Grande Design - Getting Started

This section will cover many aspects of Ribbon Appliqué. I have included a few items on foundation fabrics, quilt construction and quilting for your consideration before you begin.

Foundation Fabrics
My work is in the style of Baltimore Album quilts. When I first started to appliqué, cotton sateen was recommended as the foundation fabric. Cotton sateen is often slightly heavier, as it has a higher thread count due to the twill weave of the fabric. The finish of the cotton sateen adds richness to the background that allows the appliqué to be the focal point. As I continued to work with silk ribbon, I found that the sateen also held up well to the stitching and stitches did not show through as much as other light weight fabrics.

I have used several shades of white, sometimes even in the same quilt. I do not worry about keeping the grain of the fabric consistent. I enjoy the play of the light on the grain as the fabric is turned. I have also used different colors of the sateen, as the foundation fabric depending upon the nature of the quilt and the colors available. The cotton sateen also blends in well with other cotton fabrics for sashing, borders and trims.

If you are not interested in the cotton sateen or cannot find it, take some of the fabrics and ribbons you want to use in your quilt and lay them on top of the fabric you are considering. The foundation fabric should act as a compliment to your appliqué. Try a simple white, white calico or soft complimentary pastel. Be very careful of stripes, checks, or obvious designs - again you do not want the fabrics to clash.

Always prewash your fabric using the same settings and detergent you regularly use. When the quilts are washed later the opportunity of shrinkage is greatly reduced.
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Construction
The diamond shape is perfect for a wall hanging, but brings with it a construction challenge. The diagram below shows the approximate measures of the blocks and quilt. The grain lines have also been added. The process is to match as many on grain edges with off grain edges as possible. To help facilitate the piecing, use a paper or thin plastic template cut in the finished size of the block (18" wide by 13" high) to indicate the sewing lines. When the blocks are handled they will loose shape and may need to be re-cut to the correct size. This is important to remember to ensure your quilt will hang strait.

The construction sequence is to sew the blocks together in a group of three, then sew the groups together to form the center diamond, Strips of 1 1/2" fabric (one inch finished) cut with the straight of the fabric are then added to the center diamond. The four corners are added to complete the rectangle. The corner pieces overlap at the top and bottom and sides as well as shown on the diagram with the dotted lines.

The finished size of the quilt is approximately 45" high by 60" wide.
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