Rhonda Bracey: At Random

This was quite a traditional snowball block quilt, with lots of small floral fabrics used in all the scrappy squares.

I stitched in the ditch around all the blocks first, then did the cathedral windows/orange peel motif in all the blocks of little squares (each scrap square was about 1.5 inches square),with a half flower in the half square triangles setting off the snowballs. In each snowball, I did a single loopy spine and bulbous feathers. All stitching was done in the same variegated pastels (pink, yellow, green, blue, and cream) thread. In the black floral border, I did flames all the way along. I didn’t stitch the pink border.

(Click on a photo to view it larger)

Threads used:

• Top: Fil-Tec ‘Harmony’ (‘Spring’, colour 14062; 40 wt cotton)
• Bottom: Fil-Tec ‘Glide’ pre-wound bobbin in white

I liked this bright scrappy quilt! The crisp white set it off perfectly. I think this pattern was used (http://weddingdressblue.wordpress.com/2012/09/24/tutorial-film-at-five-quilt/) or a variation of it.

How to quilt it? First I stitched in the ditch around all the blocks to stabilise the quilt. My next thought was ‘modern’ with lots of straight lines, but then I decided to just do the straight lines in the centres of the sashing and border strips, using white thread. Once that was all stitched, I tackled the small squares. This time I decided to do the cathedral windows/orange peel motif as it’s quick, easy, and gives a great effect of circles and/or flowers. I used a variegated red, yellow, blue, and green thread for these sections. And I finished off the sashing/borders with the scrappy squares using the cathedral windows motif, but in white thread.

(Click on a photo to view it larger)

Threads used:

• Top: Confession: ANCIENT cotton overlocker thread in both white and a variegated red, yellow, blue and green! Using up my thread stash…
• Bottom: Fil-Tec Glide pre-wound bobbin in white