10/21/09

My finest quilting moment...so far

I consider this little quilt to be my shining moment of quilting...so far. Yes, I'm working on projects that I hope will outshine this one, but today, this is my best work. And, as my best work, I look at it often. It hangs right next to my chair when I'm at my quilting machine. The pattern is from a quilting stencil that I bought years ago and used in a hand quilting project. The project was very busy and all that work quilting all those complex feathers was lost. Lesson learned about matching the quilting with the quilt top. When I got my Bernina, I took this pattern and traced it onto a solid piece of fabric and machine quilted on the lines. Well, close to the lines. I was just learning, after all. Then, two years later, I traced it onto a solid fabric again and this is what I came up with. On the wall, I hung the first one and then I pinned this one to the top of it. Maybe in two more years, I'll try again. Or maybe I'll quit while I'm ahead.
This stencil has come out again and I'm going to use it on the dresden star. I need something fabulous to use outside the dresden shape and the outer feathers in this stencil fit perfectly. Within the dresden shape, I'm doing some simple hand ditch quilting with multiple layers of batting (3 in the center circle and 2 in the dresden plate). The black outside the dresden shape only has one layer of batting so I'm hoping these feathers will show up when I quilt them by hand. I'm thinking some small straight lines behind the feathers will help them show up better.
Ughhh, as I describe that, I realize I've come up with another long term project. And a hand quilting project at that. Oh, well. I love to hand quilt almost as much as I love to machine quilt. And, hopefully, it will travel well and I can work on it in hotel rooms when there's nothing else to do but watch TV. Or, I'll decide to machine quilt it. Who knows. I've already assembled and basted it twice. Maybe I should hurry up and make a plan???
Have a great Wednesday. We'll see ya' round the blog. Lane

9 comments:

Kim said...

Sweet......I have this stencil but believe me my work doesn't look as fab as this!
I look forward to seeing that project done!

Happy sewing

Hazel said...

What can I say , simply stunning I love whole cloths and you did an excellent job with this one .You should be very proud of yourself ..

Becky said...

I've always wanted to do a whole cloth quilt. It's on my never ending to do list!! This is beautiful!

Coloradolady said...

With every post, I think there is nothing you can post to top the last, but this Lane...well it is breathtaking. I am so in awe of your talent, and I certainly do not think you give yourself enough credit at times. THIS IS STUNNING. Reading your post lately has had me rethinking the quilting part of quilts, I may need to try again after the first of the year....only with I felt like I could do half the job you do! Wonderful post and loved this quilt!

Auntie Em said...

Got to agree with Coloradolady, this is stunning. Such beautiful work. You are an amazing quilter.

Quiltluver said...

That is SO beautiful. You have every right to be so proud of this. Gorgeous!!

Shirley said...

Bautiful work Lane. I've always wanted to do a whole cloth quilt too but I don't have anywhere near the skill I'd need. Maybe someday I will.

marlene@ByTheSeam said...

I would like to do a quilt like that one of these days, either machine or hand quilt but I need a lot of practice first. Yours is really wonderful.

Nancy said...

What beautiful quilting. I sorely miss my Bernina 930.