Tuesday 20 December 2011

What am I doing?

I ask myself the same question?


I should be making more things as Christmas pressies and instead I end up unpicking some really bad machine quilting I did earlier this year from before I discovered FMQ and practiced!


This is the back of the quilt with a lovely large ruck sewn in!  Yeugh!












Then started quilting it!




From the outset I wanted this quilt to be a tribute to naive piecing and the lovely Bear's Paw block.  I wanted it to be a really primitive looking quilt in the make do and mend tradition of old and the recycling philosophy of now!




Front of the top before basting...








I used old flannel from Worn and Washed and my children's old flannel cot sheets.  I pieced blocks from whatever I had to, including making fabric to get the size of square or triangle I needed and didn't bother to match up the plaid fabrics when I did!


My first attempt at quilting by machine was a disaster - but I unpicked all of it!   I decided to go FMQ with Aurifil again - red on top and orange underneath!   I would have loved to hand quilt a baptist/Amish fan over the whole quilt but my flannel backing was just too tough to get a needle and cotton perle through so I have machined my Baptist Fans in the square of the Bear's Paw and have outlined the triangles.




 The front now...





I am loving the texture of the fans on the front and the back. 


The back now....






Better view of the front now..








 When I am finished quilting the blocks I may think about how to quilt those square shapes that appear in white between the Bear's Paws!  But I will probably just bind it first so we can use it this Christmas....???  Oh I do hope so!













17 comments:

  1. this is really nice. looks like it will keep some one wonderfully warm.

    Could have people sign the little white spaces-your holiday visitors.

    Thank you for your very enjoyable blog
    Merry Christmas

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  2. I truly love this quilt!! Beautiful...I hope you can bind it and use it soon...wonderful!

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  3. It's looking great now Nicky. Well done for persevering!

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  4. now you are cooking! That is just beautiful. I love that you used all the recycled flannels and bear paw is one of my favourite blocks.
    It will look great for Christmas!
    Love it.

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  5. Good job Nicky. That looks like it would have been fun (except for unpicking the machine quilting). I can't believe your patience.

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  6. I hope you get it done before Christmas! It is lovely!! Wishing you a beautiful week!

    Kristin

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  7. Oh it looks so snuggly! Love quilts made from recycled fabrics, esp. ones that tell a story! Lovely! Jxo

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  8. Looking good missus, and nice and warm (don't let that 15 C prediction for Christmas day put you off finishing it ;o) )

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  9. It looks wonderful - I hope you get it finished, it would be lovely to snuggle under on Christmas afternoon whilst reading a new book!

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  10. What a warm and welcoming quilt, Nicky! The bear paw is such a classic design, and that flannel backing must keep you nice and warm on winter nights! You did a wonderful job quilting it. Knowing you, I'm sure you'll have it bound in time for the holiday!

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  11. Sometimes we have to work on what we want to rather than what we have to. It looks brilliant and I think taking out the old quilting and going with the new was most definitely the right choice!

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  12. Love this Nicky, the quilting looks great - I love flannel quilts, I have a wee collection of flannel waiting for a project.

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  13. It's fab! I love to look atHST, but ould never sew that many. Well done :-)

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  14. Wow this is beautiful! It even looks warm and cozy from here! This quilted circles really work well with the pattern.

    Are you re-focused? How is your Christmas list coming?

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  15. Fabulous project Nicky. It looks so warm and inviting. Love the colours.

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  16. MMMmmmm flannel!! I love the bear's paw too, it's so homely looking! (as though I live in the mountains!!) I call those rucks added texture ;)
    The quilting looks fabulous! I have to ask do you think you should get a longarm?

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