It's about time I did a proper show and tell of my Blooming Doilies quilt. I'll probably waffle on a bit because I want to jot down all the details so I don't forget them but you can always just scroll through and look at the photos if you find my ramblings too wordy. 


It all began when the NSW Quilters Guild announced they were having a red and white exhibit for their 2015 show. Of course I was going to join in. The catch was how to do a red and white quilt in a Rachaeldaisy style. I gave myself the challenge to find a reason to use red or white rather than replicate a quilt pattern in red and white. For the record I love red and white versions of quilts, I just wanted to approach the challenge in a different way.
I wrote lists of things I like that are red or white, like polar bears, raspberry jam, clouds, lipstick... One of the things on the list was doilies. As my pen wrote "doilies" across the paper it sparked the idea and I was soon sketching flowers in an urn.  It grew from there...

I had quite a few of the doilies already but found more as the quilt came together. 
It's hard to tell from the photos but the leaves are wool felt. I tried cotton but they looked too flat in comparison to the doilies and yoyos. I also like the way the felt adds another texture. 

As you know I love yoyos and they fit in perfectly as flowers.  I was asked if I used a yoyo maker? For some sizes I did, and others I just cut circles and sewed them into yoyos. 

I enjoyed adding buttons, purposely using different sizes to add interest. 
The centers of the tiny daisies have been sewn with different shades of red. It's not the sort of thing you might notice but once again I like having those small variations for anyone who takes a close look at my quilts. 

Some of the doilies I chose to embellish with a circle of fabric, buttons or yoyos. Others I added to the centers of dresden plates. Some were simply appliqued to let the white on red contrast create the pattern. 

My initial plan had big heart doilies for the corner blocks, but then I changed my mind when Mr Daisy showed me a youtube video of artic hares hopping around on the ice. Inspired I set out to draw hares. They look more like rabbits but I don't mind, they're all cute.


With bunnies hopping along the ground, I made birds for the sky...

carrying sweet messages of love because red and white reminds me of Valentine's and love, or in playing cards, the hearts suit.

I added the year to mark the year of the Red and White quilt challenge.

  This is also recorded on the special label the guild sent out to participants to use. 

My favourite kind of backing, pieced and scrappy.

The quilting was done in different shades of pearl 8 thread in big stitches. The center panel as different sized bubbles, the borders as swirls hopefully giving an impression of curling tendrils or butterfly paths.

And even though it's a red and white quilt...

I found a way to sneak a blue daisy in.

Blooming Doilies received a ribbon for Judges Commendation in the Red and White Traditional Hand Quilted category. I was especially honoured because of the high standard and variety of the quilts in the red and white exhibition.

One last story - while at the quilt show I saw a man studying the quilt so I said hello. He spoke to me of childhood memories of his mother, aunts and their friends making lace doilies. How wonderful that a quilt I made can bring up memories of yesteryear for another person. 
Quilts can be quite magical at times. 

PS. A super special big thank you to Quiltmania for including Blooming Doilies in their Sydney Show article. They totally rock for showcasing Aussie quilters to the world!!!