Last summer I put out a call for British theme fabrics, hoping some would have some bits left over from other projects, or a random yard of something I could buy. I got three larger half-yard or full-yard pieces from several wonderful readers, and a five-yard bolt of the white background fabric on the upper left from my dear friend, Dawn. (Thanks so much, Dawn, you are a peach!) I had a blue background piece with British motifs that I purchased locally on sale, and some leftover grey from last year’s London Panel quilt.
Retreat was coming up, and I wanted to use that time to work on this quilt. I decided to do a Trip Around the World pattern, to utilize all the prints in a fast-to-assemble design. So, I cut width of fabric strips, as many as I could, with the limiting factor of the one piece that was only half a yard. I got four strips at 4-1/2-inches of that one, so I cut the same of the other fabrics. They were put in a project box and saved for retreat.
Our guild’s fall retreat is a blast, so much fun to sew for days with friends, but sleep at home. We bring our lunch each day, and spend our time laughing and sewing, and yelling “ta-da!!!” with every finish. The room is huge, this is only half of it. I think we had 40 quilters there!
I set up my sewing space, how neat it is at the beginning. Everyone got a thread catcher made of fabrics with candy inside. Mine is pink flowers on the outside and a purple print inside. These were so handy, I need to make a half dozen more to sit all over my sewing room at home.
I got out the strips, and determined an order for them.
Sewing the strips in pairs, then connecting the pairs and adding the last strip went fairly quickly.
I pressed the seams in alternating directions, toward certain prints, so they would nest when I got to joining the rows.
Sewing the first strip to the last one creates a tube.
Then the tube is cross cut into strips of squares. I decide where to start, and pick out one seam. Then I move over one square and pick out that seam. Laying the strips together, the squares are offset by one.
Sew together, nesting the seams.
Keep going until the first set of strips is used.
The second set will have the diagonal steps go the opposite direction.
Then the last two strip sets are assembled in the same manner, with the squares forming a diamond around a central square.
Even with all the chatting, walking around, eating and socializing, the top was completed in just one and a half days.
At home, I added a border of the light blue print and loaded it on the longarm with the cream print as backing.
I quilted it with a pantograph called Wrought Iron, which is a fleur-de-lis design like the top of the Buckingham palace gates.
There was enough of the backing fabric to do the binding in it as well. I made the binding, then did a test fit to be sure that the seams would not land on a corner. I always do this now. It also ensures that I have the right amount to overlap for the final seam. In this case, I had made the binding too long, so I could remove the last piece before sewing and still have plenty.
An added benefit of this is that I don’t need any special thing to hold the binding while I am sewing it.
Slow stitching during Sunday football games, one Monday night game and a Thursday night game and it was done.
All finished and ready for the silent auction at our MINI club Christmas party. The proceeds this year will benefit a charity that provides a winter coat, two outfits of clothing, a package of socks, a pair of shoes, a package of underwear and at least three toys/wish list items to as many children as they can.
I’ll show you what happens at the auction when we have it in December. I do hope it brings in a bit of money. I’m setting the retail value at $400, and I hope it will make at least $100. The only people bidding will be our members at the event. If you’d like me to make a proxy bid on your behalf, just let me know. Free shipping if you win it.
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From My Carolina Home 
Looks great! I just love this classic pattern and your method makes so much sense. Good luck with the auction—I hope the bidders really respond.
The quilt looks great, and your method seems to work well. i’ve never made this pattern, and my head was swimming. I’d need to see it all written down to get the drift. I do hope you get a very responsive group bidding. If I could figure out your process, I think I would undertake this with some of my Thimbleberries pieces. I’ve had these for some time now, and not sure what to do with them, although I love the prints.
Is there a free recipe for the thread catcher baskets online at some site. I know I could make those, and need about 39 of them. Thanks
Lynn
I did more of a tutorial on my post Christmas Trip Around the World. I’m sure there is a free pattern for those thread catchers somewhere, but I haven’t looked for it yet.
Thanks Carole. I’ll check out that tutorial. I must admit I love the finished look of your trip, and am intrigued to see if I could do it as well.
