It feel so good to be this close to finishing Love Entwined... this month we make the last applique blocks, the corners for border 4. As we approach the end, remember how important details are. So relish your last zig zags and flowers for we have reached the end of the applique required to make this quilt. Wow! This is where we are up to: the final borders will be added next month in our final installment See you over in the Bom Group! ‘Love Entwined 1790 Marriage Coverlet’ is a Free 18 Month Historic BOM Each ‘block’ of the month is released monthly, on the 15th of each month. All ‘blocks’ are available for download via my Yahoo BOM Group only

Hi Everyone, lovely to be able to blog again after nearly two weeks of no internet. Amazing how you get so used to just clicking the mouse and being in touch with everyone, was an interesting couple of weeks but I did get lots done, including cleaning up the garden for winter. I had just completed part 11 borders and attached them to my quilt top and was ready to upload this photo. Loved making the part 11 borders. The oval braids I thought would be difficult but they were a real pleasure to both make and sew. Because my border fabric has a textured surface I didn't draw placement lines for my braids, only marked major points and the placed the ovals by eye. There are several variations of curves along both these and my part 12 borders but I like this as it feels more free - if that is the right word. Have tried to enhance a photo of my border fabric as I think the camera is being fooled by all the other fabrics and colors and showing this fabric as a lilac grey and it isn't!! Not sure if you can really see the texture of this fabric. All the paisley pattern is a raised thread in a beige/brown, the background fabric is white and has a widthwise rib which has meant joining my borders and mitering corners for my part 11/12 borders to keep the flow same as in my narrow border. The reverse of the fabric is beige showing white paisley. This fabric is 100% cotton and in my mind only, could have almost come from the era of the original Love Entwined, if they made fabric like this then which I doubt. Gee, I do love how my vase looks in this photo, LOL I did change my bird a little, did not like my gold wings as the bird seemed insignificant, wings replaced with dark burgundy and now my bird takes it's proper place in the bottom border. Another change. I felt my pastel flowers in my Kimono fabric were just too soft so I bit the bullet and took color pencils to them - after testing on an offcut - am very happy with their slightly stronger tones. Now to my part 12 border. Being me I started early, I was up to date and knew I wanted my angels to be the same all around my border. I studied Esther's images in her intro notes but decided I wanted my dark angels inwards and my light angels out all around my border and my braids to match in the corners, so I used my part 11 pattern for this stage. The first lucky charms were the perfect size for using the medallion center of my compass and instead of the rose the flower from my center also worked a treat. I tried Esther's shamrocks in different colors but settled for hearts, from Esther's Lily Rose - perfect size and shape - and just seemed to add to the marriage theme. The small stems were a problem with my background fabric, I had struggled to make my machine stitched stems in the first border center medallion strong enough so decided I would use fabric and a very narrow zig zag stitch on them. Same zigzag stitch around my small hearts. Esther's little flower's for the second medallion were fine, I used my machine's eyelet stitch for the centers. The Center medallion, easy choice, a touch of the dark blue from the other border and gold eyelet centers. Another medallion center for these lucky charms worked fine but I tried many options for the shamrocks before LE told me to just stay with hearts. Border complete the most exciting moment, stitching my border into place and mitreing my corners. I used a variation of Esther's method for mitreing my corners - Esther has a tutorial on her blog. With the bottom border laid flat I folded my top border under on the diagonal until it had the correct alignment then pressed into place and carefully pinned along the folded edge. Next I simply blanket stitched along the folded edge and then trimmed away my excess fabric at the back. A nearly invisible seam which will almost completed covered by the willow tree next month. Back on my wall where I can view it all the time as I work on the next border. I love how these borders have come together, Thanks so much Esther for giving us this wonderful pattern. Linking now to Esther's WOW Enjoy your week everyone, Jenny

Valerie Harmer saw Love Entwined on my blog and decided that she needed a challenge. Well, I think she succeeded! But let me tell you how - this stunning quilt you are looking at is hand sewn (applique), hand embroidered and hand quilted. What a feat! And it just won: Mixed Techniques: 1st Prize at the Queensland Quilter's Quilt and Craft Show This incredible heirloom will be going to a grandchild. She's made all her children quilts upon their marriages and is continuing the tradition for her grandchildren in turn (she has 10!). I'm in awe of her workmanship and just so in love with this beauty. Thank you Valerie for sharing your images with all of us. We all love seeing the work, time and passion that goes into making Love Entwined and I'm grateful to you for being generous to share it with us all to swoon over. This quilt will be added to the Love Entwined Gallery so it can be enjoyed alongside other LE's as and when they're made. If you've made LE, please consider sharing it with us all via the gallery. Details on how to do this are listed on my website, click here for the link. Personally, I'm surprised that so many LE's are starting to appear all over the world - you all work so fast! I must have the most talented quilt readers on the internet. The joy of sharing beautiful quilts thank you for sharing your quilt Valerie :)

Center of Love Entwined from Esther Aliu's site. Have you been keeping up with Esther Aliu's pattern for this 1790 Marriage Coverlet? Happy Appliquer's center Esther's inspiration was a poor black and white snapshot in Averil Colby's 1956 book Patchwork The pattern is an amazing feat. See her introduction here: http://estheraliu.blogspot.com/2013/06/introducing-love-entwined-1790-marriage.html Tiny's Hobby Corner And so are the quilts in progress.... Aubert France Esther's Pinterest Page is a good place to keep track of what's going on: https://www.pinterest.com/estheraliu/love-entwined-1790-marriage-coverlet/ Ineke Van Der Molen showing off her version in Supergoof's living room Narelle Birchall just sent a picture of her finished quilt. Quite an accomplishment for both pattern designer and stitchers. Congratulations!

