Spot The Difference

Seeing as it's the Easter Holidays I thought it would be nice to have a 'spot the difference' competition to help keep your kids busy while they are off school. So I completely re-made the Red Riding Hood quilt that I made 2 years ago for the DQS9 just so we could play a little game!

I am, of course, kidding you. I did re-make the quilt (new version above) but not just to keep your children occupied!

I couple of months ago I lovely lady who reads this blog (Hi Christina!) saw the Red Riding Hood quilt (original version below) and asked if I would make her one exactly the same for her little girl. We decided on a price we were both happy with and talked about a few changes to make things a bit quicker for me and then, once I had my most pressing swap deadlines out the way, I started making it.

I finished it on Tuesday and it is now winging it's way across the Atlantic.
It is the first time I have tried to re-create anything. Luckily I still had enough of nearly all the fabric I had used in the first quilt (I am such a hoarder!). Including a full wolf and little red from the Kokka fabric I had bought especially the first time round.

Little Red and the Alexander Henry owl (made from home decor fabric), are both detachable and 'live' in little pockets.

As in the original, there is a little ladybird behind a secret door.
One of the main changes with this new quilt is that I machine quilted it to cut down the time (and so cost). But there was still a lot of hand finishing. All those felt apples were hand sewn. And as I had run out of the red apple fabric I used the first time, I had to sew a lot more on this time!

I had been a bit tricksy with the first quilt (showing off mainly - it was my first DQS!), and made some of the leaves as little 3D quilt leaves (they even had wadding inside!). But in the end they just looked like they had been appliqued. So this time I needle-turned them, then added blanket and running stitch afterwards to get the same effect.

Last time I used curved piecing to make the tree tops, but as that was pretty much hidden by the trees (and is always a bit hit and miss as far as I'm concerned), I needle turn appliqued the tree tops as whole circles this time. So, yes, lot's of hand sewing!

So let's take a look at the answers. Did you spot the differences on the holly tree?

Above is the new, and below is the original. I actually much prefer the new one. I outlined the leaf and the centre vein with backstitch instead of using a row of seed beads, and I think the leaves stand out much more. The berries are a better size too. And the trunk is also a totally different piece of fabric (surely you got that one!).

The owl has moved to a higher perch in the Autumn tree in the new version, above.

Here is the original apple tree, a lot less apples to sew on with this sadly missed fabric! Plus in the new one the apples are falling and landing on the other side of the trunk.

So how did you do?
Well I did very well, as I actually got paid for making a quilt, and, while I was photographing it in the shop yesterday, a customer came in and fell in love with it and has commissioned a version for her little boy! But I've told her I can't start it till July - I need to give my hands a good rest first!