redwork elves

I designed the pattern named Jan's Elves at the request of my friend Jan who used to own The Quiltin' Bee in Fulton, Mo. several years ago. She wanted to start a redwork group out her store and the elves is what she requested. Most of the people in her group did them on tea towels. Jan has since then closed her shop. I'm sorry if you didn't get to go there, it was wonderful small shop packed with beautiful fabrics and goodies.

Anyway, I decided to stitch up a set myself and go in a non-tradtional redwork path, by setting the blocks together with more than just red using scrappy med to dark blocks in assorted colors. I also stitched the blocks in a non-traditional way. First, I stitched them with the design drawn on "on point". Jan had also heard of a method to keep red from shadowing through to the front, by fusing a lightweight interfacing on the back before stitching. I would say to you DON'T DO THIS, it was HORRIBLE to stitch through. It did look nice when it was done, but not worth it for the aggravation. Since then I have used KONA CLOTH for most of my redwork. My favorite color is SNOW. Not white nor ivory but an imbetween.

To this date the quilt is still not complete, it has a binding on it but it's only basted in place, it has no batting or backing because I needed to get it to jan's shop for a shop hop one year and I didn't have time to finish it. But I figured most of the time it would be hanging against a wall and people wouldn't see the back, however I didn't want it to ravel too much, so that's why I bound the edge. It hung in Jan's shop until she decided to close I think. And at the request of Ann Hazelwood, it has been hanging in Patches, Etc in St Charles, Mo or going to quilt shows with Ann ever since. I did get it back recently for the Missouri River Guild Quilt show June 2-3 and the mid-MO shop hop June 7-9. Linda from Specialty Quilts in Jefferson City had it hanging in her booth at the show and in her shop during the hop. Monday or so it's going back to Patches, Etc. However I did see the new jelly roll of MODA's Christmas Past fabrics this last weekend and I may have to do the elves again,in a different pattern with this line of fabrics. They are non tradtional and very cool and I think would be great with the elves.