Friday 5 February 2016

You are waiting for one bus...

.....and then three come all at once!

You know the phrase, and so it happens to be with #welshblanket quilts for me!

I saw the gorgeous quilt on IG that @maryemmens had made way back in November I think.  She was calling for pattern testers.

Now I happen to have 'a thing' about Welsh Blankets!  I have several and love them because you get one pattern on one side and then on the other side you get the same patttern but in reverse colours!   Plus they are great to use and wash well.

It had been a plan of mine to make a quilt inspired by one so when I saw Mary had done the maths you couldn't stop me volunteering to make it!

I started using what I had in my stash - it was coming up to Christmas so a red/white colour scheme seemed the obvious one!

This quilt is the result



And here is the back....


But then online I saw a colour scheme I loved of a real blanket !   I had to make another and decided to use my pal Karen Lewis' Allotment fabrics!




Having made the top I had the crazy idea of doing it proper #welshblanket style and putting the reverse colours on the back!  At the same time Karen asked if she could take it to the Stitches show in February!  

Happy Day!

Karen provided the 'backing fabrics' and I made my third #welshblanket top!  







And then came the tricky bit ....how to put them together back to back.


Now if I had started out with this plan I would have made each square Quilt-as-you-go and built it up that way but by now I had two completed tops!

Never one to let a tricky situation get the better of me I decided I'd machine stitch baste the white one onto the wadding - one layer less to worry about shifting around.




Next I pulled out the stitching in my dark top so that I had rows again.  I pin basted the middle row as well as I could onto the middle row of the white top, matching seams where I could.  I quilted it leaving a margin at either long edge.




Next I used that unquilted margin to join the next row - only the dark top rows were joined together at this stage.  It was a bit fiddly just catching the dark side but possible with that wide unquilted margin.

 I smoothed out the newly attached dark row, pin basted it matching seams with the white top - ok it wasn't perfect but a lot closer than it would have been if the tops were basted together whole.  I quilted this row.

I repeated the process for the other row!

I would be lying to say that they match perfectly but well enough that a bit of trimming and jiggling here and there meant I could bind and finish this quilt.

If the quilt police are out it would probably arouse a bit of criticism but I'm hoping they are overwhelmed by the fact that I even tried and did as well as I have!






Tempted to have another go?  I just might be!  But I'd definitely go straight for QAYG in blocks!

Now if you love this pattern as much as I do there is some rather good news because Mary has agreed to a pattern giveaway - just leave a comment below and say which colours you would choose for your welshblanket!  I will pick a winner randomly next Friday!  

Not only that but you can get a 20% discount from Mary's store on payhip using the code NICKY and the price on her Craftsy store will be reduced by 20% until the giveaway closes.  If the winner has bought the pattern then Mary will refund the cost so nothing to lose by buying it now! What are you waiting for? 

I am linking this quilt to Finish-A-Long 2016 

Finish A Long 2016

This quilt is on my FAL2016 list here

28 comments:

  1. Really love these you did a fab job! Can't imagine how much work went into matching them up. I'd love to try this with plum and Aqua maybe..

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  2. What an amazing idea, and then to achieve it too. Well done,

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  3. You made such lovely quilts to showcase Mary's pattern! Not sure how I would have solved the tricky back-to-back issue, but your result is brilliant! Now to find the time to make my own Welsh blanket quilt...

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  4. I love a Welsh blanket and want to make this in purples, magenta, pinks and grey!
    Although orange and turquoise is second runner up...

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  5. They're really stunning - I love the double sided one especially (and I think you're judging yourself too harshly). I'm tempted by a mix of heathery greens,purples and cream. In truth though, I'd probably head off and spend hours looking at pictures of woollen one on t'internet and come up with a totally different set of colours!

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  6. This is beautiful! I would use charcoal, red and white! Thank you!

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  7. They're really stunning - I love the double sided one especially (and I think you're judging yourself too harshly). I'm tempted by a mix of heathery greens,purples and cream. In truth though, I'd probably head off and spend hours looking at pictures of woollen one on t'internet and come up with a totally different set of colours!

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  8. really lovely - I'm shopping from the stash so if I won I would need to see how much fabric is needed - I might manage that pattern in blue and yellow or greens and yellow

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  10. Blue and yellow! Blue for the Welsh skys (occasionally, when they aren't gray) and daffodils! :o) lynnstck(at)yahoo.com

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  11. I love this quilt in red but then I saw the gray one. WOW!! Great idea to baste one top to the wadding first. I wouldn't had thought of that. You did an awesome job. Congrats. Just love, love this quilt. I would use gray too with different hues of orange and charcoal for the cornerstones. Thanks for the chance. ;^)

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  12. I just love these quilts. I have been watching you put them together on IG and just love that block!!! Great job!

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  13. Blue and blue and blue.... And quilt as you go for the front and back.... although for the back (heck lets just call it the other side) maybe pinks and then you got his and her in one quilt!

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  14. This quilt is so amazing!! Very hard to choose colors but grey with very pale blue and red could be pretty.

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  15. Wow. This is all kinds of crazy good, Nicky! Great colour choices and so awesome how you sorted out to make the second quilt reversible. Absolutely gorgeous finishes!!!

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  16. I am so impressed!!!!! I LOVE the fact that you made the back the reverse colors!!! If I were to make it, I would use dusty rose, cream and gold. sarah@forrussia.org

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  17. Wow, what a fabulous finish - and double sided! Love the pattern and would use a reds, blues and white fabric combination. Thanks so much!

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  18. I would love to see this Welsh blanket in red, black & white with a splash of lime green. You've done a great job on your quilt. Love your colours too.

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  19. Oh they are gorgeous, love the color mix and what a beautiful pattern. Thank you for the giveaway, I am afraid I'm not able to pick a favorite color.
    Greetings,
    Sylvia

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  20. I'm fascinated with gray and yellow/green, more yellow than green. Thanks, for the give away.

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  21. You are so awesome, I am amazed that you made the quilt twice and matched them up! I am not sure what colours I would use to make this one, but I do like the greys with a pop of something.

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  22. I would love to make one using Ultramarine, Cheddar and Lipstick colours! Oh I do hope I win I want to make one for DH ☺️

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  23. Just gorgeous! I would like a navy background with aqua and lime green and maybe a pop of orange or yellow.

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  24. Wonderful. You did a great job on the back to back stitching too. Thanks for the chance to win.

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  25. The pattern is beautiful and your quilts are fantastic! I love your choice of colours - so I would chose dark grey, light grey and lime too. Or perhaps dark grey, light grey and aqua. Thank you for the giveaway.

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  26. Bravo! Thank you for participating in the FAL, on behalf of the 2016 global FAL hosts.

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