Tuesday 4 May 2010

More Quilts

Inspired by my trip to the V & A quilt exhibition I've finally finished a quilt! My first ever quilt! I bought this roll of washed and worn fabrics at the Festival of Quilts last August. To be fair I stitched the pieces together fairly quickly and even got it layered up and tacked together with wadding and a backing. And there it stopped...

But over the last week I've been spending my evenings hand quilting with rows of running stitch, enjoying the gentle rhythm of hand stitching.

And it is finally finished. The stitching is a bit uneven and wonky and if I'm honest it's not exactly square but I'm feeling very pleased with myself.

I found a shirt in a charity shop which made a perfect binding and I even learned how to make mitred corners!

A certain member of my household made the mistake of asking what it was for... I shut him up by telling him it was "for" the pleasure of making it... because I'm not sure what I'll do with it now.

Other than look at it and stroke it at regular intervals!

Lest you think it is all tales of quilting success in my house I'll share with you another quilt started about thirty years ago. Newly wed and feeling very pleased with my newly decorated Laura Ashley bedroom I thought a hand stitched hexagon quilt would be the finishing touch. I stitched endless hexagons together with tiny little stitches... but it took forever and by the time it had grown to half the size of a double bed we moved house and I'd completely grown out of Laura Ashley florals!

And it has languished in a bag at the back of a cupboard ever since, along with the hundreds of unstitched hexagons. I really should throw it out but can't quite bring myself to do it, although I know I will never finish it... the colours and design are ghastly!

The back is interesting though... I haven't a clue who Roger, Judith, Mark and Sarah might be! But it hasn't put me off and having finished one quilt I might just return to some other unfinished projects... such as this red and green quilt started a mere three years ago

Inspired by this table cover from Kaffe Fassett's first Patchwork book, it is rather large and somewhat ambitious but the top is half put together so who knows I might get it finished in the next three years!

And of course there are the fabrics that are still waiting to be cut out. I bought this book recently... not with the intention of making anything but just for the beautiful photographs.


But somehow I seemed to have bought some fabrics too...

And then there is this "Layer Cake" that I bought because I liked the old looking fabrics... and someone assured me it wouldn't take long to put together... but as you can see it remains unopened!

In fact... this is the only layer cake* I understand...

Much easier to put together than a quilt!

* made this afternoon as a diversionary tactic... I didn't want to put the zip in a bridesmaid dress!

36 comments:

  1. Aaah! Quilting, I call that heaven, as you said it's the rhythm of the hand stitching. It looks as though it will be lovely and warm. You could use it as a lap quilt?

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  2. Your quilt is beautiful Gina.
    Don't throw your laura ashley patch work out because I think its lovely!!
    M x

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  3. Ooh another quilt addict .... grand job and please don't thrown your old LA .... try Ebay there is bound to be someone out there who will appreciate it and complete it. x

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  4. I think that is so nice and the hand quiting makes it extra special ,in these days of complicated machine quilting ,your cake looks good too ...love Jan xx

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  5. Your first quilt, with corners like that?! Blimey!

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  6. Gosh I made a very similar Laura Ashley one way back when. It has long since worn out and been scrapped. But that one of yours really reminded me. My boyfriend at the time made me a huge frame to do all the hand quilting.

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  7. Your shirting quilt looks like the perfect summer nap quilt!

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  8. A truly gorgeous post. You are so making me feel good about the black sacks full of unfinished project in my loft. I find it all rather daunting when I come across so many things half finished. Maybe 2011 will be "my year" to get round to them!

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  9. ps. I think a slice of that cake would just fit in a jiffy bag ...

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  10. Just a thimbleful...

    A woman after my own heart - lots of UFO's ! The first quilt I ever made is the one which I pull over me on the sofa when I'm not feeling too good - it's a wonderful comfort! I MUST finish that wretched pineapple quilt.....

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  11. your quilt looks lovely - mine are never perfectly straight no matter how hard i try!!! I find hand quilting very relaxing, until my fingers get sore! You have some lovely fabrics! I have that book too, very inspiring, just don't know where to start first!!!xx

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  12. Holy Cow Gina -- nothing like starting at the top with those hexagons! I love your new finished quilt. You could use it for lots of things -- on a bed, for a throw on chilly winter nights, for picnics, in the car...the list is endless! I can't wait to see more of your quilts!

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  13. beautiful quilt Gina and I love your fabric bundle too. I was looking at similar bundles in Liberty last week and was so tempted but I didn't ! Now I wish I had.

