles and cannot settle on just onw style. That "Z" looks great and reads the same either way, so good for you for just leaving it alone. You (and now us readers) are the only ones who will ever know and you have to get so close to even see and I bet most still wouldn't realize it anyhow. I really like how you added your touch to this panel and it looks FABULOUS!!!!

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  8. WOW Annie, You took an interesting panel and made a really great quilt. I like the way you share your techniques for tackling the challenges of working with a panel that leaves no seam allowances and for when you changed your mind about the narrow border. Too often it is easy to think of following the conventional ways of doing something like cutting away some of the print to make a "proper" seam allowance or ripping off the border instead of covering it with selvedges. The artist in you always finds a way to do it in the "Annie" style. There is always a good lesson for your followers.
    I love your quilt. Are you keeping it for yourself?

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  9. You are so clever. I love how this turned out. You did a great job! Can't believe all the thought and work you put into this. You are a true artist. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and techniques.

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  10. Great work Annie and good use of the fun panel. I am appliqueing onto script fabric at the moment and having nightmares about getting the script the wrong way round! So far so good but keeping fingers crossed. xx

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  11. Oh, Annie! You always surprise me and make me want one of your quilts. This one is so much fun, a treasure for someone to cuddle in!

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  12. What a fabulous quilt Annie. I really like this alphabet idea and what you did with it! hugs-Erika

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  13. I love dragons and just a bought a panel of some the other day. Your borders look great around all of those very, very cool dragons! The alphabet quilt looks so YOU...I love it!

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  14. Joy sent me over here from her blog. Love your alphabet quilt!

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  15. Yup! Joy sent me here, too! The two of you together are master enablers! I’m sitting on my hands, so I don’t order this panel! Please don’t throw me in that briar patch! ! !

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