After I completed all the hand stitching, using embroidery thread to blanket stitch the pieces to the background fabric, I decided to cut it out in the shape of a tomato cross-section. This felt like a better "fit" to me, staying with the shape that dominated the quilt rather than leaving it square or rectangular.
Next, the quilt needed some filler, so I stitched a few clusters of the large purple seed beads (the same ones that I used for seeds in the largest tomato) all around the quilt.
I made a traditional "quilt sandwich" with the top, thin cotton batting, and a backing. Both the batting and the backing were cut bigger than the top. I quilted by machine, doing a very simple outline around the largest shapes. Next, I cut the edges even and ran a zig zag stitch around the outside several times through all the layers.
The final step was to add hand sewn blanket stitch all around the outside, picking up a large green seed bead with each stitch. It's easier to see them in the close up shots.
Copyright 2009 Cyndi Lavin. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. May be printed out for personal use or distributed electronically provided that entire file, including this notice, remains intact.
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