Saturday 14 January 2017

Works in progress

It's been a few months - well and truly time to stop lurking and update progress.
And what has prompted a return to posting?
Well....
Have you read Barb's  latest great post, and her plea to all quilters to "put yourself out there" - especially the hand quilters? Susan - more quilting please 😊 
Another inspiration has been Meredithe and her "17 UFO's in 2017" - will be fun to follow her progress ....but am not setting myself any schedule. Good to see Carole will be joining her - such a super beautiful list of sewing there.
Then if you want to see a truly accomplished 2016 review check out Kyle's smilebox - just makes me itch to stitch. I added a page to my blog - my 2016 finishes - a modest list compared with some but I enjoyed making them so much. 
On that note -  a BIG thank you to these and many other inspiring bloggers that I follow - and may we have another super blogging year 📝 

Here are some UFO works in progress:

Grandmother's Garden
I started in mid 2014 and am now hand quilting it with big stitches but there has been a Summer pause in proceedings as it is just too hot to quilt in the hoop, especially with a thick wool batting! 




Chapman Coverlet
Started middle of last year - I had a red central fabric selected but wanted to put it into an octagonal frame. First I stitched on pieces of the black stripe fabric. Then I made a bias strip and appliqued it over the seam to frame the red centre.






There are many, many more 4 inch blocks to be hand appliqued -  then joined by machine in rows around the medallion centre.

Hexagon Star
Started early last year - a portable EPP hand stitching project that is not too large as they are half inch hexagons. I had the centre done in August and am gradually adding borders. 

It's a bit tricky turning corners with hexagons - they have a geometry all of their own!  It will have irregularities but I quite like that - just trying to mirror the corners and sides. I'm finding the free downloads of hexagon graph paper and some colour pencils very helpful.



Here's one that's new to the blog -
Forget Me Not - a cathedral window quilt.
I have quite a few old doilies (not embroidered by me unfortunately) that are treasured but unused, many are damaged or stained with age. I was also kindly given some doilies with Forget-me-not flowers on them - hence the name came to mind as a way to honour the embroiders too. 

Forget-me-nots in my garden in Spring

Forget-me-nots embroidered on doilies

I have been in awe of the huge cathedral window quilts on a few Dutch blogs I follow - often with carefully selected window colours. My cathedral window quilt has 'windows' made of squares cut from my vintage doilies and linen. I needed to research the technique in books and blogs - found that there are quite a few ways to do this, and ended up with a combination of methods that suits me. I machine stitch the invisible part - joining the linen blocks together - and then hand stitch the doily windows. Hopefully the pictures will give you some idea what I'm on about. 

A start - getting addicted
I cut linen squares of 9.5 inches. Then I followed the method in this excellent tutorial and they end up as approx 4.25 inch squares. These are joined together as in pics below.






2 inch doily squares are placed on the linen blocks (see picture below) ready for pinning with applique pins. The loose edges of the linen blocks are rolled over the doily squares and then hand stitched/hemmed (as in top picture).



This is part of my sewing room - quite a few other UFO's in there - but not 17 I'm sure...hehe 

33 comments:

  1. glad to see you back! I do not have 17 UFO's to take part in Meredith's link in a way I was surprised to see how many do. I love seeing all of your quilts in progress - the hexie quilt is interesting to see how you will be rounding the corners, I am not sure how I will be doing that myself on the one I am making I know I didn't want the border that came with it on the pattern I have.

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  2. Great to see your ongoing projects from Down Under.

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  3. So pleased to see you back here and to see your quilting progress. Thank you for showing the hexagon paper, that's made me realise I could use that to plan the layout for some hexagons that I'm doing!

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  4. Wow I love seeing your projects. BEAUTIFUL!!! Love the medallion quilt.

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  5. WOW - what beautiful work and for your circles quilt - I love the way yours is turning out! So unique - and most of your work is. I started a CW when I first started quilting, never finished but everything ready to go - it went to my cousin who is excited about finishing it! Hexagon Star - another WOW love the colors. Lots of hand work there. Grandmother's is so pretty!
    Kyle's list inspired me as I was trying to figure out a way to start 2017 with the UFO's and wanted to participate (not sure how long) in the One Monthly Goal. Someone posted Kyle's Blog and now I have things organized.
    Keep on with the beautiful hand work and have missed your posts. You have accomplished a lot this past year!

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  6. Every time I come here, I leave in awe of your work. So gorgeous! My gosh! That cathedral window quilt is amazing. The borders on the hexagon star is gorgeous too. A lot of planning went into that one. The Chapman Coverlet is so beautiful. The way you do the Drunkard's Path block is very interesting. Never seen it done that way before and I will have to try that method. As always, excellent work. ;^)

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  7. All of your WIPs are wonderful....I especially love that cathedral window! Beautiful!

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  8. You have so many wonderful projects in the works--love them all! My favorite is your hexagon star--gorgeous! I'm looking forward to seeing your finishes.

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  9. It was delightful to see your beautiful projects!! I love the cathedral window -- just spectacular with the embroidered doilies and the linen!!

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  10. It is all wonderfull, love Reading your blog!

