Friday 23 August 2013

Quilting and more quilting...

That's what I have been doing - hours and hours of it!
So far it is going pretty well thanks to a couple of fold-out tables added around the sewing machine -creating a nice big area to spread and manoeuvre the quilt.

This is how it started - sandwiched with wadding and backing taped to the floor. You can see  all the marking lines and trapunto wadding stitched in the wreaths.

Then pinned together and wadding trimmed back a bit to be manageable. 
The first bit of machine quilting ( and I find it so important to do this bit) is the stitching in the ditch between each block to stabilise the whole quilt. 

Then I free motion quilted an outline close around all the applique - that was really enjoyable as it became three dimensional. 

Yep - notice a mistake in the background grid marking - uneven spacing  - to be corrected
I also quilted the wreaths:

You can see the dissolving thread anchoring the trapunto wadding on the wreath - inside marked line 
Lots of dimension appearing here!


Might regret that plain green backing - shows every stitch!

And now I'm working on the outer border -  half inch parallel lines. This is rather tedious and time- consuming sewing, but not difficult. I am sewing this (with the walking foot) as background quilting "behind" the vine applique (not over the top). This means a lot of drag and sew, which means a lot of threads to be trimmed off front and back - very therapeutic (up to a point ...sigh)

Lots of threads to trim
Looking neater with the threads trimmed:



I will be happy if  when all the pen marking is washed off - I'd like those lines to look a little more subtle!

Once the border lines are done then I'll quilt the 1 inch grid over the rest. It will again be "behind"  the lilies so more threads to trim. 
It is also an angled grid so the quilt will have to be passed on point through the sewing machine. That could be interesting - not done that before! I might not be surfacing for quite a while.... 

27 comments:

  1. if I were to machine quilt I would be doing that quilt quite the same way I bet. I really need to learn the free motion as if I did a quilt with applique I would want to go around each piece like I do when i hand quilt.

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  2. Your quilting looks fantastic.

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  3. So much work. It's looking fantastic.

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  4. Oh my goodness, girl...you are something else!! Your Carolina Lily is looking so beautiful - it must be like watching a flower bloom - with every stitch - the quilt makes its own statement.

    (Don't forget to come up for air and rotate the shoulders!!)

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  5. Oh, wow, that looks wonderful! You must be really enjoying seeing that come to life!

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  6. So incredible! Love how textured it's becoming. You are doing a fabulous job!

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  7. You sure have been busy. Your stitching looks immaculate.

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  8. Beautiful! Good luck sewing the diagonal lines. That's a lot of bulk to get through the machine but it can be done. This is going to be a fabulous quilt!!!

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  9. Wow Hilda it looks amazing! I love to look at all these pictures and see your process. You are such a confidant machine quilter. This is going to be one spectacular quilt!!!

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  10. Wow Hilda! You never cease to amaze with how you quilt your large quilts on a domestic machine, just love those trapunto wreaths. I second Pat in that please take care of your body, my shoulders ache just thinking about it.

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  11. I love that you're showing your step by step progress. It's gives many us some valuable clues and
    confidence to quilt our own quilts. Thanks for sharing your journey.

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  12. Love your quilt,looks like its comming on my to do list in the future.
    Thanks for sharing.

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  13. It is gorgeous!! I love watching that texture appear.

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  14. Thanks for going through the quilting process. Very interesting. Are you using a knot feature on your sewing machine when quilting the grid? Some of your threads aren't long enough to knot and hide by hand. Now that would be tedious! Looks great!

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  15. The quilt looks fantastic and your quilting is perfect.

    Greetings, Manuela

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  16. Wonderfully beautiful. Can't wait to see it totally finished.
    Carol

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  17. What a huge undertaking! Your quilt already looks wonderful, can't wait to see the end result of all your hard work.

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  18. Nice job Hilda!! Diagoanl quilting isn't much harder than doing it straight.

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  19. Wonderful quilt and quilting !

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  20. its beautiful, I know how much work your putting into the quilting but its going to pay off big time
    the quilt will be amazing when your done, I love it already!
    the wreaths are wonderful....
    Kathie

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  21. Wow!! Looks amazing - you're a clever girl!!

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  22. wow - it looks gorgeous! I loved quilted wreaths, they add that heirloom touch.
    Thanks for walking us through your process.

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  23. do you use a stitch regulator, or are you just a super great machine quilter?

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  24. your quilting is amazing and to be doing it on a domestic home machine!! Beautiful!!!!

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  25. Seems like only yesterday you were appliquéing the leaves! Lovely to see it this beauty so near to a finish.
    Thanks for sharing!

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  26. Gosh this is looking so good!!! Out of interest, what do you use as a marker pen?

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  27. I thought I had already left a comment but it isn't posted so maybe I messed up (it happens)! The Carolina Lily looks amazing! All of the work you did marking is paying off. I am really looking forward to seeing the finished quilt. It will be a real treasure. I am curious to know what type of thread you are using for the quilting. Looking forward to your next progress report!

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