Sunday, April 24, 2016

Enjoying What's In the Hoop

Lots going on as usual, but I have finally managed to spend some quality time with my hoop. It's always exciting to reach the outside of the quilt even though finishing that part tends to take more time than we ever really expect.
Hand Pieced Bow-Ties
I'm finding that my stitching is not very even on this particular quilt. When I'm visiting with my kids or my mind is not entirely on what's in my hoop, the stitches get a little wonky.
A closer look....
That's okay. This is my first ever hand-pieced-block quilt and I can definitely tell my first blocks from the later blocks. Uhuh. They aren't perfect by any stretch of the imagination. But mistakes are part of the learning curve, the human touch. A few wonky stitches here and there are not going to make me love this quilt any less than I already do. Linking up to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching where {for most of us} the process is more important than the finished product.....

15 comments:

  1. It looks great, Audrey. Do you find that your quilts become a journal of your quilting education, from center to borders of a quilt, and from one quilt to the next? It is so for me. BTW: Didn't you just start hand quilting this quilt? Speedy you! (I think blogger ate my first comment so if this is the second comment from me, please delete one of them.)
    --Nancy. (ndmessier @ aol.com, joyforgrace.blogspot.com)

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  2. best of luck with the quilting it is looking good, not tried using a frame when hand quilting will have a go next time as I have the plastic frames

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  3. I think it happens with most quilters that not every stitch is perfect. For me, my quilt stiches are not always regular but I love it the same and my handpiecing is also not always perfect, neither is my machine piecing, but the quilt get finished and still looks good. Luckily I haven't met any quilt police ;)
    Greetings Aurora

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  4. It does seem like you are near the finish pretty fast on this quilt - you must have spent a lot of evenings working on it.

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  5. I agree wholeheartedly about the journey of the quilt. I know that during my wedding time last year, my wee circles suffered, but that's ok! It will remind me of a great summer. I feel sorry for people that won't try something because they won't be perfect from the start. I tell a lot of my clients that we were all beginners at first!

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  6. Well, it looks perfect to me. Funny though, I can usually tell my morning stitches from my evening stitches when I am really tired. So much color in this beauty. I love it!

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  7. It's really lovely, Audrey. And it's nice to see some close ups with all the pretty fabrics. I'm sure you'll be holding onto this one!

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  8. Love the colors in this one. I'm jealous you have something in the hoop. I need to get busy with one of mine.

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  9. I actually like the fact that hand quilting displays the :hand" of the quilter; there is no way a machine could duplicate that personal touch. I think that is what gives a piece its personality...yours will be so lovely..great colors...hugs, Julierose

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  10. What a wonderful point you make with this post. For most of us, it is the love of needle in hand and something to stitch that gives us the real joy. I don't think anything by hand should be perfect...that is for machines. I love seeing hand stitching, wonky or not.

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  11. Well, it looks perfect to me. Love the colors in this one
    murielle

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  12. It's always amazing what ends up in your hoop. Life's too short to be hung up every stitch being absolutely perfect. And when is life like that anyway.

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  13. Your quilt and your quilting are lovely! The point is not perfection. If you want perfect, go to Macy's! The point is handmade, made by humans. None of us are perfect, and that's OK. Enjoy the process!

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  14. This one is looking good Audrey! Your stitches look great to to me. Looks like your really close to a finish!

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  15. Hi Audrey,
    I always love looking at your quilts. They are all so different and original. I was wondering if you have ever done a post on your process of hand quilting, i.e, deciding on a pattern, how you mark it, how you hoop it and your stitches. I would love to be able to hand quilt some small quilts but have never had the courage to try.

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