BQS3 - All Done

Well here we are, approaching our posting deadline for the Brit Quilt Swap 3 Mini quilt. I already knew a bit about my secret partner and came up with an idea inspired by a holiday photo of a leaf - a big leaf.
I planned to make it in 3 separate panels but as it evolved, I wanted to join the three sections

The centre panel was a shot cotton, plaited straight onto some flat wadding. If you have never plaited strips of fabric before, I have a tutorial here. You can make strippy quilts from plaited strips, or borders or blocks. A good way of using up Jelly Roll scraps.

I added some hand stitches using just one strand of embroidery floss. I did start by using some sashiko thread but it looked too heavy.

The side panels were also stitched and flipped right onto the wadding. My first attempts had all the strips at jaunty angles and it really offended the eyes so I spent an hour or two with the quick unpick before starting afresh and going a bit straighter.

I machine stitched these panels in orange thread in vertical unevenly spaced lines. The fabrics I chose were mainly batiks, a little Aboriginal etc, and 90% of those taking part probably knew it wasn't destined for them.

Batik fabric isn't my favourite, but I don't hate it and find the online community reaction to it quite interesting.

I joined the panels together following the QAYG method of using two narrow strips of fabric per join. 

The Quilting Edge has great info on this technique.

When it was time to bind a friend suggested the frameless look that we had seen at an exhibition of Effie Galletly's work, a couple of years ago.

I used a single fold binding, I think I cut it to 2" - applied it n the normal way, all of the binding is folded to the back, a bit like rimless spectacles!

I bound the top and bottom normally, added a hanging sleeve and label.

Extras are ready, just needs wrapping and posting - and then the anxious wait to see if my partner likes it!!