I've stenciled a father design on the white border.
I've added a double straight line to hold down the loose fabric. I'm pleased with the way she is looking.
I finished quilting the white border section Saturday afternoon. I've rolled and will be working on the next blue square/square border.
I've had several people ask about the dishcloths I knit. I use Lily brand Sugar 'N Cream cotton yarn. In my corner of the world, yarn costs less at Michael's than JoAnn Fabrics. A variegated skein will knit 1 cloth with some yarn leftover, the solid colored skeins are slightly larger. I like to knit the leftover yarn then finish with a coordinating solid colored yarn, but that is my personal preference.
Here is a link to many different patterns for knitted dishcloths. There is also a pattern on the backside of the label on the skein of yarn but the pattern can be for any project, not necessarily dishcloths.
There are also free patterns on Ravelry.
I like a very simple pattern so I can knit without thinking. I use a size #6 circular knitting needle, I like my dishcloths tightly knitted. I never knit a swatch to check the gauge for dishcloths.
This is the pattern I learned to knit with. It calls for a #10 circular needle. Cast on 4 stitches. *Knit(K) 2, Yarn over (YO), knit across. Repeat * until you have 45 stitches on the needles. **K1, K2 together, YO, K2 together, K on across. Repeat ** down to 4 stitches. Bind off.
I used that pattern for years until I was
I don't know where I found the pattern I am using now, I do know it was a free pattern from where ever I found it. Seed Stitch Dish Cloth - With a size #6 circular needle cast on 40 stitches. Row 1 & 2 – knit. Row 3 & 4 – Knit 2 *K1 P1 repeat from * across to last 2 stitches k2. Repeat rows 1 – 4 for pattern until measures 9” (same as bottom edge), ending with Rows 1 & 2. Bind off.
I never thought people would be asking me about knitting! I see so many beautiful project on line. If I wasn't so addicted to quilting, I think I could really get into knitting.
I have another quilt to show you today. As I have told you before, every year the Maple Leaf Quilt Guild donates a hand quilted quilt to the Michiana Mennonite Relief Sale. I had been helping to quilt this year's quilt, Sweet Surrender. She is finished and was displayed at the last guild meeting. I forgot to take my camera but Edith sent me some photos. I had planned to take some close up pictures of the quilting but that's the way it goes.
The members all helped make the blocks, either by appliqueing or piecing, something for every preference. There were extra pieced blocks not needed for the front so Edith sewed them into the backing. It was not easy to quilt with them on the bottom, but it looks lovely when finished. She also made the special block in the top left corner to be used as the quilt label.
I have to confess, when she said this was going to be a scrappy quilt, I was concerned how it was going to look but it has turned out beautiful. We were provided the red fabric that is the red triangles in the bottom of the pieced blocks. All the other fabrics, including the backing for the applique blocks, came from the individual members stash. Edith sewed the triangles together, pieced and appliqued the border. She has done our guild proud!
Linking to - Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, Quilting is More Fun than Housework, Em's Scrapbag, Love Laugh Quilt, Show & Tell Monday, Katie Mae Quilts, Building Blocks Tuesday, Fiber Tuesday, Sew Some Love, Esther's Wednesday WOW!, Sew Fresh Quilts, My Quilt Infatuation, Finished Or Not Friday, Crazy Mom Quilts, Confessions of a Fabric Addict
46 comments:
Your hand quilting on the Churn Dash is absolutely stunning! :)
Your quilting is beautiful. Do you lay out all of the stenciling prior to stitching? What do you use to transfer the stencil onto the fabric and how do you keep it from fading or rubbing off? I have hand quilted a couple of my quilts and always have to stop and retrace the stencil. This is problematic when I have had to alter the dimensions to get it to fit the border correctly. The donated quilt is gorgeous. I really like the idea of using the extra squares in the backing.
Your guild did a wonderful job on their donation quilt! We had two speakers from our local Mennonite relief quilt auction committee speak to our guild a couple of years ago. It was very interesting to learn more about the sale and how they use the money raised. Your hand quilting is lovely.
Years ago, my mother gave me a box of pale silver pencils. I've used those pencils for 35 years and they are nubs now. Last year I purchased another box at an Amish store. The feather design is lightly marked with the silver pencils. You don't really see it after she is quilted. If you examine her closely, you will see the markings. Some people really get upset about markings showing on quilts but, to me anyway, that's is the traditional way.
I'm marking the straight lines using a narrow blue marker. Don't mark heavily, a light line is enough. I mark as much as I think I will quilt, then thoroughly wet it so they disappear. If I don't quilt it all, I cover with a cloth so sunlight does not set it. I don't know if it really will but that is what some people say. I don't know if it really will or not, just playing it safe.
I also cover the whole quilting frame with a cloth cover when I'm not quilting for protection.
