Of Another Era - for Project QUILTING 17.4

Challenge 17.4 for Project QUILTING is Of Another Era. This project represents a few eras in my life. First, what I called my Mother Earth News era. Canning and freezing food, baking from scratch, stitching our families’ clothing and even washing cloth diapers. The blue Ball Jar in this art quilt represents that time. My current era is living in an area where roadside stands burst each summer with homegrown produce and fresh-cut flowers fit.

THE PLAN

We all have those patterns purchased with good intentions! I loved the finished art quilt, Summer Harvest, by Maret Anderson. The supplies listed and directions didn’t work for me. Always one to reinvent the wheel, it was time enjoy the amazing pattern design with my choice of supplies and techniques.

THE CONSTRUCTION

Using a zillion of my "what in the world did I save this for" tiny, low-volume scraps and a leftover fusible batting, the background is being created. This background piece was quilted next. Sadly, I totally forgot to take a photo of that process.

The jar pattern and its parts are traced on freezer paper. A selection of batiks has MistyFuse applied to one side and the freezer paper pattern pressed to the other.

Using a silicone sheet to protect the ironing surface, the jar, acccents and flower stems are fused. A yarn is auditioned for possible details on the art quilt.

Fussy cut, printed fabrics with MistyFuse bonded to the wrong side are arranged in and around the jar. Pro Tips here - 1. Keep a stash of fused and cut flowers in your stash. You will thank yourself on days like this. 2. Always cut more flowers than you think you’ll need. 3. Take photos BEFORE you fuse everything in place. The photos give you another view of your project.

The project was quilted a second time to secure the newly added raw-edge appliqué. Again, I forgot to get photos. OOPS!

The perfect variegated yarn with a touch of metallic is couched to outline the jar and add details to the lid.

THE FINISHED PROJECT

A neutral binding completes the art quilt. It finished at approximately 22.5 X 31 inches.

Here are a few detail photos of the finished work. The last photo shows the back hanging tabs, which make it ready to hang.

Find this in my Etsy Shop - at this link

Published by Sally Manke, Fiber Artist

Sally Manke's mission is to delight others with textile art that exemplifies her passion for joyful, creative expression through color and texture. She is a speaker, teacher, pattern designer, and fiber artist. Contact her to book a workshop or trunk show at this link. Visit her Etsy Shop at www.sallymanke.etsy

Sally is a brand Ambassador for BERNINA USA. All stitching on this project was completed on a BERNINA 790 Plus.