And the Quilting Begins!

Hearts & Wreaths wasn't in the hand quilting frame by January 1 but the 5th was pretty close! Marking a quilt just takes a long time, at least it does for me.

There is a quilting motif going in the corners of the blocks. This motif is called Feather Design. I'm not sure where I purchased it, but you can order it from The Stencil Company, #586. The stencil I'm using is 6.5".  

The 2nd motif is Heart block and I purchased it at Yoder Department Store. This stencil can be purchased at EZ Mark Stencils and is #166A. It is also a 6.5" stencil.

Here is a close up of the corner after being marked. I'm lightly marking with a silver marking pencil. I did take a picture of the pencil but that disappeared to wherever pictures disappear to in cyber land.

This diagonal design is used in the background of the applique blocks. It doesn't have a name but is identified as SCL-268-16. It is 16" and was purchased from The Stencil Co. I've used this as a background in another quilt but I can't think which one right now. The diagonal lines are 3/4" apart.

The last several years I have been using my Grace quilting frame to hand quilt but I've never been satisfied with the side tension. That is why I've decided to put Hearts & Wreaths into the old sticks and stands frame, that is my own name for this type of frame.

This is how you start. The 4 stands in the corner, the shorter 72" sticks are on the stands, the longer 108" sticks on top. 

I measured the center of the long sticks and pinned the backing fabric in place. Next is to layer the batting on top of the backing fabric. I'm using a Hobbs 80/20 cotton/poly batting. I have used wool batting for the last several quilts I've hand quilted, this time I decided to use cotton. Why, because I felt like it.

Obviously the quilt top goes on top of the batting. The center of the stick is marked on the stick. The selvage is on the long sides of the quilt top. You can see the horizontal line which will be the edge of the quilt. The selvage will be cut off when the quilt is trimmed for binding.

You can see in the above picture the stick fabric is attached by tacks approximately 1.5" apart. I've quilted on sticks that had the fabric attached farther apart. I'm fussy about tension so I tacked mine closer.

Hearts & Wreaths has been pinned onto the batting. This is a side view.

I'm going to start quilting this long side. My Grace frame wasn't long enough to stitch large quilts on the long side. Quilting on the short side adds bulk to the roll and in that type of frame, the whole quilt is rolled on the roller.

Hearts & Wreaths measures 82.5" by 96". Instead of using longer side sticks, I used the 72" sticks. The 20 blocks in the center of Hearts & Wreaths are set 4 by 5. I've started quilting on the long side of the opposite side of this picture. When I've rolled in 3 rows, I'll reset the quilt to quilt the final side. That is months away though but I'll show you the process when it happens.

I'm sure most of you are unfamiliar with this type of frame. Putting a quilt in this frame is a LOT faster than the Grace frame. I don't have to roll back and forth a bunch of times!

I'm using white YLI brand hand quilting thread which I purchased at Yoder Department store for $8.50 a spool. YLI Thread can also be purchased from Red Rock Threads if you can't find it at a store close to you.

Here are my quilting tools, ready for the start!

All leaves will be stitched in the ditch. I'm also stitching along one side of the black embroidered vine.

The first corner is quilted! The space in between the double lines is 1.75". I may insert a single line of quilting in between each double line. I don't think the wider space will look right since the diagonal lines in the center blocks are to be quilted 3/4" apart. There is going to be a LOT of quilting on this quilt.

I've been on a break from hand quilting since I finished Lady Jane last July. I'm ready to go again!

DMC quilting needles have been my go to quilting needle for over 45 years! Last winter I wrote that DMC is not manufacturing quilting needles anymore. My friend Diane sent me this package of S. Thomas & Sons quilting needles. As you can read, this is the brand she has used for years.

I was quilting Lady Jane with the DMC needles I had on hand and decided to save the Thomas needles for the next quilt. This is the next quilt and were used in the above picture. Diane was right, they stitch great! I googled the name and here is where I'll be ordering them from.

People always wonder how long it takes to hand quilt a quilt. It depends on how much quilting is stitched on the quilt. I'm hoping to have this quilt finished by December but you never know, it may be longer! It will take as long as it takes, and quilting can't be rushed.

Blogger decided to center the typing on this blog today, why, I don't know. Blogger also does not allow me to respond to comments, they used to but no longer. Again, why? I don't know. I will try to remember to answer questions in my next post about Hearts & Wreaths.

Someone is sure to remark that they think quilting in a frame would be awkward. I've always quilted in a frame, that is what I'm used to. It's not better than using a hoop if that is how you hand quilt, it's just the way I learned to quilt. 

Linking to Hugs & Stitches Party, Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Oh Scrap, Handmade Monday, Sew & Tell, Design Wall Monday, Craftastic Monday, Monday Musings