Na heel gezellige kerstdagen heb ik even tijd voor een nieuw berichtje. LE...de laatste vaas is ook af! Herstellend van een vervelende buikgriep heb ik de maandag voor kerst het middendeel van de LE afgemaakt! Ik heb er dit keer ook nog wat bijtjes aan toegevoegd. Het werken met het oplosbarevlies als malletjes aan de achterkant van de stof en dan de naadjes erom heen vastplakken (met oplosbare lijm) bevalt mij heel goed, het appliqueren gaat daarna heel vlot en netjes. Het middendeel heb ik inmiddels gewassen (met de hand) om alle blauwe stift en vooral het oplosbaar vlies en - lijm, er uit te krijgen, dat ging heel vlot. Zie hier het hele middendeel! (de nieuwste vaas zie je rechtsonder) Heerlijk die fleurige kleuren met dat sombere weer buiten.... Daar moet gewoon die eerste border ook al omheen! Op naar de volgende ronde. Ik ben al druk met de nieuwe zigzagjes. Ik heb een handige manier verzonnen en uitgewerkt om de zigzagjes te maken. Ik zal er binnenkort een turtorial van op mijn blog zetten. Zigzag gewoon patchen ipv appliqueren.... Dus houd mijn blog in de gaten als je nieuwsgierig bent. Alvast een heel goede jaarwisseling gewenst! groetjes, Conny

Faith Mcleod has created an outstanding Love Entwined quilt; the applique is beautifully crafted in beige tones that create a sophisticated quilt of low contrasts; this allows the pinks, purples and blues to shine as subtle highlights. This pallette is intriguing, holding our attention and inviting us to look deeper into each block - what a beauty! This quilt is still an unfinished quilt top, Faith has assured us that she will add images of the finished and quilted top once it's been quilted. I cannot wait.. ------------------------------------------- LE Quilt Gallery------------------------------------------- Thanks to Faith Mcleod for sharing her finished quilt pics with us all to take inspiration from. If you'd like to see more finished quilts made from any of my patterns, visit my Open Gallery. It's a place for all quilters who make any of my quilts to show off their creations in a central online gallery. It's new and I hope you'll join us by adding your own quilt there. Submitting your quilt pics is easily done via an upload screen directly on my website. Clear here now if you'd like to submit your own quilt.

I got as far as (machine) basting my borders onto my Love Entwined top. A fairly laborious process to get to this point. I: Foundation pieced strips of fabric together. Ironed freezer paper zig zags that I'd traced from the pattern onto the back of the stripy fabric piece that I'd made, lining up the seams with the seam lines that I'd drawn. Ran a line of sewing along the middle to make sure that the freezer paper wouldn't shift. Cut out the fabric zig zags. Pieced the corner blocks over paper. Joined the corner blocks to the long zig zag strips Marked the top with the position of the border, pinned and then machine basted it down with a line along the middle. All I need to do now is to sew it down, turning the seam allowance as I go before removing the freezer paper. Not a difficult thing to do, but quite a long one! It makes adding these cones and daisies look like a quick job in comparison! I decided to make a slight variation on the pattern. Instead of appliquing one circle on top of another I put one inside another! I fussy cut a little dot before making a yo-yo that would let it peep out. It finished the size of a 5p piece, which is what I used to form my flowers. I think that I'm just about keeping up with the pattern, but need to add some other flowers as well in the next week....so the border may have to be a 'work in progress' for a while longer! Of course, it being the school holidays means that I haven't had quite as much sewing time as usual. As I've wanted to carry on with some of my C&G course too, my DDs and I have been enjoying 'bead week' - so far beads from fabric, Fimo and foil (also beads from a fabric and wire combination which haven't been photographed yet). Still to come (two more days of the week left!) beads made from other beads and paper rolled beads. That should be enough crafting fun for all of us, once you add in stamping ATCs, water colour pencil fun and general 'having a go' at other kits in the cupboard. My girls might not get a chance to be properly bored this summer but I'm hoping that crafts / daily music mini-lessons and plenty of time with friends in the fresh air will get them properly stimulated and then worn out! So, as you can see, I'm not really concentrating on one thing at the moment, but at least making some progress, even if it is scattered over more than one project! Sorry for the slightly odd layout of this blog post. Blogger and I generally get on fine, but one of us is being slightly awkward this morning!

Here is the Phebe center as it is today. I finally finished all the oak leaves and acorns! The red diamond corners are giving me problems though and I'm still trying to figure out how to applique them so the points are actually in the corners. I know some of you haven't seen what a finished Phebe quilt looks like so here is a scanned image. As you can see I have a little work ahead of me. I am so glad that the Ohio Stars are finished and waiting! I will probably not be posting regularly for awhile. Hospice has been called in to care for my mother. I am taking Phebe along to do what handwork is left while I sit with her. Quilting can be a great comfort. Take care, Mayleen

