Friday 20 September 2013

Never work with animals :o)

It's growing, still some more to add but it's almost the size of the bed. I'm going around it in plain green at the moment, then there will be another multi-coloured row to add onto that. Then another plain, and so on. Keep going until it is big enough.
 
I've been watching some 'how to quilt' video's on yootoob. They all seem to have the fancy tools, plastic boards with grids on them, plastic templates, and wheelie things for cutting. As I don't intend to get into this in a big way, I shall not be purchasing these items. I have a long plastic ruler and a big pair of sharp scissors, perfectly adequate for me for my occasional forays into patchwork.

I have made my own short video showing how I prepare the fabric squares for stitching together. Please excuse my little helper, for she is not understanding the concept of an educational and informative video. Heidi just wants to be famous, ha ha.



Is anyone else hand stitching a patchwork quilt? How are you getting on? I don't want my project to drag on forever, I need to get a move on. Keep on stitching. Catch you tomorrow. Toodle pip.

19 comments:

  1. That's gorgeous Ilona. I once did something with hexagons done by hand. I backed it onto a piece of calico. Can't remember where it is now.

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  2. Hi there, Ilona. Your quilt is looking really good. I'm hand stitching a Grandmother's Flower Garden Hexagon quilt right now. I've made all the 'flowers' and I'm now stitching in all the plain filler hexies to fill up the gaps between the floral ones. I'm hoping to make it into a small quilt that will go over the back of a sofa but can be used over laps or around shoulders when its getting chilly and we don't want to put on the heating. That's if I get it finished in time for winter as it seems to be getting cold quite quickly at the moment and I still have a lot to do to it.

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  3. Your quilt is coming along really well. I like how it is turning out and look forward to seeing it finished.
    As a Yorkshirewoman in exile in France I love your blog and thrifty lifestyle and suggestions. BTW What has happened to Silver Sewer? Her blog seems to have disappeared.
    Helen in France

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  4. Your lovely Heidi looks so like my old psycho cat. He went to the great hearth rug in the sky and I still miss him. Not only do they share looks, but he had the 'awkward cuddle' attitude. I remember my mother preparing hexagons like that. I daren't take up another hobby, no matter how interesting you make it or the house will explode, but thank you for sharing. I really enjoyed it, even the non-furry bits. WS xxx

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  5. Think you have done a great job. Keep up the good work. It looks lovely.

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  6. Too funny, Heidi hogged the limelight!
    Jane x

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  7. I love this quilt! To me it has a Japanese look, rather reminiscent of Cherry Blossom in the Spring. Really pretty, well done:)

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  8. Poor little Heidi, she just wanted to show us how you Staaaaaaarve her to Death. Unfortunately for her, her sleek, shiny, healthy body tells a very different tale.
    Cats can never comprehend that we are not always able to put them where they think they belong i.e. the centre of the universe.
    You are cracking on with that quilt! I am sitting up in bed covered by the quilt I hand sewed between 1993-7, made in 2" squares; it started off as a single and then I met my now husband and it ended up kingsize. I machine sewed the back in bigger squares, though.

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  9. Beautiful quilt. Your Heidi looks like my Jacob and is apparently just as curious ! Enjoy your weekend.

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  10. What dedication and patience for making this quilt all by hand! I`m sure you`ll treasure it after all the hard work and time has been spent on it. It already looks amazing! Enjoy your quilting as I`m now off to Morocco. Hope to blog all throughout my holiday from Marrakech. Back home next Saturday evening. Wish our holiday was longer.

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  11. Not sure my last comment was being published, so might just repeat how beautiful this quilt looks already. I`m off to Morocco tomorrow for 1 weeks holiday, hoping to blog all throughout the week from Marrakech.

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  12. Your quilt is developing into a beautiful quilt. I have never tried the English Paper Piecing method. I have a hand-pieced quilt languishing in the "needs finished" tub, maybe I should get it out and try hand-piecing it your way it might go faster. I have the rotary-cutter and mat. I use it for more than quilting. It's been a good investment.

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  13. it's a beautiful quilt, i love your colors.!
    seems like heidi is enjoying the process!

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  14. Wow, is this your first project? You are doing very well indeed.
    I've been quilting for nearly 30 years and I don't have those tools myself. I do use plastic for the templates, and there should be a cutting mat somewhere. A very cheap pink one. But no rotary cutter, aka the wheelie thing for cutting. I still hand draw all the shapes and cut with scissors. Very old fashioned for some, but suits me fine.
    As for projects, well yes, more than one. Two in the quilting stage and four in the piecing and apliqué stage. Not to mention how many in the planning and ' want to make' stage.

    When you get to the quilting stage, be carefull what you use for wadding. If you use something you have like a flannel sheet, you better not hand quilt it or you will wear your fingers to the bone, a machine could be the answer. Or just tie the corners of the squares, just make a stitch through all three layers and tie and cut the tread to an acceptable length. If you have proper wadding you can hand quilt.

    May be I am getting ahead of myself here. Just trying to help. But if you need more help and don't have someone there who knows about quilts, just let me know.

    Irene

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  15. My last hand stitched quilt finally got finished after about 20 years! It is a hexagon Grandmother's Flower Garden and they are very fiddly and time consuming. Hopefully the next one I have planned will go much quicker as it is squares like yours.

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  16. Your patchwork is looking lovely, bright and colourful. Looking forward to seeing it finished.
    Carolx

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  17. Hello Ilona, I did laugh at your cat-wrangling!
    Your quilt is coming on very well, you must be proud of your work.
    You know me, I make most of my quilts by hand over papers, so I have always got one on the go (if not 2 or 3!).
    Have you tried glueing the fabric down? 99p glue stick from Morrisons. It will not stick permanently, you can pull the papers put when you're ready.

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  18. That quilt is looking amazing! It will be a warm one this Winter!

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  19. This looks great - patchwork always sounded quite complicated but maybe even I could have a go this way! Do you card/iron the long pieces as well?

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