Winter project link party - March
Well, hello. It seems just a few days since I linked up with Jennifer on her Winter Project Link Party. It is always nice to see so man beautiful crafty projects. February was a fast month and I have not quite caught up with March yet. For most of February, I concentrated on my quilt project. You have seen glimpses of it here and there of course but the burst of colours makes me so happy, I just have to show them again. I am making this quilt for the new cosy corner in the our yet to be built extension (we are waiting for planning permission).
The extension will be on the dark side of the house, which is north facing and at the bottom of our step four level garden. There will be lots of light and the quilt will sparkle in the sunshine.
I have been hoarding fabrics for a long time, ever since I finished my last not quite quilt more than a decade ago. I am calling it not quite quilt because I only quilted the top together with the batting. I am not quite sure what the reason was but I am sure there was one. It is still my favourite blanket.
I wanted to make a newer and brighter version of my old and worn blanket. Having had plenty of sewing challenges recently, I wanted this blanket to be uncomplicated and simple. The building blocks are 4 inch squares, sewn in rows assembled to a whole. I thoroughly enjoyed the piecing process. I didn't loose time to think about the order of the squares and it was really liberating for once not to procrastinate. I made a row now and then, adding to the quilt top over several weeks.
I don't have a table big enough to assemble a blanket quilt sandwich and did it on the living room floor. I taped the backing to the floor and used curved safety pins to hold the layers together. My knees were complaining.
I am now in the process of hand quilting the blanket. I think hand quilting gives an immediately soft and used feel to a quilt. I am doing nothing fancy like tracing some of the patterns in the fabric. I am stitching along each side of the seam lines, as neatly as I can with my big hands and the teeny tiny quilting needle. It is immensely relaxing and enjoyable. I listen to a book, or watch the X files (I am on season 6 now). I have to wear reading glasses perched on the tip of my nose to do both at the same time :-)
I have stitched about 20%. I don't think I'll get bored. One day I'll learn to free motion quilt with my machine. I want to make swirls and circles and things like that. At the moment, the thought of it terrifies me but I have plans to practice with some of the scraps. Potholders anyone?
Both Sam and Annie have chosen fabrics for their own quilts. The little ones will get their own quilts at some point, too. Sam's pile is very manly, imaging colourful men's handkerchiefs, all lines and squares and bold but not screeching colours. Annie's pile is playful and cheerful, soft colours, unicorns and flowers and all. He wants triangles, she wants squares. Exiting times ahead!
What are you working on at the moment? I'd love to find out. Have a lovely weekend! x
P.S. If you want to see a seriously beautiful quilt, visit Tess here.
The extension will be on the dark side of the house, which is north facing and at the bottom of our step four level garden. There will be lots of light and the quilt will sparkle in the sunshine. I have been hoarding fabrics for a long time, ever since I finished my last not quite quilt more than a decade ago. I am calling it not quite quilt because I only quilted the top together with the batting. I am not quite sure what the reason was but I am sure there was one. It is still my favourite blanket.
I wanted to make a newer and brighter version of my old and worn blanket. Having had plenty of sewing challenges recently, I wanted this blanket to be uncomplicated and simple. The building blocks are 4 inch squares, sewn in rows assembled to a whole. I thoroughly enjoyed the piecing process. I didn't loose time to think about the order of the squares and it was really liberating for once not to procrastinate. I made a row now and then, adding to the quilt top over several weeks.
I don't have a table big enough to assemble a blanket quilt sandwich and did it on the living room floor. I taped the backing to the floor and used curved safety pins to hold the layers together. My knees were complaining.
I am now in the process of hand quilting the blanket. I think hand quilting gives an immediately soft and used feel to a quilt. I am doing nothing fancy like tracing some of the patterns in the fabric. I am stitching along each side of the seam lines, as neatly as I can with my big hands and the teeny tiny quilting needle. It is immensely relaxing and enjoyable. I listen to a book, or watch the X files (I am on season 6 now). I have to wear reading glasses perched on the tip of my nose to do both at the same time :-)
I have stitched about 20%. I don't think I'll get bored. One day I'll learn to free motion quilt with my machine. I want to make swirls and circles and things like that. At the moment, the thought of it terrifies me but I have plans to practice with some of the scraps. Potholders anyone?
