Tuesday 17 July 2012

A FINISH!!!

I think I started this quilt about May last year - I didn't start to blog about it until August last year when I had nine of the centre hexagons completed - they're all done by hand so they did take a little while. 

My attempt at an arty shot (pegs and all!) given we have sunshine in Melbourne today - but it's also quite windy so this was the best of the outside ones.


Once I had what I deemed 'enough' hexagons (and had, in the process, gathered enough French General fabrics to start my own Empire) I machine stitched them together with little isoceles triangles.

A border was next - a plain one in the same triangle fabric, then a dotty one before the hexagon border (have to say this border was a right pain - it moved and wobbled and in the end I had to take off about 1/2" from each long edge to have it resemble a straight - enough line!)

Next came a wide border - this one the glorious rich turkey red and a fleur-de-lis pattern from the latest French General range.

Quilting was next - the back is a very large piece of French General backing from Hancocks - no pieceing in sight!.

I loaded it onto my longarm and quilting feathers in the large border along with a meander filler, stitched in the ditch around the remaining borders and inbetween the hexagons with a loopy filler I made up as I went along (truth be told I stuffed up the spiral I wanted to use and instead of unpicking, just went with the stuffed up version - I quite like it and will use it again).  Thread used was red or cream, depending on which bit I was quilting.

Off the long arm and onto hand quilting - some shadow quilting of the feathers with red perle and some hand quilting in the hexagons with a creamy beige perle - big stitches because I like them and minimum stitching because I didn't want to overwhelm the patterns.

Finally, a little more machine quilting - this time using my domestic machine - and creating crosses through the border hexagons and it was time to do the binding.  Apart from a small piece of contrast (which you can vaguely see on the top left in the photo above), the binding was the same as the last border and I stitched this down by hand.

I've yet to put on a label and then it'll be posted off to a very special person in the UK - I think  know I'm a bit sad this is going.  I've enjoyed making it and I'm a bit sad I won't see the special persons' face when she opens it - hmm, maybe I should make her wait until we're skyping??


It finished at 73" x 84"(185cms x 213cms)

11 comments:

  1. It is beautiful and I would love to see some close ups of the different quilting if you get a chance because it sounds very interesting.

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  2. I love this: your hexies look amazing and I love the fabric you have chosen. Can't wait to see who the lucky receipient is!

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  3. Oh it looks fab, and the devil in me says make her wait til you're skyping ;o)

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  4. Looks great. And I say definitely make her wait until you're skyping :)

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  5. “and had, in the process, gathered enough French General fabrics to start my own Empire” You crack me up. At one point I had the world market cornered on “Oz”.

    I love your quilt. The colours are wonderful and that border is sublime. I adore the hexies with something different in each. You have a lot more patience than I do!

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  6. I like how you set this. Beautiful blocks .

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  7. Beautiful!!!!!!!! I would be sad to see it go too!

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  8. This is really beautiful, I love the French Generals too. It's a real credit to you and will be treasured by the lucky recipient.

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  9. It's beautiful Katie and I know your big sister will be thrilled:) At least you know it is going to a lovely home and the fact that it is Fi's 40th Anniversary this week means the colours are perfect xXx Take care my sweetie xXx love another big sister...who promises to send some pics of what she has been doing soon xxx

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