I realised that it would probably be cheaper (and ultimately more satisfying) to print my own fabrics for the quilt. I have tried all sorts of image reproduction techniques in the past, but deciding to go with old fashioned stencilling for the rough aesthetic I was seeking. So, I drew out my images and cut them from stencil plastic with a craft knife.
I drew out rather a complicated plan for what my finished quilt would look like and what measurements of fabric I would need for each section, and decided to sew the central square together prior to printing so I wouldn't have to worry about matching the pattern later on. Here is the first stage of printing in progress:
And for a contrasting border, I cut another stencil, loosely based on a pair of pyjama bottoms I am quite fond of:
As we are still in our small 1-bedroom flat, I did rather monopolise most of the living room during this process, so I think Theo was quite pleased when the printing was over!
Anyway, the stitching began, and our cat Reg, who usually rather enjoys stomping all over my craft projects, was a bit freaked out by the new addition and as such has left it alone for the time being. I picked up some discounted Paul Smith shirting fabric for the backing (£4.99 a metre - cheap, until you calculate that you need 5 metres of it...) from Ditto fabrics in Brighton, a really beautiful fabric shop.
So now I'm just stuck with the enormous task of quilting the whole lot. It would definitely help if I had a special quilting foot for my sewing machine, which apparently ensures that all the layers of the quilt sandwich are fed through at the same time, preventing puckering. I'm a bit impatient though, so I've started the process (very slowly) with a standard machine foot. The above shows my progress so far, and it's about a quarter done, so I'll definitely be busy for the next few weeks to get it finished. I'll show you when it's done!
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