Each new month I start a block for a new quilt. I like to keep it under wraps till it is all together. Once my monthly block is finished I tackle other projects. But I have found out again, that I have to keep to a snail's pace. Anything else and I'm in trouble with my shoulders again. So not as much gets done as I would like.
And this being a blog mostly about quilts and related things I did not write another post for a while.
But my block has been finished and it is on to the next project. This landscape I made about 2 years ago. It is hand appliqued.
As usual I was in a hurry and decided to machine quilt around all the pieces as I have done before, except to only use the bat, not a back ground. That way it would go faster, since you did not have to be careful to work in the ends of the threads. Big mistake!!!!
I put it away till now and I think I have figured it out. If I ever want to put it in a show the quilting will have to be visable at the back.
My first step was to do some threadwork and make grasses and shrubs free hand. It is always scary to start since it is very easy to make a mistake.
Next step was to do some more quilting, this time with a backing.
The only way to put a border on, is to do it in a quilt-as-you go method.
I cut the piece to the right size. The next step I like to do is put a narrow strip around the edges. I start with a 1 inch strip and fold it double with the wrong side together.
This strip is basted on,since you want to be sure it stays straight when you put the border on.
Next up is the first, narrow border. I put a strip on the back and a strip on the front. After sewing the seam I flip them over and iron both and put a strip of quilt bat in between. This is as far as I got, but this narrow strip will be quilted and after that another, wider strip will finished the top.
A closer look at some of the thread work.
I hope to have this done by the end of the month.
So I might not write each week, but as I have things to show and tell I will get back
If you are lucky you can buy a package with 100 8 inch denim squares plus 10 patches with pockets and maybe a few labels for $15 at the Thriftstore in Elmira.
Out of one package I made a quilt for Evelyn, that measured about 72 by 72 inches.
Since it turned out very heavy, I did not bother with a bat and put a few pieces of heavy flannel at the back.
My plan was to machine quilt this myself, but it turned out too big and too heavy, so of to a friend from my guild, Trudy Day it went.
She did a fine job machine quilting it. I had left the backing about 3 inches larger then the quilt. For binding I turned the extra fabric to the front and sewed that down . It is far from fancy, but is is warm and very strong.
It should work fine this coming winter as a throw to put on the floor for Evelyn to play on.
I took it over on Sunday and she had to try it out right away.
I never took a picture of the first quilt I had made for her.
I was asked to make a brown and green quilt and I came up with this.
The elephant fabric I found at Kallisti Quilts and is an African wax fabric. The rest I found locally.
I tried working on this, when I was having problems with my shoulders and my friend Carol came to the rescue.
She finished the piecing and, fantastic and speedy hand quilter she is, she kept on going and did the quilting also.
Wonder why Evelyn is all dressed up?
We celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary on Sunday and had a few friends over at Shawn's.
It was a lot of fun to look at the old wedding pictures and reminise about the "olden" days.
I have been working on the landscape and only the sewing of the binding has to be done.
Pictures next time.
