Flower Teacups and Dandelion Clocks

A lot of my time is spent coming up with new designs for quilts and new designs for classes and sometimes both things at once.  I often turn my magazine quilts into new workshops (usually due to student’s requests) but with a full-time teaching studio and three annual retreats I am still always searching for new ideas!

I thought I would share a couple of recent projects that have sprung from these combined forces.

A few months back I told you that I was one of the designers of this year’s Summer Sampler and shared my Dandelion Clock Block in this post.

The Summer Sampler block is this one on the right, made using my Freehand Foundation Piecing tutorial.

I really couldn’t wait long to make more of these fabulous blocks! I made the next quarter a couple of weeks ago and then two more to make a full circle or ‘clock’.

I actually think this is one of the most visually pleasing things I have ever made! I can’t you tell how happy it makes me.  So I am definitely going to add to this and make a full sized quilt when I have time.  This block is 24 inches so that’s quite a bit done already 😉

We launched the workshops for this year’s Stitch Gathering Retreat last week and this block was the obvious class for me to teach.  It’s a technique I have taught before at the Stitch Gathering, with a wonky New York Beauty block, but it was around 4 years ago so I thought it was safe to do again, especially as it a different block.

We have such an excellent, interesting offering of classes for this year’s event! You can check them all out here. The retreat is currently sold out but mark your calendars for next year!

And talking of retreats we just launched tickets for the Thread House Winter Retreat 2020 today!

This is the annual residential retreat I organise alongside Karen Lewis. Head to our Big Cartel store to buy your ticket and to our website here for more info.

Next month sees our first Thread House Summer Retreat in Yorkshire. This will be a much smaller and more relaxed affair than the winter retreat, but Karen and I are still planning a project to teach.

We decided to combine our individual styles and favourite techniques into one fabulous block… the Teacup Flower Block!

Karen has scaled up her super cute Teacup Block which is made using Foundation Paper Piecing.

Karen will teach this to half the class while I will teach my flower and leaf applique to the other half. On the following day we will swap groups so that everyone gets to do each half and finishes the whole block.

This week I added a border to my Flower Teacup block.  I used some scraps and improv pieced them into strips.

I then decided to experiment a little with the quilting. I used Aurifil 12wt cotton thread and my walking foot to create this wavy grid of quilting.

I began with one diagonal line in the middle and then quilted parallel lines working outwards. I always change up my needle size to a 90 when I use this thicker thread but I use my usual Aurifil 50wt in the bobbin.

It’s a really effective quilting technique which looks to me like a fine net has been spread over the applique flowers.

This has now become an 18 inch cushion! I used my usual 3 odd buttons on the back.

I took it up to the top of our field where the dog roses grew to get these lovely photos. It’s the summer solstice today and the dog roses are always at their best at this time.

I really don’t need any more cushions but I think I’ll have to keep this one!

Meanwhile if you are local to me and would like to learn how to do the flower and leaf applique then why not book on our Flower Bowl Applique evening class, starting at the end of August?  More details here.