End of March Quilting

It's been 24 weeks since I've started quilting the Pastor's Attic quilt in October. Now it's the end of March and I'm still quilting. This is the longest I've ever had a quilt in the quilting frame.

I'm writing this post on Friday afternoon because tomorrow several friends and I are driving to Chicago to the IQS show in Rosemont. I should make it clear, Lynn is driving, I'm a passenger.

Surprisingly I did get more than half of a row quilted this week. 

Remember, the seam line in the top border.

This is the left side border which was terribly boring to quilt.

I was glad when I got into the applique.

These blocks with larger pieces of applique quilt fast!

I enjoyed quilting this block much more than appliqueing all those fingers. I can quilt faster than I can applique.

This is the middle block of the row.

This is where I am now. I'm sure I quilted Friday evening so more progress was made on this block. You'll see that next Sunday.

I've had some questions about the quilt and my quilting. Here is a link to the marking process. 

I've used a Hobbes wool batt for stitching ease. I love wool batts. Wool is my go batting for hand quilting from now on. The needle just glides through so smoothly.

I use DMC #7 quilting needles. I like the DMC brand because the needle is a little thicker than John James which I bend.  Most hand quilters like a smaller needle but I don't seem able to manipulate the smaller needles. They flip out of my fingers and gash my thumb just under the bottom of my thumbnail which then bleeds. I make small stitches with this size just fine, it's my personal preference.

The thread I'm using is YLI brand thread. I'm using a variegated color called Pyramids but you can't tell it's variegated on the quilt.

The ends of my fingers and thumbs are calloused so I'm able to quilt several hours a day but you don't start out being able to quilt that long. It takes time to build up the callouses.

Another important issue in hand quilting is the backing fabric. I buy my backing from a LQS. I want to see and feel the fabric before I purchase it. I don't want a backing that has been stiffened with sizing or starch. I know you can wash it but I don't think it washes out with just one wash. The sizing makes the stitching harder. 

Also if you wash the backing multiple times, you're going to make the fabric shrink which will make the thread weave tighter which quilts harder.

I hope I've answered the quilting questions.

The local weather - the grass is still not greening up but tulips and daffodils are sending up green stems, spring is slowly coming. We've also had a skunk hanging around so when I head out to the barn, in the dark, in the morning, I need to make sure he isn't in the yard. I don't want any surprises of that kind!

Linking to the Peacock Party, Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, Oh Scrap, Bambi's Show & Tell Monday, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, BOM's Away, Moving It Forward

Stringing Logs

After finishing 3 queen sized log cabin quilt flimsies in autumn colors, I've moved onto the bright colors from the box. 

I saw a log cabin quilt online somewhere made with all star blocks. I loved how it looked so I decided to piece a log cabin with that setting. This is a large twin sized flimsy measuring 70" by 98".

I had the individual blocks pieced, then sewed the star blocks together at the guild retreat in February. 

After the stars sections were sewn together, I decided to have sashing in between the sections. I hadn't brought any fabric along to do that with. 

Several of us made a point of visiting The Scarlet Thread. I purchased some 'word' fabric and some aqua fabric too. 

I cut the necessary strips for the sashing then remembered I had wanted to get a small piece of yellow for cornerstones. I thought yellow would be good since the center of the log blocks were yellow. Oh well, I cut  the aqua fabric and used it. It looks just fine.

For the corners of the piano key border, I made half log cabin blocks. 

This quilt is set in the traditional barn raising but has a star in the center. The flimsy measures 72" x 100". I added the narrow outside border so when I bind the quilt, I won't cover up the logs. Part of that narrow border will be trimmed before binding.

A close up of the center star. 

I'll have these two flimsies long arm quilted.

The strings in the box are decreasing but the box still isn't empty. Now I'm going to divide the fabrics into lights and darks and see what I get.

Linking to Sew Fresh Quilts, Needle & Thread Thursday, the Peacock Party, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, TGIFF!, From Bolt to Beauty, Finished Or Not Friday, String Along, Show Off Saturday, Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Another Week, Another Row

Another week of hand quilting and this section of the Pastor's Attic quilt is quilted.

I quilted across the row I started a week ago and here are the pictures.

Block 1. There are a lot of in and out curves on this block but it was fun to quilt and didn't take as long as it looks.

Block 2. This block quilted fast!

Block 3. More details to be quilted around on this block but there weren't any tiny circles.

I also quilted the left side border but it's all triangles. You can see it above in the long picture.

I've rolled, the seam line is the start of the top border. I estimate there is at least 5 weeks of quilting before this quilt is finished.

The Amaryllis went crazy this year, I've never had blooms like this before. This white Amaryllis had 3 flower stalks. The first 2 both bloomed at the same time. Now stalk 3 is blooming and these are the very last Amaryllis flowers of winter. 

If you're wondering why there is a plastic spoon stuck in the pot, I'm going to try to keep track of the colors this year so I know for next winter. We'll see how that goes.

Don't they look like Easter lilies? 

Linking to the Peacock Party, Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, HQAL, Bambi's Show & Tell Monday, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, BOM's Away, Moving It Forward

Green Ohio Stars

The green Ohio Stars have been sewn, now I'm caught up on Ancient Stars. 

