Building a pictorial quilt

Someone asked me on Instagram how I go about putting together my applique quilts.
So here's what I do!

After I draw out my design and where I want the patches of different shades and colours to go on tracing paper, I scan it in, enlarge it in Photoshop and adjust the levels to make the lines as dark and visible as possible and to get out as much murk from the background. I then print it out over several pages and tape them together...

Once taped I overlay the design with freezer paper, taped together with washi tape, magic tape or something that doesn't melt with heat. Then I trace over it with anything but a Frixion pen!!

Once traced, I mark on the colours by name referring to my original photograph, and also mark joins with crosses and dashes to make it easier to match up later.

But then I do a fabric pull and cut out some of the patches, a small section at a time.

I usually get interrupted at this point...

These get pressed onto the right side of fabrics and trimmed around leaving a seam allowance.

Whilst sat on the sofa with a magazine on my knee, I then clip into some seam allowances (leaving the adjoining edge of the next patch), fold to the back and stick together.

Once a patch is completely surrounded I can then take off the freezer paper which is my favourite bit!

I keep building it up until its completed. Sometimes I stitch it down, other times I baste it and quilt it to hold the pieces in place.

Still a long way to go but it's good fun.

Thanks for following along with me this week!
@pennydog
Blog