Summer Picnic Rug

Remember these?

Heather Bailey, Nicey Jane

I flashed the stash with a wee blog post a few weeks back as I was gathering these Nicey Jane prints for a class project.  Well, 78 full brick cuts later (plus 39 wadding bricks) and 12 half brick cuts (plus 6 wadding half bricks) - whew(!), here's where I've got to:

Bricks cut and all sorted and labelled into rows

This class project is the Rag Quilted Picnic Rug, but I am beginning to wonder if this little quilt will ever see a picnic given the unreliability of our weather for the last four summers!  Anyway, picnic or no, this one is intended as a summer gift for someone in the family and will find a use at those summer bbq evenings where we all put on fleeces and huddle around the chimnea on the decking like hardy fools!  Imagine this cosy, but summery quilt around your legs while you finish a Pimms or G&T in the fading light (all sounds a bit more romantic than reality probably).

So all these lovelies will be quilted individually, like so

I am really enjoying this wavy line quilting!

then stitched together in a brick like format and finished by ragging up the raw seams, I think. If you want to see how it should look when it's done take a peek at Judith's own version which she is teaching us from.  I love her combination of fabrics which give this such a vintage feel.  I love this look - it's really cosy and familiar without some of the formality of other quilts, perfect for relaxed summer evenings.

I am enjoying the fabrics in this project so much - don't think I've ever had so much of one co-ordinating collection before and I really do love the lightness of the colours (though the yellows do add a bit of zing to proceedings).  I am going to struggle to part with this one and if I feel it's not being loved as it should might just sneak it away again at next year's family 'do'!  Alas, I think it will be loved and we will be parted forever.

PS you really should keep an eye on Judith's blog in early July when this class finishes up because there are some really gorgeous fabric combinations going into this project from all the other 'girls' at the class - I am envious of them all!