Valerie Harmer saw Love Entwined on my blog and decided that she needed a challenge. Well, I think she succeeded! But let me tell you how - this stunning quilt you are looking at is hand sewn (applique), hand embroidered and hand quilted. What a feat! And it just won: Mixed Techniques: 1st Prize at the Queensland Quilter's Quilt and Craft Show This incredible heirloom will be going to a grandchild. She's made all her children quilts upon their marriages and is continuing the tradition for her grandchildren in turn (she has 10!). I'm in awe of her workmanship and just so in love with this beauty. Thank you Valerie for sharing your images with all of us. We all love seeing the work, time and passion that goes into making Love Entwined and I'm grateful to you for being generous to share it with us all to swoon over. This quilt will be added to the Love Entwined Gallery so it can be enjoyed alongside other LE's as and when they're made. If you've made LE, please consider sharing it with us all via the gallery. Details on how to do this are listed on my website, click here for the link. Personally, I'm surprised that so many LE's are starting to appear all over the world - you all work so fast! I must have the most talented quilt readers on the internet. The joy of sharing beautiful quilts thank you for sharing your quilt Valerie :)

Zondagmorgen, het is nog heerlijk koel. Langzaam komt Goof weer bij haar positieven. Als het zo warm is als de afgelopen dagen dan is ze er even niet. Dan houdt Goof namelijk een zomerslaap,... Samen met de Love Entwined. Met het verstand op nul en de ventilator aan, zich heel ver weg wensend van de Hollandse tropische hitte. Natuurlijk, heeft ze 't toch heel warm. Maar dat negeert ze 'gewoon'. En op deze vroege zondagmorgen, is Goof weer helemaal bij na een heerlijke koele nacht, Goof werd zelfs af en toe wakker omdat ze het een beetje koud had zo onder 't laken. Natuurlijk werd er geen quilt bij gepakt. Welnee, echt niet. Het koud hebben was immers de ultieme wens deze week. ;o) Maar nu genoeg gebabbel over het weer, Goof, zei je iets over de 'Love Entwined'? Jazeker. Kijk maar, De bloemetjes zijn ook gearriveerd. Het zijn niet die mooie volgens het patroon. Goof heeft uit nog een oud Spakenburgs lapje, dat ze kreeg van Wilma, bloemetjes geknipt. Er zaten er precies 10 op, alsof het zo moest zijn. Die 'Spakenburgse bloempjens' zijn allemaal volgens de Broderie Perse methode geappliceerd. Het lijkt een 'makkie', een eitje, oftewel grote stappen snel thuis, om deze methode te hanteren in plaats van de bloemetjes van het patroon. Maar vergis je niet, ook dit is een heel secuur werkje. Goof was er uuuuuuuuuuren zoet mee. Maar dat was geen kwelling, dat wilde ze graag. Tijd voor de volgende Love Entwined stap, de sterren. In welke kleur en welk lapje? Helaas, deze Goof heeft nog geen idee. Ook voor haar is het een grote verrassing, en dat is nu net zo leuk, want 't maakt deze prachtige quiltreis onder begeleiding van Esther Aliu nog spannender. Mocht jij de Love Entwined Coverlet ook willen maken, dan kan dat zeer zeker. Klik maar op deze link van Esther Aliu, en dan moet alles goed komen. Deze BOM is gratis, maar de delen 1 en 2 zijn vanaf 15 augustus, als deel 3 verschijnt, niet meer gratis te 'downloaden'. Wil het aanmelden voor de Love Entwined BOM maar niet lukken, kijk dan eens bij SHIRLEY (klik), zij neemt in een duidelijk verhaal alle te nemen hindernissen stappen met je door. Dan moet het lukken. Succes. Fijne zondag allemaal,

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays Talk about exciting news! I think Jenny Henry might be the only quilter in New Zealand making Love Entwined and she just let me know last week that her LE had won Viewer's Choice for Amateur Quilt at the Auckland Quilt Show! WOW Jenny, what an achievement! Look at these beautiful tones, they're just incredible and it all looks so lovely, shining with it's own beauty and grace. If you can't stop at just one picture of this stunning quilt, visit Jenny's page over on the Love Entwined Gallery (click here to go there now). It really makes my day when quilter's let me know how they're getting on and when they share such happy news as this, well it's too good not to share! Well done Jenny! What's Your WOW? An InLinkz Link-up

Last week I blogged about Narelle Birchall and her LE - she is an extraordinarily talented quilter and the first person, as far as any of us know, to have finished Love Entwined. Am I serious?! Yes I am! Just thinking about it leaves me a little breathless. But Narelle isn't just talented, she's also generous and giving too. Last week we met up at Quilts in the Barn over in Wonga Park and I was able to see her work firsthand. This has been the first moment I've had to blog about the whole experience. Oh my. (L-R) Narelle, Brenda Papadakis and yes, that's me grinning in admiration and awe. It was cramped in there for a quilt as big as LE, but we were keen to unfold it and have a look at its beauty and it wasn't long before everyone present was desperate for a better look... So it was taken outside and pegged to the tennis court fence. It was an incredibly bright day and the glare was overwhelming for me, all my photos turned out blank or washed out and I got one of those instant sun headaches, so I was very grateful to Linda who knew my camera better that I do and put it on the right setting so that I could capture a photo with Narelle in front of her majestic quilt. We are both somewhat stunned by the light in this image, but I think you can see how spectacular Narelle's Love Entwined is. Narelle, you are talented beyond words. I can tell you that it truly is spectacular and that Narelle has accomplished years worth of work at a rapid pace. And yet, it's incredible in every way. Her fabrics, her workmanship, everything just left me speechless. I'm already at that stage with Love Entwined, where I just don't know what to say about it anymore. It has been an epic and heartfelt journey for me and I feel in many ways that I have done what I felt I needed to when I started this project. With the last installment released this month, I feel somewhat 'finished' emotionally with the drive that was needed to release it. From this point onward, it belongs to whoever makes it and takes on its own character at each hand. Seeing Narelle's quilt made me fully 'realise' that this quilt is out there in the world now and this leaves me deeply contented. Did I mention Narelle's excellent workmanship? She really is talented. This is perhaps the most difficult block in the entire quilt and she has made it look effortless and simple. It's very difficult to photograph a quilt like LE because there is so much detail and these details are not distinguished in overall quilt front pics. So here is a close up shot. I can tell you first hand that every inch has been made extraordinarily well, this quilt is a masterpiece. My deep thanks and gratitude to Linda who allowed us to unfold LE and then peg it on the tennis courts, and for taking the images I am in when I couldn't manage my own camera (honestly, I'm hopeless with those things), and to Brenda Manges Papadakis (that's a whole other post!) and of course to Narelle Birchall - its incredibly generous to take the time to show your quilt and to have allowed me to see it in real life. Thank you so much for thinking of me. Yes, Love Entwined is officially out there. What do you think?

