Sometimes a quilt comes along and demands all your attention. The Love Entwined 1790 Marriage Coverlet is one of those quilts. As soon as I'd released it, there was a demand for a simplified version of the quilt. But how could I simplify such an epic quilt? Each block is so meaningful and each motif so evocative in its own right. 

Shelly is a clamshell quilt pattern perfect for stash busting your favourite fabric scraps. Isn't she gorgeous? I love clamshells - they're so easy to pick up and put down whenener the time or mood suits. Shelly is a clamshell quilt with a twist: the central block consists of four clamshell stacks that meet in the centre with a foliage motif. Between the stacks, you have the option of slotting in some contrast fabrics to create a visible central crossing element and the border repeats the clamshell appeal with more foliage motifs to tie it all together.

I've been shelling away making stacks from my monochromatic stash. I'm still going and have about 50 more to make now. I can't get wait to get this top together. Of course, you know me and yes, I considered lots of different colourways for my clamshell quilt. Red and white was a really strong contender, as was a muted stash of civil war tones. But in the end, I had this really stunning assortment of black and white and grays that just needed to come together. I played around with the idea or a black / white & red theme, but somehow went with a newspaper print instead.

I must have a short memory. The last time I worked with linen I had to work extra carefully to stop stretching and warping of the fabric fibres.. and totally forgot about all the hassle. Well, now I'm repeating myself! I love my Hope background in this rough linen but am having to work with extra diligence to make sure my seams and fibres stay nice and straight. I do this with spray starch and double checking every single piece before and after I sew it in. Phew.
With the strips sewn in and correct (yes, even I have to double check everything against the pattern sheet), it's time to create the beautiful vines.

I number all my shapes to help me arrange them when it's time to layer. I even number my leaves, when it comes to prep work, you can't be too organized.
I started with the centre circle and added the first layer of petals, adhering them with dabs of Roxanne glue to keep them in position until I'm ready to machine stitch them down.
 Now I'm heading back to my Facebook Group to enjoy all the gorgeous centres that are being created - the range of fabrics and effects are stunning.

As you clip each side, turn the edges inwards neatly and press down to keep then down in position. As you approach the tip, you need to make smaller, finer cuts and tuck in the excess fabric to create the neat curved edge. This is more than your hands can accomplish alone. You also need an orange stick. The wood is good because it won't break the fibres of your fabric whilst you're manipulating the fabric. You could also use a thick pin to do this work, but be careful of breaking down those fibres.
 Now to create the top edge of the flower shape. You'll notice that I first snipped the larger area into 3 sections, this will allow me to create 3 x pleat zones, which will give me the neatest result. If I tried to just follow the curve without breaking it down with a snip in the 'dips', the shape would lose it's detail and look overall rounded.
 After snipping your zones, add your glue. It's best to add glue in stages and not all at once so that you can handle the shape cleanly and can use as little glue as possible. If you add your glue too early and take too long to come around to the area, it will dry out quickly.
Next, pleat and turn each area as neatly as you can, pulling the fabric towards the fusible and holding it down.
Whilst still drying, you might want to try rolling your applique to help flatten it. I often beat my applique edges with a small rubber hammer to get them really flat and reduce bulk built up on tight corners. It really works, give it a go.
I also went on and adding highlighting to this shape for added dimension with a process that is pigment fast and permanent.