I have been so busy actually making and completing things that I haven't had time to blog about them! So today I'm taking time out during my Christmas New Year break to tell you about the completion of this long-term project.

In July, I shared my last update. I was using my recovery period after serious back injury and hospital time to hand stitch the 15 eco dyed vintage wool blocks for my second book quilt. Stitching is great therapy, and it helped me to be patient and calm while my body slowly recovered. I mostly worked on the couch in our living room, listening to music as I free-wheeled the design of each square.

I have a working studio in my gallery, and when I was well enough to go back to work, I continued hand stitching in between customers. I took my time, and allowed my intuition to guide me in the placement of each stitch, the choice of each thread colour and the attachment of buttons from my collection.

Gradually, the pile of finished blocks grew. The last stitches went in about 10 days before Christmas!

Then it was time to make the backing. I planned on a quilt-as-you-go assembly technique similar to my first book quilt, so the quilting would be done in separate squares. However, unlike the front, I would be machine stitching them this time, using fused layers of eco dyed vintage silk and wadding, and free-motion quilting. (The fabric I had initially prepared for the back will now be used for something else!)

After a couple of marathon sewing sessions, all the backing squares were quilted. I was really happy with how they turned out, after some initial trepidation.

Since I wanted the book quilt pages to be quite firm, I decided to fuse the front and back squares together, using a fusible web called Vliesofix. The next thing to be done was to trim each square to exact equal sizes, which I did with my rotary cutter.

A line of straight-stitch machine sewing just inside the edges came next, before joining the squares in a pre-arranged order with a 3-stage zig zag stitch (also called tricot stitch), again by machine. My book quilt was beginning to take shape!

To add a sharper edge visually - and for strength - I used some vintage ribbon from my stash to edge each gap and square. A lovely programmed trailing leaf stitch pattern was exactly right for this.

Finally, on 22 December, the book quilt was finished. Since my grandaughter Amaya had helped me collect the leaves for eco printing the fabrics, the plan was to give it to her for Christmas. I was so relieved that I was able to get it done on time!

Amaya, who is 8 years old, loves her new book quilt. I have added a rod pocket on the back so she can hang it up in her room.

However, she also loves puzzles, so after a few minutes, she worked out how to do the rather complicated folding technique needed to turn the quilt back into a book.

This was a collaborative project, and I hope she will treasure it for years to come!

Zero waste and eucalyptus - part 2

Zero waste and eucalyptus - a perfect match

Dyeing with avocado and red cabbage

Turmeric as dye

Behind the Scenes

Pure indulgence!

A Labour of Love

Rita Summers