I’m making very slow progress with my Love Entwined quilt … The truth is, I found stitching the zig-zag border very tedious (there, I said it!) and that led me to abandon the quilt for …

Part 1 of Love Entwined consisted of easing you in with a simple centre applique compass. After all, I knew you'd be busy selecting your fabrics and getting your work spaces in order to create this stunning and laborious heirloom. Naturally, it's all applique work. Many members mentioned that it was actually their first applique compass, so I must say, I'm doubly impressed with how many were made in such a short span of time. Many members made 2 or more compasses to choose from. How much enthusiasm can a single quilt inspire? Thanks to Bunny and Michele for posting these in the group Of course, I must be the slowest member in my own group because I haven't actually made my own one yet (of course I made a draft when I created the pattern, but I am still waiting on my fabrics. Yes! I'm really still in a fabric slump). Luckily, our group moderators are both enthusiastic and highly skilled and they've allowed me to show you what they've created, and yes, it's fabulous. There are hundreds of compasses over in the group now: each one is different and expresses a unique style. It's really interesting to see how this centre work of applique sets the tone for the entire square. There are going to be hundreds of Love Entwined quilts out in the world in the next 2-3 years and I am really looking forward to seeing them as they progress. Now for the compass. This is the kind of post I like to blog a few days after the Part is launched, but this month has been so crazy for me and I have been rushed off my feet: I'm lucky our moderators are so generous with their time so that I can share it with you here, now. Glenda had the wonderful idea to hand embroider rose bullions on her compass ring instead of the small applique circles. Glenda, I think you mentioned it was 8 hours work? Look at how marvellous these look, worth every minute. I tried to keep my DD away from Glenda's photo because I knew that when she saw it, she's demand rose bullion too.! But I'm afraid I'll be sticking with the applique on this one, my embroidery techniques are a bit too rusty! Bunny created machine embroidered roses which I also instantly fell in love with and here is Bunny's ring for around the compass, they look stunning! Of course, making your own ring for the compass doesn't mean you stop sharing you ideas! Here's the brass washers idea to help turn those small fiddly applique circles. Thanks again Bunny, I know a lot of members took this idea on. a lot of us couldn't believe something so common could be so effective, so Karen Van Dijk Nielsen helped us out with a photo Yesterday I mentioned that group activity inspires ingenuity: well here's an example, the thumb tack method. It's as simple as it is effective. I can't believe I didn't think of it myself. I've since tried it and yes, perfect little applique circles. Thanks to Marieke Hordijk for sharing this for us. Thanks to the members mentioned here who gave me permission to share their photos on my blog. There is so much sharing of ideas and methods over in the group that I can't wait to see how we approach and tackle each new Part. Part 2 will be released on the 15th of July and I suspect the group will fall silent for all least a few hours whilst everyone keenly examines the work ahead: we're really stepping up in Part 2 and the quilt centre takes it central shape. I'm already excited and can't wait to work through it with you. ‘Love Entwined 1790 Marriage Coverlet’ is a Free 18 Month Historic BOM. Each ‘block’ of the month is released monthly, on the 15thof each month. All ‘blocks’ are available for free during the month of their release. Any missed ‘blocks’ may be purchased. All ‘blocks’ are available for download via my Yahoo BOM Group only. 

