Thursday, May 3, 2012

"Invisible" hand quilting...



I'm quilting along on my "Folk Art Applique" quilt...I didn't get it finished for the 36th annual Sauder Village Quilt Show.  I would of had to have it finished by last Sunday to drive it down in time for show set up.  I realized the Tuesday before that I was ABSOLUTELY INSANE to think I would finish the hand quilting in time.  Maybe, if I had nothing else to do the rest of the week, but I didn't have that luxury.  (The Wonder Woman cape is back in mothballs...)


Wow...NONE of my black quilting thread shows up in the pictures...except where I crossed the vine when outline quilting the grapes.  Those grapes are floating on a skinny piano key quilted background.  I should have quilted this in GREEN...because my  BASTING stitches certainly show up, LOL...


I am outline quilting all the applique in black, then quilting on top of the applique motifs in off white.  I am doing a cross-hatching design behind the applique blocks, then, as mentioned, the "invisible," skinny piano key design on the outer border, behind the grapes.


At least the white thread shows up!  This feels a little like the "Emperor's New Cloths" style of quilting in that I'm telling you the black quilting lines are there, but who knows...maybe they really aren't...


Does anyone out there have suggestions for photographing black quilting thread on black fabric?!?




So now I am ENJOYING the leisurely hand quilting even more...now that there is not a self-inflicted gun held to my head (big grin).

I took the two other quilts I had planned on..."Boxer Rebellion" (otherwise known as my husband's old undies...)...



...and "X Marks the Block," an original, free-pieced, "liberated" quilt that I made for my daughter.  The original plan was to hand quilt this one, but that plan changed last February.


The show runs from Tuesday, May 1 through Sunday, May 6, and I am going tomorrow (Friday).  A little bird emailed me Tuesday morning to tell me that "Boxer Rebellion" won second place in the Small Wall Hanging, Mixed Technique, Hand Quilted category (thanks, Norma!).  Being made from old underwear and stupidly quirky, the best I could have ever hoped for was an "Honorable un-Mention-ables" ribbon...hee-hee-hee.

When I called Steve at work to tell him what I heard, he was happy his underpants were being enjoyed by the judges and so many women from all over the Midwest.  HA!  You just never know...

My daughter is a self-proclaimed nerd...straight A student (in an IB program, no less!), closet novel author (we just printed initial copies of her first book!), a musician, a lover of Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Who, Merlin, and horses.  When I say she loves Harry Potter books, movies and characters, etc., I mean she LOVES them!  Here she is, years ago, posing with her first Harry Potter quilt that I came up with...she has requested another, more dark and mysterious one...not "cute" like this one.


(She had just lost her two front teeth...)


Anyway, my friend Bonnie (no blog) turned me onto the coolest site for "nerd quilting"...it's called Fandom In Stitches.  This site has all kinds of great, FREE, paper-pieced blocks by and for fans of Harry Potter, "Dr. Who," "The Muppets," The Lord of the Rings, "Merlin," Sherlock Holmes, etc.  This site even has some favorite Disney, comics, games, sports, and other patterns.  You'll enjoy browsing here!

Tomorrow I am off with friends to the 36th Annual Sauder Village Quilt Show in Archbold, Ohio...I can't wait!  I'm kind of bummed that I didn't finish my "Folk Art Applique" quilt in time...next year!

I will take lots of pictures to share with you!

In stitches,
Teresa  :o)


14 comments:

  1. I can see your black quilting stitches, especially on the first photo which is a bit more on an angle rather than straight on. Congrats on the undie win and enjoy your show.

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  2. I love the way the black stitches create light and shadow that is more subtle. This will add another dimension to your quilt. I think it is stunning.

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  3. Your quilt is coming along and looks great. to photograph black try doing it in natural light at an acute angle with no flash.
    You can also maybe play with it in photoshop, or iphone whatever you use.
    cute photos of your daughter!!

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  4. I wouldn't worry about the black stitches showing up - you can see the texture they create. It's going to be marvelous!! I can relate about deadline quilting - I'm stitching away on my red and white trying to finish for May 22. I enjoy hand quilting so much better when I'm not panicing! Congratulations on your underwear quilt! It's such a fun one :0)

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  5. Your quilting is awesome, and you can see if you biggie the pics. I'm so glad you passed up your deadline.....now you can take your time on it and really enjoy it! Next year! Woohoo!

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  6. Your Folk Art Applique quilt is beautiful. Thanks for sharing your work and also the link to Fandom In Stitches. Have a blast at the quilt show!

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  7. ooohhhhh I love this hand quilting. I clicked on one of the photos and it enlarges. I can see your black quilting! I've never hand quilted before so I'm REALLY interested in looking at quilting stitches and applique stitching. Oh your's is so wonderful. Just love love love this blog. did I say I love this blog?

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  8. I remember the Boxer Rebellion quilt. It has humor without being over the top. I hope you get a ribbon for it.
    I have no hints on photographing the black quilting stitches. I know it is hard to see when quilting with black thread on black.

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  9. Wow, your Folk Art Applique quilt is gorgeous! Thanks for sharing!

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  10. I'm just loving your quilt, the applique is just gorgeous. It is a little hard to see your quilting in the black areas, but I can definitely see your lovely stitches on the applique pieces. Your work is just amazing!
    *hugs*
    Tazzie
    :-)

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  11. Your quilt is really amazing. I love the applique. I really enjoy paper piecing, thanks for the fun resource, have fun with the dark and mysterious!

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  12. Congratulations on your ribbon for Boxer Rebellion, woo, whoo!
    Your folk art quilt is stunning, I love it and know how hard it is to quilt black on black. I can't wait to see what you plan to do for the Harry Potter quilt.

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  13. Sorry you didn't finish your quilt for this show. As you wrote, there is always next year. This will give you time to enjoy the hand quilting process, and not need to hurry it along. Love the "Harry Potter" quilt.

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  14. Love the story of the underwear quilt! What a great quilt!
    I admire your ability to quilt black on black...I would go blind!

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