The Story behind Vintage Jewel

I first doodled the design for Vintage Jewel, table runner VI (18" x 48") in the fall of 2014. 

I was in-between sessions at our church’s annual Women’s Conference. The focus of the conference was our identity in Christ.

 It didn’t make sense for me to go home, and I already had my Starbucks, so I sat on the floor, my favorite place to sit, thinking and doodling.  I pondered who and what I thought God created me to be and do, including the business, Eye of the Beholder Quilt Design. The quilt business was growing, and I was working my way towards retiring from teaching dance and choreography.

Creativity is at the core of who I am created to be.  I’ve choreographed dances for decades and trained countless dancers, and now I was choreographing quilts. 

When I came out of my thoughts, I really "saw" what I had doodled. Does that ever happen to you?

I was thinking about finery, beauty, elegance and gems.  The design could be a ring or an antique brooch.  Something that is so elegant it is timeless.  Something that is so old, an heirloom, that you value it and feel your connection to those who have gone before. And so beautiful, that you feel beautiful and loved when you wear it.  So you wear it every day, even with blue jeans, just to be reminded.  Have you ever had something like that?  I love things like that.

In early December, 2014 I went with my husband to his Christmas party.  It was held at the Denver Art Museum.  They had an absolutely gorgeous exhibit of Cartier jewelry that I spent hours going through. 

My ideas for Vintage Jewel, table runner VI crystallized, and I determined to make this design next.

Island Batik then sent me their fabric images for Spring and Summer 2016 to design with.  I fell in love with the blue and green fabric (111600506) from the Landscapes collection.  I added to this a textured cream (BE29-F1) and a swirly amethyst-like purple from the Surf Squirt collection (111611129).

Gorgeous, I thought.  I could already see Vintage Jewel's filigree scroll work set with Amethysts in my mind’s eye.  

By the way, I'm partial to Amethysts.  It is my birthstone, as well as the birthstone for my two fabulous sisters. (Come meet them at my booth at the Vermont Quilt Festival, June 22-23, 2016.)

Reverse Applique and Applique by Hand

My fabric arrived and I began.  First, I traced the design on the wrong side of the background.  Some of the shapes, though, are for applique-represented by crosshatching on the pattern. (see picture above)  In those shapes I put an “x” to remind me not to baste them when preparing for my reverse applique.

I basted all the reverse applique filigrees.  I snipped away my top fabric with my specially honed Kai bent handled scissors. I clipped my inside points and curves with my specially honed straight Kai scissors, and began to stitch with my No. 11 Milliners needle. (See Hand Reverse Needle-turn Applique tutorial)

But I got impatient.  I wanted to see how my appliqued Amethysts would look.  I lay the purple fabric on the front so it covered the tracing on the back. Pin-basted and then basted with a No. 7 sharp needle and my basting thread.  I cut away the top fabric and appliqued on my purple Amethysts. (See Adding a Third Material tutorial)

I admired my piece, and smiled. I liked it.

I got the boost I needed.  I returned to finishing my reverse applique.

Time for quilting

This is a hand reverse applique and applique pattern.  When I stitch by hand, I like to quilt by hand.  Vintage Jewel went into my quilting hoop and I began. 

First, quilt – in – the – ditch to make the reverse applique recede and hold the quilt sandwich decoratively together. 

As I was quilting the basics, I was brainstorming about what other quilting to do. 

I quilted in some details and dimension to highlight the design and enhance the elegance of Vintage Jewel, table runner VI.

Don't forget to send us a picture

Email it to us at info@eobquiltdesign.com.

We will post it, with your first name, in the "Customer's Creations" album on our Facebook page, and email you a 10% off coupon towards your next purchase on our website.

Quilt Store owners

Patterns are also available from Island Batik with your fabric order, and from Checker Distributors. 

See Vintage Jewel, table runner VI (18" x 48") live and in person at Island Batik’s booth, #1021, at International Quilt Market/ Spring, May 20 – 22, 2016.  Stop in to say hello to us: booth 1322.