Happy Villages

Polly, one of our members has a fantastic Avatar of a quilt she made. It got me curious so I looked up the book she got the pattern from..Happy Villages by Karen Eckmeier. Wow! Check out the student gallery. sure looks fun!
http://www.quilted-lizard.com/collage_gallery.htm

I was admiring Polly's avatar earlier. Those are really awesome quilts. I liked them all! Thanks for the link.

Thank you finisher!! along with leaves...I'm a nut for houses and house quilts!!

I would just like to say that this is a great book and the technique is sooooo easy. I would be willing to answer any questions if anyone is interested in doing one of these. Oh by the way it is only a wall hanging. about two and half foot square.

Finisher thank you for finding the book.

Pollyx

Oh, Polly!! I'm sorry! In my previous post I wrote Karol's name instead of yours! I'm going to get the book - and I'll remember the one to ask for help is POLLY!! :lol:

QBee- no worries....I am just happy to help :lol:

Yes QBee...it was me who's interested!! I'll have to check into it.

Polly...so are they just pieces layed on a foundation? It's not pieced is it? The brief description I read led me to think it's fused...not needleturn either?? Details please!!!

And I want a whole darn BIG quilt of a village!!!

I have been saving dot fabric forever, and wanted tomake houses out of them. This may be too small for my dots. May make it too muddled looking????

This whole technique really is interesting! I see that tulle is used? Does that go over the shapes..and if so...why?
Polly..don't tell anyone it's easy. Tell them it's just as difficult as it looks! and you sure are glad you were able to finish it.

Me too Karol! I want a big one!

Ok girls I will try and remember the process. You place 5" blocks on top of each other (one of each of the colours you are going to use.). You place a template on top of the blocks and draw and cut around the template. The pieces are then cut again several times until you have all the shapes you need in all your chosen colours. The batting is fused and then you start placing your shapes on top of the batting following the pictures in the book. I found it hard to follow exactly cos my colours were not identical so i ended up straying a bit. When you are happy with all your pieces you then press and add the tulle. Then the hard bit.........you have to machine quilt around every piece. I used YLI primary colours variegated thread so i didn't have to keep changing colours. This explanation is off the top of my head so if i have missed a bit out i aplogise.

Finisher...i was going to say how terribly fiddly the piecing was but now you all seen the book i would have been found out! hehe! But will remember for next time!!

ps the spell check keeps telling me i have spelled the word colours wrong. I hope you guys dont mind but i cant spell it your way as it looks wrong to me

Thanks for the additional info Polly. I'm not sure what the function of the tulle is, but I guess I'll find out when I read the book. I think your choice of thread sounds like a good one!
Don't pay any attention to that silly spell check. It doesn't take into account that we are from all over the globe. Spell things how you want. If it's close..we'll know what you mean. ;)

Finisher, I am not sure either, but I think it is to stop the little pieces moving or falling off.

Polly

I just got home from my quilt guild meeting and one of the ladies was doing one of these. She brought it for show and tell. It was really lovely...but the pieces (some of them were really tiny!. I would suspect the tulle holds the itty bitty pieces in place to help with the quilting. So of the pieces were less than 1/4" square! :affraid: I looked like fun though, but a bit time intensive. My guild member said it took her a lot longer than she thought it would!.

I read a review about the book and it said the tulle was to prevent fraying. I dunno if I'd use it or not? A wall hanging shouldn't fray anyway? See how how I am? I didn't even get the book yet and I'm already not following directions.

Thanks Polly!

Another question ifyou don't mind...the tulle isn't fused down then is it? Seems like it would slip around? And then those little windows...are they fused to the house? the picture sure doesn't look like there's tulle. It's very striking!

I'm gonna have to make one of these!!

finisher wrote:

See how how I am? I didn't even get the book yet and I'm already not following directions.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I like you a lot!!!

I made one quilt using tulle. It gave an overall structure to the piece. Mine was a vase of flowers made with silk flowers, taken apart then held in place with the tulle. Some things, like plastic stems, just won't behave with mere gluing.

Karol....I just pinned the tulle and started quilting it in the middle. I then removed the pins as i machined.

I must admit i never gave the reason for tulle much thought but went and looked at it last night and saw that some of the tiny bits did fray but the tulle held it all in place, and also it does stop the tiny pieces such as the steps and windows moving. Plus it does give it some structure. I dont think i would try and make one without the tulle.
As soon as i get time i am going to make another one based on my holiday to Turkey this year. I took loads of pictures with making this in mind. I am amazed by how changing the colours makes the quilt look like a different country.

I have that book and made a practice run of Happy Villages by using steam a seam. The tulle is to prevent the raw edges from fraying too much. I love Karen's designs, she's given me permission to teach her Accidental Landscape technique in my area and I'm looking forward to her new book being released in 2009. She's an awesome person, ALWAYS having time to answer emails and she's extremely pleasant on the phone! She's one of my all-time favorites.

Back to Happy Villages, I think the hardest part is quilting around the little pieces (windows, doors, steps, roofs) but I also think the end result is very much worth it!

Ruthann.........I love both of her books although i haven't made anything from Accidental Landscapes yet. Do you know what the new book is about? I can't wait to find out :lol:

Polly x

I love your avatar too, hubby was admiring it this afternoon actually. I have a pattern for a flannel quilt with all the houses around the town square, an aussie pattern. I even bagged it all up with the flannel and all before packing and moving - I should pull it out and start it! Its nothing like your works of art though

Gimpy Cat wrote:

Its nothing like your works of art though

>>>>>>>>>runs to book local art gallery to display my fabric offerings

Polly, I really loved your avatar and now have an idea how it is done. Looks very difficult. But definitely going into my Wannado folder. That folder is getting too big. Busy getting things done for craft shows and Christmas gifts now but nothing really planned for January. Think will try and do stuff from the Wannado folder to reduce it. This project will definitely be in the front. jessie s