Many thanks to Amy for so generously hosting the Bloggers Quilt Festival once again and a warm welcome to any linky hoppers who might be here for the first time. Welcome to my blog! Please consider leaving me a comment and come back again soon. This is the first vase from the centre of my applique quilt, 'Love Entwined: 1790 Marriage Coverlet'. It is an heirloom applique design and is a homage in remembrance to the original coverlet of no name, known simply as a 'fine marriage coverlet dated 1790' in Averil Colby's publication 'Patchwork' of 1958. This is a heritage quilt; completely and intensely devoted to applique. There's a lot of mystery and intrigue concerning the original coverlet - the unknown maker used motifs and elements not seen in her era and this has raised a lot of mysterious and intriguing questions regarding her place in society, the origins of the quilt design and her intention (and application) in making it. From the moment I saw this quilt, I recognized it as an extraordinary Georgian masterpiece and knew that it had to be revived and remembered for it's unique place in history. In 2013 it was all but forgotten. But not for long. I set about creating a pattern in remembrance to it and the unknown woman who made it. Once I had the pattern created, I wanted to ensure that this quilt and its motifs would be revived and recognized today - so I released it for free as a BOM over a period of 18 months. This month, October 2014, marked the final installment. Did you miss it? Don't worry, all the parts are now available for free download. Yes, this quilt pattern is available to anyone who is interested in making it, for free. Why? Because I want to see this quilt and elements of its design revived and remembered. This quilt is so intense and fussy that I couldn't possibly show you all my favorite details in one post. Of course I'm biased, but I think every detail is wonderful! So I'll just focus on a few details of the first vase. What I really love about this quilt, is that it is so intricate and busy. That's not usually my style. But I have found that as I spend hours working on certain motifs and pattern details, my mind starts to wander and wonder about the original maker. What was she thinking? How creative she must have been! Surely this quilt would have been the talk of society in her circle! For its true, we know so little, but what we do know (or can at least be confident) that she must have been of a certain class and society in Georgian England to have access to this hobby, its design process or purchase, its mathematical elements and the fabrics used. It's such an intrigue! And once you start devoting hours to this quilt, well, you just can't stop. This quilt really has a personality all its own. And every block is so intricate, you can really dress it up with all your skills and interests. There's plenty of room for fussy cutting, embroidery, embellishment and broderie perse. I'm sure a few charms here and there wouldn't go amiss either. Then, when you've selected an area to work on, you have the pleasure of reinventing it to suit yourself. Take this vase for instance - I fussy cut it from a wonderful fabric And yet, that still wasn't enough - it wanted more attention. So I spent several days embroidering very simply around the main design lines for that something extra and as you can see, it transformed my work from beautiful to heirloom. But what I really love is that when I make this quilt, I am a part of history, taking part in it and contributing to it. I wonder what our unknown maker, in 1790 would think if she could see me now... I can't even imagine! What I do know is that this quilt really shines when you pay attention to it, the more the better, And I can see it being worked for hours, weeks, months and probably years - one hour at a time in the drawing rooms of fine estates in Georgian England. I really wonder how many fine homes the original 'visited' as it was being made. You can probably tell, this quilt is dear to my heart and I love sharing it with others. Love Entwined:1790 Marriage Coverlet is a work of art, a piece of history and an epic applique masterpiece! I am hand sewing the whole quilt and using turn edge applique as my method alongside wash away fusible. Of course, it lends itself to raw edge applique too and from Averil Colby's description, there certainly is raw edge on the original. Thank you for visiting my blog today and for viewing my post on this very special quilt.

Het middenstukje van de Love Entwined by Esther is af..... The centre of the Love Entwined by Esther is finished.... Dit waren de eerste vier ster-bloemen... Ik laat ze even apart zien, omdat er zoveel stofjes in zitten, en vanaf een afstand is dat nooit zo goed te zien. These were the first four star-flowers.. I am showing them separately, because there are so many fabrics, and it is always more difficult to see them from a distance. en dit de volgende... Ik vind het heerlijk om alle verschillende stofjes in antieke quilts te bekijken, dat geeft me altijd weer inspiratie. Hoewel de foto van de originele quilt alleen maar in zwart wit is, kun je toch wel zien dat er veel stofjes in verwerkt zijn. ..and these the next four.... I love looking at fabrics in antique quilts, it always inspires me. Although the photo of the original Love Entwined coverlet is in black and white, you can see that many fabrics were used. Ze zijn allemaal geappliceerd met needleturn, zonder stijfsel of Floriani er in. En nu moet ik er nog vier, bij de zig zag rand. They have all been done with needleturn applique, without starch or Floriani inside. Now I have to do four more, near the zig zag border. Daarna nog even de rand afmaken, en dan is het al bijna weer tijd voor het volgende deel. Misschien krijg ik ook nog even tijd om verder te quilten aan Catalina's quilt....? After that I will finish the border, and then it is almost time for the next part of the pattern. perhaps I will get a little bit of time for quilting Catalina's quilt...? Vanmorgen vroeg was het zo mistig, ik kon bijna de buren niet zien.... This morning it was so misty, I could hardly see the neighbours.... Fijne dag Have a nice day Jane

Kijk maar.... Is het niet mooi geworden? Ben er heel erg blij mee! Wel heel anders dan de prachtige versies met Broderie Perse..... Dat was wel een lastige beslissing. Maar omdat ik het patroon van Esther Aliu (klik) zo mooi vond, gaf dat toch de doorslag. En het gebruik van de Apliquick-staafjes heeft me zeker geholpen. Ze heten niet voor niets "quick"..... :) Zijn er dus eventueel nog geinteresseerden in een Apliquick-workshop... even klikken voor het vorige bericht... (klik) Look.... Didn't it turn out great? Just different than the beautiful versions with the Broderie Perse.... That was a tough decision... But because I love the pattern made by Esther Aliu (click), that gave the decisive. Using the Apliquick-tools has really helped me! Even aan de waslijn... voor het grote geheel ... ;) Ik moet wel zeggen dat ik meer en meer verliefd wordt op deze prachtige quilt! Hanging on the washing line.... for the bigger picture.... ;) I have to admit that I fall more and more in love with this beautiful quilt! Nu kan ik even verder met de klosjes doorpitten; ook een leuk werkje. Er moeten er nog een stuk of tien en dan nog drie randen... We blijven altijd bezig....... HEERLIJK! :) Now I can continue working on the klosjes: also something I enjoy. I have to quilt a dozen or something and then three borders to go... Keeping busy.... and I LOVE it! ;) Geniet van je steekjes! Enjoy your stitching! Love, Ria. p.s. pootje van Amar! p.s. paw from Amar!

