Tuesday, March 29, 2011

The quilting is DONE!


The hand-quilting is DONE!!  I'm so excited, can you tell?!?  I need to bind it, but it smells like "All Around the Town" (Sue Garmon) is done!


I decided to do a little "memory test" quilting in the stop border (the road).  I quilted every street, town, and state I've ever lived in, starting with the house I came home from the hospital to when I was born.  


It was a little tricky getting it all to fit, but it worked out.  Now I don't have to remember anymore...I'll just reference the quilt if I need any of that information...grin.


One place in Bethesda, Maryland (where I was born), four places in Birmingham, Alabama (where I grew up)...


...three places in Auburn, Alabama (college years), two places in Ypsilanti, Michigan...


...one place in Galveston, Texas (sure loved living close to Houston for the International Quilt Festival for 4 years)...


...then back to Ypsilanti, Michigan, where I live now.  I should name the quilt "Around the Eastern Half of the United States."  Here's the empty spool of YLI quilting thread...I used at least 400 yards of thread in this quilt.


I decided not to try and assign specific addresses to specific houses...I just quilted them in chronological order.


I included family property in the Canadian 1000 Islands and northwest Alabama where we spend a lot of time.


I will bind it in the same fabric as the outside border.  Then I will probably put a hanging sleeve on all 4 sides and rotate it from time to time.





Now, I should pay a little attention to my chocolate bunnies...Easter is coming!

In stitches,
Teresa  :o)


58 comments:

  1. this is beautiful. congratulations on the finish - awesome job.

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  2. Teresa,
    wonderful work!! I love every piece!!!
    Karen

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  3. Absolutely gorgeous, and I love how you stitched the street names into the black! A perfect idea!

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  4. Oh gosh Teresa you did such a wonderful job with this! Added so much to the original, and made it your own.. GREAT!

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  5. I have commented on this quilt before and told you how much I like it. It is so much fun stuff on it. It is a delight to see all the extra goodies you added to make it your own.

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  6. It looks great and has such wonderful stories stitched into it!

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  7. Oh Teresa, this has been a quilt show in a quilt show - MSamm should have a 1-quilt show with this. Even though I don't know your 'home' towns, I feel as though I haved lived each one while you worked these. What a show piece - what an homage.

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  8. This is just incredible. I have loved watching the process. I love this quilt!

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  9. Your quilt is just amazing!!! I have really enjoyed watching you work on it and your hand quilting is wonderful. Love all the special touches you added. Congratulations!!

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  10. i am sad to see it finished as i have really enjoyed it's progress.. Good luck in the competition you really deserves to do well

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  11. What a great idea to put the place names of your life on this quilt....brilliant! I love everything about this quilt! It's fabulous!

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  12. Gorgeous, Teresa! I loved reading all your posts and following along! So much fun!

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  14. Woo Hoo, we both had big finishes tonight, I just posted the completed CWBQ top on the blog. Your quilt is wonderful, congrats on the finish!
    Happy Stitching,
    Cheri

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  15. I have loved watching you in this journey. What a great quilt!!

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  16. What a wonderful quilt! I love the addition of the street names. You probably mentioned this if I'd back read a bit more but do you quilt on a frame or in a hoop?

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  17. just beautiful. I cannot believe how quickly you quilted this!

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  18. Looking absolutely amazing! Hoping to see it in the shop in person sometime.

    Also, you do known that AQS is doing some shows in Grand Rapids starting next year, right?

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  19. Also, how many Gretchens do you know?

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  20. I have followed your journey of quilting this quilt and you have done a most spectacular work of wonderful ideas on how to quilt it. Love your free hand quilting and your ideas well done.
    Thanks for sharing a wonderful experience;-) I can`t believe how fast you got it all done.

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  21. Lovely quilt, so much character stitched in. Congrats on the finish!

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  22. Congratulations on a gorgeous quilt and finish. I love to hand quilt and have enjoyed the journey you have taken to complete this quilt...I'm sorry to see the saga end...unless you will tell us about the ribbons you win with it!

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  23. dear teresa congratulations to that amazing quilt,have a nice easter,susi

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  24. I think it is stunning!! It's almost a pity that it is finished.....I loved seeing the pictures of it. On the other hand...there are the chocolate bunnies waiting to be shown off.
    Congratulations on a fantastic job!!

