Challenge 2017/18 - #61, 61 & 63 Stained Glass Quilts

I love Stained Glass Quilts. It started stitching these many, many years ago. My parents moved into a house where the kitchen window (18" wide and 5 feet high) looked down over their neighbour's front entry way. Mum and Dad wanted some privacy, so Dad took a class and designed and built a piece of stained glass to fill that window. Love it! He has since re-created the window into 4 panels for the upstairs hall windows of my daughter's house.

I stitched my first Stained glass quilt as a black web method. You know! Trace the leading design on to the paper side of freezer paper. Cut away everything leaving a 1/4-1/8" seam allowance and then turn that under, glue it down and stitch into place on the "glass" pieces.

It was too confusing and time consuming for me, but I did persevere and made an angel quilt for my Dad for Christmas. For my birthday that year, he gifted me the same angel made of glass!!!! Our angel has proudly hung in my living room window for years!

I was taught a new method of Stained Glass many years ago using 1/4" bias tape and reverse applique. LOVE IT!!!! It is so easy. So many less steps.

Anyway, these 3 little quilts (14" square) are the result of my recent trip to Winnipeg over Christmas. Dad is in hospital as a result of a stroke. He is working hard at re-hab. We are so proud of him! Mum and I decided to brighten up his room by taking a small stained glass to put in his window. I had designed this as a small quilt many years ago as a sample and Dad transferred it into glass. Part of Dad's stroke symptoms are difficulty speaking. So, we had a challenge, but he was very clear that I needed to change the design of this quilt. The red needed to be even on both sides of the mountain.

I reworked the design and had so much fun I designed 2 more! I really like the green quilt. Kind of Art Deco.

The pink one, not so much. I may need to re-think the colour or the shape of the circles and ovals.

I am hoping to schedule a couple of Stained Glass Quilt classes this spring. I have larger quilts than can be done in 2 classes or these small quilts can be done in a single day class.

Let me assure you. These quilts are super simple and easy to sew. Very little muss! In the class I teach you how to do the reverse applique technique, make your own 1/4" bias tape (so much cheaper than buying pre-made) and give you lots of tips for stitching the bias in place as you quilt the quilt!

Now, all I need to do is finish 1 more quilted project to finish my 2017-18 quilt challenge!!!! Better get going!