It’s three weeks since I last shared with you my progress on the gorgeous Cottage Garden quilt, I am so enjoying making this one, I keep looking at it on my design wall and smiling to myself! It’s a design by Kathryn Whittingham and she’s put all the instructions in a lovely book. Three weeks ago I’d just finished all the embroideries for the bottom row…
This week I stitched them altogether…
First one tackled was the gorgeous pile of flower pots, I love this block! It’s surrounded by a narrow border in a darker red paisley and then a simple border of squares, it looks simple enough but it took me ages to arrange the fabrics in an order I was happy with! This block balances with the flower in a pot on the top row, which I stitched with the same red border. In fact this red border was the main reason I have stitched the bottom row before the middle row, as I wanted to be sure I had enough fabric left.
I’d already stitched a border on the beehive, but I wasn’t happy with the pink border fabric, it stood out too much, so I unpicked it and went for a sorter pink border instead…
The little pink heart is the centre of a log cabin block, this time I used fabrics with a hint of blue on one half…
The snail and the frog are the centre of saw-tooth stars, there’s also a flowery one which is the reverse of the star on the top row. The trowel has the same pink border as the fork on the top row…
I’d already stitched the border on the cute ducks, this has a light border like the three hens above. Finally I made four pinwheels and several blocks of squares as fillers in. The pinwheels are probably the only bit of the quilt I would change with hindsight, as I think they would have been better in a more dominating fabric, but having made the top row in soft shades I wanted the bottom row to balance.
So here’s the bottom row stitched together…
I’m glad I stitched the bottom row second as it’s helped me to balance the quilt, I realised fairly early on how Kathryn had managed too get a balanced quilt, which blocks correlated to each other. I’ve got the two pieces next toeach other on my design wall and I’m so pleased with how it’s working out…
I’ve just got the middle row to stitch now, though I’m not sure how much stitching I’ll get done in the next three weeks, but hopefully I’ll have something to show you.
Hand Quilt Along Links
This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another. If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.
Kathy, Margaret, Deb, Nanette, Sharon, Karrin, Gretchen, Daisy, Connie, Monica and Sherrie
I’ll also be linking up with Kathy’s Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday, please follow the link for more hand-stitched inspiration.
thecraftycreek 
Wow it really is coming together now and the colours are fabulous
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Your fabric colors blend so nicely with each other. The rows are so gentle, sweet and peaceful. Happy stitching the middle section!
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That’s just wonderful !! Well done so far.
Happy slow stitching this Sunday
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This is so lovely!!
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This is such a delightful quilt! Always brings on a smile. You have got a lot accomplished.
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So pretty! Well done!
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I really enjoyed reading about your thought process in piecing this beauty. This is truly so lovely.
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I love this project! So much fine stitching detail in each block… gorgeous!
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I love this quilt so much! Thanks for sharing your gorgeous work!
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I love this it’s beautiful so sweet.
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Such a beautiful quilt, I’m enjoying seeing it evole. Are you keeping this one for yourself?
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Definitely! Some quilts have too much work to give them away 🙂
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You did a wonderful job achieving balance on these two rows, they have just a soft pop to them, perfect with the fabrics. I’m look8ng forward to seeing the middle section develop.
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That’s a beautiful quilt in those colors. You are moving along pretty well on this project – 2/3 finished! Unless there’s extra border stitching, but still, on the body – yes!
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Thanks Susan, there is a border but nothing too complicated 🙂
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So pretty! I love the soft colors. It’s dreamy!
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