Eleanor Montgomery Smith is a talented quilter who's on her own journey towards creating Love Entwined: 1790 Marriage Coverlet, in her own special way. Eleanor is also a Moderator in my Facebook BOM Group (lucky us!) and when I saw some progress shots of her LE quilt, I immediately asked her if I could showcase her progress here on the blog for all to see. She has generously agreed and I don't know about you, but I'm swooning! As you can see, Eleanor has a beautiful way with flourishes. When I released the Love Entwined pattern, I really hoped someone would take it and make a heavily embellished version - just so I could see what it would look like. Although I am a lover of classic applique, I could already see during the design process that this was a quilt that could take as much embellished flourishes as anyone could care to incorporate into it. And look at this - someone has! I'm on cloud nine just taking it all in with my eyes! Ribbon embroidery is something I have always admired and it really finds itself in this design - these enhancing touches are so special and give the eye so much to take in - it makes an already special quilt extra special, wow. The borderie perse Eleanor opted for looks custom designed - and I suppose that in a way, it is. How beautiful! I'm also loving Eleanor's blue background and vase choices, her colour balance between the fabrics is just perfect. Each time I see another Love Entwined, that one becomes my current favorite because honestly, each and every single one of them speak with their own accent of beauty. They each have something different and special about them. And this somehow makes the journey extra special all over again. 'Special' is a word that keeps coming up over and and over again in connection with Love Entwined - the mystery, the intrigue, the tantalizing Georgian facts around the textile that make us pause for thought..and then carry on with our legacy. Anyone who's making their own Love Entwined understands - there's just something about this quilt. I found this border tricky, getting both zig zags, border and zig zags just so within the spacing, but you've done it beautifully Eleanor! this pot of broderie perse pansies has stolen my heart! Love how you incorporate your ribbon flourishes in this block, gorgeous! Thank you for sharing your progress with us Eleanor, I know this inspirational boost will be push some quilters out there need to pick up and carry on with their own LE WIP! As for myself, I was working on my own LE during the time when mother died and because of this, I haven't been able to get back into the right kind of mood to complete it. At least, until now I haven't felt it was the right time. I'm beginning to feel a little differently just lately. It's been over a year now and I'm thinking that it's time to finally complete and show off my own coverlet. Of course, when I do, you'll know all about it - every step of the way. I'm so lucky that until then and up until now, I've been able to feast my eyes on all the beautiful LE's being made by so many other quilters. Thank you everyone, for being so generous with your talent and motivations; it makes our creative hub on the internet a extra special place to belong - and having you all there makes all the difference. And an extra special and repeated thank you to Eleanor because as I mentioned at the top of the post, she's a Moderator in our Group and we all know, Moderator's make the BOM Group keep turning! In addition to my Facebook BOM Group, there's also an extra Love Entwined Group (because it's so epic it needed it's own space with it's own pace) for makers to connect and create. What about you? Are you making Love Entwined? Have you joined the Love Entwined BOM Group? Go ahead and join us as we share friendship, quilting tips and creativity. Love Entwined: 1790 Marriage Coverlet is a historic, heritage applique quilt made in remembrance and legacy of an original coverlet of no name, referred to only as a 'fine marriage coverlet' by Averil Colby in her publication printed in 1958. I created Love Entwined: 1790 Marriage Coverlet in homage to the original because I knew that this quilt needed to be remembered, acknowledged and recognized by all quilters everywhere as a work of magnificent ingenuity without peer or equal in its era. This quilt was originally released as a Free BOM over 18 months. The BOM is now finished. The pattern can be purchased via my online pattern shop.

I love this quilt. Today I unpacked my Love Entwined centre to take a good look at it. I haven't had it in my eyesight for a few weeks since I went looking for a border fabric to take me into the next stage. I still haven't found the right fabric but I'm not worried, I know it will show up when I'm not looking for it. This morning I pinned it up on the wall to remind myself just how far I've come with my own heirloom version of this quilt (because I forget) and how lucky I am to be able to enjoy seeing the hundreds of LE's floating around out there (because it's time to pause and take stock). Love Entwined is an extraordinary quilt and I am more in love with it today than I was when I first started this project. I've been meaning to post an update on this quilt in response to queries and emails I keep receiving (and which I love receiving, thank you), so here it is: I have completed my centre and will aim to complete it when I find the right fabric I'm almost finished on my Love Entwined 2 (variation pattern) and that one is in red and white I have decided that I will release a Love Entwined Coffee Table Book (because this quilt wants to be seen) and it will be published for members on a not for profit basis. I will put all the details up here on my blog as well as over in my group and will create a submission process whereby you can contribute your own quilt images once you're ready. With a quilt this epic, I think I'll wait another 12-18 months before launching this, although it depends on the finish rate. I might open submissions soon and allow quilters to add their entries as and when they finish. I've been shocked by how quickly quilters are actually getting it made, so I will likely get onto it this year Yes, I agree that a LE Exhibition would be a wonderful idea, but I haven't given it much more thought other than that at the moment. I think it is something we would do to coincide with the release of our book. And I envision it happening in the UK (or not? who knows?) and possibly the Netherlands as there are so many LE's there. This is something I will throw open over in the group for discussion when the time arises. Love Entwined was released and available for free, for over 18 months. It will not be released again. I'm sorry to disappoint but I don't re-release BOMs. I have no update regarding the original coverlet. I attempted to contact the owners to ask them to share images of the original with us all and they have declined to respond. This is disappointing for everyone, but I respect their right to do what they like. I have always felt that the original coverlet was an article of historical importance, and wanted it investigated and preserved as an important piece of history. This has not happened and there's really nothing more I can do about it. I did what I could by reviving this pattern and that is my part in this story. Every quilter who has gone on to make LE or a project based on LE becomes a part of this story themselves in their own special way. And I'm proud that we all joined forces to give this pattern a life beyond the pages of a book where it was long forgotten. We did what we could. Who knows what tomorrow brings? Love Entwined touched my heart, that's why I released my own homage as a pattern to the wonderful and mysterious original; but I could have never foreseen the friendship, generosity and community of women who have come together to share their work over in my Yahoo BOM Group. When I look over the photo albums, I am struck by just how generous and friendly our group is. And so talented too. It really brings me joy to see LE made in so many different ways and in so many styles. I really love them all. I think this has been the best thing about the whole experience -connecting with other quilters. Thank you for making that possible. We still have so much LE joy ahead of us and I personally can't wait to get there with you.

