Matilda Wall Quilt

Last year (spring or summer? I can't remember exactly when) I signed up for a quiltalong organized by a local store, Mountain Creek Quilt Shop. The pattern was the Matilda quilt by Irene Blanck of Focus on Quilts, and the quiltalong included fabric kits mailed to me periodically. A lot of the specifics of the project have disappeared from my memory (thanks pandemic!), but I can say that I enjoyed the process!

I think the pattern was designed for needle-turn applique, but I went the easier route and used Heat 'n' Bond Lite and raw edge applique on my sewing machine. I have other handwork projects and didn't want this one to end up in the "never finished" pile. Many of the fabrics in the flowers are ones that I never would have chosen on my own, so receiving the fabric packs in the mail was always a fun surprise. And I got pretty good at machine applique thanks to all the practice. Around and around and pivot and around and around ...

It took me a little time to figure out how to finish it, but I decided to keep the quilting simple with straight lines 1 inch apart. The fusible under the appliques makes them a little stiff, so the quilting needed to be minimal. The finished size is 36 inches square, and I plan to hang it on the wall over my sofa.