Sparkling Vases - Section 6

Materials and Tools:

five completed panels made in previous sections
template plastic or card stock
17, 9/16" or 1/2" yellow buttons
40" x 64" piece of batting
color-coordinated pearle cotton embroidery floss
cotton floss, variegated thread
monofilament beading thread
fabrics:
- 1/4 yard inner border
- 1/8 yard accent border
- two, 5-inch squares of two coordinating fabrics for panel 1 flower (one from each fabric)
- fat eighth of fabric for panel two yo-yo flowers
- 1-5/8 yards outer border and binding
- 2 yards backing
beads:
- 10/0 seed beads in emerald, purple, gold, orange
- 6/0 seed beads in coral, iris, green, red
- gold bugle beads
- 3 yellow teardrop beads
ribbon:
- 4" of 1-3/8"-wide ombre ribbon, gradated purple to pink
- 22" of 7/8"-wide ombre ribbon, gradated pink to pale pink

Steps:

Applique Templates

Draft and cut applique templates for panel 1 and 2 flowers from template plastic or card stock.

• Cut a 4-1/2-inch circle and label it as template 1f.
  
• Cut a three-inch circle and label it as template 2f – small yo-yo flower.
  
• Cut a 3-1/2-inch circle and label it as template 2g – medium yo-yo flower.
  
• Cut a four-inch circle and label it as template 2h – large yo-yo flower.

Cutting

1. From inner border fabric, cut five, 1-1/2" x width-of-fabric strips, centering on fabric pattern. If the fabric strip is not at least 45-1/2" wide, piece strips to make strips long enough for borders.

2. From accent border fabric, cut four, 1/2" x width-of-fabric strips. Piece as needed to make strips long enough for borders.

3. From outer border fabric, cut:
- six, 6-1/2" x width-of-fabric strips for outer border. Piece as needed to make strips long enough for borders.
- six, 2-1/4" x width-of-fabric strips for binding. Piece as needed to make strips long enough for borders.

4. From each 5" square of panel 1 flower fabric, cut one 4-1/2" circle (template1f).

5. From panel 2 flower fabric, cut: small flower (template 2f), two medium flower patterns (template 2g), large flower pattern (template 2h).

6. From the 22" length of 7/8" wide pink ombre ribbon, cut a 4" strip; two, 5" strips; and a 6" strip.

Quilt Top Assembly

1. Join the five finished panels from left to right in the order assembled.

2. Measure the width of the quilt through the center of the top. Do not measure the edges of the top—panels are often distorted through handling, so measuring through the center is more accurate. Trim two inner border strips to that measurement and add to top and bottom of quilt. Note: If the fabric strip is not long enough, piece a strip long enough, matching the pattern. Ease in any fullness so the top is squared.

3. Repeat the measurement process through the middle of the quilt to get the side lengths, including the borders just added. Trim two inner border strips to the correct measurement and add the inner side borders.

4. Repeat the process for the narrow accent border and the wide outer border. The quilt top is ready for layering and quilting.

Quilting

1. Cut the backing fabric and batting at least four inches larger than the assembled, bordered quilt top.

2. Place the backing face down on the work surface. Secure to prevent puckers. Layer the batting on top of the backing.

3. Center the quilt top face up on the layers.

4. Baste in a grid pattern using safety pins or thread.

Flower Spray

5. Quilt as desired. In the featured quilt, each panel is quilted to complement the vase design, with flower sprays embellishing the stylized flowers. The backgrounds are filled with flower sprays, stippling and some straight-line quilting. The outer border is filled with leaf designs and stippling. See the flower spray quilting patterns on the right for a guideline. Feature quilt was machine-quilted by Kathy Drew using variegated color and metallic threads.

Figure A

Binding

1. Join the binding strips end to end using diagonal seams. Trim seam allowances and press them open.

2. Press binding in half lengthwise, right side out.

3. To apply binding, begin along bottom edge of quilt to one side. Align the raw edges; turn the end of the binding strip in at a 45-degree angle. Begin stitching 1/4" from edge.

