Friday, July 23, 2010

Morrell Begins!

I've been busy with computer and other woes lately, but I'm ready to go full steam ahead now. After the background fabric I ordered turned out to not be suitable, I had to start over again, and this time got swatches first, something I highly recommend! I settled on a Benartex vine print, and I'm really pleased with it. It arrived yesterday, and I got the first Broderie Perse block prepped and ready to go.





I just don't like using fusible on my quilts, but I could see something was needed to prevent fraying, so I prepared mine using Misty Fuse. I may eat my words and end up using fusible, but so far, so good. We'll see how it holds up once I start buttonholing the edge.



The second block is a pieced windmill block, and here is the fabric. I haven't decided weather to overdye it or not, but I think I will go with it as it, since my backing is so light. Maybe I'll have to try dyeing a swatch to make sure, though. I'm so anxious to get started I just want to dive right in, but you know the saying - never time to do it right, always time to do it over, so I want to get it right the first time.




It's been so much fun tracking down fabrics for this, and I had plenty of time waiting on the background fabric, so I may have gone a bit overboard. You've already seen a lot of my chintz and floral. Here are some of the others I've found.

Some Carriage House, Treasures of York County, and Antebellum.




Charleston and Cambridge.




And some Sturbridge Scarlets.





I'm still searching for some yellows and golds I'm happy with, but I have enough to keep me busy for a while. Now to start sewing.

9 comments:

Janet said...

Your background looks perfect, I'm not sure I'm happy with mine. All the fabrics look great, I love the sturbridge scarlets especially.

Dorothy said...

I buttonholed my 1st broderie perse by hand ,then I machined buttonholed it, then I put silk thread in the machine and did the smallest satin stitch [very narrow] with a no8 needle. Beautiful. After learning to needleturn my buttonhole is atrocious. Just ideas if your not happy with how it looks.Fabrics look great. I have a lot of blue in mine.

Adele said...

Hi

im also doing the Sarah Morell quilt but im having trouble finding the Sophia Pearce piece of fabric would you be able to tell me where you purchased the fabric. I have been trying to track it down for ages now and have all the fabric for the quilt except that piece.

thanks in advance

Adele in Autralia xx

Quilt Station said...

Hi Lisa, I'm glad I found you. I saw you had subscribed to my blog a week or so ago and now i've found your blog through Janet's (I didn't recognise the name quiltr on the subscription)
Anyway, just wanted to say I'm glad you're working on the Morrell too, I like your background and the Broderie Perse fabrics at the bottom of your earlier post look gorgeous,I haven't seen those here in Aus.
I've bookmarked you and look forward to dropping by to see how everything is looking.
I'm not doing the Ann Dagg's quilt, I had put the applique centre in another quilt a couple of years ago but I am doing *slowly* Di's Phebe Warner quilt and even more slowly her 19th Century Baskets (I bought that pattern off Di when she had her shop in Melbourne so that was an absolute *age* ago)
Many thanks for adding me to the side bar, I'm going to do the same for you too.
Cheers Margaret

Beth said...

Lisa,

Your fabrics are a visual feast :-) Looking forward to seeing this marvel unfold.

Beth

Lisa said...

Thanks, Janet. I think finding the perfect background is the hardest part of any quilt.

Dorothy, thanks for the tips! Blue is my favorite fabric color, too.

Lisa said...

Glad to see you here, Margaret and Adele. I'll contact you both with fabric info.

Thank you Beth! I think I have enough fabrics here to make a couple of Morrells, at least. :)

Sue said...

Lovely lovely fabrics. Cant wait to watch the progress of Morrell

Hilda said...

Hi Lisa,
Thanks for another great blog :)
Wow - the Morrell is coming along beautifully - great fabrics (love the addition of that bright old blue) and a great start - congratulations and thanks for the inspiration!