The theme of elements is continued this month as we complete Border 3 the Lucky Charm and Rose Wreath blocks As in Part 11 last month, the angels and poseys continue throughout border 3 and there's plenty of room for embroidery and broderie perse to embellish in and around the blocks. In Parts 11 & 12 the 'wreath' segments turning around the inside blocks have been coloured in two greens throughout my sketches; however in real life I am making these segements in an assortment of scrappy's as I think the original indicates. Yes, all parts of this historic quilt are still available for free! Join TODAY and start this heirloom quilt YOURSELF! ‘Love Entwined 1790 Marriage Coverlet’ is a Free 18 Month Historic BOM Each ‘block’ of the month is released monthly, on the 15th of each month. All ‘blocks’ are available for download via my Yahoo BOM Group only

I’m making very slow progress with my Love Entwined quilt … The truth is, I found stitching the zig-zag border very tedious (there, I said it!) and that led me to abandon the quilt for …

…a pot of tea, an open fire and some quiet stitching on a Sunday afternoon I’m working on a new appliqué quilt called ‘Love Entwined’. It is an historic appliqué quilt dating back to 1790, which h…

Faith Mcleod has created an outstanding Love Entwined quilt; the applique is beautifully crafted in beige tones that create a sophisticated quilt of low contrasts; this allows the pinks, purples and b

This magnificent quilt has been made by Narelle Birchall. Narelle is an Australian member of my Yahoo BOM Group and has been posting her progress pics over there for us to all enjoy. I do believe th

En zo, stonden vanmorgen de tafels en vele stoelen uitnodigend klaar, voor alle cursisten, die zo lang hebben moeten wachten, op de speciale tweedaagse workshop die Susan Smith op uitnodiging van Quilt it & Dotty kwam geven. Ons geduld werd danig op de proef gesteld, JA ECHT, want Susan's toernee ging eerst langs heel veel quiltwinkels in Engeland en Nederland. En toen, jawel, EINDELIJK was het zover. Op vrijdagmorgen zat m'n Supergoofhuis in 'n mum van tijd vol met lieve quilters, die allemaal speciaal gekomen waren, voor,... Susan Smith, die op haar geheel eigen wijze zonder allerlei gedoe,... liet zien hoedat zij appliqueert. en ondertussen konden alle quilters, lekker aan de slag met het Stonefieldspatroon dat ook al klaar lag. Als ze vragen hadden werden ze geholpen door Susan, op een hele rustige no-stress wijze. Geweldig. De catering was helemaal in handen van m'n buurvrouw Dorry en haar Mam. En ondertussen hielpen zij ook nog iedereen aan allerlei quilterige zaken. Want wat is het handig, dat je deur uit, deur in, loopt, en dan meteen in een lapjesparadijs terecht komt. Zo fijn als je net dat ene lapje mist. Uhm, catering zei je Goof. Vertel eens,... s'Morgens zaten we aan de koffie, thee met Limburgse vlaaien, en de lunch,... werd s'middags in m'n ouderwetse Goofkeuken uitgestald,... hmmm, lekker,... de heerlijke pompoensoep was er gelukkig ook. Ik noem 'm altijd Sinterklaassoep, omdat hij me door de specerijen, zoals kaneel, zo doet denken aan de Sinterklaastijd. Hmmmmm,... Er was vandaag zelfs 'n strijkijzertje in m'n keuken te vinden. Niet van mij, want ik strijk immers geen quiltlapjes, en dat vermoedde slimme cursisten al. Daarom brachten ze er eentje mee, Handig. Natuurlijk gingen we na de lunch, en ook tijdens,... ;o) verder met quilten. We hadden het keidruk, maar wel gezellig. We werden ook getracteerd op 'n show & tell van Susan,... zo mooi,... echt genieten,... Deze Goof wil dit nu ook allemaal maken, dat snap je wel. ;o) Maar we hadden nog meer mazzel vandaag, want als je quilters bij mekaar zet, dan wordt er van alles tevoorschijn getoverd uit tassen en manden. Wilma showde haar Love Entwined. *zucht* En Ien had haar Love Entwined ook meegebracht. Zo MOOI. *zucht* ;o) En wat dacht je van de hexjes van Mieke,.... Allemaal WIMmetjes (=Wil Ik Maken) voor mij, zo gaat dat met een quiltster die *flieft* wordt. Het was een heerlijke dag, die eerste verwenworkshopdag met Susan, de quilters, en Dorry en haar Mam. En weet je,... ..... .... Iedereen is nu weg,... ik ben helemaal alleen in m'n omgetoverde workshopwoonkamer,... samen met,... de Stonefields van Susan. deze Goof zit er gewoon met haar neus bovenop,... en de quilt is zo MOOI doorgequilt. Het is werkelijk waar een plaatje, met geweldig leuke en mooie details. Supergoof is HOME ALONE met de Stonefields. Ongelooflijk. Wat GAAF. En weet je wat ook gaaf is? Morgenvroeg begint de tweede workshopdag, met Susan, Dorry en haar Mam, Dorien, en dezelfde leuke gezellige cursisten. Gewoon nog een keertje. Dat is ook het fijnste zegt Susan, want als je dan iets niet goed snapt, of het lukt niet zoals jij het wilt, dan kun je het morgen gewoon weer aan Susan vragen. Geen enkel probleem. Fijne avond, voor alle meiden thuis en in de B&B's in Tilburg. En ook aan Susan, die bij Dorry logeert. Slaap lekker, morgen gezond weer op, dan gaan we Stonefieldsen. ;o) O ja, nog 1 dingetje. Hoe klinkt dat als je boven zit, en van beneden heel veel quilters hoort, die het reuze naar hun zin hebben? Volgens mijn man & spierballenzoon, als heel veel vrolijke en gezellig kakelende kippetjes in een Disneyfilm. Tja,... Dat weten we dan ook weer. ;o)

