Wednesday 21 October 2015

Civil War bride ready to quilt

I wasn't intending to quilt it right now - the top was folded away while I focused on a few hand applique projects, gardening, daughter's wedding prep etc. But it caught my eye in the sewing room yesterday afternoon...and before I knew it it was prepped!

... I thought I'd just see what wadding I had left - and found a collection of large off cut strips. In a 'twinkling' four pieces of wool were stitched together - just zig zag on the machine.
Wadding strips - edges butted together, not overlapped

Large zigzag across the join
Then I just thought I'd see if there was a chance of a backing fabric lurking in the stash. I have a shelf of "less liked" fabric that I rummage through for backings, especially for a quilt like this which will probably be hung and the backing never seen. Well ...found something straight away! 

So then, in another 'twinkling', I had it layered on the floor. Can you see the wonky edges of the wadding - all odd strips stitched together? yep ..I'm no perfectionist as long as it lies flat.


..and while it was all laid out there I thought I may as well pin it. I can imagine you snorting but it only took a couple of hours from "spotted in sewing room" to basted and in the hoop. Amazing what you can do when you're not actually meaning to! 

It feels good to have another hand quilting project and I'm going to enjoy a few hours of outline quilting all that applique. 

My Wheat and Woods design is progressing - all strips and corner blocks stitched together into a square. There was quite a bit (understatement there) of trial and error so I'm relieved to get to this stage. 
I'm planning a wide outer border - with more applique and broderie perse. More trial and error coming up for sure! 

Spring is a busy time in the  garden - just ask my two friendly garden helpers - Bill and Ben the Blue Tongue Lizards 
basking on warm concrete

gardening duties

rushing off to more gardening duties

Can you see the blue tongue?
They are pretty relaxed about sharing the garden with me,  and work hard at gobbling up pesky snails but I do wish they could manage a pair of secateurs or a weeding tool. 
This is breeding season for these much loved Australian creatures so I'm guessing I should be more correctly naming them Bill and Belinda

My daughter's wedding preparations are ramping up (for the end of November).
I have been anxiously growing these succulents for months - favours for the guests. There was a serious set back in the frost and snow here but they are now thriving indoors in a sunny spot - phew. 


There's also been a lot of collecting of decorations and table cloths. 


All the flowers are to be sourced from my garden (no pressure) so I 'm doing all I can to keep the plants happy. White iceberg roses, ivy, maples and silver foliage plants will be the backbone of it, and I'm hoping for a variety of salvia flowers too. Fingers crossed for no nasty weather events to create garden havoc!  

32 comments:

  1. You are making lots of progress on many fronts. I've found it really interesting to see the design process of Wheat and Woods; can hardly wait to see what happens next!

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  2. Wow, your Civil War Bride is gorgeous, and your plan for the Wheat and Woods border sounds very promising too! You're down to the wire for your daughter's wedding, I hope you will still find a little time to sew!

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  3. I can relate with your not intending to start quilting the Civil War Bride. That is exactly how I get working on some of my projects and get more work done than planning ahead. there was an early bit of snow here this week since we are just getting ready to settle in for winter here in Canada.
    Great idea about the plants for wedding favours.

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  4. I totally understand jumping in on quilting that beautiful quilt!! well be following the progress for sure. Love your wedding preps - such beautiful succulents - I need to get one of those - I bet I would have a hard time killing it. Love the lizards - we have some here all the time in the warm weather they hibernated for the winter as I never see them - two different kinds but who knows how many.

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  5. Such a special Civil War quilt, your version. Beautiful! And the lizards, such fun!

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  6. What a great progress on your projects, love your version of the Civil Bride quilt.
    Greetings,
    Sylvia

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  7. I love it when that feeling strikes and it just has to be done NOW. It's such a beautiful quilt and I'm sure your quilting will make it even more so.........I'm quietly pleased to see such an expert do that with her batting as well. Love your wedding planning activities, home made and gathered will add a special touch.
    I have blue tongues and shingle backs in my garden too but I keep thinking they're snakes.

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  8. Your Civil Bride quilt is so pretty. The hand quilting should be a good relaxing tool. The Wheat and Woods is lovely. Can't wait to see what you do with the border. Enjoy the wedding. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished Auntie's Green Garden quilt. Blessings, Gretchen

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  9. Hi Hilda
    I love your Civil War Bride quilt. Once again you have pieced a wonder. At least now it's in the hoop safe and ready to quilt.
    Love that you showed the lizards. We don't have any lizards in Wisconsin, USA. Those youngest are really blue!
    Best of luck to you with the flowers for daughters wedding in Nov. I'd love to see the finished project with the succulents.