Thank you. I am so glad my quilt is stitching easier than the relief sale quilt did. Some of those batiks were really hard to stitch through.
Thank you, I'm enjoying myself.
Your stitching is GORGEOUS, Gretchen!
Oh my. Such lovely hand stitches. May I ask what you use to mark the lines specifically on white fabric? From the thumbnail, It looks like perfect machine quilting. Sweet Surrender is a wonderful quilt donation. I like how the extra blocks were incorporated on the back.
I'm using a light colored silver pencil. I've lightly marked the design on the white. The straight lines are being marked as I quilt with a thin blue marker then sprayed with water after quilting to remove them.
Thank you. I find hand quilting very relaxing.
Beautiful hand quilting, on both quilts. I can see the outlines on the community quilt on the picture of the back. Your feathers look amazing.
love your hand quilting and that donation quilt is something - lots of work for sure and turned out beautifully
Sweet Surrender is beautiful. I like how the extra blocks appear on the backing. Quite an endeavor for a donation quilt. I have been in charge of a donation quilt a couple times and know how hard it is to get blocks that are the same size and to get people to applique.
The group quilt is amazing! It would be challenging to make this kind of detailed quilt with a group, so kudos to your organizer! I hope it raises lots of money for a good cause!
I'd like to learn how to knit dishclothes... I think it would be a great take-along kind of project.
Sweet Surrender is SPECTACULAR!!!!!!!!!!! I would certainly be pleased to win it.
Thank you for the dish cloth pattern. I've been making the ones you have started with. They go to our church's bazaar.
I enjoyed your post today, Gretchen! Your hand quilting is so beautiful. You reminded me of some dishcloths I was knitting awhile back. I think I'll go dig that bag out and see if I can try your pattern. It's always fun to try something new!
Dish cloths are very hand to take along. I knitted them all the time when taking my parents to doctor apts or where ever they needed to go.
This quilt can be yours if you are the last bidder at the quilt auction at the Michiana Mennonite Relief Sale on September 23, 2017. The auction is held at the Elkhart County fairgrounds Goshen, Indiana.
I just got so tired of that pattern and decided I needed to find a new pattern. I've tried several of the other patterns but I had to pay too much attention. The seed pattern seems to work fine. Sometimes I forget to add the garter stitch row between the weed rows, but hey, it's a dishcloth. I just leave it the way it is.
The dish cloths are a nice change from the other needle work.
Your quilting is just so great! Very nice.
Your quilting looks fantastic! My goodness, what a beautiful quilt!
Your guild did a beautiful job on that scrappy quilt. It is lovely! Thanks for sharing with Oh Scrap!
Sweet Surrender is absolutely beautiful!!!!!!!!!!! I bet it goes for a pretty penny (as they used to say) Thx for the knitting pattern I agree with you, knitting is a nice break from the had work. Churn dash quilt is really going to beautiful - love the feathers! Your hand quilting is something to be admired.
Thank you for posting the knitting information!
Sweet Surrender is just gorgeous. And your hand quilted feathers are stunning!
Your hand quilting is lovely! It caught my eye at once as it is SO very much nicer than machine quilting - a soft vintage look :)
Your hand quilting is gorgeous! And Sweet Surrender is wonderful. I love it's scrappiness. Great group effort!
Your hand quilting is gorgeous! And Sweet Surrender is a great group quilt, even the back!
Thank you for your inspiration and link Show and Tell Monday !! Bambi Hug
Have fun with a new pattern!
Thank you. I forget how much I enjoy hand quilting until I have a quilt in the frame. I just want to sit and quilt and forget all the other work.
Thank you for your kind comments. Sweet Surrender did turn out nicely.
Oh wonderful blog today Gretchen so much to see and learn from but OHHHH my goodness your quilting is beautiful that border stopped me in my tacks just beautiful, I love how you added the straight quilting to anchor the batting just beautiful Hugs Glenda
Oh my goodness! Your handquilting is divine.
Thanks for linking up!
Thanks for linking up!
Thank you Glenda. You're no slouch when it comes to hand quilting either. I'm going to try the Sashiko quilting sometime.
Thank you. I've been hand quilting for over 40 years. It's true what they say, practice, practice and more practice.
I am in awe of your hand quilting! It is amazing and stunning...beautiful work!
Wow! Lovely quilting.
Thank you. I have been hand quilting for many, many years.
Wow! Your hand quilting is gorgeous!
They are both spectacular quilts - your hand quilting is stunning and the scrappy quilt is just gorgeous :)
Gretchen ~ Such beautiful work, I just started back Quilting this year after being away from it for years... Getting to know the sewing machine and all the new ways of doing things, quite a learning curve.. What town in Indiana do you live?
Gail
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