HOW TO MAKE THE "SOUND OF MUSIC" QUILT?

Colors and sounds are such a fundamental part of our existance! They have a way to talk to the core of our being and invoke our deepest emotions.

Or at least that is what I think when some classical music makes me cry or a random orange gerbera make me smile :)

As a tribute to the significance of music in our lives, I designed the "Sound of Music" quilt. There, I combine color and sound into a silent picture or a colorful melody. You can read more about the pattern and my first "Sound of music" quilt here. 

SOUND OF MUSIC QUILT - A MODERN MELODY

This is my second "Sound of Music" quilt in greens, teals and grays. And If I were to name this quilt, it would be "The Blues". I really like how melodic, soft and gentle it turned out in those rather cool colors.

FREE MOTION QUILTING TO ENHANCE THE FEELING OF MUSIC

In the "Sound of Music" quilt, music breaks barriers and lifts our spirits up. To enhance this feeling of uplifting, I decided to use some irregular free motion quilting around the stave in this quilt. 

I quilted intertwined waves somewhat mimicking the curvature of the stave and filled them with different irregular FMQ motifs. 

This was my largest FMQ project so far :) So I am proud of it, as every quilter should be proud of their FMQ work! 

HOW HARD IS TO MAKE THE SOUND OF MUSIC QUILT? 

I was asked more than once about the pecularities of making the "Sound of Music" quilt. In particular, how does one make the middle section?

The answer is simple - it is not hard to make the "Sound of Music" quilt. It is just a little unusual.

Applique is the most "usual" part of it and I dare say the most technically challenging. If you are not familiar with applique, check out my tutorials on simple raw edge machine applique and more advanced turned edge machine applique. I used the latter to make the music notes and music key on the "Sound of Music" quilt. 

The two less "usual" things are to embroider the stave and to join the center fabric with the two side patchwork panels. To explain these two steps in detail, I made the following video tutorials. So check them out! 

HOW TO EMBROIDER THE STAVE?

I start making the quilt by embroidering the stave. It is not difficult, yet it is an unusual method in quilt making and questions inevitably arrise. So here is how I do it. Enjoy the video!

HOW TO JOIN THE PANELS INTO A QUILT TOP?

Once the stave is embroidered onto the center fabric, I proceed joining it with the two patchwork pieces on the sides. To do that, one needs to arrange large pieces of fabric in place and stitch them together. Here is a video how to do it.

I hope watching these tutorials will encourage you to try and make your own "Sound of Music" quilt. 

Happy quilting!

Rugile from Magic Little Dreams