The Tile Quilt Project

I have become totally enchanted with a book entitled "Tile Quilt Revival."  I've been looking through the book and making plans in my head for months.  Finally, I put pencil to freezer paper and started working...

Basically, the technique is just to create a design out of applique and leave space between the applique pieces so that the overall effect is like mosaic tiles with grout lines between the individual pieces.  I don't know why I am so intrigued with this concept - but I am!  Absolutely obsessed in fact - and this will be the quilt that goes on *my* bed - so I want it to be super special and lovely.  I've decided to create various 12" blocks that mean something to me and my family.  I'm not using any of the patterns from the book, just the technique.  And the book has a great tutorial on doing needle-turn applique, which has been a wonderful resource.  

The first block I'm working on is a cherry blossom, to commemorate where my husband and I met and started our family.  I'm still working on the block, but here are a few pictures of the process.

I sketched out the design on freezer paper, ironed it to the front side of the fabrics (all batiks of course - I'm batik crazy) I wanted to use and then cut out and reassembled my design.  I'm using unbleached muslin for my background - and that is what will show through as the "grout lines."

A close-up of the pretty fabrics and not so pretty basting.

Here is the whole block - basted down.

I have started to applique my cherry blossom - I am doing all needle-turn applique by hand.  This is going to be my big piece of quilted art!  The needle-turn is going well so far, a little shaky but getting better as I go.  I am a little concerned about whether this is going to be sturdy enough to be a bed quilt.  I've been using a very fine silk applique thread, and may switch over to a more stout cotton.  I may also leave larger seam allowances for the next block.  If all goes as planned, I am going to quilt this as I go, by hand as well.  The only machine stitching will be to join the blocks together.  I fully expect this to take me a LONG time.

I'll post some photos of the needle-turn applique in progress soon.  I've been trying to do too many things at once and getting very little accomplished!