Ongoing Quilt Projects, Continued from the "No Appreciation...." Thread

[Blooie]

That is a good point! You may have given me a selling point on why I need a treddle. Just think of all the exercise I will get!

See? There ya go!!

Need another reason? How about one I learned at an antique sewing machine symposium many years ago. The only truly straight stitches are sewn on antique machines - Singers and others - those WITHOUT zig-zag capabilities. Surprised? So was I! Turns out that under high magnification it is clear that the old machines sew with each stitch straight in perfect alignment with the one before. But with zig zag capable machines, even top line models, there is a slight slant between each stitch. It goes to the left at the end of the stitch, then back to right at the beginning of the next one, over and over again. It’s not enough to affect the finished piece, and it is only obvious under that high magnification, but it’s there, nonetheless. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Okay, you forced me into it!

This one is called “I Remember Mama”, made in loving memory of my mom and her flower gardens, but the rest of the world knows it as “The Albatross” because of how long it took me to make. It’s a Broderie Perse quilt and throughout the 4 years of its construction it was never touched by a sewing machine, not even to seam the big panels together or bind it. It’s black polished cotton, and the motifs are appliquéd in a tiny buttonhole stitch, each stitch touching the stitch next to it with black silk thread so the flowers appear to float. In fact, the stitches are so close together that they defeated me in a major quilt show. I’d entered it in the ‘Hand appliquéd, hand quilted’ category. I received nothing but the highest praise for the hand quilting and binding, but the judging critique also said “This quilter needs more instruction and practice with her machine appliqué.” Really? So here ya go….the quilt I’m proudest of:
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This quilt is huge. That’s a little bit of me standing next to it.

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It’s so big I couldn’t get it all to fit in the photo and the bower over the pillows doesn’t show.

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This was the only angle to get it all.

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Detail of the hand stitching.

Edited to add: Funny thing about this quilt. I thought it was done. I had the wreath of Ma’s favorite flowers in the center and the smaller sprays along the corners and on the sides. A year after it was done - and after it had been shown in Fon’s and Porter’s ‘Sew Many Quilts’ magazine - I ran across the fabric with the poinsettias and doves, and I knew I had to add them since we buried my beloved mother on Christmas Eve. So there I was, spending another 3 months holding this “finished”behemoth on my lap, carefully repeating the same appliqué process to put the new motifs in without sewing through the batting and backing and without messing up the quilt pattern on the back. That’s is NOT a process I care to repeat!

Absolutely stunning Blooie!! Your love for your mother comes through in that gorgeous quilt.

I would have to have a quilt up off the floor due to giant dogs and all their hair. Maybe my cutting table would work.

I am barely able to do straight(ish) straight line quilting with my machine. I do so love the more intricate patterns I have seen in so many quilts. I think the only way I can get the intricate patterns is by hand.

Maybe I should try a lap quilt before diving in and committing to a bed quilt.

 

[Blooie]

I have 2 big dogs, a Golden Retriever and an Irish Wolfhound. So I know exactly what you mean!

A few years ago my granddaughter Katie, who lived across the street at the time, came to me and said she wanted to learn to make a quilt. I was thrilled! She was about 8 years old then, and some of you may recall that she has mild Autism. So I got out a box of little half-square triangles I’d become disgusted - or bored - with (I hate piecing) and she loved the scrappy colors. While I was getting everything set up, I set her to work pressing those little squares. After awhile she said, “These won’t make a very big quilt, Gramma.” So I asked her how big she wanted to make it…I was thinking she wanted to make a doll quilt. Nope. She wanted to make a quilt for her little sister, who has Spina Bifida and several other medical issues. She said, “Gramma, Kendra has no feeling in her feet and legs so she can be cold before she even feels like she’s cold. I want to make a quilt she can use in her wheelchair and her car seat.” So that’s what she did! She did a superb job, too, and got it done in time to give it to Kendra for Christmas.

Don't underestimate the power of a lap quilt for just plain fun! And they’re great for learning a new technique! I love making lap quilts!

 

[NanaKat]

I haven't quilted in months, not since I broke my leg Oct 2, but I just pulled out a lap quilt I finished just before that and featured it in a video on my homesteading channel at the end. Maybe someone will want it. It's in cheerful spring colors so we all need that about now! I was thinking that I need to get back to it, to bolster my mood.

Well my goodness! Had not heard you broke your leg! So glad to hear you are improving. Love your new machine and totally understand needing space from the quilting challenge. Working with nice fabrics always seems to soothe my moods.

 

[21hens-incharge]

@Blooie that lap quilt is very cute and the story behind it is very sweet.
Yup I will do a lap quilt to learn hand quilting on. I have a few UFO's to finish but they are big and would be to much for learning on.

 

[speckledhen]

Hand quilting is my specialty, however the tingling and/or numb fingers pretty much ended that. I'm not nearly as good with free motion on the machine as I am doing hand quilting, but it's definitely faster. A lap quilt is a great way to develop hand quilting skills, for sure. The last bed quilt that was entirely hand quilted I did was my Tennessee Waltz spring quilt about ten years ago. I think I did one lap quilt after that, but don't recall any others.

@NanaKat yes, I broke my leg when we were cutting up a dead tree. It went rogue on us, the butt end flew up, brushed across the top of my head, came down on my right shoulder and pushed me me straight down (my left leg broke both bones clear across just below the knee, same bones I broke in that ankle in 2012). I had surgery a week later to stabilize it, but now I can walk without a walker, though I do take a cane in case I lose my balance on this very rocky and root-ridden property. As you can imagine, it put me out of commission on literally everything for a long time. It's still very swollen and a little bruised and stiff all these months later, nice long scar down the front of my leg from the surgery, but I'm grateful to even be alive.

 

[Blooie]

I can’t even imagine! I broke my foot in October I fell getting into the camper we were living in (missed a step) while our house was being built and couldn't believe what a painful hitch that relatively minor injury put in my git-a-long! To go through everything you endured…..I shudder to think!

 

[Bishopalready]

Doing this half log cabin quilt, also called the chevron log cabin block. I just found out that my nephew's new baby, due in May, is another girl so this will be her baby quilt.

I like this setting for it, but what color for the setting triangles, do you think? I will most likely do a border after that, but that is easier to choose since it will be separated from the actual blocks.



I have this fabric that is used in a few places in the body of the quilt (see it on the right side of the blocks) maybe would have enough to do the setting triangles, not sure. If you have other suggestions, would love to hear them.

Absolutely beautiful!

 

[21hens-incharge]

I dug out a silly giant star I made quite a while ago. I think while smaller than a lap quilt it would be a good starting point.

Maybe with some simple borders and smaller stars in the corners it would be a usable size.

Questions I have...

Is there a preferred marking method?
I have pink pounce pad as well as tailors chalk and water eraseable blue pens.

To hoop or not to hoop? Benefits and drawbacks?

What thread type is best?

 

[wyoDreamer]

I like to hoop for hand quilting, it makes it easier for me to keep the layers together so I don't get puckering or miss the bottom layer with the needle. And it helps me to be able to stop, set it down and do a chore, then pick it up and start again.