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  11. Ahhhh, the perfect Sunday morning - a cup of tea in bed from hubby and a new Every Stitch post, bliss! Thanks for the link to my blog & others, it's great to keep sharing this way. Love the way you are quilting Grandmother's Garden, I'm on the lookout as to how to quilt hexagons for one of my quilts. Great to see your new project, such an intense looking process, perfect outcome for those old doilies and linens. Here's to more posts in 2017!

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  12. Nice to see you back Hilda. Love those cathedral windows!

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  13. My you are busy with your delicious WIPs. They are all so yummy. Love the quilting on GFG. The Cathedral Windows are so dainty and delicate.

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  14. Your projects are all so beautiful! Love your Hexagon Star with all those tiny pieces. And your Cathedral Window is going to be amazing. Thanks for sharing and--glad to have you back :)

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  15. You are working on such wonderful projects! Your Grandma's flower garden is so softly pretty and the handquilting looks fabulous! I love the fabrics you are appliqueing for the coverlet project - just curious - are you cutting them away from behind or leaving them? Your Catherdal window is gorgeous :0) I always feel inspired after your posts - thanks so much!

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  16. Lots to see in your post today. I especially like the hexagon medallion piece you have in the works. The colors got my attention. My kind of colors.

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  17. Oh Hilda, what a wonderful gift to my winter day when I find a blog entry from you. I had been so worried that you were ill but was secretly hoping it was lots of gorgeous stitching!! Your production and workmanship are incredible!!! I am sooooo inspired with your CW doily work. I truly love the pattern and doilies so very much. I have spent the day digging through my treasure chest of vintage embroidery pieces I have rescued from thrift shops and happily spent my morning on eBay looking for more!! I am in love!!
    , I can't tell you what a breath of fresh air your blogs are for me.....especially during this horrible political time in the U.S. thank you! Thank you!

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  18. Everything is so lovely. Your cathedral windows are a delight to see. I'm glad to see you post, your blog is one of my favorites.






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  19. Hilda, you are very prolific! I always love seeing your unique , exciting, fun projects. I'm really intrigued by the cathedral windows using the old embroidery. What a way to preserve it in a beautiful way. I absolutely love that! I'm always thrilled to see a new post from you! Happy New Year!

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  20. Hi Hilda, think there are a few of us who needed to take a break from blogging and are finding that the time is right to return. Whatever the reason it is lovely to see a selection of your fabulous projects. You are such an inspiration.

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  21. I love to see what you are working on and love all of your new projects and current WIPs. The Cathedral Windows using the embroidery from old linens is just fabulous. Thanks for sharing and inspiring as always.

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  22. I love all of you're project's! And the detailed photo's are very good!

    Greetings from Debby

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  23. Pretty projects all! The vintage linens look beautiful in the cathedral windows-great idea! Happy New Year

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  24. Thanks for sharing Hilda. I'm just getting back into the swing of quilting. Seeing your projects is always inspiring. I too have multiple projects in the works.
    Looking forward to seeing what you create in the coming year.

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  25. I was so happy to see you in my feed this morning! Your projects are always so amazing and inspiring.
    Your hand quilting on the hexagon is lovely.
    The coverlet blocks are wonderfully colorful and expertly made as is all your work.
    I just got my Cathedral Window out the other day and wondered about making it bigger. I guess you can always add to a CW. Your choice of florals is soft and pretty.
    Happy New Year!

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  26. So happy to see a new post on the blog ; your work is always beautiful and inspiring ! :)

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  27. I am so glad to see you have written another blogpost again, because they are very inspiring! But I can fully understand, that blogging is the last thing on your mind, when there are so many creative projects going on.
    Your handquilting is beautiful, and your cathedral windows are so original and amazing!
    Have a healthy, happy and creative 2017, Hilda!

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  28. I have to admit, when I first saw that you were cutting all those beautiful embroideries apart, I nearly had a heart attack. But wow! What a beautiful way to display those lovely bits and pieces!!!! Makes me think I may have to get the scissors after some of the pillowcases my mother and grandmother made years ago which are falling apart today..... (lynnstck[at]yahoo.com)

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  29. Thank you for taking the time to share what you've been doing. Your posts are always so inspirational to me. (Also thanks for including my Smilebox link). It would be so fun to spend an afternoon with you visiting about all these wonderful projects. Each one is gorgeous and so carefully planned and sewn. You're going to have an awesome quilting year.

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  30. So happy to have this most marvelous update! AS much as I love the softness of Wheat and Woods, I adore the colors of the Chapman Coverlet. How delicious! Your big stitch is so perfectly done. My goal is to give big stitch a try this year. And what an inspiring use of vintage linens. Thank you for encouraging me to dig mine out of hiding. Hope things cool down for you soon. Quilting in that heat is not much fun!

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  31. I'm glad to read you again and see your beautiful works ! Wow ! Thay are all awesome as usual !

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  32. Great to see your new post! Such an inspiration to many of us, your beautiful hand work and hand quilting both. Love how you take off on an idea and let us follow you through the process! All your projects are fascinating to me as usual.:)

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