Monday, May 16, 2011

apple cake quilt top

My daughter inadvertently named this quilt. She confused "applique" with "apple cake". That makes me grin. I love the name, so it's sticking. Only half the quilt is shown in the photo here, as it's draped over the railing. I need to baste it and then work up the courage to start hand quilting it. It's gonna be one of my favorites, I can already tell. I loved making this quilt!

A few details....It's all freezer paper appliqued by hand from my stash. It was inspired by Nanette's blocks. My background blocks are 4 1/2" cut and 4" finished. I simply drew a leaf shape to fit the block size (leaving 1/4" seam allowance, of course) for my pattern. The quilt top measures 56" x 70".

Happy Monday to you!

119 comments:

Kandra said...

Oh my! I'd love to give this one a try, but don't hand applique (or hand apple cake :) ). I usually use that sticky stuff, iron on my applique and the machine sew around it. Please tell me you know of a great place to learn - as I'd LOVE to give this one a try! SEriously in love with this quilt top!

Unknown said...

This is absolutely beautiful ... lovin the apple cake!

Chelsey said...

I love this Quilt! I am about to start the stars quilt that you are doing for our master bedroom. I think I am going to do this quilt next for my own personal lap quilt. Love it and your site! I am a beginner quilter and love the instructions you provide on your side bar.

Mama Urchin said...

I love it! Maybe you'd like to make me one :)

Joanna said...

It's beautiful, I love it!!!!

{Leila}Where the Orchids Grow said...

Apple cake that is so sweet!
Love this quilt, it's going to be amazing once it's all hand quilted!

Laura said...

I love both the name and the quilt. So pretty!

donna!ee said...

absolutely splendid AND everyone enjoys "apple cake"! :)

Victoria Paige @ Boutique Uniquely said...

Lovin the apple cake!

Unknown said...

Moments to make the quilt special..apple cake quilt! Love it!

Jane said...

Children are so precious with the things they come up with. This "Apple Cake" quilt just adds a smile to my day!
Thanks for sharing, Amanda!
Jane

Rachel at Stitched in Color said...

It's going to be so lovely! What fun, happy colors. Adorable story.

Jessica said...

Oh my goodness! What wonderful work! I love it! :) and the name is priceless! :)

Lyanna said...

That is simply adorable that your child named the quilt! Sounds very much like something one of my kids would do ;)

Also, I really like your quilt. I think what I like the most is how your background pieces are all variety just like the petals. You may have just inspired me to eat into my stash of scraps I've been cutting into different sized squares/strips.

LeKaQuilt said...

Love the name on this quilt :o) And it's gorgeous, I love it!

Jane said...

When you do hand apple cake, do you use a fork?

Jessica said...

What a beautiful quilt! I love the name.

Stray Stitches (Linda G) said...

Your quilt is amazing! I can see why it is a favorite. Your applique work is beautiful!!

Pinkadot Quilts said...

So beautiful, what a great take-a-long prject! The hand quilting will be a wonderful touch.

thea said...

Love the apple cake quilt! Very nice!

KendasCrafts said...

That's lovely! And I love your daughter's name for the quilt. Great job!

Flo @ Butterfly Quilting said...

I love the name...and the quilt.
I dont think I am patient enough for all that hand stitching though!!

Ricki said...

Such a beautiful quilt! And the perfect name too! :)

Anonymous said...

It's very pretty!

Maria Harrits said...

Lovely!

Summer Killebrew said...

Oh wow, it's really beautiful! Love this quilt.

Quiltn Mama said...

Awww, that's cute...the quote and the quilt!

Pieces to Love said...

I love the colors!

Yumm yumz by patticakes said...

That is one of the cutest things I have ever heard - apple cake! Don't ever change it's name - it is perfect!
And a lovely quilt too!

Jenn said...

scrap quilts are my ultimate favorite and this one is absolutely lovely!

Emily said...

You know I'm a fan, even if the thought of doing hand "apple cake" makes me break out in a cold sweat. It is truly a piece of art!

Clair said...

