*

*

Hmm? Did you say something?

************************

*

An Armed Forces Themed Alphabet Quilt is a great way to introduce little ones to the world Mommy and/or Daddy work in, or it could be a gift to a hero who has already served.

Each picture is hand appliqued and hand embroidered. There is an incredible amount of detail in this piece, taking hundreds of hours of work. The method I use for making this type of quilt is paper-basting applique which is done entirely by hand. First I break each block down into colors, then create paper pattern pieces for each color. Then, starting from the background to the foreground, I sew each each layer with tiny stitches, then pull the paper out either from the back or the side. After this, I embroider any details by hand. Once I have assembled the quilt top, I layer it with the batting and backing, baste and quilt the entire piece. The binding is also applied by hand. The border on this quilt is quilted in a stars and stripes swag design. Quilt has not been pre-washed, so when you do wash it, it will develop that lovely, crinkled look. Each quilt I make is not only a quilt, but a work of art.

This Armed Forces Alphabet Quilt and other fine gifts are available at my shop at L Bowman Studios.