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  10. A few hours? My goodness you are a fast baster. I only baste the perimeter because I am hopelessly lazy. I adore your Wheat and Woods top. It is truly spectacular! We don't have lizards here, only tiny spotted salamanders, but if you say they are good for the garden, I'll take your word for it. You are very ambitious to do all the flowers for your daughter's wedding. I do hope we get to see lots of photos after November. Have a lovely day.

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  11. It was just meant to be that you got your Civil War Bride ready for quilting. I love moments like that - when things just work out!
    Your garden must be spectacular! I feel sorry for the person wanting to source flowers for a wedding from my garden! I wish you fair weather until the end of November for sure.

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  12. Enjoy your stitching on that lovely Civil War Bride...and oh how lovely and nurtured those succulents look!

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  13. I can't wait to see your Civil War Bride quilted. It is going to be yet another masterpiece. Ditto Wheat and Woods.

    I really liked seeing the pictures of the blue tongue lizards. We don't have lizards here but do have salamanders and newts although we don't see them as often as we used to.

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  14. Your plans for the wedding floral's sounds beautiful--I hope Mother Nature is kind! I'm looking forward to seeing your wonderful CWB quilted!

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  15. Wow and double Wow! Thanks again for showing your progress. You are such an inspiration.

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  16. I just LOVE your Civil War Bride quilt, so lovely :-)
    Interesting to see "your" lizards.
    xx

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  17. Hilda, your work is so awesome and I know that a wedding takes so much time but I'm impatient to admire your quilting done !
    The other quilt is sooooo stunning too !
    But...but..the lizards ! Oh my God ! I'm running far away !! Waaaaaaaow.....I'm so scared !

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  18. Hilda, your work is so awesome and I know that a wedding takes so much time but I'm impatient to admire your quilting done !
    The other quilt is sooooo stunning too !
    But...but..the lizards ! Oh my God ! I'm running far away !! Waaaaaaaow.....I'm so scared ! But I admit that they have a beautiful tongue !! :)

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  19. I'm so excited for you to be quilting your CWB! It will be fun to revisit all the applique as you stitch around it. I'm so curious to see what you do in the very few open spaces. (I consider that a lot as I design my side borders) Your Wheat and woods is just gorgeous! I love the idea of the succulents - they look very sweet all lined up like that. The lizards are fascinating and I can't wait for my son to come home from school because he will be so interested to read about and see them.

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  20. As always I enjoy hearing what you've been up to. Using up scraps of wadding is so efficient and economical too. Your CWB quilt is beautiful and it will be great to follow along with the quilting. That's a fantastic idea with the succulents as the wedding favors. Fingers crossed for a spectacular garden in November. No pressure for the mother of the bride! Cool garden helpers, blue tongue and all.

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  21. How exciting putting that first stitch into your beautiful civil war bride quilt. It is funny how quilts speak to us and your civil war bride was speaking to you saying it wants to be quilted LOL

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  22. What a nice idea for a wedding favor. A daughter's wedding is so fun-enjoy every second of it, and you have your beautiful CWBQ to work on for some calming moments.

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  23. You are such an inspiration! Amazing how much you accomplished in a "twinkling." Have fun quilting your CWB Quilt. Wheat and Woods is lovely. I can't wait to see the border. Cool lizards!

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  24. I am so much enjoying to follow how your Wheat and Woods is coming along so beautifully, despite all the trial and error; it is worth all of it. And your CWB is quite an inspiration as well... These 2 lizards are wonderful (I once owned a dog with a blue tongue).

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  25. A treat to see your stunning CWB quilt all basted and ready for quilting.
    Always wonderful when a project comes together so unintended!
    Wheat & Woods is also looking fabulous I am so drawn to this beautiful quilt of yours.

    I've never seen lizards like these, fascinating little creatures.
    Nice to know that they are such good garden helpers.
    Will cross my fingers that flowers are bountiful for your daughter's wedding!

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  26. Doing all that basting on the floor would just about do me in. You are amazing. I am looking forward to following your quilting progress on this beauty. A wedding can be stressful but so much fun. Soon I hope we will be seeing pictures of your finished Auntie Green.

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  27. Your Bride's quilt is a prize winner. I enjoy seeing it each time you post about it.

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  29. I I think your little lizards would be a startle factor in the garden - I freak at anything that slithers!! Gorgeous red and white version of the Civil War Bride quilt. I well remember all the activity leading up to our son's wedding which was held outside at our home - worries over weather, if the caterers and florists would know what they were doing - which everyone did. Then that magical moment when our precious daughter-in-law walked out and joined our son - the look on both their faces was so beautiful.












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  30. I have been joining batting for years using the "serpentine"stitch on my machine. I tried the zig zag this time and it was as good. thanks. Normally i don't use joined batting on my "good"quilts, only on my everyday ones. But if it is good enough for your really good quilt, then I will start joining for my next one.

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  31. Looks great Hilda! I am enjoying all of your projects and look forward to each post you do.

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