I really love my Yahoo BOM Group as there's always images up there that are downright inspiring. I'm honestly awed by the passion and creativity of my online quilting community - to say nothing of our

After months of countless handwork, I wanted a post to document my completely hand sewn applique top before I quilted it. Hand sewing has definitely bonded me to this quilt in unexpected ways. We all know what a mysterious background it has and the constant wondering of the woman who designed it in the 1800's is always there, lurking n the background. And, true enough, each time I took up my top to sew a little more, there was always a brief thought of her, the unknown woman, as I set about completing her extraordinary motifs in the pattern. looking at it now, I can barely believe I did all this work! I can tell just by looking at it, what time I did the work The small neat stitches were made during the day, the larger looser stitches were made during the night, I have two stitch speeds, daytime and nighttime :) now all that's left is to quilt it... The original Love Entwined Coverlet was designed to revive interest in the lost original - a cause many quilters around the world took up - managing to finding the original and reigniting interest in it's origins by taking part in the pattern. Thanks to this effort, this design is no longer forgotten and by the looks of things, will be around for many more years. This second version LE2 is a focus on the original centre panel but as a wall hanging and is therefore much more achievable for many more quilters. This pattern is currently not available, however I may make it available for publication in a magazine next year, depending on their interest to run it. My hopes are to have it published so that it may be professionally photographed - something I am unable to do myself. I'll keep you posted..

I’m making very slow progress with my Love Entwined quilt … The truth is, I found stitching the zig-zag border very tedious (there, I said it!) and that led me to abandon the quilt for …

This was an easy section. Four squares. I also added a new fabric which is in the leaves. It combines the turquoise and the green. I keep finding new fabrics to add. The last borders took so long, it was nice to have something quick. And here it is all put together so far.

Barbara Baker of Canada has graciously allowed me to share these images of her 'Love Entwined' quilt with you all. Be prepared to swoon, it's utterly beautiful. She has called her quilt 'Love and Frie

I’m making very slow progress with my Love Entwined quilt … The truth is, I found stitching the zig-zag border very tedious (there, I said it!) and that led me to abandon the quilt for …

Love Entwined: 1790 Marriage Coverlet is a historic, heritage applique quilt made in remembrance and legacy of an original coverlet of no name, referred to only as a 'fine marriage coverlet' by Averil Colby in her publication printed in 1958. I created this homage to the original because I knew that this quilt needed to be remembered, acknowledged and recognized by all quilters everywhere as a work of magnificent ingenuity without peer or equal in its era. I talk about these points in greater detail in the blog post archive listed below. If you are making this quilt, or have made it, please add a linky of your work as well as any Love Entwined related posts to the archive below for other quilters to explore in the future. This linky has been left open for this purpose. My aim in releasing this pattern was to revive interest in it, and I encourage you to make it, share your love for it and /or use elements and motifs of its design (acknowledging the source) in your blocks, projects and quilts if you are not making the actual quilt itself. Love Entwined: 1790 Marriage Coverlet was released over 18 months as a FREE BOM. It finished on October 15th, 2014. It is no longer available for free. It will not be re-released as a Free BOM. If you'd like to make it now, you can purchase the pattern here. If you're making this quilt, please say hello in the comments below and remember to visit our Love Entwined Gallery project page. You can add your own Love Entwined quilt there too. Simply submit by clicking here. This is my Love Entwined quilt progress so far... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Love Entwined Archive ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An InLinkz Link-up

My goal was to complete the center of Love Entwined (LE) by September 30th and I've done it! You might notice a few changes from my last post. I decided to use the red gingham "fried eggs" and replace