up close...

 

 

...so that you could get a better sense of the fabrics I used to make it, I thought I would show you my patchwork up close, more zoomed in then in my last post... As you can see below, the fabric patterns are varied with the florals taking center stage, accompanied by some lovely plaids, textured solids, paisleys and even a couple of Toile de Jouy prints...

 

 

As I mentioned in my last post, the patchwork top is backed by a cotton corduroy and cotton batting is sandwiched between both outer layers; the whole is not quilted but tied at each joint between four squares with 4 ply cotton yarn as you can see here...

 

 

...and here...

 

 

I like to use corduroy as backing fabric because it is soft to the touch which is nice to have on the side of the blanket likely to be close to one's skin; also, by being a stiffer fabric especially when new, it gives the whole coverlet a crisp feeling which I love. Along with the corduroy backing, sandwiched cotton batting and some of the patchwork fabrics which are slightly heavier than quilting weight, whether of a home decor type (drapery and upholstery) or wool, the finished coverlet is far from flimsy; it has the feel of a blanket of some substance, perfect for snuggling under on cool evenings...

 

 

While there is no doubt that pattern and colour were key in my choice of fabric for this patchwork, texture was definitely on my mind when I put it all together. The textural side to this patchwork came to the forefront of my thinking as soon as I started to include wool fabrics with very defined and lovely textures into the design. I then asked myself what non-wool fabrics with distinct textures could mix nicely with textured wool, making the whole that much more interesting...

 

 

Barkcloth was my answer, and given that I have a nice little stash of vintage barkcloth sitting undisturbed for the longest time on my shelves, I thought it was high time to start cutting into it...

 

 

Admittedly, it was hard to do so at first because my pieces of vintage barkcloth have always been so very precious to me, but once I put a few freshly cut squares next to some wool plaid squares, I was so delighted by this mix of fabric that I quickly lost all my reserve as far as cutting into this vintage stuff...

 

 

If I counted correctly, I have included a dozen cotton barkcloth prints into this patchwork, all floral and leaf designs ... Can you spot them all in the photo of the full patchwork above? Some, I cut from never before used pieces of vintage barkcloth (I even have a few bolts of the stuff!), while others have been given a second life in my patchwork after being first used as drapes or upholstery. Given that some of this vintage cloth has been gently used before, it might not be as bright as it was originally; this doesn't bother me in the least and, in fact, I rather like it as I think it makes the finished coverlet more interesting, giving it a somewhat of a "patina"...

 

 

To make the look even more blossomy, I included a lot of other floral prints into the design; a good many of these are home decor cottons and, while not as textured as barkcloth, a lot of them have noticeable and very lovely weaves. A handful of these are very vintage, probably from the 50s and 60s, mostly brand new and never used with one, which I think is my favourite fabric of the lot, having had some gentle use as a slipcover...

 

 

While all the other floral prints in the patchwork may not be as old, I did buy some of them over 20 years ago now. There are two Laura Ashley prints in the mix which I bought here in Vancouver when there used to be a lovely Laura Ashley shop on one of the main streets downtown...(That sure feels like a long time ago now!) After not having touched these two pieces of fabric for all these years, I thought it was time I did...

 

 

In fact, to make this patchwork, I have dipped rather thoroughly into my pile of home decor fabrics which have been sitting untouched for much too long; fabrics from collections by Waverly, Ralph Lauren, Cyrus Clark and Martha Stewart are all in the mix...

 

 

There used to be a great clearance fabric shop in Vancouver which, amidst may other goodies, sold bolts of discontinued decorating fabrics; it was like a candy shop for me, and I found a lot of little gems there which I've now put to use in this patchwork. So, when I look at this coverlet and spot some of the prints I remember finding in this shop, it reminds me of how thrilling it was to happen on some of these lovely fabrics, often buried deep in big bins stuffed with fabric! In the midst of all these vintage and not so new prints, I did also include some newer ones like the Amy Butler decorating fabric in the foreground of the photo below...

 

 

At least a handful of the wool and wool-like plaids in this patchwork are also vintage fabrics which I've been collecting over the years; because I've always found colourful and bright wool fabrics hard to come by in my local fabric shops, I got into the habit of snatching up any such pieces in thrift shops whenever I would spot them. I would think that a good many of these brighter plaids like the white and turquoise one in the foreground below date from the 60s and 70s...

 

 

If you've read my blog before, you might know that I have a bit of a "thing" for wool fabric, especially when it is tweedy and nubby in texture like the yummy celadon fabric below with the blue, green and brown specks...

 

 

...or have pretty colour blends like the pink plaid below...

 

 

...or the green and blue ones below...

 

 

You can get a better sense at how lovely the green plaid's texture is in the photo below...

 

 

While there is a slight range in thickness and weight in the wool fabrics used in this patchwork, none of the wool squares have the density and heaviness of a coat fabric such as melton wool as they are not tightly woven nor felted. As far as the cottons I used, they range from quilting to decorating weight (drapery and light upholstery). While having these slight variations causes some of the seams to end up thicker than others, this slight bumpiness does not trouble me in the least and I rather welcome such "imperfections" (just like the slightly faded squares I incorporated into the patchwork), as it makes the look more homespun. I suppose that avoiding putting the thicker wool squares side by side and joining them instead to thinner fabric squares would help keep the seams thinner, something which I honestly didn't pay too much attention to with my final placement of the squares; I was more interested in how the colours, patterns and textures of adjacent squares played off each other.

 

 

I do hope I haven't bored you with too many closeups but I guess I just can't help myself! Thanks for visiting and I'll be back very soon...

 

 

 

Comments

[Allison]

I would be more concerned about the heavier weight fabric "pulling" at the seams next to lightweight fabric and causing the coverlet to wear poorly over time. It is a beautiful mic of pattern though.

[Beata]

Thanks Allison! I do think though that given the fact that the patchwork hasn't been quilted to the the other two layers and has only been tied at the joints, there is a lot more "give" and therefore less pull on all the seams than if it had all been quilted tightly together. I also didn't use any real lightweight fabric -- the lightest weight would be equivalent to quilting weight -- and the wool squares were not that tightly woven nor felted like melton wool for example.

Thanks so much for your comment -- it made me realize that I needed to clarify the weight range I used in this patchwork a bit better in my post. I hope it's a bit clearer now...

Beata xo

[Louise]

Beautiful mix of fabrics and lovely photos. I enjoyed reading about the history of some of your stash. Thank you for sharing!

[mrs robinson]

This is so gorgeous! And what a dreamy selection of barkcloth...

[kristin]

Beautiful...as always. You have such a way with color, texture, and prints. :)

How is your hip doing? Mine still comes and goes but is better on my anti-inflammatory diet.

warm wishes to you.

Kristin

[Angela-Southern USA]

Just fabulous! I love barkcloth,takes me back to my grandmother's house.

[Corrine]

I saw this on pinterest and fell in love with it. What a beautiful quilt.

[Susan]

Absolutely beautiful.
I've just come across your blog by chance. I'm in London. (Son in Canberra)

How do you plan washing this? I adore all the variety, but the wool concerns me........

Susan

[Reece]

If it isn't a 'trade secret', would you mind sharing how you have edged this quilt? Is it binded or sewn inside-out & then flipped? Thank you again for a beautiful blog :)

[Lucy]

Beautiful and I love each picture of it :-)