Rachel’s art quilt

By Spotlight

a 'get creative' reader’s project Rachel Carter of Melbourne VIC was inspired by a photo to create an art quilt wall hanging.

Final Result

Materials

• photo
• scraps of fabric in colours to suit photo
• black homespun (frame, borders, backing)
• matching sewing threads
• heat ‘n’ bond
• batting
• scissors
• rotary cutter, mat & ruler
• sewing machine with walking foot
• paper & pencil
• fabric marker
• iron & ironing board

Step 1

Look at the photo and break it down into sections (sky, mountains, grass, etc). Make a sketch about the size of the finished wall hanging (A4). (See sketch 1). Sort fabrics for the different sections -
1. sky; 2. field; 3. field/grass; 4. grassy path. Mountain, chair and black for frame.

Step 2

Make a sketch without the mountain, the chair and the frame and add lines for the crazy patchwork shapes. (See sketch 2).

Step 3

Following the sketch work in sections:
A. Join the horizontal strips for the fields to determine the width.
B. Join the upper grass pieces.
C. Join the path pieces.
D. Join bottom corner grass pieces.
Join sections B, C and D. Then sew to A.
Straighten the edges using a rotary cutter. Join the pieces for the sky but do not attach to the fields.

Step 4

Draw the mountain shape (+ seam allowance along the bottom edge) onto paper and cut out. Iron heat ‘n’ bond onto wrong side of fabric and using template trace mountain onto paper side of heat ‘n’ bond. Cut out and iron onto sky. Close zigzag stitch around edge.

Step 5

Sew sky (+ mountain) to fields. Iron heat ‘n’ bond to wrong side of frame fabric and cut into strips. Place strips onto assembled picture to determine correct length. Cut to size, iron on and zigzag stitch over edges.

Step 6

Draw chair on paper to correct size and cut out. Iron heat ‘n’ bond to wrong side of chair fabric, cut out seat and back and iron in place. Use fabric marker to draw on arms and legs. Zigzag around seat and back then use a wider zigzag for arms and legs.

Step 7

Layer backing, batting and top and spray baste together. Quilt from centre to outside in the ditch and around the chair.

Step 8

Trim batting even with edge of quilt. Trim backing fabric to 3cm, turn in and fold over raw edge of the front and machine stitch close to the fold, sewing through all layers. Make and attach hanging loops at the back.

Rachel based her art quilt on the photo below, titled ‘Framing Arapiles’ by her friend Jacob Simkins.