Folk Art Applique

I loved this quilt the minute I saw it. I machine stitched the large pieces using invisible machine applique and clear thread. The pieces were huge so it was easy. It had some really large places in there so my friend, Kat, showed me how to to "fake" trapunto using washable thread and a piece of poly batting. I knew I needed an expert quilter and so we bartered. She quilted it for me and I made her a pomegranate quilt top! Pictured below.

This block was going to be a 4 block quilt. I'm sure it would have looked a lot better had I continued. (I think it looks really unbalanced) I took a Folk Art applique class with Gwen Marston based on her book and it was great. I learned a bit about making my own flowers and leaves and a few design elements. It seems like her main emphasis was not to worry about being perfect. Looking at old quilts lets us know not everything was symmetrical or all the same fabric and ours doesn't have to be either. I've never been a part of the quilt police and feel very comfortable doing my own thing. I may not always like the end result but I almost always like the process. This is on my machine quilting list.

I saw this in some Country Home book from the library. They actually pieced together 5 blocks from an old quilt. I used three to fit my table. Machine appliqued on old flour or sugar sacks and because it was supposed to be prim and folksy I only quilted between the blocks to help hold it together.

See...no rules for me!!!