Sunday, September 1, 2019

Sweet Surrender in the Frame!

One of my August goals was to get Sweet Surrender marked and into the hand quilting frame. I did meet that goal and the quilting has started.



Because someone always asks, I no longer have the Sweet Surrender pattern. I do NOT know where you can buy the pattern.  Sue Cody is the designer and owns the copyright on the pattern. She is no longer releasing it for publication. As far as I know, it is not available anywhere. Sorry, but that's the way it is so please don't ask me where to buy the pattern. Do your own search.


This is a large quilt, 92" by 104". I made my quilt larger than the original pattern. 


The pattern called for an applique border but I just couldn't do one more bit of applique for this quilt. Instead I chose to add a white border with a vine/leaf/flower stencil design. 


I will be quilting the design with #12 Sulky colored threads, hopefully it will show nicely. I did toss the idea around of embroidering the design in the border. 

An embroidered border would have been lovely, but I just couldn't stand the thought of wadding the quilt up in my lap while embroidering. If only I had though of it before I added the outside borders, no way I was going to take them off now.


On the center of the quilt, I marked 1/2" away from the diagonal seam lines on both sides. I followed this line into the white background of the applique.

On the darker fabrics I used a white Sewline chalk marker. On the light fabrics I marked with a Paper Mate Sharpwriter #2 mechanical pencil. I'm using a variegated white/silver thread for quilting the diagonal lines.

I'll be stitching in the ditch around all the applique using white YLI hand quilting thread. I will also stitch in the ditch the seamline between the rows.

In my opinion, wool batting is the way to go for hand quilting. I've always used a Hobbs Heirloom Premium wool batt, I buy them when they're on sale from Connecting Threads. During the last sale, I purchased a Hobbs Tuscany Collection wool batt. 

The problem with the heirloom premium batts is when they are folded then shoved in the plastic bag, it make bulges and pulls part of the batt out of shape. It can be a challenge to quilt those bulges. 

The Tuscany batt was folded nicely into a square and when I unfolded it, there wasn't one bulge pulled out of shape! I'm loving this batting already!

The backing is whole cloth fabric I purchased at Calico Point. That's where I buy my whole cloth backings. 

This quilt will be in the frame all autumn and most of the coming winter. I take my time when hand quilting, speed is not an option. Eventually this quilt will be gifted to one of the grandchildren when they're an adult.


* * * * *


I wrote the above post earlier in August when I got Sweet Surrender into the quilting frame.

The scrappy square border under the quilted white border is quilted diagonally. I'm not quilting the seam line between the blocks, I like the way it puffs. I also stitched in the ditch on both sides of the narrow white border and the bottom of the wider white border.

I really like how the colored thread looks in the flower border. The colored thread doesn't show up well in the picture but it does in real life.

Linking to Peacock PartyKathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, Oh Scrap, Bambi's Show & Tell MondayMonday MakingDesign Wall MondayBOM's Away, Moving It Forward, WIPs On Wednesday

26 comments:

Created by Kathi said...

Hi Gretchen... sew happy it is FINALLY September and you are back to blogging :) I am grateful you had a break but I am even more excited to see what you have been up to with Sweet Surrender... I love taking a quilt pattern and making it my own then as well!!! You are doing this quilt top justice by quilting it how you are.. I loved reading your rationales for your decisions on this quilt and think I wish I was younger and could be a grandchild to receive such a quilt in the future... I hope you sleep under this one when it is done and washed though !!! It is sooo lovely!!! Happy Stitching friend <3 Kathi

Jill said...

Welcome back to blogging! Hope you enjoyed your break. Sweet Surrender is gorgeous. Perhaps the pattern will be re-released for those interested in purchasing. The red fabric adds an element of surprise to this design. Hand quilting is coming along nicely. It appears that the quilt is rolled snuggly. in the frame for taut tension. Are your quilt lines marked with a light colored lead pencil?

Gretchen Weaver said...

I used a Paper Mate Sharpwriter #2 mechanical pencil on the white fabric. I mark lightly, just enough to see. Then when I've quilted, the line really doesn't show unless you get your nose up against it.

Frédérique - Quilting Patchwork Appliqué said...

This is a very pretty pattern, and your quilt is going to be amazing! Love the hand quilted border

Chris said...

I think how you are doing the border quilting is ingenious!

Karrin Hurd said...

Gorgeous quilt, and stunning quilting! Great work!

Karla (ThreadBndr) said...

Love how the floral quilting design relates to the applique - great choice. Thanks for sharing your quilting plan.

Little Penpen said...

Oh goodness! your quilting is beautiful! What a beautiful quilt!

Jayne Honnold said...

Oh my goodness, this is a stunning quilt! I will watch with anticipation as you quilt it! Bravo, you!!

Nana said...

This is a beautiful quilt, love the applique mixed with the diamonds. The quilting in the border is amazing.

K Reeves said...

Oh my goodness, Gretchen, I am so in love with your hand quilting decisions. I wish you were my neighbor and I could just walk over and see what you are doing!

Cynthia Brunz Designs said...

Great idea for that border. It is going to be stunning!

Thanks for sharing with Oh Scrap!

Karen said...

Your quilting is perfect!

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

I have always loved this quilt and glad to see it is now in your frame - I have that stencil you are using and it goes with this quilt so well. It will be fun to follow along on this quilt

Chopin - A Passionate Quilter said...

So beautiful Gretchen! Another Heirloom from you! I could see the different colors of threads in the border on my iPhone. So pretty!

It is a beautiful pattern and unless a quilter can buy the original pattern from someone, they are out of luck because it is against Copyright Laws to make a copy and sell it. Only way to get a copy is through Sue Cody IF she will sell one.

KaHolly said...

It’s coming along beautifully! Such a lot of work! I don’t blame you for calling it quits on Applique by the time you got to the border!

Lynette said...

It makes me grin to see this quilt up for quilting! It's so gorgeous. (I love the Tuscany wool batt, too.) The threads look great quilted onto the white border - that's going to be super pretty. The colored threads also showcase your expert quilting stitches. :)

AnnieO said...

Absolutely beautiful to see you have reached this point of the quilt's journey. Hope you continue to enjoy every stitch.

Susie H said...

WOW! That is one beautiful quilt and the hand-quilting will only make it prettier. I love the flower/vine/leaf design you're quilting in the border. It works absolutely perfectly with the body of the quilt. You've made great progress on it so far too!!!

Wendy @ Wendysquiltsandmore said...

I love this quilt, and the way that you are respecting the design by hand quilting it in an appropriate manor. I think I met Sue Cody at the Sydney Quilt Show. She's one of the very talented ladies from Material Obsession in Sydney. Thank you for linking up to the Peacock Party.

Patty said...

Your quilt is so pretty and your hand quilting is amazing. You did a beautiful job.

PatriciaLud said...

What an absolutely gorgeous quilt - for a lucky grandchild! Your work is inspirational.

Kim said...

That is truly beautiful! I haven't hand-quilted in soooo long. You're inspiring me to get back at it.

Andrea @ Mouse in My Pocket said...

This is an absolutely lovely quilt. I'm really impressed with your hand quilting. It's something I just don't have the patience for.

llswink said...

Your work is amazing! I followed you over from Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and I'm glad I did. You have a gift. I will enjoy watching and reading about what you are working on.

Anonymous said...

I'm looking for the sweet surrender quilt pattern! Does anybody have any ideas of where to locate a pre-owned one?