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  14. Well done, you are ceratinly getting the bug! Lovely fabric on your finished quilt. As for all the other fabric that is just lovely to look at until you have time to use it. I think we all have a hexagon UFO somewhere, but eep it for a talk on how you got started in patchwork!

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  15. Well I too just love the quilt, are you sure you are not a secret quilter and patchworker. Recycled shirting quilts are just the best. You have made a wonderful quilt with beautiful stitching and the neatest mitred corners that you should be proud of. But where is the photo of the whole quilt? I would love to see it all and with all that extra fabric I am sure there will be another on along soon.

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  16. Aaaaah ...... Laura Ashley hexagons ....... I've come over all nostalgic! I do do do love your new version though. And, pah!, "what's it for?" , goodness he should know the answer by now!

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  17. Not sure how I have managed to miss your recent posts, although box mountain could have something to do with it.
    Your quilt is gorgeous, much easier to put together than any cake.I bet Stuart doesn't ask what it's for when on a cold winters evening you put it over his legs to keep him warm. He's got a big birthday coming up and we all know how we need to take care of the elderly :-)
    P.S, please don't send me to the naughty chair for being cheeky.

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  18. Your quilt is lovely Gina - I have often been tempted by those rolls of fabric but am not really a quilter so 'saw sense'! There are some beautiful fabrics about now but there is a lot more to quilting than meets the eye. Your hexagons might make a new piece of work to be viewed from the 'wrong' side - interesting possibility?

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  19. bravo!!!! its brilliant :) now a cuppa a slice of cake and stroking quilts - perfect

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  20. Wonderful work there Gina. May we see the whole quilt please?

    I have an unfinished hexagon quilt too, I'm sure I'll never finish it.

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  21. Your new quilt is gorgeous Gina and the binding is the perfect fabric - well found!

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  22. Oh No! You've beaten me - and I started my three years ago! Well done (grudgingly) x

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  23. What a lovely colourful and inspiring post Gina, and congrats on finishing your quilt, it looks amazing.
    Aren't men funny creatures, why does everything have to 'be for something?' Mine's just :-)

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  24. One word - overachiever.

    (Future in itinerant quilting and I'll help you carry the frame)

    Bring on the fat quarter!

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  25. Your quilt is stunning, I would love a quilt like that, I have a similar hexagon upstairs in the spare room, also started in the late '80's when I got married,must have been the thing..I got bored and sewed the big hexagons onto plain fabric and cheated...perhaps I should re cycle and look at up-dating it....hope you are well...H

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  26. The road to quilting mania takes but a step!!! Welcome to the madhouse!!

    The quilt looks lovely - and I know what you mean about making it for the joy of looking at it. I feel exactly the same!
    x

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  27. I think that stripey/checky and a bit floral quilt is absolutely gorgeous. Well done you for doing it. I've only ever made one full sized quilt and I'm not sure I'll ever make another! x

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  28. What a lovely quilt. I started one but never finished it so I do admire yours, especially the hand stitching.

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  29. A beautiful quilt .......... just waiting to be stroked!

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  30. Congratulations on your quilt finish. Big sigh of relief. Now, if you don't want the hexagons why not give them away. There are so many people out there that would love to finish it and it makes more sense than throwing it out. Personally, I would never do one - it's just way too much work. Do you have a recipe for the cake?

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  31. I've made several quilts all of them hand quilted and several little ones and used some of those LA colours! I should hang on to them if I were you..its amazing what comes around again.

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  32. How did I miss this quilt? I ADORE it Gina - you know I have one along similar lines that my frind N made me. Those mitred corners are quite amazing. Hmm though, I have an attack of the cake wanties too x

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  33. Oh, Gina--I absolutely love your new quilt!! The fabrics are so peaceful...just the thing to lull someone to sleep...warm and quiet.
    ...and regarding your WIPs...isn't it funny how our 'color tastes' change over a lifetime? There are rooms I wallpapered (in 'past' houses, thankfully!) that I'm embarrassed to have done, thinking back.
    Maybe the hexagon one could become a baby quilt one day? (Even if the 'colours and design are ghastly', babies don't care!!!
    :)

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  34. Lovely, lovely quilt and I too have 'unfinished syphonies'in handstitched hexagons too. We really ought to carry on with our great grandchildren in mind!

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  35. I agree a layer cake-layer cake is the only one I really understand. I'm still intimidated by my rotary cutter!

    But that didn't stop me buying the Jane Brocket book, too! And I've been in love with the same roll of washed vintage fabrics since I first spied it at Liberty with Ali. The quilt you made with them is so lovely!

    K x

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