Here are some in progress photos to show how this came together on the embroidery machine. Once both halves were created, I sewed them together on the sewing machine, then it was back to the embroidery machine for the quilting.
When sewing the halves together, I had such a hard time getting the two pieces to line up correctly. I would match them up perfectly, but once stitched, the edges of the star would be off by a bit. After seam ripping and trying again a few times, I finally figured I would iron them into submission and hopefully that plus the quilting would make the mismatch less obvious, which thankfully, it did!
@AudiobookLover Interesting to see your progress! So you stitch the outlines on the background fabric first, add pieces of fabric to it, like applique instead of piecing a block, then you stitched the red outlines, and only then you sewed the halves together and quilted the entire block in white? I wouldn’t have guessed you did things in this way, but the end result is really nice! And no one is going to notice that mismatch in the finished block.
Hahaha… start a new project, share your oldest WIP… what a combo!
Off to find pics.
Actually realized that, since I only make tops and call them find because I’m too scared to mess up quilting, these probably don’t count? But they are my two oldest tops. Not sure which I made first. Both photos were taken 11/21/2010. Black one was my own design… actually it still qualifies as WIP as I’m still trying to decide how to get a thin strip around all the pieces (and time, motivation, space to do so). I want to emphasize the Celtic knot feel. The hearts - I’ve just never been able to decide how to quilt it. And do I want to hand quilt since I hand blanket stitched every heart.
@EclecticDreamer, that top quilt reminds me of a board game! This quick fusible bias tape might be just what you need to get that thin strip around the pieces. Check out the reviews to see some pics of it in action.
@MistressJennie, I love how saturated the colors in that quilt are and how well the muted background works with them. What a fun piece to hang in Ada’s room!
Next week, LittleBookLover and I will be heading to San Diego for the summer. So I have been trying hard to get everything in order for the Quilting After Dark Prize Pack - a lot of it needs to be done before we head out. If all continues according to plan, the prize packs will be ready to send at the end of the quarter. I’ve really enjoyed working on this pack, and I hope you guys will enjoy them as much as I’ve enjoyed creating them. I bounced some ideas off my assistant (ChatGPT ) and the end result is way better than I would have come up with on my own. Okay, now I feel like I’m overselling it (let’s just say, it’ll be decent-ish).
I plan on creating seven in total and would love to send all of them out (I am happy to ship internationally, so everyone is eligible)! So, please don’t forget to submit your completed projects and goals so that you can win one of these Quilting After Dark Prize Packs!
Interesting bit about the heart quilt - I stitched all the hearts (wonder under then blanket stitch), sewed them into rows - soooo very carefully laid out on the floor and hours of fiddling so no colors were too close together (didn’t see my 3 darks in a row till years later). Sewed them into rows… then ran out of fabric. It was a wonky color. Too purple next to maroon, too maroon next to purples. TEN YEARS later I found fabric in the exact same color (the background different, but print color is the same)
I’ve seen earlier prizes done by you, I definitely don’t think you’re overselling!
@EclecticDreamer I love both of them, but the bottom one, I can’t believe you sewed it entirely by hand! I understand wanting to hand quilt it too. I’m the same about my oldest WIP (my hexie quilt). It’s completely hand-stitched and it took me 10 years. I thought I’d finished it this quarter, but I wanted to take the basting stitches out and suddently noticed there isn’t enough hand quilting around the edges. So I guess it’s not finished after all.
I had my hexie quilt basted at the longarmer. It’s so big (225 x 225 cm-ish - 8ft-8ft ish) that there wasn’t even enough empty space in my house to lay it out flat, let alone pin or baste it properly. It was a great decision to send it out to a longarmer for basting. It’s still the only quilt I’ve ever sent out, but I’ve got plans for two more quilts for myself (spring/summer and winter themed). I might splurge and send one of those, or both, out. It’s expensive, but unlike the people I usually quilt for, I appreciate the intricate quilting, and I just know I’m going to use and appreciate them for years to come.
A long time ago I saw a YouTube video where someone put 12 WIPs in baggies and pulled out one a month to finish. I thought this was a great idea and did the same, and mostly didn’t do anyone. But this challenge motivated me to pull this out and finish. I think it was scraps, I can’t remember when I did it. But I did some simple straight line quilting and used the backing fabric wrapped over for binding. And it’s done!
I Edel submit this as a second entry into the WIP competition.
This also qualifies for two bingo prompts, something made for me and my oldest WIP.
This was a fabric square that I had dyed and appliqued on the paper airplane, and it has languished for a long long time. I intended it to be a cushion cover. Finally it has fulfilled its destiny!
I know Edel had a goal to complete all bingo prompts and she has clearly been on a roll! Congratulations on both of your bingo wins! I’ve really enjoyed seeing all the projects you’ve created this quarter.
Edel may have won the prize for getting the first Bingo, but that doesn’t mean the Bingo fun is over. I’ll keep calling prompts once a week through the end of June and anyone who gets a Bingo will automatically win one of the Quilting After Dark Prize Packs!
I love it, it’s got my postcards from Sweden quilt on there, cushion covers from @MistressJennie and @jemimah, a small cross-stitch cushion my father made as school. It is super comfy and has my craft books overhead. Currently taking up space is also a shawl I’ve crocheted.
So when y’all come to visit I’ll install you on there with a cuppa. I think @Magpie is the only one to have sat there, so far.
And I just realized I should bring this block shopping tomorrow. There’s a second hand store that had like 50 boxes of fabric and quilting stuff dumped on them this week. I managed to say no LAST week with a similar dump, but all my various groups are sharing and I just can’t say no any longer! Maybe I’ll find same or similar fabrics to keep my color scheme going this year.
) and the end result is way better than I would have come up with on my own. Okay, now I feel like I’m overselling it (let’s just say, it’ll be decent-ish).