I didn't used to have so many different greens in civil war fabrics. When my friend Deanna moved to Utah, she downsized her fabric stashed and gifted me civil war fabrics. Most of these greens are from her stash.

I've also pieced the 1" finished HST's but forgot to take a picture before I bagged them and stored them with the other blocks.

Linking to Confessions of a Fabric Addict, TGIFF, Show Off Saturday, Scrap Happy Saturday, Oh Scrap

22 Weeks of Hand Quilting!

It's been 22 weeks of hand quilting on the Pastor's Attic quilt. I've started row 5, which is the last applique row. I'm actually seeing the start of the top border!

Last Sunday I told you I had friends coming to quilt this week. We quilted the section between rows 4 and 5. 

Here are pictures of the quilting. When I look at the quilt in real life, I can see a slight size difference between my quilting stitches and theirs but I doubt you can see it in the photos. The difference doesn't bother me. 

Right side border.

Left side border.

I was so glad to have them come help, this gave me a real boost in the process. I rolled Wednesday evening and Thursday I started in again. 

Yes, this is the correct orientation, this is the top of the right block.

I'm working on the 2nd block now.

I also quilted the right side border but it looks like the picture of the above border so I didn't picture it.

I didn't get accomplish more quilting because . . . I sewed the rest of the hexies onto Lucy last week!

The next step for Lucy is to applique this section onto an outside border fabric. Right now Lucy measures 23-1/2" by 35-1/2".

Linking to the Peacock Party, Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, Oh Scrap, Bambi's Show & Tell Monday, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, BOM's Away, Moving It Forward

Yellow Ohio Stars

I making Ohio Stars for the Ancient Stars quilt. I'm trying to make 10 blocks a month using the RSC color. The QST are the color that has been chosen (drawn?) for each month.

The RSC color for February was yellow. However I had misplaced the yellow civil war charm blocks I had purchased last August from Primitive Gatherings at the AQS show in Grand Rapids. 

I found the fabric package last week and now they're sewn. Some of the yellows in the package were too beige for my taste, not really yellow so I only made 8 yellow stars. 

Some of these yellow stars didn't turn out like I had hoped (mainly the top left one!) and won't make the final cut for the quilt.

I bought the charm package because I only had this fat quarter of civil war yellow in my fabric stash. I didn't want to make all the yellow stars with the same fabric.

Now I need to sew the green stars and I'll be caught up on the blocks.

Linking to Scrap Happy Saturday.

Quilting Progress

I finished the row I was hand quilting last week and will be starting the section in between rows 4 and 5. I am starting to get excited now, row 5 is the last appliqued row in this quilt!

This is the center block I was working on last Sunday. Lots of little circles and leaves.

This is the wild strawberry block. I didn't like the way the strawberries looked with french knots so I removed them when I was appliqueing them.

Got to love these blocks with the larger applique pieces, so quick to quilt.

Left side border.

So far I have quilted every stitch on this quilt myself. Monday I'm having some friends come to quilt. I'll have lots of progress to show you next Sunday.

Linking to The Peacock Party,  Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, Oh Scrap, Show & Tell Monday, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, BOM's Away, Moving It Forward

Infinity Finished!

I finally have a finish, Infinity has been quilted! I decided to try a new long arm quilter and Colleen has done a wonderful job.

The color in the picture isn't true. It should look more red than pink/maroon.

The feathers she quilted in the bargello section are wonderful, they look like butterfly wings. 

Here is a close up view.

A view of the black background and the outside border.

You can see the feathers on the back side, she switched the thread on the back, this side is beautiful too!

The finished wallhanging measures 59" by 57". She'll hang on a wall in our bedroom as soon as I get someone to put the hanger up.

I pieced the flimsy in December. You can read the details here and here, including the pattern and the designer.

Linking WIPs On Wednesday, Let's Bee Social,  Needle & Thread Thursday, Peacock Party, TGIFF!, Finished Or Not Friday, Show Off Saturday

Hand Quilting and Lucy

I was busy piecing with my sewing machine this week and didn't get much hand quilting accomplished.

The right side border has been quilted.

The first right applique block has been quilted.

I've started this block, it will quilt fast. I just need to stitch around the outside of the applique. 

Lucy was a priority last week, all the sections have been stitched together!

I need to baste 30 more of the elongated hexies. I know I had said it was 40 before but thankfully it's only 30. I'm not sure when I'll get those basted. As I said before, I'm so happy that I decided to not make the full sized quilt. I love the way she looks but I haven't enjoyed the process like I thought I would.

I have more Amaryllis blooming. They are such a bright sight this winter. We haven't had a lot of sunshine this winter.

I have another Amaryllis with 5 blooms!

See in the center, the 5th one is just opening.

There is also a another plant that is just opening, I can see it has a teeny, tiny flower bud in the center too!

I guess these bulbs just needed last winter to rest, they sure are doing well this year

The large green planter holds all the 'babies' that have unattached from the large bulbs when I transplant them. I planted them all in one large pot. Someday they'll be big and have blooms too.

I used to have a group of the 'intermediate' sized bulbs but I gave those away. Some of those might bloom this year, but eventually they all will.

Linking to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, HQAL, Oh Scrap, Bambi's Show & Tell Monday, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, BOM's Away, Moving It Forward