This is my last day to work on this quilt for awhile. On Sunday I hand it over to my good friend Judy, who often does my machine quilting for her. Not only is she reasonable, but she's the best free motion quilter I've ever encountered! When she's done, I'll add the binding, using the same special, Marcia Stein, method that I used on the first quilt. This was a topic of the one post I put up on this blog in June.
Today I finished up the appliqueing. This to me is a fun part of this process! I don't like changing thread colors so often, but except for that, it is enjoyable. I used something like 16 different threads for this stage of construction. Following Marcia Stein's instructions, I use a tiny zig-zag stitch, matching the thread color to the section being sewn down.
I also did a bit of "thread sketching" today, on the tops of all the boys' heads. All had some "Denice the Menace" sticking-up hair. Locke's was particularly dramatic! Here are some photos:
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| This shows the appliqueing on some of the smaller areas of the quilt. It's also a good one to illustrate thread colors: 7 different ones here! |
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| More of the detail work |
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| Note the thread sketching of Locke's "top knot"! |
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| And here, the thread sketching on Dawson and Malcolm |
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| Here's the quilt as a whole, now appliqued at last! |
I can imagine how wonderful it feels to finish that quilt. Did you bind it as well or is that for when Judy finishes her stitchery. What a treat for your daughter's birthday. Great subject! You and Marcia have certainly inspired me to look for a photograph to undertake such a task.Brava and congratulations.
ReplyDeleteIt will be bound, as I did for that other quilt, but that is always the final step. Quilting sometimes distorts a bit, and so quilts must be squared up again, no matter how carefully you squared up before, and then the binding is attached. I prefer machine stitching the binding to the front, mitering the corners, and then turning it to the back, and stitching with an invisble stitch to the back by hand.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Alice. You've worked hard, and you have a grand result. Susan will love it - and so will the boys! ss
ReplyDeleteNow I wish I could see the photograph matched with the quilt. Your work on the sand and the shading boggles the mind. Stitching the back by hand...just thinking about it drives me bonkers. How do you 'square up' a quilt? Do you stretch it? Congraulations, Alice. As I have said before: "Superwoman!"
ReplyDeleteNM
Just amazing! You have really captured the essence of 3 little boys having a
ReplyDeletewonderful time playing in the sand. I love ( and am quite envious) that you
accomplished this by eliminating the unneccessary details.