Once again I'm terribly slow about linking up to
Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching. It seems odd not to join in when I do some sort of slow stitching
practically every single Sunday, but it's also a day I try not to be glued to the computer as well. Maybe I need to get more savvy and write my post the night before!
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| Hand quilting Worry Baskets |
Or would that be cheating? lol I have been stitching away on my Worry Baskets quilt. The first basket got a bit of a redo when I changed my mind about how to do the stitching. In the end I decided to stitch on top of the appliqued basket instead of around it and the fancy little stitching I planned to do at the corners of the blocks? Well, it just went out the door the minute I realized there wasn't enough room to make anything look good.
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| Starting to get some texture |
Simple it is! And simple it will be! I also changed my mind about the color of hand quilting thread I originally planned to use. Instead of a dark brown that is my absolute standby fave, I went with a mustardy yellow. It kind of blends in, but what you do see is completely mellow and warm (I know, it's weird that mustard can look mellow--just trust me on this one).
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| The thread is much darker than it appears in the stitching |
It's very important to me that this quilt invokes soft, warm, huggable feelings instead of the don't-touch-me-heirloom-quality-alert! feelings. Just today someone started carrying on about how many hours I've already spent working on this quilt and I had to say 'That doesn't matter and I don't count'. In my house, quilts need to be loved or I'm slowly finding out that they eventually find a new home. Hours shmours. I admire the people that can know and then still allow casual care, but if I actually counted all of my time spent making, it would probably drive me insane to have
anyone even breathe on them! So I don't.
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| A quick look at the back of the quilt |
Whoops. I've given away my big secret! The only quilts I give away are the ones I don't love.*wink As if. But there are probably different levels of love if you know what I mean.
It's been a crazy busy week, enjoying having my son home from college, ferrying him and my daughter back to Spokane, getting a stop in at the Buggy Barn quilt store (score!) and taking a quick anniversary trip with my husband of 23 yrs.
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| Some Summer mending |
I've also been strong armed into doing some
very important mending and then somehow managed to find the one yard sale in the entire state that was selling quilt quality fabrics. Yeah and she had already sold over
300 yards of it before I stumbled upon it late Saturday afternoon. Wowsers, would that have been a fun yardsale at the very beginning of the sale! As it was, I managed to find a few pieces that other more discriminating quilters had left behind. Madness. I still don't know what got into me other than the thrill of finding fabric in a most unlikely venue....
Your quilt looks so, so fantastic. What a lot of work.
ReplyDeleteGrit from Germany
You have definitely made a lot of progress on this quilt! It is just looking beautiful! I am going to be making this baskets too. It will be a long term project, just for me and for fun. No time frame. I was wondering why you called this quilt Worry Baskets?
ReplyDeleteThat quilt sure looks huggable and soft! Love your quilting, it is lovely and makes the quilt even more special.
ReplyDeleteYou've gotten a good bit done since this went into the hoop. Oh it looks soft and cuddly indeed! :)
ReplyDeleteI love basket quilts and plan to make one myself one of these days ... thanks in no small part to seeing your Worry Baskets quilt! It certainly screams soft and huggable to me. I'm with you ... quilts are to be loved and used, and something tells me that your Worry Baskets will be much loved and used.
ReplyDeleteYour mustard color thread is perfect for the baskets, and that quilt is already looking so soft and well loved. I'm betting it will quickly become a family favorite. I love yard sales for finding fabrics - have even scored entire bolts a couple times.
ReplyDeleteAudrey, seriously you have to teach me how to hand quilt - your stitches are exquisite!
ReplyDeleteI love yard sales - (we call them garage sales here ) because you find the most unexpected treasures that someone else thinks are trash!
It's looking amazing, and you also seem to be well along already. I was thinking of just simple quilting like this too. That's a good idea to quilt on top of the applique -- there isn't much room around the outside of the baskets!
ReplyDeleteThe baskets quilt is so amazing. I love the thread and the quilting you are adding to it. That yard sale made my heart race just reading about it! Lucky girl!! LOL
ReplyDeletethe baskets are looking great! I don't count hours as often as I used to and that was always out of curiosity of wondering just how long did it take to make a hand quilted quilt from start to end after people ask so much - now in my head I just have a general idea for most of them - A long, long time lol
ReplyDeleteGlad you're not worrying over your worry baskets. Your quilting is perfect and the mustard colored thread is really evoking the feeling you're looking for. Wonder why the person was getting rid of all her fabric or was that just the part she was willing to let go off. Wow! What a stash that must have been.
ReplyDeleteMustard colored hand quilting thread - cool! I need to think outside the box a little more! Your baskets look marvelous so far!!
ReplyDeleteGoing to be a gorgeous, snuggly quilt. I would have never thought of the mustard thread. Guess I need to step out of the box more often.
ReplyDeleteOh Audrey, I love your basket quilt with all the hand quilting. I wish I had the time and skill to hand quilt all of my quilts.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to the mending. My daughters always send me home with things to mend or fix. I think my little two year old granddaughters favorite saying is Nonnie fix it!
Your baskets are looking so wonderful. Youre flying through the quilting, it seems you just started quilting it last week. I don't like adding up hours or costs on my quilting either, it's time well spent and that's all that matters.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE how your quilt is looking! I think you're achieving exactly what you're expressing. Your baskets look so inviting and snuggly - just perfect! I like that you're using the mustard thread - what a cool idea! It would instantly impart "homespun" warmth. Your quilting is just amazing - and you've made really good progress.
ReplyDeleteMy kids gave up giving me stuff to mend. They called my mending pile the "they'll grow out of it" pile! The only person that thinks I ought to mend is my DH. He just won't let me slough it off. What a booger!
I love your basket quilt. Those stitches just make me want to grab it and snuggle under it while reading a good book. Absolutely lovely. I never would have thought mustard thread but it works. I think I'll jump out of my box and try something new with a small wall hanging! Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteFabulous basket quilt! Looks like one from Quiltmania? 3 cheers for the handquilting too!!Visiting from Slow Sunday Stitching for the first time.
ReplyDeleteI gave away a quilt I really, really loved. It went to a good home but oh how I wish I could make myself do another one of them for myself.
ReplyDeleteReading this post makes me want to do some hand quilting - if only it were cooler. I didn't know you were in the Northwest. I love Buggy Barn but don't get there anymore now that our daughters are done with college (Whitworth).
ReplyDeleteI just found this post about your lovely worry baskets quilt and I love it. I just started making one too in red, blue, brown, and cream. I have a plan for about 160 baskets. How many do you have in yours? More, I think but I couldn't really tell from the photos. I expect it to take some time but I will enjoy a little applique for a change. I'll definitely watch for your progress. Good luck finishing.
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