FMQ challenge for March....

March's challenge at QuiltShopGal was by Patsy Thompson .... she does lovely work and has a variety of books and dvd's and lessons available...  best of all she loves feathers!!!!  I have been reading her blog for some time....

I chose to refer back to a tutorial she gave in 2012 for my cushion this month (Option 1)...

I have used some soft cotton lawn (to be honest this was a nightie that had been given to me but was far too small! - the fabric was so lovely even with a few stains...)

I made folds in it to base where I would be marking... that white patch underneath is wadding for the trapunto part in the middle....

I found a sweet little doily with bluebirds on which was just the right size....

(also preloved and with some rust stains)

(there are a lot of pictures but I wanted to show the process)

... the first part was attaching the doily ... I used a dissolvable thread (note to self... do not suck the thread to help with threading the needle... it dissolves quickly!!!)

.. once sewn I cut back the wadding behind the doily... this means only the doily area will have the double wadding.....

... then I started marking my borders (as you see I have very fancy equipment)

... the folds were helpful in keeping the square good....

... using the blue pen to mark the borders.....

.. once marked I layered my quilt sandwich....

... first part of quilting was going over all the borders and around my blue birds... this stabilised it all and I could remove the pins....

... the back.....

... I then marked my cross hatching for the doily ....

(this would have been better done earlier but I forgot!!!)

... a good spray with cold water and the marks and dissolvable thread were gone...

quilting... the cross hatching orange peel is done and I have started on the feathers around the doily....  as you can see these are not marked .... I find I run smoother going free form even if I lose on the consistency of shape....

.. feathers completed and the first border of circles on the go....

... more borders until completed all the quilting I wanted to do....

(I find smaller designs easier in a way but they take much longer)

...my cushion top and bases are joined (I used an overlocker which is stronger and easier for this part)

.. and found a fat quarter of a matching blue fabric

... to make a bias edging...

.. which borders it all nicely I think....

... I forgot to do progress pictures of the back but they are also quilted... the lines are the little pleats that were in the nightie ... I then just filled in heavily ... just an envelope type back to slip the cushion filler in....

... not stuffed quite enough but this was for a picture....

 ... so far 3 cushions made... all different and helping me to use my imagination a bit more.....

Thanks Darlene for another challenge..... these are definitely helping me to be a bit more creative in my quilting....

.. and thanks to Patsy for wonderful guidance and ideas...

.... adding to my skills... and adding to the giftie box!

Righto, Gotto Go.... there's still some March sewing to be done!!