How Many Times Can One Quilt Be Finished?

Today's post was going to be an update on some bags I had been making, just for fun, I seem to be in a project making mode. Then I saw that Yvonne quiltingjetgirl had a similar blog post. I really like and admire Yvonne, her sewing is brilliant and her photos, often taken by her talented husband are out of this world. My iPhone snaps pale in comparison. So, that is for next week. This week ladies and gentlemen, I shall unveil a finish to you.

 

No, it is not the finish I showed you last time, this is the finish more finished. You may remember I showed my economy square quilt for my grandson. The quilting was rather basic, done and dusted but rather unimaginative. He was coming for a visit (along with his parents) and I wanted a finish. Then I decided it needed finished properly, so the quilting began.


I left the centre picture square unquilted. I stitched around the outside of the square, in the triangles, then stitched an additional 4 lines across the width of the triangle, then outlined the triangle. I repeated this on all 4 sides. This inner triangle was patterned fabric.


I moved onto the outer triangles, the plain kona fabric. Here I again outlined the triangle then stitched three vertical lines from the centre of the bottom, one at 90 and then 45 and 135 degrees. I am sure there are proper mathematical names for all these lines and angles, but I can't remember and can't be bothered looking them up. Sorry Dad, he was an accountant and loved triangles and angles and degrees. Hypotoneuse (?) and obtuse come to mind, or maybe obtuse is just me! You know what, I will end up googling this to satisfy me.



I repeated this through each square. Lots of shoulder tensing and sore muscles. Do people do this for every single quilt? Yes, I guess they do. Of course, because I never have any plan, I see all the things at the end. If I had been more accurate in my quilting, all those outer triangle angles would have lined up nicely. For someone with OCD about matchy matchy that would be the road paved to hell. Luckily for me, I am happy with an organic look, but I did think, it would be nice if all those lines lined up together at the end.




One thing I do wish, I wish I wish I wish I hadn't done the original quilting in the ditch lines. It doesn't disappear into the quilt as much as I had hoped it would. It looks rather sloppy and I either should have taken more care when doing it, or preferably, not done it all. I did toy with the idea of unpicking it all, but that way madness lies.


 Not only would it take forever, but there is a distinct chance there might end up lots of rows of little needle holes. And that would not do at all. In fact I am working on another secret project where such a thing happened around the neckline, and it wouldn't do at all, at all. Its not that the project itself is secret, it is just it is for an event. The event isn't secret either. Well, I will explain all in the end.

I tried as much as possible to blend the thread with the fabric. I wanted more quilting but not to stand out much. Hence the quilting is mostly done with those moon threads, you know, the polyester threads that come in every colour of the rainbow. On the rare occasion when I have had either a gutermann or aurifil quilting thread that tied in, I can see it is much superior.

The quilt is completely finished now. I can honestly say that, however it isn't handed over. My husband goes through stages with my quilting . It is like the seven ages of man. It goes as follows:

What are you doing now?
Who is that for?
Where do you think you are going to put that?
Haven't we enough quilts about the house?
You do know I really like that?
Why do you always give the good stuff away?
Why can't we keep it ourselves?

This quilt though is for our very own grandson. I am more than happy to give this to him. I did however have another quilt for him too. The Through The Window quilt, which was possibly more of a younger child quilt. This was slightly smaller and so easier to transport and his mum had liked both of them. The grandson himself had liked them both too, and then pointed at the economy square quilt, but he may have been guided by me. Just to keep life interesting for him, I took the other one over to England in my hand luggage.



He will get this one too. But I hear a rumour that there might be a few days away next year en famille to celebrate my coming of age and hopefully getting a free bus pass. This surprise, will, I believe, involve a few days in a house at the coast and this quilt be perfect then for picnics on the grass in the sunshine or more likely  stories and snuggles in the rain.

As I draped this quilt, another quilt, over the back of my finished quilt draping chair in the sun room I had a fond memory. I have two quilt draping chairs, one in my sewing room for nearly finished quilts and then this help yourself to a quilt dining chair. Last summer we had a post wedding party here for my American daughter in law and her family. My husband tidied up and put them all away. When the daughter in law came into the  house with some of her bridesmaids, she said, "oh, where have all the quilts gone? I told my friends how you always have a pile of lovely colourful quilts over the chair". Off rushed the husband to put back the quilts, whilst I smiled, not too smugly I hope. I just took this photo, and the joy of summer in the UK, sunshine to torrential rain with 5 minutes.



At this stage, I think I now have finished up 4 quilts this year. I have my huge Kaffe to quilt, but I think it is time to dig out some of those deep buried works in progress and have a look. I have a request for two new garden quilts. The current garden quilts migrated to the living room last summer and never returned to the garden. Send in a search party if I don't return! And I remember something about a quilt with pigs on it too.


Leaving you with a last photo. Remember when everybody used to go a rolled up quilt photo? I loved to see the binding. Here' my rolled up photo, the quilt with Felix the hare, bought when the grandson was born.

Helen x
linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts and Finished Or Not Friday

Comments

  1. This is truly a beautiful quilt and worth a second look.

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  2. I like the bright, happy colors in your quilt(s). Love the quilt chair idea too. I have a railing that many of my quilts get draped over. It's partway between up and downstairs, so everything gets placed there that should be taken down or up!

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  3. Congratulations on another fine finish!

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  4. I like the spotty binding. I have quilts all over the place, my grandkids all have there favourites.

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  5. I think the quilting is good. Once it gets washed, anything you aren't happy with, will all disappear ☺ Yeah for a free bus pass!!!

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