Some fabrics are just too pretty to cut up

So I'm making a whole cloth quilt out of Anna Maria's Loulouthi Totem print.

 

I had to piece two lengths together which was a challenge but I'm fairly pleased with my joinery skills....

Can you see the join running across the center of the image?

And for the back, another fabric from the same range.

  

 

I plan to hand quilt this one with Perle 8 thread because I've been needing a new portable hand stitched project. (I can only handle so many hexies at a time).

The question is do I stitch around the fabric design in coordinating colours like Anna Maria did?

Or do I go for a simple cross hatch in cream thread? Or maybe pink?

Your thoughts?

Andi xx

With a little help ....

I've said it many times but I love the way this crafting community helps each other out.

I had the opportunity a couple of weeks ago to help out my mate Mary who has been so very good to me before!

Mary and her friend (a newbie crafter) are making a quilt for a mutual friend's wedding gift. It is HUUUUGE!!!! Constructed as a massive quarter log cabin block.

The quilt is so huge I couldn't get the whole thing in shot!

These 2 friends are completely nuts ... in as much as they have decided to hand-quilt this big monster quilt so, of course, it needed basting!!!

That's where I came in ....

The back is also pieced and possibly even lovelier than the 'front'.

 

A truly reversible quilt!!

Meanwhile ... while all the basting action was happening on my dining room floor ....

 

 

Too sweet!!

Good luck with the quilting you two nutters!

Andi xx

A new generation

I was basting a quilt this morning and my littlest one asked if she could help.

I suggested she put in some pins for me.

She found it quite tricky. Her little fingers are not quite adept enough to do the job.

But I'm glad she wants to be involved.

I must admit, I've been having little fantasies of never having to baste a quilt again. My little helper can do it for me.
;-)

Hope you and your families are having a lovely Christmas day.

Andi xx

Problem solved!

A friend and quilting genius warned me that using Little Folks voile on the back of a quilt posed a great problem with basting. The gorgeous soft flowing fabric simply would NOT stick to the masking tape used to hold it flat on the floor.

Well, I had a small stroke of genius the other night and realised that all I had to do was sew some cotton around the edges of the backing and stick the masking tape down to THAT.

Here is the whole backing (wrong side) taped down ready for basting.

Lay down the next 2 layers ...

Add something like 700 pins ...

And get quilting!!

This is seriously going to be the softest snuggliest quilt I have ever made!!

It's nice to have a hand quilting project to keep my knees warm on cold evenings.

Andi :-)