Cosmic Split

I know I said that I would not show you the finished quilt until after the show, but another read through the rules has reassured me that blogs, internet and other public previews are not forbidden - or even mentioned for that matter. So why not? Here goes.

I left you last week pre-split. 

The name contains a 'Split', a split is required. Changing my mind is not an option. A few deep breaths, a bit of contemplation, a cup of tea, a meander down the garden, a few sketches, a trial on one of the 'failed' gold samples, another cup of tea, a walk along the country lanes,  quite a lot of worry, yet more tea, more deep breaths - a flash of the rotary cutter and for better or worse it is done.

After - yes guessed it - another cup of tea, I face the two pieces with black fabric. I want to lose as little of the pattern as possible in the facing, so the seam is barely an eighth of an inch wide, neatened with a zig-zag to strengthen. 

The edge is gently rounded, sitting proud of the background, but less so than on 'Sidetracked' as there is no piecing with its thickening seams. 

The next task is to fasten the split gold pieces onto the background. Using something like bondaweb is not an option as the necessary heat can not penetrate all the layers. As with 'Sidetracked' I use a slip stitch catching alternatively facing and backing. On straight lines this works easily - just fold the backing back to reveal the edge of the facing and off you go. 

With curves, the folding back is much more tricky and the bulky layers are reluctant to yield to the shape. The result first time round is a wonderfully distorted quilt. This is a very useful bit of information if you actually want a distorted quilt. I don't. Obviously in all that folding and refolding around the curve, the gold quilting shifts around. It needs to held firmly in place for stitching. Pinning it from the font will leave unwelcome permanent holes. Pinning from the back must go through the background quilt, into the batting of the gold quilting but not through the metallic fabric. To do this I try to feel the pin through the gold fabric as I pin from the back and stop just in time to prevent the pin popping through the front into daylight. Think less Princess and the Pea and more the Commoner and the Pin! And on the third attempt at stitching I actually ended up with a flat quilt!

The background quilt is a black version of 'Sidetracked' - that is, adding a layer of the ruched black fabric to give more texture. The quilting uses several motifs, but draws on the gold quilting with pebbles and swirls, linking the two together.

Black fabric seems to have a magnetic attraction to any bit of fluff, dust and cat hair around. I have been over every inch of this quilt, front and back, twice with sellotape. I still don't trust it  not to pick up more fluff in transit! Cosmic Split, quilt number 404, is on it's way to the Festival of Quilt 2014. Good Luck and Enjoy!

Thanks for dropping by...

Hilary Florence

Please find below a list of linky parties. I may not link with all of the every week, but with some of them most weeks. Please go and have a look at some of the other wonderful quilts and quilters there.

Anything goes Mondays @ http://marelize-ries.blogspot.co.uk/

Linky Tuesday at Free motion by  the river­­­­ @ http://www.conniekresin.com/

Fabric Tuesday @http://quiltstory.blogspot.co.uk/    

Sew cute Tuesday @ http://www.blossomheartquilts.com/ 

Let’s Bee Social @ http://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.co.uk

WIP Wednesday at freshly pieced   @   http://www.freshlypieced.com/

WOW = WIPs on Wednesdays  @ http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.co.uk/  

WIP Wednesday at TN + TN  @ http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca

I Quilt Thursdays @ http://prettybobbins.com/

Really Random Thursdays @ http://www.liveacolorfullife.net/

Needle and Thread Thursday @ http://myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.co.uk/

Off the wall Fridays @ http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.co.uk/

Fabric Frenzy Friday @ http://fortworthfabricstudio.blogspot.co.uk

Friday linky party @ http://www.confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.co.uk/

Lizzie Lenard @  http://lizzielenard-vintagesewing.blogspot.co.uk