This last week we have enjoyed some cooler weather. Although mid 80's seem warm for some of you, down here in Arkansas mid 80's in August is a blessing! The cooler nights really get me to start thinking about getting Baltimore Garden ready for hand quilting. It's a large quilt so getting it sandwiched and pin basted will be a big job. I started a few weeks ago making some templates for some of the shapes I want to use on the open background spaces.
I also placed my order for quilting betweens. I ordered ten packages of 20 needles. Hopefully that will be enough to finish this quilt! I am using YLI thread in natural. I love using a thread a bit darker than the background that I will be quilting.
After spending two years making the blocks and border and putting them together, it is now time to start the final leg of quilting it. I want to honor the original quilt maker by using some of the same shapes provided in the pattern. The quilt is quilted much like quilts in it's day. Shapes floating around with heavy background quilting. I'm a bit apprehensive about starting. Will I like the results? There is only one way to know and that is to get started.
I have a few things I want to finish up before summer comes to an end. First,. I need to add the final rows of TATW. I started row 29 yesterday afternoon! Whoo Hoo! I also have the fabric for row 30 chosen! Then a row of black quarter square triangles to square it up and it will be a completed top.
I printed out some paper foundations for a miniature pineapple quilt back in May. They have been shuffled back and forth from one stack to another. So earlier this week, I started piecing all nine blocks. I have 14 seams out of 49 seams done on all nine blocks. I find when I paper piece it is better to work on all the blocks at the same time and repeat each seam in each block. It just makes it much easier for my brain to get it right. A little miniature top will make a great warm up piece to get me back to hand quilting since it has been a while!
Hopefully all nine will look like this soon! This was a sample block that I made earlier this summer. Then I need to think about how to set these blocks you know sashing, no sashing, on point, not on point, border, no border. Would love to hear how you would lay out the nine pineapple blocks!!
I also placed my order for quilting betweens. I ordered ten packages of 20 needles. Hopefully that will be enough to finish this quilt! I am using YLI thread in natural. I love using a thread a bit darker than the background that I will be quilting.
After spending two years making the blocks and border and putting them together, it is now time to start the final leg of quilting it. I want to honor the original quilt maker by using some of the same shapes provided in the pattern. The quilt is quilted much like quilts in it's day. Shapes floating around with heavy background quilting. I'm a bit apprehensive about starting. Will I like the results? There is only one way to know and that is to get started.
I have a few things I want to finish up before summer comes to an end. First,. I need to add the final rows of TATW. I started row 29 yesterday afternoon! Whoo Hoo! I also have the fabric for row 30 chosen! Then a row of black quarter square triangles to square it up and it will be a completed top.
I printed out some paper foundations for a miniature pineapple quilt back in May. They have been shuffled back and forth from one stack to another. So earlier this week, I started piecing all nine blocks. I have 14 seams out of 49 seams done on all nine blocks. I find when I paper piece it is better to work on all the blocks at the same time and repeat each seam in each block. It just makes it much easier for my brain to get it right. A little miniature top will make a great warm up piece to get me back to hand quilting since it has been a while!
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| My stack of nine blocks ready for seam #15 |
looks like you have been busy - lots of nice quilts. How often do you change your needles when you quilt that you wonder if that is enough? I have a feeling you change them a lot more than I do :)
ReplyDeleteKaren I am a spoon quilter and that really dulls the needles quickly! I still don't change them out as much as I should so this time I just splurged and bought 10 packs. I think my last quilt I went thru 4-5 packages of needles. I really should keep better records
DeleteAll of the shapes are wonderful. For me, it makes the hand quilting progress more fun. I want to get to the next motif! Enjoy all those fresh shiney needles. I love all your projects. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dawn! Not sure when I will actually start but it is fun getting ready. Those shapes will also a great place to add some trapunto. This is my once in a life time quilt so I have to give it all I got.