You are doing so much handwork maybe you could lend me your Juki for a couple weeks? :)

susiloci said...

Es realmente precioso.Me encanta!!!

Amy from Our Dish said...

That is utterly amazing. I still have no concept of how you piece together things on a curve like that. Would you give a little how-to?

Sheila said...

Your quilt is beautiful! I love bright, colorful, scrappy quilts!

Jessa said...

It's gorgeous! I love it! And the name is so adorable :) I would love a hand applique project AND you use up scraps at the same time? Sounds great :)

Needle little Balance said...

Very beautiful quilt top! I love to handsew, but would not be patient enough to hand quilt, I guess.

Cathy @ CabbageQuilts said...

Great name, gorgeous quilt! xo

Lauren @ Craft My Life Away said...

How lovely!

Terriaw said...

That name is just perfect for this quilt! It turned out so beautiful; I can see why this is going to be your new fav! Gorgeous!!

Karen said...

Such a cute name! I love what kids come up with! Very pretty quilt.

Karen

dolores said...

Wow AJ...this is now on my "To Do" list....it is really getting long!

But I think this will be wonderful for these 30s fabrics a friend just gave me...in fact I am going to ask her if I can have some more...she has a ton...just so I can do this.

One questions....I understand about using say freezer paper and ironing the edges in and appliquing it on but do you take the paper out first or do you sew it on then cut the back out?

Sara said...

Done by hand--what an accomplishment---LOVE it so far and I cannot wait to see your hand quilting skillz on this one:)

Carla said...

I love the story and the quilt too, the colors are so bright, thanks for sharing both

Cecily said...

Gorgeous! And I love the name. :)

Anonymous said...

Whoa! Fabulous!

tink's mom said...

It is beautiful. I am so impressed with your commitment to this quilt. It will truely be a treasure when completed.

monika@mysweetprairie.ca said...

Applecake! That's brilliant! I love it - one of my favorite quilts EVER.

~Monika
(whose kids eat "girl cheese sandwiches")

Janet said...

Lovely quilt and the name is too precious!

Georgia said...

It's gorgeous!

Judy Sommerfield-Fox said...

I admire all the handwork. That takes such great patience. It shows in how beautiful your quilt is.

craftycandace said...

Wow, this is amazing! And I love the name, your daughter (and you) did a great job!

Char said...

I love it. The story about it's name is great.

Bonnie said...

I love this quilt - and the story behind the name is wonderful. This brings me back. The very first quilt that I ever had was the same pattern but was a solid white background and the applique pieces were all the same pink fabric. It was my mom's as a girl and by the time I got it was worn pretty thing and quite faded but I loved that quilt.

Anita D. said...

So cheery and fun.

Unknown said...

lovely

Chris said...

< this is beautiful! And 4" blocks? Very impressive!

I remember this pattern being called "orange peel" many years ago-and I think it was pieced, not appliquéd.

I like your daughters name for it better- and quilts need to have a story to tell. I'm looking forward to seeing how you are going to quilt it.

Congratulations on a beautiful piece.

All the best- Chris

Mandalin said...

oh how I love this! Truly wonderful! The last DQS quilt I made for round 10 was this pattern, I raw appliqued though. I seem to have a fair few fabrics in my stash with this design on it as well.

Hands Sew Full said...

Your quilt is beautiful! What an accomplishment to hand "apple-cake" the whole thing and then hand quilt as well! (I love your daughters name for it!) I am hand quilting the one and only quilt my mother ever made and it is a serious time commitment! Can't wait to see it when you are all done!

Jennifer Mathis of Ellison Lane said...

Wow, what a beautiful treasure. :)

Lynne said...

Love your scrappy apple cake! That's a serious amount of applique. And you're going to hand quilt it? I bet it makes you happy every time you look at it.

carol said...

Aren't kids fun? Apple cake......too cute! Now if we could have the cake and the quilt that would be a plus! I'll be anxious to see this beauty after you finish it!

Sara said...

Love this quilt! Scrappy quilts are the best!

leigh said...

I'm totally going to try it! I love this - and I especially love the name - so cute :)

Sara said...

