Frog Quilt
by Gloria Massard
(Michigan, USA)
Over by the Pond
I made this frog quilt a few summers ago. The pattern is called "Over by the Pond." It finishes at 38" x 42". I made it for my mother-in-law, a few summers ago. Yes, we actually do get along quite well. I've been married to her son for almost 28 years!
Anyway, this frog quilt is paper pieced, or foundation pieced as some quilters call it. That means you sew your fabric to paper templates. When you finish sewing a section, you remove the paper. This technique gives you super accurate seams.
When I saw this pattern in a magazine, I just HAD to make it. I had never sewn a quilt using this method. But I thought I'd give it a shot.
I knew right off that I wanted to use bright fabrics. I had to visit a few fabric stores to complete my color palette. But it was well worth it.
I wanted the frogs to look unique, so I made each one with different fabrics. Once they were completed, I hand-sewed black buttons to their heads. That made them look like they had big eyes! Pretty clever, ha?
Because I'm a stickler for dimension, I chose varying shades and prints for the green plants. I pieced the sky sections with varying shades and prints as well. I like my quilts to "sing." And that means my quilts must never have a "flat" look.
The turtle was really fun to sew. I used rusts, browns and oranges to bring a three-dimensional look to its shell. My, what tiny pieces they were!
The frog quilt also features dragonflies, bees and insects. Of course, I chose eye-popping fabrics for them, too.
I had to order the "gravel" fabric from on online store. I felt it would give the quilt more realism. For the sashing, I sewed attention-getting blue strips throughout the quilt. Then I framed the scene with the same fabric.
My mother-in-law has since moved to an assisted living apartment. So, she gave the quilt back to me. I must say, I really do treasure my frog quilt!
