I was inspired to try Cathedral Window Quilts after receiving the new book by the same name, by Lynne Edwards. The wonderful color combinations as well as the umpteen variations throughout the second half of the book got me thinking…do I have to do this by hand or can I do it my machine?
Come to find out, doing it by machine looks just as good…and what a time saver! But if you have been looking for a good hand sewing project, this one is very portable and easy to work on.
A cathedral window quilt is not the same as a traditional quilt. Window panes are traditionally made from muslin or cheesecloth to create the translucent and light look generated from windows. The window frames are often made from heavier cottons or calicos. In the old days colors were used infrequently; however we now have an abundance of materials that can be used with translucence qualities, such as silks, organza, light cottons and many more.
The beauty of the traditional Cathedral Window blocks is that the finished product requires NO batting, NO hand or machine quilting and NO binding! When you are done, you are FINISHED!
While testing the variations, it reminded me of origami paper creations I used to do as a child, except this is with fabric. Many of the variations finish as actual blocks with seam allowance. This allows them to be easily inserted into a regular quilt with other blocks.
There is a special ruler that was made to partner with the book by Creative Grid. If you decide to purchase the book, I highly recommend purchasing the ruler at the same time. That way if it takes you a couple years before you actually try the techniques you don’t have to go searching for a ruler that may or may not exist at a later date.
If you want to experiment with a variety of techniques via a hands-on class, join us on Thursday, November 12, 2009 from 6:30 – 9pm. Call 605-332-4435 to register. Click here for a class description and a supply list.
If you want just the book and the ruler, call Heirloom Creations to order.
