A quilt design dilemma
#1
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 465
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知 thinking of creating a center panel, with pieced blocks around it. So I知 trying to decide on an easy technique for the letters. Anyone have any suggestions for doing that? The idea of appliqu駟ng 120+ letters is a daunting (and boring task). I致e looked for individual letters that I could cut/piece together without luck. So I知 hoping someone has a novel approach to solving my quilt dilemma!
#2
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 41,467
I would embroider the letters. Many antique signature quilts with embroidered names still look good today. The other option is pick a font, enlarge it to the size you want and wonderunder the letters in reverse and then iron down and blanket stitch around each letter.
#3
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
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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!
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!
Last edited by QuiltE; 07-09-2019 at 05:58 AM.
#4
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: The Deep South near Cajun Country, USA
Posts: 5,386
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
Edited to add: some examples
https://www.google.com/search?q=sign...iw=982&bih=653
Last edited by Barb in Louisiana; 07-09-2019 at 07:09 AM.
#6
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
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#7
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Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Greater Peoria, IL -- just moved!
Posts: 6,071
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.
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.
#8
Super Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Pacific NW
Posts: 9,406
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
https://payhip.com/quietplay
#10
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 465
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!
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