Zodiac Quilt – Capricorn

I wanted to make a one block quilt using the Quilt-As-You-Go method to include lots of different quilting patterns. When Leah Day opened her ‘Quilty Box’ (October 2015), it spurred me on to use this block for my project. Although I’ve free motion quilted a few large quilts, I find manipulating the bulky layers on a domestic machine frustrating, and now that Pauline Rogers has put together her QAYG Sashing Set, what could be simpler!

So began the plan. I wanted black as the background to match my theme of signs of the zodiac – so it has become my ‘Zodiac’ quilt.

Using the ‘Go-Cutter’ and sewing the equilateral triangles using Leah’s method of ironing seams open, adds to the skill set. Being used to ironing seams to one side I thought I’d give it a go.

With a black silhouette of each Zodiac sign, made using the Brother ‘Scan n’ Cut’, adds appliqué to the quilt – as well as incorporating the use of another tool. By now you should have picked up that I like using lots of different gadgets!

A self imposed challenge of using fabrics only from PU led to determining a colour scheme. Loosely based on colours as suggested by ‘Star Sign Style‘, selection of fabrics came next. But wait … there’s more. I can’t be the only patchwork quilter who is interested in quilting, so why not invite others to come along on the journey. So now I’m leading a small group of patchworkers in a year long class of quilting a ‘block a month’.

Block 1: Capricorn in hues of ‘black, ..deep moss green or olive’

Block 1: ‘Capricorn’ by RobynsPatch

The two different coloured triangles are quilted with two different patterns, and the background has it’s own quilted pattern – it doesn’t show up on the black so well in a photo.

Close up of stitching pattern

A close up shows the straight lines stitched, diagonally in two directions, with a walking foot, and then the curves stitched using the free motion foot.

Block 1: Quilting shown from the back

The silhouette appliqué is blanket stitched using an open toe foot, and then ditch stitched to quilt it down.

Sue L has chosen a cream for her background (which shows up the quilting pattern far better than the black), and Michelle Hill’s  William Morris fabrics for her star points and an appliquéd hexagon in the centre.

Sue L’s Block 1.

Sue L  is using white thread top and bottom for her quilting.

Sue L’s quilting from the back

If you haven’t jumped into the deep end of free motion quilting, have a go and ‘just do it’!