Have you ever admired patchwork quilting but didn't really want to put all that time into it? Or you didn't have a sewing machine but really would love to have a patchwork wall art in your home? Well, I've got you covered. This tutorial will help you have that patchwork up on your wall sooner than you imagine! So let me show you the art of punch quilting :-)

I've always wanted to do something tribal cause I think Somalian women have a certain grace to them, especially with the head wrap and their chunky ethnic jewellery. So for this punch quilting, I thought to do a silhouette of an Afro Woman.

Supplies

For your supplies, you would need

1-inch high-density styrofoam

Fabric that can pass for tribal

exacto knife

carbon paper to transfer the design.

print of the design

gold beads

needle, thread and scissor.

Step 1: Transfer Image

1.First, download the image and print it to the size you require

You can colour the image depending on the fabric you have so you can decide what colours go where.

2. Place the carbon paper on top of the styrofoam and under the artwork. Draw on top so the image comes to the Styrofoam. Sometimes the image would not show much so go over the image again with a pen so it's clear.

3. Now go over all the lines with a craft knife. Cut about half-inch deep.

Step 2: Method 1 of Quilting.

This method is a bit tedious when you have a lot to do, but is necessary for the parts that have loads of curves and is a big piece. It is also used when you need a particular design in the fabric in a certain way and also when you are trying to manage with a little fabric and have to be like a scrooge!

I used this method towards the end when I was doing the background.

1. First, select which part you are going to do and select the fabric for it.

2. Place the fabric wrong side facing up and place the transfer carbon on top of it. Place the artwork with the wrong side facing up on the carbon.

3. Now draw the pattern on the fabric

4. Cut the fabric with a slight edging to the pattern.

5. Place the cut fabric right side up on the corresponding pattern on the foam board and punch it in with the blunt side of the craft knife.

Step 3: Method 2 of Quilting

I did this method for the whole of my project except for the background. It is fast and Easy. This method will only be a problem if you don't have enough fabric.

1. first you place the fabric on the area you want and you punch it about quarter of an inch inside along the cut lines. Then you trim along the design leaving a slight edge.

2. punch in the remaining fabric in...and you are done!

It's that easy.

Check out the pictures in the next step so you can see the process.

Step 4: Punch Away!

So I first finished the headpiece and then I did face. For all this, I used the 2nd method which was faster and easier. As I didn't have gold fabric I spray painted a piece of fabric with some gold spray and used it for the earring and necklace.

Step 5: Edging of the Frame

Now that the Lady was done , I moved on to the edge of the frame. I had marked a border around and the corners I made a diagonal cut. Please refer to pictures so the instructions will be further clarified.

Tuck in the fabric like a miter edge and then flop over and punch in the excess fabric at the back.

This will give the frame a nice and neat edging.

Step 6: Background

For the background, I used the 1st method of quilting which is there in step 2 of this tutorial.

I traced the outer shape of the lady in the fabric and then cut it. Then I placed it on the frame and started with the mouth and nose area as that was the most difficult area and I needed to get the shapes properly. Punch in the edges too when doing the inner shape so that the fabric will be evenly distributed.

I actually first did a brown background, but later changed as I felt the first thing you notice when you look at the picture is the brown! and I didn't want that... I wanted the lady to pop out and not the brown.