You guys are so kind with your remarks. Several of you have talked about how competitive this quilt will be in a show. I'm not a show person, I make my quilts for me, that's what makes me happy. That's enough. This quilt may be exhibited at the Sauder Quilt Show in Archbold Ohio sometime but I'm not sending her out to a national show. I don't even exhibit at the Shipshewana Quilt show and that's only a 20 minute drive from my home.
Hand quilted quilts are going the way of machine quilted quilts, a LOT of quilting. Two years ago at the Shipshewana Quilt Show, the champion hand quilted quilt had been quilted with over 8,000 yard of thread and it took her 8 years! It was a whole cloth quilt but that was still a LOT of hand quilting.
At the Sauder Quilt show last year, the winning hand quilted quilt didn't have 8,000 yards of thread but it had several thousand yards. I'm not even going to attempt that amount.
If I quilted this quilt with diamonds 1/2" apart, I could have probably bumped the thread count up to several thousand yards but I have a life. I'm not willing to put that much work into quilting a quilt that would take me years.
This was the 15th week of quilting on this quilt. At this rate it will be the middle of May when I complete this quilt, if then. I have a more outside work when spring comes, it may be in the frame even longer.
If entering competitive quilt shows is your thing, go for it and I wish you well.
Here is the quilting I've completed this week.
Linking to Peacock Party, Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, Oh Scrap, Show & Tell Monday, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, BOM's Away, Moving It Forward
20 comments:
Oh my goodness, your hand quilting is fabulous as is your hand applique!
Your quilting is perfect for your quilt. I don’t want the stress of entering competitions. My hobby is for my enjoyment.
totally understand where you are coming from as people tell me the same thing - I quilt for me also and not for shows - hand quilting is becoming more competitive as well and I agree I have seen some that are covered in stitches and it takes years to do or many hours in a day and like you I have a live other than quilting. I do love your quilting and you are much neater than I am at it!
I have been told the same thing about entering quilts into shows. I am like you and quilt for me! Your making great progress and it's looking very fine indeed!
I agree, for me quilting is fun, not stressful.
I appreciate your comment and that I'm not the only hand quilter to feel this way.
You are the 4th person to comment and the 4th person to say they like to quilt for their self. I'm very glad to see I'm not the only person to feel this way.
Dear Gretchen: This very dense quilting seems to be a fad that will not go away. I hand quilt in an appropriate amount of coverage for the design (not densely) and enter my quilts into shows on purpose hoping the judges will finally get their head on their shoulders and remember that dense quilting is not the way to go for any quilt. If we don't keep reminding the judges of that by entering our quilts, this fad will not go away. By the way, I love your blog and quilts. Pattie
Your quilting is impressive! Beautiful work! Many quilters had been happy to see this great quilt at an exhibition, but the most important thing is that you make a decision you enjoy. I'm looking forward to seeing your quilt here when it's finished. Enjoy the hand quilting! :-)
Yes, some people start a quilt with the intention of entering it into a show, whereas others just quilt for enjoyment. I don't see any need to add a lot more quilting just to enter a show - I just make what I like. Thank you for linking up to the Peacock Party.
I am not a show person either... and get told I should make a show quilt or enter one of mine in a show too... glad to know there is SOMEONE in this world like me :) Enjoy your wonderful quilting and be glad you know what you want to do with your craft... make wonderful quilts that will be ENJOYED for years and years to come thanks to your loving stitches that are ooooh sooo beautiful. I have a quilt I will be starting next and maybe I can keep track of it by weeks. I like that you are doing that and that you have reached halfway! Congrats :) Kathi
Wonderful quilting :) And a wonderful quilt!!! I admire your patience.
Personly I prefer the quilting not to be to dens. I realy like my quilts to be soft, and if you quilt realy dens the quilt tend to go stiff.
Beautiful quilting Gretchen and you will certainly enjoy this quilt. After being away for 4 years from entering shows and now realizing now that all they want is the heavy heavy quilting and that is the only important thing that the Judges look for first, I will go back to just making my quilts and enjoying the process and posting them on my Blog. Besides it is less stressful! Last week was an eye opener! Maybe that is why the Guilds are not doing as well as they used to! Again your hand quilting is to die for!
This is an AMAZING quilt. Love it!
Ah, but it is the quilter who decides how much quilting belongs on a quilt -- not her blog readers, not the show judges, nor anyone else! If 8,000 yards of thread go into the quilting, it should only because the quilter is so excited about the project that there is joy in every stitch. Although this quilt is stunning, it doesn't seem that you as the quilt artist feel it needs that level of detail quilting. I think your work is beautiful, and I'm glad you share it here on the blog even if you don't choose to enter your work into quilt shows. :-)
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. 'Nough said.
I too quilt and make things to make me happy. Not others. Your quilting is beautiful and perfect for this quilt. It will be so snuggly when it is done.
I think less is more when it comes to quilting, even though the trend seems to be "smash it down with thread." I love your texture and agree that quilt shows are for those who love them, but not everyone. I like to go and be inspired, but my exhibiting will stop at our little county fair, which for me is about participating, and getting some helpful pointers, not winning best of show. Enjoy your quilting this week and every day!
Your post reminds me about the Sauder's Quilt Show. I read about it a couple times on blog posts by someone who had entered the show and also attended. Was not familiar with it before then. Seems like it would be an interesting one to attend.
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