I love this quilt! it is stunning! Will the sizw you made fit a twin bed?

I've been looking for an applique project that would really turn me on - and this one does!!!

Brittany said...

Is hand quilting scary or something? I love hand quilting I just don't have the time anymore.

Shannon Wallace said...

This quilt is most likely one of your finest works of art, and will be a beautiful family heirloom! And I love how it acquired the name apple cake! Cute! :o)

StuffandThings said...

I think Apple Cake is a great name! It's beautiful.

girlyhurley said...

SO I LOVE LOVE LOVE this!!!! This might make a great project for next winter. . .definitely saving this as a favorite!

Anonymous said...

Wow, that's fabulous! Hand piecing doesn't alarm me, but that amount of hand apple cake is seriously scary.

hart44 said...

Wow! a beautiful quilt :) I just love looking at your wonderful work :) and don't you just love it when little ones so innocently say how they see and hear things :) I love the apple cake quilt :)

Rachel said...

I can see why you love it. Gorgeous, and the "apple cake" must make it so tactile.

What design are you planning on quilting it with?

Betty said...

I already loved apple cake, and this is gorgeous too!
This'll be imitated soon, I'm sure!
By me, for one!

Tilkunviilaaja said...

It would be interesting to know how long it took you to finish all these hand appliqued pieces! Please tell us!

Copper Patch said...

Yuuuuum! What a gorgeous quilt. Better get basting and then get quilting!
Ab

Josie McRazie said...

It is BEAUTIFUL!! You are a brave woman! I thought I was going 'melon' crazy when I did J-10 (Dear Jane) and that had 16 'melons' in it!! But this one is so simple and beautiful and SO much hand work! I love it!

pinsandneedles said...

Love the scrappiness of this quilt! Beautiful work!

Anonymous said...

THIS is why I LOVE scrap quilts!

crickets said...

Oh my goodness I so LOVE this quilt! Scrappy goodness through and through! It is wonderful.

audreypawdrey said...

It is so beautiful! I love that it is scrappy, and I am so glad I got to see this in person at the retreat. The name is perfect!

Anonymous said...

I can see why this would quickly become a favorite! It is beautiful!

Kim said...

Delicious!

It is hard to fight the urge to start one!

Happy Sewing, I look forward to seeing up dates on the quilting too :0)

Molly said...

This is fantastic! Was it hard to do the curved seam over and over again?

Daria K said...

Wow, you must be really great at multi-tasking i'm a mom & quilter too and hardly get to work on what is in my hand piecing box! I saw this flower-like block with the 4 petals in a connecting threads catalog a while ago and I made just 5 of the blocks to mix in with a Curious George print for a baby charity quilt. That was fun but took me forever! Do you leave the freezer paper on while stitching and cut a hole in the back, or iron and remove before stitching?
Thanks for sharing, it's inspirational. :)

Nichole said...

this is truly beautiful!

Anonymous said...

super lovely!

curious why you decided to hand quilt it. is it because you hand stitched so much into in the first place?

the name even suits it :)

a

Glynis said...

Amanda Jean, - you, Tara, Penny - you all inspire me with your creativity, your ability to do so many things so beautifully, your sweet generous hearts, your devotion to family, and your boundless energy! This quilt is absoluely lovely and with the story is a family treasure. Whenever I need a pick me up in the week, I check your site. Thank you for sharing the journey!
InJoy!

QuiltingCyclist said...

Beautiful! My hat's off to you for doing all this hand work. And, I love the "apple" quilt confusion. Hope it never leaves you.

Katharine said...

Golly I love this. Your use of colour is just spot on.

It makes me want to raid my scrap basket and start one.

Linda said...

Squeallll!!! This is sooo pretty! It is going to be awesome once it is done!

Me, I gotta baste up my niece's quilt tonight... uggh... where's my trusty quilt baster! :) lol jk

Deborah said...

