These are very poor quality pictures that I took late last night before going to bed following a long afternoon and evening of hand quilting. I thought I would show you where I am in the process of quilting my "Contentment" quilt top.
I am outline quilting every little piece, then echo quilting as a background fill. The quilt just seemed too busy to me to try and do anything more organized like background gridding or lines.
It will look better after a good pressing...I am quilting on a hoop and have the top all wadded up in my lap as I make progress. I tried stretching it out on top of the TV table I am using to take these poor pictures.
I started with the big 16-inch center block then proceeded into the twelve 10-inch surrounding blocks, heading toward the borders.
It is a lot of stitches! I have almost burned through my first spool of YLI hand quilting thread (#002 Ecru) and several layers of skin on my right thumb and left index and middle fingers.
It is pretty boring quilting until I get to something larger like the stork...then I can play with further quilting designs. THAT is really fun. My next project is going to have bigger motifs, LOL!
It seems like forever since I hand quilted something substantial, but fortunately the process is like riding a bike! I may not quilt today due to the heat...it is supposed to be 80 degrees! (And I have procrastinated so long that we have ZERO clean clothes.) If anyone has seen my winter season, please send it home! It is actually supposed to be 50 degrees tomorrow...better quilting weather.
I like hand quilting around the individual flower petals...the subtle loft of the quilt batt gives them an almost 3-D, slightly stuffed appearance.
I love running my hand over the surface of the quilt as I work. The feel of hand quilting is just so darn satisfying to me.
Last night I worked on the following block...I was actually hand quilting on a block of me hand quilting...it was like the Twilight Zone.
If I can keep this pace going, I will get it done before the Sauder Village Show in NW Ohio, which also means I will make the deadline to submit it to the juried AQS Grand Rapids show...yippee!
Thank God for DVD's...I just finished watching the second season of "Poldark."
In stitches,
Teresa :o)
WOW you are making progress. I have been slowly getting back into the mood to sew. We maybe will get snow tonight. I am ready for Spring. Chris
ReplyDeletebeautiful, you are putting in a lot of quilting to have used up that much thread!
ReplyDeleteWow! I thought I was a fast hand quilter, but you are amazing! I can't believe how far a long you are. I love the Twilight Zone reference. Too funny! I surely hope I get to see this one in person. SOON!
ReplyDeleteLooking good. Thanks for sharing your progress!
ReplyDeleteLovely, lovely, lovely .... you're doing great progress!
ReplyDeleteYou are doing an amazing task of making this quilt. It's one terrific quilt!
ReplyDeleteOh that made me laugh... you hand quilting a block of you hand quilting!
ReplyDeleteFabulous and just so inspiring!
You are making amazing progress! It looks fabulous :0)
ReplyDeleteHand quilting has a completely different look and feel. Fabulous job!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how fast you can hand quilt. It is looking great and I think the outlining and echoing is just perfect for it. It certainly is a masterpiece and I hope it goes to many quilt shows for people to see it up close.
ReplyDeleteYour quilt is looking great! I can sympathize with the "paint drying" comparison. I've been hand quilting one of my quilts since November. Christmas distracted me and now I'm making things for my grandchildren so the focus has not been on my quilt. The quilting looks beautiful but I'm itching to work on something else.
ReplyDeleteIt looks fantastic and you are zooming along the quilt. Please enter it in ROAD, a show held in southern California in January as I want to see it up close to enjoy all the applique and quilting. ROAD is an international show and the deadline is usually late summer/early fall.
ReplyDeletewow. wow. wow. Your quilting is certainly highlighting the applique, which now looks like it is positively floating, like angels on clouds. I am super excited for you.
ReplyDeleteLove your work.
Lorraine
gorgeous stitching. I love that echo quilting especially
ReplyDeleteWOW!!! Your work is amazing! I can't get over how much you've gotten done. Beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteYou are putting a lot of hand quilting in your quilt. A labor of love.
ReplyDeleteCan't even imagine it but I'll cheer you along.
ReplyDeleteYou go, girl--this is such a gorgeous quilt and your hand quilting is the icing on it for sure. Lovely work...hugs, Julierose
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. I also run my hand over the quilted material a lot while quilting. There is just something in that feel!
ReplyDeleteWow! Your hand quilting is making the beautiful pieced and appliquéd top even more stunning., my hat is off to you.
ReplyDeleteMary in New Mexico
Making good stitching progress. May I ask what type and brand of batting you use? I apologized if you mentioned this before and I missed it.
ReplyDeleteStitch by stitch you are adding beauty to an already gorgeous quilt. Love seeing your progress.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you have quilted that much already. Way to go girl! Gorgeous...
ReplyDeleteHand quilting is slow but oh so wonderful in regards to texture. Your work is beautiful and I hand quilt as well and loved the 'watching paint dry' analogy because sometimes it does feel like that. When I get into THAT mood I just tell myself one length of thread per day...
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing! I'm hand quilting a queen size quilt that I abandoned two years ago due to being overwhelmed by the sheer enormity of the quilting job. I'm back at it, as I really do love hand quilting!
ReplyDeleteFantastic! What an amazing family heirloom! Just yesterday I decided to hand quilt a top I made years ago, you're inspiring me to get started.
ReplyDelete