Monday 19 November 2012

A quilt for No2...

I made my twentieth quilt! Yes, a score of quilts now under my belt in the last four years, something that when I actually counted up, I couldn't quite believe.

So it seems rather apt, that after all that amount of practice, I have finally made one for No2. Fortunately, he's not the nagging type or the sort that begs for my handmade creations, so I'm trying not to feel any guilt at all that he has only just got his very own heirloom.




It began life back at the beginning of July with the intention of making it his 16th birthday present (which was at the end of August) but the crafting disaster of 2012 put it on the back burner and I had to confess that it wouldn't be ready and wrapped for the big day. The design is something that I had seen somewhere ages ago but stupidly not pinned and so unfortunately I cannot link back to. I used this tutorial for making the half square triangles from a layer cake (10" squares) and some deliciously dark charcoal cotton. Needing more fabric, I then picked some goodies from The Village Haberdashery to make up the final amount needed. 




I whiled away the afternoons more recently, hand-quilting and had forgotten how much I love doing this as the last few quilts I have made have been machine-quilted. {Confession: I did start machine-quilting this but it went horribly wrong due to some of the seams being on the bias because of the construction method ... cue some swearing and another playdate with the seam ripper}




On the back, I used one of the extra wide quilt backing fabrics from M is for Make. I'm not overly keen on it as I think the quality of the fabric isn't up to much and seemed a little slippery which made for plenty of puckers and other minor unsightly bits.





Yesterday's sunshine meant that I had to remove it from the shoulders of its new owner and take some quick pics of it in the garden. You can see from the creases that within just 24 hours it has been well used! 






As ever, there are plans afoot for the next quilt. One that I have been itching to make a start on for a-g-e-s but will have to wait a while before I dare master the curved seam.  I have the pattern, the fabric, the special foot for my machine and the perspex template but am lacking the nerve to give it a go. A New Year's resolution, perhaps?

13 comments:

  1. Oh, it's lovely! Better late than never...

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  2. I love it. Your hand stitching is so neat. I am absolutely clueless when it comes to quilting (well, most things on the crafting front.)

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  3. oh so lovely. well worth waiting for I'd say. and 20 quilts. wow! xxx

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  4. Worth the wait I think and the hand quilting looks perfect. Love the pattern for the new one... just do it! (Says she who hasn't even finished my first quilt!)

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  5. Oh it is absolutely gorgeous! And really masculine too. Definitely worth the wait. It would have been too warm in August anyway :) And the new pattern is fab. I agree with Gina you should just dive in, but if you want to procrastinate a bit longer perhaps I could commission you to do something for me?! K x

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  6. Gorgeous quilt and the hand quilting looks beautiful!
    I've nearly finished my retro flowers and, although it felt like a slog (each bit seems to take ages), it is so worth it! Sewing curves isn't so bad, I used this method using my 1/4" foot without pins and it's so quick and easy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlwVGoL4zV0&feature=player_embedded

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  7. Wow - it's beautiful! And, I'm so impressed that you hand-quilted it!

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  8. You are a quilting legend!! That is a glorious, boyish quilt, lucky boy! Bx

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  9. Oh Wow! It's fab Tracy, definitely masculine and very striking and I'm hugely impressed that you've got 20 quilts under your belt - not literally I hasten to add, or your belt wouldn't do up would it - but you know what I mean! Sewing curves sounds incredibly daunting to me but then you are a quilting master so why not give it a go xxx

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  10. 20, goodness! And so gorgeous!

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  11. It's stunning! And Wow! That is a lot of quilts in just four years, I am in awe!

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  12. That's gorgeous, congratulations on getting to 20 quilts

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