Hydrangea Cobblestones....A Quilt Finish♡

Hello lovely lovelies♡ A lovely welcome to you♡ A new year♡ A new year filled with imagining and dreaming; and the enjoyment of stitching new pretties♡ A new year for lots of slow stitching on Sundays♡

Why, I have a finished quilt to reveal.  Hydrangea Cobblestones is finished. Actually, my hydrangea pretty was completed in early spring last year when the blossom trees, the pendulous wisteria, daffodils, bluebells and irises were sashaying in the spring air; but I have left it till now to showcase it because, well, a quilt with the moniker of Hydrangea Cobblestones really needs to have a photo or two taken with real, ridgy didge; bonafide hydrangea blooms. It really needs to be photographed with a hydrangea or two. It really truly does.

This queen sized quilt was imagined after happening upon some gorgeous Robin Pickens fabric called Cottage Bleu. A beautiful collection with big, bold hydrangeas flourishing all over with a flutter of butterflies scattered here and there. The complementary fabrics are sweet little dimity prints. On the selvedge is printed "How calmly blue soothes and sings softly in the sky." Yes indeedy, this gal's heart is forever blue and the hue blue will always soothes my soul.....as do blue hydrangeas.

Way, way back in 2021 when I purchased metre upon metre I had no thoughts as to what I would fashion from it. I just had to, had to have it! Inspiration though, didn't take long to grab my imagination. 

I tossed up ideas in my muddly mind finally deciding upon a simple quilt with hydrangea-filled octagons and little squares of a 1930's fabric. Both the fabrics evoke a vintage aesthetic which always pleases my little ol' vintage heart. So the english paper piecing begun placing hydrangea-filled octagons wherever they fell. As I stitched the octagons and squares into a central panel I was reminded of cobblestones; hence the name. With the central panel finished I then designed a border with stylised hydrangea flowers dancing around the edge. I remember this process taking an age but once I had made up my mind as to the design, it really didn't take very long at all. After a lot of botheration re working out the border it was well worth all the angst as I must say I love it.

The quilting was simple, simple and even more simple! I hand quilted diagonally in both directions through the octagons with the quilting stitches kissing the corners of the squares as they skip by. For the border, with the hydrangea flowers do-si-do-ing around on the butterfly fabric, I quilted randomly around the outline of some of the butterflies with meandering quilting every which way giving a sense of the butterflies fluttering here, there and everywhere. Then I quilted around the octagon hydrangea flowers, the leaves and the stems on the border. I enjoyed hand quilting this quilt. I love the simple design; loved skipping along the quilting lines with the needle burrowing down and up again....in, out, in, out; in a meditative fashion. The binding is a Kona fabric; the same blue which is in the quilt. So, so very happy with this quilt.

So grab a cuppa, nestle down into a comfy sofa and enjoy a happy snap or two of my hydrangea pretty. I must say though, there are a 'few' photos as 'she' (my quilted pretty) did want to sashay through spring and summer being snapped with all the pretty flowers. Never let it be said that I do not take advantage of flowers, a finished quilt and a photo or two. =)

Shall we perhaps have a little look???? =)

I must say I'm rather glad I brought metre upon metre of this gorgeous fabric on a whim. I must say too, that having used the fabric for the backing as well, all the fabrics have been used. 'Tis always a good feeling, isn't it, when a quilt uses up the fabrics? Love, love, love this quilt. LOVE the hydrangea fabric and all the other complementary fabrics which dance a happy dance. What's not to love about summer and beautiful, blue hydrangeas??!! What's not to love about my happy Hydrangea Cobblestones??!! But then....I am just a wee bit biased. =)

Until the next time........