Rhonda Bracey: At Random

This bright colourful quilt was lots of white space, some applique, and a patterned fabric that looked like it was applique.

How to quilt it? I started by stitching in the ditch around all the blocks, applique pieces, and borders to stabilise it. I then echo quilted the appliqued and fake applique pieces, and did a stipple in the white space behind the fake applique blocks. In the setting triangles, I stitched a very simple fleur de lis type of motif, and then just some wavy lines in the borders. I left all the green sashing strips unstitched.

(Click on a photo to view it larger)

Threads used:

• Top: Fil-Tec Glide ‘White’ (40 wt, trilobal polyester, colour 10000)
• Bottom: Fil-Tec Magna Glide Classic pre-wound bobbin (white)

How to quilt this bright quilt?

I decided on stylised flowers, starting with a couple of arcs, then tracking back with rounded ‘petals’ and an echo, before starting a new ‘flower’. This is a variation on the open headband motif that I’ve done many times before.

The thread was a variegated pink, even though it’s called ‘Mauve’, which is a light purple where I come from!

(Click on a photo to view it larger)

Threads used:

• Top: Fil-Tex Affinity ‘Mauve’ (40 wt, trilobal polyester, colour 60149)
• Bottom: Fil-Tec Magna Glide Classic pre-wound bobbin (white)

This large quilt was full of autumnal colours, and a striking piece of backing fabric.

I was almost tempted to turn the quilt over and follow the design of the backing fabric for the quilting. However, I decided not to, instead stitching in the ditch along all the diagonal seams, then stitching large looping ribbon candy in the lighter coloured diagonal bands, leaving the darker bands unstitched.

For the border, I emulated the ribbon candy stitching really large loops of it to hold the layers together. The border fabric was very busy, so there was no point in doing anything too elaborate in it as it would be lost.

(Click on a photo to view it larger)

Back:

Threads used:

• Top: Fil-Tec Harmony ‘Tweed’ (40 wt, cotton, colour 14076)
• Bottom: Fil-Tec Magna Glide Classic pre-wound bobbin (light tan)

What a pretty quilt this was! I loved the colour combination of aqua and grey. And looking at it closely, it was made with a simple pattern I’ve used in a couple of recent quilts (https://rhondabracey.com/2015/09/07/baby-quilt-kaffe-fassett-fabrics/ and https://rhondabracey.com/2015/09/28/baby-quilt-with-tonga-treasures-fabric/).

How to quilt it? I wanted to something not quite floral, but not geometric either. I thought about big spirals, then decided to do a motif I haven’t done for a while — a spiral that comes out with rounded arms. It looks a bit like a flower, but it isn’t; it could also be a stylised Aboriginal motif. Anyhow, I thought it worked well with the quilt top design and colours.

For the border, I continued with the aqua thread and the rounded arms from the main motif, stitching elongated ‘u’ shapes of various widths.

(Click on a photo to view it larger)

Back:

Threads used:

• Top: Robison-Anton ‘Mint Julep’ (40 wt, rayon, colour 2310)
• Bottom: Fil-Tec Magna Glide Classic pre-wound bobbin (white)

I loved these orange fabrics and how this quilt design worked together.

How to quilt it? I started by stitching in the ditch around all the hexagonal blocks and their elements, except the white surrounds near the centre. Then I stitched white flowers in the brown centres, followed by straight-line ruler work a quarter-inch from the seam lines in all the orange parts.

(Click on a photo to view it larger)

Threads used:

• Top: Robison-Anton ‘Dark Tex. Orange’ (40 wt, rayon, colour 2469)
• Bottom: Fil-Tec Magna Glide Classic pre-wound bobbin (light tan)

This magnificent and bright scrappy quilt had heaps of small squares and half-square triangles, and almost as many flying geese! Someone spent a lot of hours making it. How to quilt it? The busy-ness of the fabrics and the design didn’t lend themselves to anything too elaborate that would get lost in the craziness of this quilt. So I decided to do an old favourite in the main part of the quilt top — my variation of Angela Walters’ swirls, which I think sets off the sharp points nicely. For the border, I just stitched in the ditch around the flying geese and the pinwheels in the corners.

(Click on a photo to view it larger)

Threads used:

• Top: Fil-Tec Glide ‘White’ (40 wt, trilobal polyester, colour 10000)
• Bottom: Fil-Tec Magna Glide Classic pre-wound bobbin (white)

This quilt had odd-shaped motifs in the blocks. How to quilt it? I started by stitching in the ditch around each half star while I waited for inspiration to come 😉

Eventually I decided to stitch half circles ‘behind’ each half star, with a quarter-inch echo — I used my semi-circular Handi Quilter rulers for these. I filled the background with a large meandering stipple.

(Click on a photo to view it larger)

Threads used:

• Top: Fil-Tec Glide ‘White’ (40 wt, trilobal polyester, colour 10000)
• Bottom: Fil-Tec Magna Glide Classic pre-wound bobbin (white)