After a back-breaking couple of hours spent moving furniture around, taping enormous pieces of fabric to the floor and then pinning it all together, the really good part of making a quilt can start.
The long weeks of hand quilting are the part I like the best. A chance to curl up on the comfiest, saggiest chair with a big quilt on my lap, and sew by hand while G and I listen to some new music, or work our way through a backlog of old films or tv series we've missed from LOVEFiLM.
For this quilt I've gone back to using the Heirloom Premium Cotton wadding I bought by accident for Cam's quilt. It makes for a weightier, denser quilt than the Quilters Dream Poly I used for my first quilt, and the quick-slow quilt I made for myself earlier this year. I would recommend both waddings, but I prefer the Heirloom one. I dithered over the backing fabric for this quilt for a while and eventually plumped for an Anna Maria Horner print in flannel, which I bought from The Fabric Farm's Etsy shop. The fabric is of a very high quality, which has been the case for all the Anna Maria Horner fabrics I've bought. It is stunningly soft, not too thick, and doesn't set my teeth on edge like some flannel and fleece fabrics do (or is that just me?).
And of course Livvy is very excited to see her quilt coming one step closer to completion. She has been very patient.
I am with you on hand quilting - also my favourite part of making the quilt especially in our cooler autumn nights here in NZ. I am in the process of making a "sunflower" quilt for a neices wedding in France this summer so can't post about it in case she catches a glimpse.
ReplyDeleteAlso love Anna Maria Horner fabrics - just received a new stash in the mail the other day.
Love the backing print. Must have a look at Anna Maria Horner fabrics... K x
ReplyDeleteHand quilting is good until the days get warmer and then you roast under it! Love the platts on your daughter... wish I could still get away with that!
ReplyDeleteIt's looking gorgeous! And I agree that the hand quilting part is lovely - but I always get stuck at the "not wanting to layer it all up" stage. Hmmm, must do somethin about that and just get on with it! Lucy x
ReplyDeleteI love hand quilting too, and sewing the binding on - all that repetitive stitching is so calming. I hate basting though, and have yet to find a method that I feel comfortable with!
ReplyDeletePS. AMH does make some gorgeous fabrics - I've got a piece of flannel in the cupboard waiting for the perfect project, and 2 FQ's of her voile prints just arrived in the post today, it's divine!
R x
Just finished a simple cath kidston patchwork,(my first!) I used the Heirloom batting bought on ebay and it feels really nice to hand stitch, which I did whilst introducing my teenage daughter Shirley Valentine from Love.com Thought it was time they knew what doing a Shirley Valentine meant, as it's in the Dictionary now!
ReplyDeleteLoving the summer sewing - getting me motivated again.
Jill - Cambridge