It's dangerous to loiter in Liberty...

A few weeks ago my husband was in London for a seminar, so I arranged to meet him afterwards for dinner. I decided to go up to town early as I had a voucher for one of my favourite shops - Liberty on Regent Street. I had intended to buy some new curtain fabric, but I couldn't see anything suitable so I thought I would just have a look in the haberdashery section as I still had time to kill. It is a very dangerous place! My voucher was about to expire so I decided it would be silly to waste it (!) want to see what's in the bag?

I bought two of their patchwork bundles and a couple of half metres of Tana Lawn isn't this one fun?

I had a couple of pieces in my stash

The fabrics are quite cool,

I found some more pieces in my stash that might play nicely too

I had no idea what I was going to do with the fabrics, but on the train home I hatched a plan and by the time we were home I had decided. I wanted to make a Liberty version of the passacaglia quilt

The pattern is in the Millefiori book published by Quiltmania.
I cut out the pieces for the first rosette and started stitching, I then decided I didn't want to make this quilt after all! The pieces are very small which isn't a problem, but you can''t really appreciate the lovely Liberty Tana Lawns when they are cut so small and I don't think such a graphic design suits such lovely florals. I also don't want to make the same quilt as everyone else... So back to the drawing board...

While I am hand quilting the Welsh Quilt I think about future projects and all sorts of things - hand quilting time is also good thinking time!
I have made several hexagon and grandmothers flower garden quilts over the years, but never the Martha Washington design (the one with a hexagon/triangle path connecting the rosettes)

That was a possibility, but I have also wanted to make this quilt for several years it's by Sandy Kop in the book American Jane 'Quilts for all Seasons'

Cue lightbulb moment! maybe I could combine the two? Lots of planning and working out and I think it might work - I have ordered a couple of FQ's of pinks and warmer colours to mix in with the others.

My sewing room is no longer neat and tidy - told you it wouldn't last!

I have cut out the pieces for the first couple of rosettes...

I think I like it, they are quite cool, but the yellows from my scrap bin help and I will mix some in pinks/reds too when my new fabric arrives I might use the grey/blacks in the Dancing Ladies border or save them for another project - not sure yet.

I know lots of people English Paper Piece this pattern, but I am not a huge fan of this method, I find it very slow. If you cut the pieces accurately (I love Marti Michell templates for rotary cutting) you can hand piece them really quickly - I just eyeball the seam allowance.

I posted a tutorial on my method a few months ago it's here if you want to see how I do things.
http://emilyscupboard.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/hand-piecing-tutorial.html


I am linking up this week to Freshly Pieced ; Esther ; Sew Fresh Quilts ; Mrs Sew and Sow