I have a closet in my spare room filled
with WIPs (works in progress).
Most of them are finished tops that need
to be quilted. I have them neatly
folded on hangers.
They are patiently waiting..
Every time I open the door it's like they
are calling out to me. I choose one and lay
it opened on the bed for a couple of days
to decide how to quilt it.
The one that I picked was a coin quilt that
everyone was making a couple of years ago.
It's a child size quilt and I love the fabrics in
it. I'm just staring at it and it tells me that it
would like to be quilted with Big Stitch and in
colors. hmmmm good idea!
Again, I'm using DMC no. 8 and a embroidery
needle. I have 3 needles threaded in different
colors.
I just find it easier that way with this quilt.
I was wondering where this idea of Big Stitch
came from? And then the other day on
Celebrate Hand Quilt Facebook page;
Pepper Cory http://www.peppercory.com/
gave us a little history on Big Stitch.
She said that during the 1930's when women
were making quilts of wool; because of the
thickness, larger stitches would have to be
taken. (sometimes called Utility)
(That reminded me of the old woolen Welsh
quilts where the size of the stitch didn't much
concern them.)
And then in the 1980s Jo Clover went to England
and took a few classes and made some wool quilts.
Seeing that the small traditional quilt stitches
would not show - she coined the term "Big Stitch" -
starting using perle cotton thread and started to
introduce, promote and teach it - and it took off from there.
Jo has 4 videos on YouTube - here is the first
one - she tells you what supplies that you'll need.
And so my quilt is half way done.
It is being quilted in my Quilter's Floor frame
by Dritz and it's made with PVC, snaps together
very easily. I can take it apart and store it back
in the box when not in use. It measures 39" by
28" small enough to fit in my sewing room which
is a very small room only about 12' x 12'.
I bought it in Joanns a couple of years ago -
used my coupon!
I have it tilted for easy quilting although I have
to say it's only good (for me) to do straight line
quilting; anything else I use my hoop.
I also used it many times to base quilts. I don't
pin them - I layer on my dinning room table -
roll it up - then bring it to the frame and base.
There are 4 plastic covers to adjust the tension
which is great for me.
Hopefully I can have this quilt finished by the
weekend. (fingers crossed)
Update - You can see the finished quilt Here
It is also for sale in my Etsy shop Here
Happy Quilting!
Blogger's Quilt Festival
Please check out the Blogger's Quilt Festival! Several different categories
and all the quilts are wonderful!
I started this quilt back in February, 2009 and just finished quilting it just recently.
(Sometimes life gets in the way) I blogged about it here:
http://uniquelyyourscreations.blogspot.com/2009/02/improvisional-quilts-2.html
I was so inspired by a book that I was reading "The Quilts of Gee's Bend"
that I decided to experiment with 2 bundles of colored fat quarter fabrics.
I used no pattern; it was totally improvised.
I was also inspired by a book
on my library shelf by Jenny Beyer - Quiltmaking by Hand.
On pg. 7 Jenny says "...generations of quilters made do with minimal supplies ... All it took was a needle and thread, a thimble, a pair of sharp scissor, cardboard..." - And this is all
that I used.
That's how my Chasing Rainbows quilt came into being.
Although it looks like a modern quilt - it has it's roots in traditional quilting.
I wanted to add a piano like border - those were cut with the rotary cutter BUT they were all hand sewn also - 1 1/2" x 5" abt. 166 pieces! And thought "I must be nuts!"
I used various colors and different weights of threads - thinking that it would give the quilt a nice textured look.
I used DMC #8, Perle Cotton #8 by
Thread Art (on-line)and Superior Threads,
Hand Quilting Thread.
100 % cotton warm and natural batting
100 % cotton fabrics
I Blended Big stitch quilting along with traditional quilting(small stitch);
I created a maze with stitches. They are not meant to be perfect as the blocks are not.
I titled it "Chasing Rainbows" because it just reminds me of one with all of it's bright colors. I think that it's a very happy looking quilt; and I'm very satisfied about the way it turned out.
And so after all of this work; I didn't
want it to be a throw quilt and decided
to add sleeves to the back and make
it into a wall hanging.
I added the lower pocket so that the quilt will lay flat and straight across.
You can use a yard stick or same size piece of light wood.
I hope that this quilt and my story
will inspire and encourage many quilters
to try hand piecing or even better
hand quilting.
With everything computerized in today's
world - take the time to do some "slow"
quilting - it's creative - it's
meditative - and it's relaxing! And
don't worry about the size of your
stitches - Just have fun!
Enjoy the Quilt Festival!
Happy Quilting!
I so enjoy making quilts for children!
I just finished one called Zig Zag Zoom.
I had some racing car fabrics and
decided to make a quilt for a small
boy.
I bought high loft batting because I
wanted the quilt to be fluffy and not
flattened by a lot of quilting.
I drew out a shape of a car and cut
it out of cardboard so that I could
trace the outline with a pencil onto
the quilt. I used different colored
threads for the cars.
It's all hand quilted ---
There is some straight line quilting,
and also big stitch quilting with DMC
along the edges.
I also appliqued some "one way" signs;
I got the idea from the fabric on the back.
I think that it turned out really cute!
Happy Quilting!
I just finished another project
using Big Stitch quilting.
It can change the look of a
piece and give it more texture.
For example....
I really love this Moda red and white
fabric and the faux Redwork.
I added some decorative stitches but
it still looked too plain and boring
to me.
So I decided to try adding some
Big stitch quilting to it.
It changed the look completely!
It's now more interesting, has texture
and more pleasing to look at.
I also added some french knots.
And also stitched around the flower
and leaves.
I mentioned in another post about
using Aunt Lydia's crochet thread
size 10. It looked nice but it's
hard to go through the fabric -
I could only stitch one stitch at
a time.
I also tried DMC cotton Pearl
size 5 but it too was too thick.
The red (above) DMC no. 8 is much
better. You can take 4 to 5 stitches
at a time. And it's 100% cotton and
colorfast.
In my area the color choices are
limited. I only found red, blue,
white and ecru. But I have found
that Joanne's fabric and craft store
on-line had a great variety of colors!
Now that the weather is warming up
a bit; I can sit on my deck and stitch
in the sunshine. Which makes me very
happy.
Which reminds me - the other night
while cleaning up the deck; I heard
hundreds of crows. It happens every
fall and spring. They make such a
racket and it fascinates me to watch
them flying from tree to tree back
in the farmer's field next to
my backyard.
I grew up in the city so I really
enjoy watching this spectacle.
What I don't enjoy is when the farmer
man starts putting down the manure right before planting time! phew! I had just hung
out some of my laundry when he
decided it was time to fertilize
the field! I had to take my laundry
back inside.
Have a great week and happy quilting!
