Crafts : Quilting : Sparkling Vases: Section 2 : Home & Garden Television

We're making the second section of this six-month quilt project—the Striped Odyssey panel.

The Striped Odessey panel is named for the three-color, pieced vase. The flowers are made of fabric and ribbon yo-yos embellished with button centers. Not shown is a fourth flower that "spills" over into the next block.

If you've ever aspired to make an art quilt but didn't know where to start, this is the project for you. Designer Tom Russell breaks up the process in six simple sections with this stunning wall art design called Sparkling Vases—a quilt that's sure to bring out the quilt-lover in those with even the most contemporary of tastes. We're just getting started with the second section of this six-month project, but you can join in the fun at any time! Just start with Section 1.

Materials:
fabrics
- background
- vase center stripe
- vase top and bottom stripes
- leaves - two colors
- accent squares - small scraps of two colors
- table
fusible webbing
green embroidery floss
color-coordinated variegated thread
applique template material - paper, plastic, card stock or cardboard

Use this image as a reference when cutting applique templates. You'll cut a stem and two leaves. Click to enlarge.

Applique Templates
Draft and cut applique templates for the two leaves, referring to the image at the right for a guideline. Some may find it easier to cut and piece the panel first, then return to draft the applique patterns in order have a better size perspective. Both leaves consist of two templates—four pieces in all. For drafting the templates, it's easiest to draw each leaf as one, then divide it with a curvy line.

Left leaf - On paper, cardboard or template plastic, draw a leaf with a slightly convex curve on the outside of the leaf. Draw a dividing line on the leaf (shown here with change in leaf color). Draw a curlicue to the top of the leaf. You'll transfer the curl as an embroidery pattern on the block. Label the top of the leaf (above the dividing line) as template 2a and the bottom (below the dividing line) as template 2b. Cut the leaf into two pieces along the dividing line. The curlicue at the top of the leaf is an embroidery pattern that will be transferred to the background fabric later, so reserve that piece.
Right leaf - On paper, cardboard or template plastic, draw a smaller leaf with a slightly convex curve on the outside of the leaf. Draw a dividing line on the leaf (shown here with change in leaf color). Draw a curlicue to the top of the leaf. You'll transfer the curl as an embroidery pattern on the block. Label the top of the leaf (above the dividing line) as template 2d and the bottom (below the dividing line) as template 2c. Cut the leaf into two pieces along the dividing line. The curlicue at the top of the leaf is an embroidery pattern that will be transferred to the background fabric later, so reserve that piece.
Stem - On paper, cardboard or template plastic, draw a 1/2-inch wide stem with a gentle convex curve that extends diagonally from the upper middle of the left leafupward to the right edge of the block.

Cutting
From background fabric, cut:

8-1/2" x 13-1/2" rectangle
two, 1-1/2" x 6-1/2" rectangles
2-1/2" x 3-1/2" rectangle
three, 1-1/2" squares
three, 2-1/2" x 4-1/2" rectangles
1-1/2" x 3-1/2" rectangle

From vase center fabric, cut:

1-1/2" x 7-1/2" rectangle. Reserve the remaining fabric for flowers in section 6.

From the first vase top and bottom fabric, cut:

five, 1-1/2" x 4-1/2" rectangles
1-1/2" x 3-1/2" rectangle

From the second vase top and bottom fabric, cut:

two, 1-1/2" x 3-1/2" rectangles
two, 1-1/2" x 4-1/2" rectangles

From first leaf fabric, cut:

leaf (template 2a)
leaf (template 2c)
stem (template 2e)

From second leaf fabric, cut:

leaf (template 2b)
leaf (template 2d)

From each accent square fabrics, cut:

a 1-1/2-inch square (two squares total)

From table fabric, cut:

2-1/2" x 9-1/2" rectangle. Reserve the remaining fabric for other panels.

Figure A

Steps:

Top Half
1. Join a 1-1/2" x 6-1/2" background fabric rectangle to each side of a 1-1/2-inch accent square to make a strip (figure A).

Figure B

2. Join strip made in step 1 to the right side of 8-1/2" x 13-1/2" background rectangle (figure B) and set aside. You will add the stem and leaves to this unit once the bottom half of panel is assembled.

Figure C

Bottom Half
3. Join one of the 1-1/2-inch accent squares and a 1-1/2-inch background square. With the accent square to the left, add a 2-1/2" x 3-1/2" background rectangle to bottom (figure C).

Figure D

Figure E

Figure F

4. Stitch five of the 1-1/2" x 4-1/2" rectangles together, alternating two different fabric colors—use three of the first color and two of the second color (figure D). Join this to the right side of the unit created in step 3 (figure E). Add 2-1/2" x 4-1/2" background rectangle to right side of vase unit to make the top vase strip (figure F).

Figure G

5. Join a 1-1/2" background square to either end of a 1-1/2" x 7-1/2" rectangle to make center vase strip (figure G).

Figure H

Figure I

Figure J

6. Stitch three of the 1-1/2" x 3-1/2" rectangles together, alternating the fabric colors—two of the second color and one of the first color. Add 1-1/2" x 3-1/2" background rectangle to the bottom of this unit (figure H). Add a 1-1/2" x 4-1/2" rectangle to each side of this (figure I). Join a 2-1/2" x 4-1/2" background rectangle to each side to complete bottom vase strip (figure J).

Figure K

7. Lay out top vase strip, center vase strip, bottom vase strip, and table rectangle (figure K). Join together to make bottom half of panel.

Figure L

Stem, Leaves & Assembly

Position stem cutout (template 2e) with template 2a and 2c leaf cutouts on top half of block as shown (figure L). Applique into position. The designer recommends using a fusible webbing method of applique. Finish the leaves by appliqueing template 2b and 2d leaf cutouts as shown (figure L). Blanket-stitch all leaf edges with color coordinated embroidery floss.

Figure M

Join top and bottom halves of block (figure M).

Transfer curl shaped-embroidery patterns to tops of leaves (see template patterns 2a and 2d). Using four strands of embroidery floss, stem-stitch the bottom outside edge of left leaf. Continue the stem stitch, following the curve of the second fabric, along inside edge of upper leaf. End by embroidering the curl. Repeat for right leaf.

Flowers & Beading
See section 6. Because it’s difficult to quilt around existing embellishments, you’ll add the dimensional flowers and beading to the panels once the project has been quilted.

Click here for this main page of this project with links to the other sections.

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Sparkling Vases: Section 2

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