Hearts & Wreaths Finish!

After five months of hand quilting, Hearts & Wreaths is completely finished!! She measures 78" by 94". 

Six hundred seventy-four yards of white YLI hand quilting thread was used for the quilting. I did not wash Hearts & Wreaths after binding but she already has that kind of scrunchy look that washing gives a quilt. Hobbs 80/20 batting was used.

Hearts & Wreaths was put into the quilting frame January 5, 2024 and removed from the frame May 31. I spent last week binding the quilt. I was very enthused about this quilt so the quilting went quickly, 5 months for a short stitched quilt is fast!

Someday this quilt will be displayed in the rafters but not until I have a chance to display her for show & tell at the November retreat and possibly the Sauder Village show next April.

I had no plans for this lovely Free Spirit floral fabric when I purchased it many years ago at retreat. It was on the resale table and it was love at first sight. I came across it when I was boxing fabrics for the move to the new house. That is when I decided it was the perfect backing fabric for Hearts & Wreaths. There is fabric left so the rest will be used on the back of another quilt sometime.

Here is a link to my first post about Hearts & Wreaths. The pattern for Hearts & Wreaths is located in Quiltmania magazine, edition #138. 

If you look at the picture of Hearts & Wreaths in the magazine, you see tiny little appliqued leaf clusters in the border. I can NOT applique things that tiny, my fingers just aren't agile enough. However I did use the little leaf design for the quilt label but the leaves are embroidered, not appliqued.

The picture of the label was taken right after I had hand stitched the label to the back of the quilt. 

Now the binding is attached, and it looks looks this. This yellow label is the TRUE yellow color of this fabric!

For now I'm keeping this quilt for myself but eventually it will be gifted to one of the grandchildren.

I'm taking a sabbatical from hand quilting for the rest of summer and I will not be posting next week. 

I will be spending my evenings appliqueing the borders for Blueberry Pie. But before I can applique, I need to decide what design I'm going to use, then mark the borders! 

Linking to Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Oh Scrap, Handmade Monday, Sew & Tell, Craftastic Monday, Design Wall Monday, Monday Musings, To Do Tuesday 

Just one more picture, this time displayed on our bed.

Actually I have another picture to show you. This is my favorite block. Most of the hearts were not fussy cut but these turquoise hearts were. The butterflies are so cute!

Of course the yellow background fabric isn't the true color. Finally, after all these months I have my first quilt finish in 2024!