The Home in the Garden...A Finishing Technique

It was a little embarrassing that the picture of my quilt, "The Home in the Garden", was published in a few newsletters when it really wasn't done yet. It still hadn't been backed, the edges finished, the sleeve and label put on...I had just cropped the edges for the photo when I sent it off in an email to the Alliance's executive director to show her what I was up to.

But I need to get this quilt sent off to the Alliance for American Quilts contest and fundraiser, so I finished it for real yesterday and this morning.
Here is how I did it...
If you notice the corner triangles have that fused craft batting on them...I used this to stabilize the silk charmeuse of the triangles and give myself a good base for embroidering my leaves and stems.

I had to add equal weight to the center portion of the quilt so that it wouldn't look baggy on the front. Here I have used a little spray adhesive on some batting cut to size for the interior square, and smoothed it into place.

Next I did the same thing with an overall piece of batting, cut to the exact size of the finished quilt and spray/smoothed into place. I planned on using the "envelope" technique to attach the backing to the front/batting layer, and did not want that batting in my seam allowance.
Disaster nearly struck at this point, though.
I foolishly used my spray adhesive to spray the back of the quilt, not the batting. My aerosol can malfuctioned and a whole lot of the propellent came fizzing out, and soaked through to the front of my quilt, leaving some circular stains on the silk charmeuse. I know from experience that those stains can't be removed either.
Many panicked expletives later....you will see how I solved this.


But first, here is a shot of the trimmed corners after the back has been sewn to the front. You can just make out the seamline along the edge of the batting.

And here is the opening being whipstitched closed after the quilt has been turned right side out.

And here is the finished quilt.
See those butterflies?.....
Enlarge the picture with a click and you'll be able to tell the fabric behind most of them is a little discolored.
But I really like how they look, the random scattering of them on top of the totally symmetrical corners. And I never would have thought of putting them on there if I hadn't had to fix my disaster. So, hey!
I think the edge is finished pretty nicely for this little 15" X 15" quilt.

Here is the back...

I decided to use 4" wide lace for the sleeve, because I like how it looks and also because I am sick to death of making quilt sleeves. What can I say, it is the truth!

Now I have to create a 75 word "artist's statement" which I will mercifully spare you. Then I will send this all off to North Carolina....
It's not too late to create a quilt for this great cause. I loved making this...you'd enjoy making yours, too. Here are the contest rules...have a look....