M5 Chapter 5 - Quilting, Padding & Stuffing

This chapter was about being experimental with quilting techniques, looking at fabric, padding and stitching.

Wadded Quilting

 

5.1 - Machine quilted cotton with bamboo batting, straight machine stitching and free motion machine stitching. This was a more traditional approach.

 

5.2 - Newspaper as wadding with straight machine stitching and free motion machine stitched pebbles using natural colour threads of different thicknesses.

 

5.3 - Pulled threads as wadding with fine muslin, free motion machine stitched pebble design.  I then snipped some of the 'pebbles' to free the threads.

 

5.4 - Close up of 5.3. The pulled threads under the pebbles just showed through to make another texture.

 

 

5.5 - Hand made felt with pulled wool tops as wadding with a net top layer. Hand stitched with straight stitching.

 

5.6 - Close up of 5.5. This made a simple design with a looser textured background.

 

 

Shaped Quilting

 

5.7 - Pipe cleaners bent and twisted, held in place with free motion machine stitching. This resulted in a pliable sample.

 

5.8 - Buttons from a re-cycling centre trapped under a sheer top with free motion machine stitching.

 

5.9 - Close up of 5.8. The free motion stitching worked well here.

 

5.10 - Strips of foam board, free motion machine stitching to hold. Almost any shape would work with this method.

 

 

5.11 - Close up of 5.10. I added some silky ribbon, couched with straight hand stitches.

 

5.12 - Trapped cockle shells under synthetic velvet, held with chain stitch (hand)

 

5.13 - The velvet stretched well over the shells and defined their shapes.

 

Padded Quilting

 

 

5.14

 

I started these sample by machine stitching some shapes and parallel lines. I use yarn for filling the parallel lines for 'Italian quilting'. I made some more solid by adding more yarn and some softer by using less yarn for padding. For the irregular shapes I used wool tops for stuffing, inserted by snipping the back of the shape and then stitching. This worked well with the larger shapes but for the narrower irregular shape I used the previous method.

 

 

Corded Quilting

 

5.15

 

5.16

 

5.17

 

I used a variety of threads but only had a narrow set twin needle and therefore the threads did not catch very well and the cords were not very raised. I'm going to revisit this exercise with a wider twin needle, which I have ordered.

Japanese Quilting and Sashiko Stitch

I love Japanese quilting and it's use of sashiko stitch. Used originally for clothing and quilts to keep warm, it has developed into a contemporary art form in the present day. Peasant farmers and fisherman could not afford cloth to replace clothing, and patched onto torn and worn clothes with sashiko stitch - small running hand stitch. Clothes that were beyond patching were layered and stitched to form quilts and bedding. I find it interesting that little or no wadding was used in these quilts but they were still warm.

 

5.18 - Layered scraps held together with sashiko stitch using sashiko thread and long needle.

Some Unusual Historical Quilting

On a recent visit to the Greenwich Observatory I spotted this suit. It was made for and worn by Nevil Maskelyne, Royal Astronomer in the 1760's. The suit was made from linen, wool and silk to keep him warm whilst outside observing the stars. It was heavily hand quilted and beautifully made. I particularly liked the shoes joint to the trousers in one piece and have never seen a garment quite like it, or so well preserved.