Love the quilt name! So cute. Speaking of names, my students designed a fraction quilt with halves, quarters, and whole. Simple 9-patch. I needed to fill in with 2 extra blocks. After piecing all these little triangles, my extra blocks are just 9-patch. I named one block "Crazy Mom" after you! Love your blog.

Amanda Jean said...

molly,

it was actually easier to sew the curved piece after a few dozen. it became pretty easy. and fun, even. :)

aj

Amanda Jean said...

a,

i decided to hand quilt it because the of the texture of the applique. the leaves are slightly raised off the quilt top, so it screams for hand quilting, if you ask me. i guess i just can't imagine it any other way.

aj

Mary on Lake Pulaski said...

Apple Cake is luscious!

倩™ © said...

Gorgeous!!! love every of your new creations!!!
Thanks for sharing such beautiful work!

Idaho Quilter said...

Love this quilt!

Jessica Christensen said...

Wow! I am so impressed you finished this. You're good at that.

Jessica Christensen said...

Wow! I am so impressed you finished this. You're good at that.

Lindsay said...

Wow, your work never ceases to inspire me. What a beautiful quilt and I absolutely love the name! How long did it take you to hand applique all those pieces?

Live a Colorful Life said...

The name is fabulous. I might start calling applique "apple cake" on a routine basis. It puts a sweeter spin on it instead of being a "bad" word in my opinion. I don't know WHY I have such a hard time with applique. That and fusibles...

Katherine said...

Perfect name for this sweet fabric confection. ;o)

tusen said...

It's beautiful and it will be even more lovely with hand quilting. How long did it take to make it?
And your daughter's name for it is so sweet :)

Aimee said...

Looks amazing Amanda! I am grinning at your daughter's name for it too! : )

Beverly said...

Your quilt is beautiful! What kind of applique do you do? Needle turn?
I love your daughter's name for the quilt--sooooo precious!

Valntyn said...

This is beautiful -- so cheery and bright!! The name is perfect for it, too. This is one of my Bucket List quilts to someday work on. :) Lovely, lovely!!

Esch House Quilts said...

So pretty! I love this applique shape. I've been thinking I might use it in the border of a quilt I've been working on FORever :)

Coisas da Laura said...

Great quilt with a great name!!I want to make an Apple Cake too!!!

sallgood said...

LOVE it and extra-love the story of the quilt's name!

quirky granola girl said...

apple cake is an adorable name for it, and you'll never forget that sweet moment.
your quilt top is SO gorgeous. what a treasure of stitching love and beautiful fabrics.

sulu-design said...

Best name ever!!!

April said...

It's a color explosion! Apple Cake is a great name. :)

Have fun handquilting. I love handquilting, even though it takes eternity.

murshid said...

Your work so amazing ..

made by marika said...

I don't come from a family of quilters but the first time I really took the time to appreciate a quilt I was about 16 years old. I was visiting a great aunt in a Canadian farm town far from my home. Auntie C. tucked me in to bed with a quilt that looked a lot like this one. The background was white and what I now know as the appliquéd bits were scraps. The cotton was so soft and some parts of the quilt were worn through. She told me my great grandmother had made it long ago. I fell asleep that night feeling closer to my relatives who lived so far from me. Now, I'm a budding quilter, hand quilting an ambitious 94'x 104' quilt as my main project (with so many more ideas swirling around my head). I see this quilt now and am reminded I too will make one of these too when I get better. Thank you so much for sharing, I love browsing through your blog, there is so much inspiration here.

Curlicue Creations said...

This is so cute! I love all the bright colors & the Apple-Cake name. Have a super day!

Eileen {bluebirdluxe} said...

:) Apple Cake! I.love.that! What a delicious and sweet quilt!

Jo said...

Were any of the fabrics used more than once and what kind of prints did you use?

Coser Tejer Crear said...

This is sooooo beautiful! It would easily become my favorite too!!!! Congrats!

Deanna said...

Beautiful quilt - love the colors! This looks like a project I could do this summer when it is so hot - just a small square on my lap at a time!

Michele T said...

I love this quilt and the story behind the name is sweet! Thanks for sharing... one of these days I would love to make one too, probably lap quilt size.