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  25. Thanks for letting me join you on this adventure! I've had a wonderful and inspired time. Your quilt is priceless!!!

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  26. What a wonderful quilt. I loved watching the progress and seeing the fabric choices and personal additions, Just terrific

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  27. Wow! What a great finish. Listing the places you have lived ~ so original.. I would need a double king size to list mine, LOL.

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  28. I can not believe you are already done!! omg you worked so fast on this and it's fab.

    You'll win a million ribbons with this one!

    I love, love it

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  29. lol must have been that new thimble :)

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  30. What a FABULOUS quilt!! Great job!!

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  31. Beautiful! It has been fun traveling on your journey of quilting your town.

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  32. thanks so much for letting us go on the journey with you. this piece of work is just beautiful!

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  33. Can't believe how fast you were able to get this completed. It is an amazing, fun quilt that you will enjoy on and on. What a treasure!

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  34. WOW - what a wonderful quilt! I love the addresses on the road. You had so many ideas for quilting this - I learned a lot just following along. This quilted up so fast - that must be a magic thimble. :0)

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  35. I love the idea of including all the places you have lived - a super thing to hand on to future generations!

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  36. This is a real Heirloom!! Talk about leaving a Legacy...you have done it in this one quilt! I'm so impressed!
    Gmama Jane

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  37. Absolutely beautiful quilt. Congratulations. I enjoyed watching your progress. You simply must contact Sue Garman and show her your masterpiece.
    Marie, Canton, MI

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  38. It is really GREAT!!! I just realized we have lived near (sort of) each other twice! I was born and spent the first 25 years of life in Houston and then lived 10 years in Mobile. :)

    I finally worked up the nerve and cut the freezer paper templates. Now I am picking fabrics. I had to come see how you did your sky (backgrounds). I don't want mine like the pattern with a scrappy tan sky. I have a piece of fabric I like, just not sure if I have enough.
    Thank you for showing your progress, it has been fun.

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  39. I seem to be late to this party, just found it last week. Now I have to look back through all your pictures to see the progress. This is soooo beautiful. I'm truly inspired. Thanks!

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  40. I had better look back in your posts to understand how this quilt came into being. It is absolutely wonderful! Inspiring!

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  41. Oh Teresa it is truly a magnificant quilt! I will enjoy watching the progress on the bunny quilt :0)

    Crispy

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  42. That turned out FANTASTIC!! We weren't born too far apart (geographically)--I was born in Takoma Park, MD! And we've both lived in TX (I'm still here and this is where I'll stay! LOL). I STILL need to pull my quilt out and get it finished!!

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  43. Beautiful quilt - an heirloom for sure.

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  44. It is divine!!! And I love the idea of a hanging sleeve on all four sides and rotating it...brilliant!

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  45. What an awesome quilt! I love how you quilted it. Congratulations on a wonderful finish.

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  46. I look forward to seeing this in person at the show. All of the details are amazing!
    Will you tell them which way to hang it?

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  47. WOW...WOW...I'm amazed...I'm in AWE...I'm in LOVE
    with this quilt!!!! I've been watching/LURKING/following along with you on this FABULOUS quilt and now it's finished..YEH!

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  48. LOVE the details- the street names, the tight stitches, the YOU that you put into everything...truly my very favorite piece that you have created....LOVE IT Teresa

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  49. Teresa, congrats on finishing! It looks great! The memory quilting is a great idea-you'll have all the info when your kids and grandkids ask about it someday.

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  50. This quilt looks amazing. I've been following your progress on this as you've quilted it, and I am so inspired by your creativity and how much personality you put into this!

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  51. That is the best Teresa!!! A lot of work and a lot of thread. Love the addition of places you have lived, so clever.

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  52. Congratulations Teresa, what a great effort, it looks amazing...
    Lizzie
    xxx

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  53. Congratulations, you persisted really well on quilting it and it's very, very special. I almost but not quite feel like I've enjoyed the quilting of this one as much as you. I love the names of the streets, that's brilliant.

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  54. Oh and I wnated to ask you what batting you used in it.

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  55. Beautiful work Teresa and a real, dedicated labor of love! I really enjoyed watching this come together and as a recent convert to hand quilting enjoyed reading the series of posts on that part too!

    Thank you so much for sharing this journey with us.

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