Lynn
Here is the web site for a very similar thread catcher that may be of help: https://sewdainty.co.uk/2017/01/21/quilted-fabric-thread-catcher-tutorial/
Fantastic finish – a beautiful quilt. I had some work done in my kitchen and your ‘ready to send’ parcel got moved with everything else out of the way. Finally found it so hoping to send in the next week – will be ready for you to use in next years project 🙂 Glad you had enough fabrics to complete this years quilt.
I’ve got to look at my budget once I figure the Christmas gifts (and particularly, the home reno — insulation and beyond, also coming up before the end of the year.) But I love this one even more than the one last year. What is the finished size bed-wise (full, queen, etc.) That blue background patterned fabric reminds me very much of Cath Kidston’s designs, which I love and I love the orientation with the center diamond and the small squares. Be sure to let me know the date you might need a proxy bid because this one — wow!
The quilt measures 52-inches x 70-inches, making it an oversize throw, or a small twin that would only cover the top of a mattress. I would need to know by December 1 if you are interested in bidding. Thanks for asking!
The quilt looks great! Glad you had a good time with your guild. I love the retreats where you can sleep in your own bed. It’s the best of both worlds.
What a wonderful quilt!! It is the perfect way to show off those Brit fabrics. I love your posts about the mini adventures. The club looks like so much fun! I don’t own one myself but i adore mini coopers- always have. Thanks for letting me live vicariously through the years via your blog! I hope you make tons of money and have a great event! You always help such great causes. You make the world a better place using your generosity and great talents! I hope you have a terrific Thanksgiving. (-:
What a fun retreat. Quilty girls are the best. The quilt turned out magnificent. You inspire each of us to be the best we can be with your creativity and your charitable projects. Thank you.
Love your color placement…just a beautiful design!! I am sure it will do well at the auction!!
That looks great! I hope it brings in a good price at the auction.
This is a beautiful quilt, Carole and I hope it raises a lot of money!
Your quilt turned out beautifully. The color placement is spot on. I hope it raises lots of money for the charity.
So nice to see the quilt you have made with the British themed fabric. I think I am the one who sent the red fabric among others. It is a beautiful quilt and I would love to buy it but it should go for much more than I can afford. I hope it ends up contributing much needed funds for your wonderful charity. Thanks for letting us know about this beautiful quilt and for all the amazing things that you do.
What a great project for a retreat, with all the initial “thinking and cutting” done at home ahead of time. My favorite project for a retreat is taking my bin of Autumn Jubilee bits and making leaves and pumpkin parts and blocks. 😉
Jolly nice quilt, chap! Lol! It really turned out beautifully with loads of thanks to your friends that had some usable fabric for you.
That’s a beautiful quilt, Carole! Love the fun prints and pretty color combination. I bet it will bring in some good money for your group’s charity!
I love the Trip Around London quilt so much! It is beautiful! I understood your assembly to a certain point and then I got lost when you flipped to sewing the other side. Do you have a detailed step by step pattern? Thank you.
Me too Joan ! I followed along until that flip point …& I was lost 🤪🤣
Great job Carole !!
I couldn’t figure out what it was going to look like until I scrolled down !!
Beautiful !!
Hope the bids are high !!
I think you will find 2 people who want it bad enough to bid it up well over $100!
I’m glad you were able to find the fabric that you wanted this quilt turned out really well. Looks like you had fun with your big group
How fitting – British quilt/mini Coopers! Love this pattern the the red block in the middle. I was told it’s tradition the “Heart” or hearth? Everything about this makes me smile!!!!!
You have excellent concentration to put that together at retreat. For me, attempting that would end with a Trip to Chaos. I hope you raise a lot of $$ at the auction – with such a worthy cause bidders should be generous.
My goodness, you worked up that quilt so quickly. I love it. I think it would take me quite a while to figure out that layout using the tube, but it is a wonderful way to do get the pattern quickly. I made a bargello quilt that way once. I do love a trip around the world quilt. Your retreat sounds like so much fun.
That is a great quilt and you make it look so easy – go on retreat and poof its done! Well, not really but it is a fun one and I do hope it makes lots of $ for your group.
Trip Around the World is just a great pattern, your quilt really looks wonderful. I hope it brings in lots of bids!
What a wonderful quilt! I hope it brings a lot of money – it is a special quilt!