Jul 11, 2010

the very hungry caterpillar quilt

Ok it's time for confessions - does everyone else have 'that' piece of fabric in their stash that they are too scared/ can't imagine cutting in to?

I've had 'the very hungry caterpillar' fabric in my stash for ages, hunted around for the co ordinating prints, gathered them all together with the intention of making a quilt to hang on the wall.  But I just couldn't do it, couldn't make that first cut into the fabrics.  I'd seen a pattern in a magazine for a quilt but couldn't even bring myself to go back and find the pattern lest that meant I'd have to cut the fabric up and actually start!


Well I finally pulled myself together the other day.  I'd been turning ideas over in my mind for weeks about how to approach making the quilt.  I have no idea now where that magazine with the pattern is but I was comfortable winging it.  My idea was to take the 3 images from the main panel, cut them out individually and then sew the co ordinating fabrics around them in the 'quilt as you go' style.  Doing it this way eliminated some of my stress around the actual quilting process and allowed me to think more clearly about the design.

So then last week - I just did it!  I cut the panel into 3 pieces, worked out what fabric I had and where it would all go, laid everything out on the floor and began!  By focussing on each of the 3 panel pieces individually  and treating them as large 'blocks' I was more confident in approaching the assembly process.



I've now finished 2 of the 3 blocks and while they aren't perfect, I'm extremely proud and pleased with the end results.  And while I generally come from the 'less is more' school of quilting, I'm liking the areas of this quilt which are heavily quilted as much as those with less quilting.  One panel to go and I'm feeling good!

3 comments:

Leah said...

That's looking great! I found it hard to use this fabric too - mostly, I think, because the creative work had already been done - they're such fabulous illustrations.

Lis Harwood said...

I love the way you're doing your VHC quilt. I agree it's a great range of fabrics and I took the cowardly path and used the panel whole! My grandson loves the finished quilt. It's one of those books that has become a classic, I read it to my children, my pupils and now my grandchildren, great book. Looking forward to seeing your finished VHC.

Lis Harwood said...

There's a pic of my sister's version of VHC with English paper pieced tumbling blocks around the panel here
http://shiny4444.blogspot.com/2010/06/long-day-long-post.html
(at the very end of that post)
and there's a pic of my VHC on my blog, rhs.

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