I've missed hand quilting in the evenings and on Sunday afternoons so Elegant Garden has been placed into the hand quilting frame. I last posted about Elegant Garden in my May 18, 2025 post. The flimsy measures 60.5" square.
The flimsy has been basted to the batting and backing. There will be no quilting in the outside brown edge. The seam line will be stitched in the ditch.
Right now I'm quilting the pink border and it stitches hard. I'm not sure if it's the pink fabric or the backing or what the problem is. I'll see what it quilts like when I get to the inside individual blocks, it's too late to change anything now. I'll quilt for shorter amounts of time so my thumbs don't get too tired.
I had an appointment last week with Dr. Schramm, a hand specialist. I wasn't expecting to be told that the pain at the base of my thumbs was caused by arthritis! 😧 I got shots in the base of both thumbs, that helps but I'm not pain free. Oh well, I can still stitch!
I plan to quilt the pink border on the 3 sides of the quilt then start quilting the center blocks from the bottom. I wasn't able to get the 4th side in the frame. I'll quilt to the center row of the quilt then unpin and move the top edge into the frame. Not a problem, I do this all the time.
The quilting design doesn't show well on the pink fabric but I did take a picture of the quilting on the back side. The backing fabric is from one of Robert Kaufman's fusion collections. I bought a whole bolt.
The thread I'm using is a YLI variegated thread I purchased years ago. I must have quilted something else with this thread because it's not a full spool but I have no idea what the other project was. There is plenty of thread to finish Elegant Garden.
I think this thread works well with the civil war fabrics in the quilt. The colors range from a cream to rust to a reddish brown to dark brown. I'm not sure I'll use it on the inside blocks though, it might be too dark.
Elegant Garden is designed by Edyta Sitar, Laundry Basket quilts.
Our Pennsylvania son and DIL were visiting last Sunday. Hannah was looking at my flowerbeds and noticed the butterfly weed plants were full of monarch caterpillars! Some of caterpillars were tiny, only an inch long. On Tuesday afternoon, we had a tornado warning/straight line winds come through our area. (We had no damage.) I wondered how the caterpillars fared.
There weren't as many on this plant as there were earlier but there were some. The caterpillars travel from plant to plant. There are plenty of other plants to shelter in from the wind.
These little guys are huge compared to what they had been just a few days earlier. The plant is definitely showing evidence of being munched on.In the above picture of the butterfly weed, you can see the seed pods. When they dry, I remove them and scatter the seeds along the roadside ditch and the edge of the trees. Someday I hope there is a huge swath of butterfly weed growing along there.
I don't gather the caterpillars and care for them like some people do. I just provide butterfly weed for them to eat and grow on. Butterfly weed is in the milkweed family, it has the same white sticky same as regular milkweed.
Linking to Patchwork & Quilts, Kathy's Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Oh Scrap, Sew & Tell, Handmade Monday, Craftastic Monday, Design Wall Monday, Monday Musings, To Do Tuesday
18 comments:
Such a gorgeous quilt!
Sorry the quilting has been hard going, the arthritis doesn't help I'm sure. It will certainly be worth it, it's a gorgeous quilt.
Elegant Garden is looking absolutely lovely in the frame! There’s something so satisfying about seeing a quilt slowly come alive through hand quilting, especially with those warm Civil War-era fabrics and the variegated thread. The pink border sounds like a workout, though, so taking shorter stitching sessions is definitely a smart move. I also love that the same thread can bring out those cream, rust, and brown tones without making the quilt feel too busy.
It’s inspiring to see a project continue despite a few aches and unexpected challenges. I’m looking forward to seeing how the center blocks look once the quilting progresses. boomerangbet also makes for an interesting little stop when browsing online.
Elegant Garden is a beauty, I hop the border will be easier to quilt later. Sorry for the pain in the fingers, arthritis is not fun and I hope the shots will do their job. Pretty variegated thread! I love these colorful caterpillars! Thank you for sharing and linking up.
I have arthritis in both of my thumbs too. The shots help for quite a while. I have found that a hand therapist has worked for the long term though. The exercises that I was taught have meant that I haven't needed another shot since the first one I was given. I have some fabrics that have surprised me with how difficult they are to hand quilt. It can be very frustrating. The latest quilt on the frame is very pretty.
Elegant Garden is beautiful. I hate that it’s a chore to quilt. Hope it improves. I think it’s awesome that that you scatter butterfly weed seeds all around.
I'm sorry to hear about the pain you are experiencing in your thumbs. I hope the effects of the shots will continue to decrease the pain. Bummer that the fabric in that area is difficult to quilt. I hope it is just the border and not the backing!
What a beauty! It's going to be very special once you've finished all your hand quilting.
Oh your poor hands and with arthritis too. Some fabrics can be like that can't they, I do hope that it isnt the backing and that the blocks are easier. Lovely to have all those caterpillars and nurture them. xx
Sorry your hands are giving you trouble, we need our hands to work as we all have so many projects to finish! Hope your quilting goes smoothly on this pretty top.
Love your quilt!!! Elegant Garden is so pretty! I'm so excited to see your butterfly weed and the caterpillars! I don't have flowers on my plant this year but will be doing the same with the flower seeds next year. My neighbor has already asked me for some! Sending hugs and careful of the thumb! I'm having my thumb operated on later this month. Had shots for years until they no longer worked. Sending hugs!
That is beautiful, and I know your quilting will make it even more so. That darn arthritis - my hand get tired so much quicker these days. And we won't even mention the arthritic knees. I do hope those shots help out your hands.
I hope the shots help and that your hand quilting is enjoyable and not painful. This quilt is gorgeous! I have butterfly weed in my garden too. I will try planting some of the seeds in some other spots this year. Great idea. Gail at the cozy quilter
Framing garden botanicals or pressed flowers is such an elegant way to bring natural beauty indoors! It turns simple greenery into timeless artwork for any room. When taking a quick break from browsing creative gardening and home craft blogs, I usually hop over to playjonny to unwind for a bit. Thanks for sharing this beautiful project idea
I am sorry to hear about the limitation your are fighting. I personally have had 4 joint replacements, both knees, right hip and right shoulder. Now my right thumb is hurting. Shots are really helpful. Have your looked at some of the supportive gloves-these are supposed to help but I don't know which one would actually-there are so many. I just had my 79th birthday and it seems energy is my biggest limitation. I can only work about 3 hours a day on my projects anymore. Your quilt is so lovely.
How unfortunate that you are finding the quilting difficult. Take good care of your hands as best you can. <3 Your hand quilting is always beautiful. I hope that it gets easier for you when you reach the blocks. Thank you for sharing in Sew & Tell.
My supportive gloves were delivered yesterday. I'll be wearing them a lot now, including at night!
What a gorgeous card design! The framed garden theme with those delicate floral details looks so elegant and beautifully crafted. Thanks for sharing your creative inspiration and step-by-step techniques. When taking a break from browsing crafting and cardmaking blogs, I like to check out afkspin for a quick bit of fun. Looking forward to seeing more of your lovely creations!
Post a Comment