Both Sam and Annie have chosen fabrics for their own quilts. The little ones will get their own quilts at some point, too. Sam's pile is very manly, imaging colourful men's handkerchiefs, all lines and squares and bold but not screeching colours. Annie's pile is playful and cheerful, soft colours, unicorns and flowers and all. He wants triangles, she wants squares. Exiting times ahead!
What are you working on at the moment? I'd love to find out. Have a lovely weekend! x
P.S. If you want to see a seriously beautiful quilt, visit Tess here.
I'm so impressed that you're hand quilting your quilt!
ReplyDeleteYour quilt is going to look stunning, I am sure you would get on great with free motion quilting, a little tip, buy some of that cheap rubberised shelf lining cut yourself two squares to fit under your hands and use them on top of the fabric under your hands makes it easy to move the fabric around keep your hands flat the rubber will grip the fabric :-)
ReplyDeleteWell done you, it will give you such a great sense of achievement when you have finished it. I love your fabric choices, a real delight.
ReplyDeleteYour quilt is shaping up beautifully. It's great to immerse yourself in an audiobook or series when you are doing a project like this. I can lose a whole afternoon without trying. My patchwork is limited to cushions at the moment but a quilt is a possibility...watch this space :) have a good Mother's Day! B xx
ReplyDeleteSeeing glimpses of your quilt makes me happy too Christina. I just love all the colours and patterns of your fabrics and I can imagine how it will soften and make homely the new extension. I love hand quilting too. I started hand-quilting my first quilt about this time last year and it took about three months in 15 minute bursts here and there as I found it very hard on my finger tips but the end result is so worth it. But you've made me think it might be fun to try some free motion quilting on the machine. Good tip about taping the backing fabric to the floor when pinning the three layers together. I will do that with my current quilt which at present consists of 42 x 10 inch log cabin squares waiting to be joined. Have a super day Christina.
ReplyDeleteI think this is going to be a seriously beautiful quilt. How exciting about the extension.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Meredith
Enjoy! It is beautiful already and will be even more so when you have finished! xx
ReplyDeleteIt's looking fabulous already. It's great having a big project like this on the go, something you can pick up and put down as you want but something which will be treasured once it's finished.
ReplyDeleteI haven't quite decided how to quilt my quilt. Part of me wants to do it by hand but the enormity of it is putting me off...........
ReplyDeleteYours looks wonderful.
It's looking lovely already, Christina and just as well that you're enjoying the process :-) I fancy having a go at making a quilt too, after seeing yours. xx
ReplyDeleteit's beautiful Christina xxx and thank you so much for the link, just the sweetest thing to do ever xxx
ReplyDeleteI'm loving the fabrics in your new quilt blanket - lovely, cheerful, vibrant colours. I'm planning to make a patchwork blanket too at some point. I've already chosen the materials but first I have to finish my other projects. Hope you had a lovely Mother's Day. Have a good week! X
ReplyDeleteHi Christina, thank you for linking up. Your quilt is going to be gorgeous! I love the fabrics in it. I always sandwich and baste quilts on the floor too, I don't have a table nearly big enough. Someday, maybe when I have that studio-workshop room that I've always dreamed of, right? :)
ReplyDeleteHi Christina, your quilt is so lovely with all the colors. And the very fine stitching is amazing. How I admire your needlework skills. Thank you so much for the lovely comment you left on my blog. My best to you, Pat
ReplyDeleteYour quilt is coming along beautifully. I love the bright colours you have chosen. Like you, if I am watching television and doing craft work I have to pull my reading glasses right down my nose so I can watch tv and see to sew/knit etc. that is one of the reasons I prefer the radio or an audiobook if I am doing craft work. My boys have chosen fabrics for quilts too. I have cut out Jacob's, and hope to start sewing very soon X
ReplyDelete