Figure D

4. Stop 1/4" from the corner of the quilt and backstitch. Stitch off the edge at a 45-degree angle. Fold the binding strip up at 45 degrees, even with side of quilt. Fold the binding strip back down horizontally, even with top edge of quilt. Beginning at the fold, continue stitching along quilt edge. Repeat at remaining corners.

5. When binding is completely stitched around quilt, back to beginning point. Overlap and stitch 1" past original fold. Cut off excess binding.

6. Turn binding to back of quilt, covering stitching line, and stitch down using a blind stitch. Corners should be mitered when folded to the back. Remember to blind stitch the folds of the corners closed.

7. No quilt is complete without a signature block. Sign and date your quilt with a back label complete with name, date, quilt recipient, etc. Include any information that is important to the history of the quilt.

Figure F

Flowers & Beading

Panel 1

1. Place the 4-1/2" round flower cutouts (template 1f) right sides facing and stitch 1/8" from edge. Fold circle in half and finger press. Cut a slit in the lighter fabric—large enough to turn the circle. Be careful not to cut too close to the fold or seam allowance.

2. Turn circle right side out and press lightly.

Figure H

3. From the creased center line, make a new fold 1/2" above it, with slit on back. Darker fabric should be on the outside with lighter fabric on the inside. Fold left and right sides to the center.

Figure I

4. Fold back the two center points to expose the inside fabric. Tack points in place then slipstitch from inside edges to flower top to close seam.

Figure K

5. For flower center, fold 4" length of purple ribbon end to end. Use a running stitch along bottom edge. Open center.

6. Fold outer raw edges to fit inside flower and baste. Insert ribbon into flower and stitch to secure. Stitch flower to stem of panel 1.

Figure L

7. Beading - Start with center long stamen. Backstitch once to secure bead strand, in center of flower under purple ribbon. Beginning with a gold seed bead, alternate nine gold seed beads with eight gold bugle beads. End with one teardrop bead anchored by a gold seed bead. To make short stamens, repeat 1/4" to each side of the long stamen with seven seed beads and six bugle beads, ending with one teardrop and one seed bead anchor.

8. Begin beading at bottom edge of vase along applique line with purple seed beads. Begin with a backstitch then space beads about 1/4" apart. At the top of the vase, change to emerald seed beads and continue along outer edge of stem.

Panel 2

1. To create yo-yo flowers, choose one flower cutout (cut from template 2f, 2g or 2h). Turn under the edges of the circle and stitch 1/8" from the edge on the wrong side of the fabric to secure. Pull the thread from the hem to gather the circle until a small center is formed. Center and secure the thread to back of yo-yo to complete. Using this method, make one large, one small, and two medium yo-yos. Completed yo-yos measure approximately 2", 1-3/4" and 1-3/8" across.

Figure M

2. To make the flower centers, fold the 4", 5" and 6" pink ribbon strips end to end (four strips in all). Using a short stitch length, stitch raw ends together. To prevent raveling, apply Fray Chek to raw edges and let dry.

Figure N

3. Baste along one edge of the ribbon loops then gather to make a ribbon yo-yo. Make four ribbon yo-yos. Match sizes to fabric yo-yos and stitch to join.

4. Place flowers along the stem as shown in back cover photo. Attach using yellow button centers and pearle cotton thread.

5. Sew green seed beads along embroidery on leaves to highlight the leaf shape. The designer positioned the beads about 1/4" apart.

Figure O

Panel 3

1. Add one green bead at the end of each stylized leaf tip.

2. Using a complementary bead color for each flower color, stitch four bugle beads topped with four seed beads to each flower top.

Figure P

Panel 4

1. Stitch green seed beads along seam line of both leaves, spacing 1/4" apart.

2. Stitch complementary-color seed beads around outer edge of flower, spacing 1/4" apart.

3. Stitch complementary-color 6/0 beads around purple part of inner flower, spacing 1/4" apart.

Figure Q

Panel 5

1. Position button flowers and sew on using yellow pearle cotton floss. Stitch coral-color 6/0 beads to button centers with monofilament beading thread.

2. Stitch seed beads around the vase accent curve, spacing 1/4" apart.

3. Stitch emerald-color seed beads along inside edge of small leaves, spacing 1/4" apart.

Figure R

More Beading

For all panels, embellish any quilted flower sprays by stitching on purple seed beads.