DeleteI get so thrill to see someone like your who is sticking to authenticity of a pattern. Love that you are adding the shapes, can wait to how you'll make that beautiful Baltimore Album even more gorgeous. I agree with you on the darker thread. After reading about the needles, I too wonder if I don't change mine enough. By the way love the TATW.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I guess I am at the time in my life that I don't need to make every quilt I love but I do need to make a quilt that thrills me! It's a good feeling to be content and as long as I am stitching I am happy I am so glad I tried hand piecing and the TATW is a great way to practice. Who would of thought all those ugly fabrics could come together and sparkle!
DeleteI just love your yellow pineapple blocks! are you foundation piecing by hand or machine?
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear your planning for the hand quilting of your Baltimore - and such lovely templates. It is always the start that is slow - am sure you will love it once you get going :)
I am machine foundation piecing. They are only 4.25 inch finished so the first seams are only about an inch long. I told a friend I am cutting off more thread and fabric than will be left in the block! LOL But it will be a fun little mini and I haven't made one in while. Have you ever hand foundation pieced I considered it after I started seemed like it would be easier but I wasn't sure my stitches would hold up to ripping out the paper. Maybe some of the new applique papers that wash out would be the best way to go. Thanks Hilda!
DeleteWow! Row 29 already. You have been working on that a lot. Mine is still where I left it! Yikes.... how often do you change your needles? I don't think I change mine enough.... still working on the same two packages of 5 needles. Blushing. Think I need to change them all out and start fresh =)
ReplyDeleteDeb, I am on a mission to finish this one! At least get it to the stage that it is a top! I changed to a new needle on my TATW this week I had been using the same one for the rest of the top. Oh my it was wonderful. I went from using a size 9 applique needle to a size 10 so that might have been part of it, but the other one was getting quite dull!
DeleteI must have misread your comment on HQA because I thought you said that you were paper piecing nine patched (which didn't make sense to me). I vote for no sashing because I love the secondary pattern that is created when pineapple blocks are joined together without sashing. How wide are your little strips?
ReplyDeleteWow, I never thought about it taking so many needles to quilt one quilt.
ReplyDeleteI love your yellow pineapple blocks.
I love the shapes you are planning for handquilting. I wish I was that organized! That's a lot of needles :0) Your pineapple blocks are darling!
ReplyDeleteI was wondering why so many needles but I see in the comments it is because they dull with the spoon. And next I am going to go Google how a person quilts with a spoon, ha ha !
ReplyDeleteLove the little pineapples! I have never foundation pieced..that's probably something that I'd need an online class for, as it always looks confusing when I see pictures of it.
The shapes are pretty...it will be fun to watch your quilting once you start.
You must change quilting needles often during the quilting process. That's a lot of needles.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE that photo of all the needles. I don't really dull mine, but I bend them quickly. I also use a pliers to pull the needle through, as I tend to put a LOT of stitches on my needle and can no longer grab it, so the tip gets bent. Your Trip Around the World is amazing and I can't imagine doing one like that ALL hand pieced. But yours is lovely. Love the way you decide on the color depending on how my fabric you have for the row. And your yellow pineapple is delicious! Are you hand quilting it too with all those seams? Lovely work.
ReplyDeleteNo I ended up binding it and using some mono filament thread to stitch in the ditch on the seam lines. It will be displayed on my mini wall or used as a table topper.
DeleteLove the patterns you created...nice idea. And the needles! Super. I bend all of mine using a pliers to pull my needle through (I put too many stitches on it all the time). Your TATW is lovely. Love the way you added your rows using whatever fabric you had that would be enough to go around! And the yellow pineapple is gorgeous! Love yellow. Will you hand quilt this one with all those seams? Nice work.
ReplyDeleteI agree yellow is absolutely stunning as a two color quilt. Love the TATW project has been so much fun and used some fabrics I never thought I would
DeleteThe appliques you prepared are super. Nice preparation and nice idea. Love all the needles. I bend all of mine using a pliers to pull the needle through because I put too many stitches on it. Your TATW is amazing. Love the way you added the rows according to how much fabric you had to go around. Creative! And the yellow pineapple is gorgeous. I love yellow. You do beautiful work in all you do.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! I absolutely love the TATW project! I am so glad I kept going and it really didn't take long to get to 62 inches!
ReplyDelete