Joan at Leschenault

To continue with my story of the journey I have made and am continuing to make.

Below is the Laura Ashley quilt , the center of which was peiced by my daughter Heather and the borders added by me and how I did the quilting...  This shows the tear away paper being used.

After my trials with the tear away paper, I discovered Press and Seal - which I coudn't get here in Australia at the time,  although I believe we can now get it locally .  A good freind from the USA sent me quite a lot of rolls...which was lovely.

My daughter Heather had sewn together some squares of fabric from the Laura Ashly line, when she was in her second teaching post quite some years ago..at a remote school  inland from Kalgoorlie.

As she didnt know what to do with it then...and as Mum did quilting :)  could I finish it for her.

Well I added two borders...eventually...  and first using the the tear away paper, quilted the blocks and the border.

 I must say this was a UFO for quite some time.

In 2004 not long after we moved here to Leschenault, my studio was more or less sorted,   so I put the 3 layers together...on the floor of our bedroom I think ( NOT good for the back!) 

After machine quilting the blocks one by one  (in the ditch around each block first.) I used the tear away paper for all the blocks and then for the first border.

 This was a bit harsh on the stitching

I then discovered Press and seal...and this was really good

It even stayed in place on the door while it waited for me to use :) which was handy as they were long pieces.

So then I happily quilted along with the Press and seal.  It stuck really well to the fabric with safetly pins at intervals. 

I did discover that after a time, my stitches skipped and the needle gluncked up heaps..but I persevered till I had finished the quilt..it did work better if I also sprinkled a little talcum powder on the plastic as I sewed..bit messy...but smelt nice!

This method wasnt bad...still a bit harsh on the stitches when taken off ..and tiny bits stuck in the stitching which took a while to take out.

Press and Seal - some still to be removed.

The making of the Laura Ashley quilt - AND the lovely view I have when seiwng..plus as a bonus, you can see my DH working hard in the garden :)  Which reminds me - I MUST go clean the windows!

As you can see - my quilting gloves then consisted of gardening gloves...the best thing I could find to use when quilting

This is the only other photo I could find of the completed quilt.

My story will contiue again a bit later.