A quilt design dilemma
 

Looking for suggestions...I want to make a quilt that uses the words from a wedding invitation, which is in French (which I do not speak). I’m thinking of creating a center panel, with pieced blocks around it. So I’m trying to decide on an easy technique for the letters. Anyone have any suggestions for doing that? The idea of appliquéing 120+ letters is a daunting (and boring task). I’ve looked for individual letters that I could cut/piece together without luck. So I’m hoping someone has a novel approach to solving my quilt dilemma!

To me,
words + wedding + quilt => embroidery

I quite enjoy hand embroidery. You'll be surprised how quickly you could stitch it up.

I would draw/write it out, then stitch all in the same floss. Probably one with just a slight contrast to the background fabric. Maybe you could find out the wedding colours for your fabric and floss choices?

You could emulate the wedding invitation by enlarging it.
Then use that to trace from, over a light box.




ha! .... looks like as I was typing you were thinking the same as I, Tartan! :)

Another thought would be to take your invitation to a printing place, think Office Depot or Staples, and get it enlarged, then get them to print it on your background fabric. I am thinking you would have to use freezer paper to attach the fabric so that it would go through their printer. Then, you could use fabric paints, or whatever to enhance the invite. fyi, I would take a couple of pieces or even 3 just to make sure you get a good copy on the fabric. This would work especially well, if they like black & white quilts with another accent color. You could take this scheme one step further and make it a signature quilt. It would be a forever memory of their wedding day.

Edited to add: some examples
https://www.google.com/search?q=sign...iw=982&bih=653

first i would make certain of all words you are to use are correct. otherwise it could be a disaster. maybe something else would work better, still with a "french" theme.

Confused here ...... if she is copying the invitation, where would be the concern?

I really like the idea of copying the invitation but that might not be what the OP has in mind.

Some of my friends have lovely wonderful expensive embroidery machines with scanning capabilities. They would be able to take particular words and phrases and embroider them to a large scale so long as it fit within their hoop.

I would think that even if you didn't have friends with expensive machines if that was the route you wanted to go you could find a local home embroidery business that wouldn't be too horribly expensive, especially if you provided the fabric.

I found 2 paper-pieced alphabets here, they're not blocky, more like cursive script and are really pretty. Click the "alphabet" button located under "follow".

https://payhip.com/quietplay

just words from the invitation. that is why i mentioned getting someone who knows French to help.

That would be a disaster! Luckily my daughter speaks French and she has the actual invitation. I’ll make sure the translation is triple checked!

I’ll check that out. Thanks!,

[QUOTE=nativetexan;8275077]first i would make certain of all words you are to use are correct. otherwise it could be a disaster. maybe something else would work better, still with a "french" theme.[/QUOTE

There are printable papers/fabrics that you can use as shown here.

https://electricquilt.com/online-sho...-fabric-paper/

The other option as mentioned is to ask someone with an EMB machine that can make the center panel for you.

This site has lots of downloadable free fonts ...
https://www.dafont.com/

Could you send the invitation to Spoonflower and have them make a center panel of fabric for you in the size you want? I've never done Spoonflower, but I know that they can make wonderful custom fabric inexpensively.

I'd find some one with an embroidery machine and pay them to do it.

I've used Spoonflower before and they did a wonderful job on my mother-in-laws quilt seen here:
https://www.quiltingboard.com/pictur...h-t155965.html for the crossword puzzle and clues. It would have taken me hours and hours, or years LOL to do this in individual lettering.

It would be worth the money to find an embroiderer to do this by machine. The results would be stunning. If there isn't an embroiderer locally, try etsy. Check reviews.

Sent you a PM. Thanks

Thanks for everyones responses and suggestions. I now need to sit down and make a plan! Patt

I think this suggestion would work well. I have not done it myself, but a client did this with photos for sisters 50th wedding anniversary. She said they had special supplies copied the pics and ran them through ink jet printer. Try looking on UTube I bet there are some tutorials there.