Sunday, September 11, 2016

More Slow Stitches

It was a great week here.  I finished the hand quilting on the border of Baltimore Garden.  A bittersweet moment.  I do love finishes, so I must move forward.  I discovered I didn't have enough red fabric left to make the binding so I placed an order for more.  So while I wait for that to arrive, I decided to work on the label. Today I will add some embroidery stitches to my label.  I an using prescentia 16 perle cotton that I had left over from another project.  The label will pay homage to the original quilt, to Barbara Burnham for her wonderful pattern and then to myself as the maker of this quilt.




Next I will begin the  trapunto process.  If you have never added trapunto to a piece you really should try it sometime. It is quite easy to do.  I  use my mother's old darning needle. It is a large needle with a large eye so I can thread the yarn quite easily.  I work from the back side of the quilt and add just enough yarn to each area that I want to trapumto, until I feel it looks the way I want. I love the thought of using a needle that my mom used for so many years to darn socks. The process is very relaxing much like hand quilting. I am linking up with Kathy's Quilts to share and see what others are slow stitching today!



25 comments:

  1. I'm sure your quilt is beautiful. I'm looking forward to seeing your trapunto. I've never seen it done this way. Blessings, Gretchen

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  2. you will need to show your trapunto on another blog post - I am curious do you knot the yarn off in any way or do you just go in from the back, travel your yarn through and then clip it off so there is no knot - does it stay put?

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    1. I plan on doing a post on trapunto. No knots involved and yes it stays put!

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  3. I love making embroidered labels too! The details you're adding are great, it's such a thoughtful touch. It's been a long time since I've done any Trapunto, I might have to put it on a list of things to have another go at in the near future :)

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    1. Thanks Stephie! I agree the details make such a difference. For me one great quilt is worth more than 100 so so quilts.

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  4. I can't wait to see the addition of the trapunto to the quilting. I have never heard of using yarn... this will be fun to watch.

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    1. It really does help those motifs come a bit more distinct. I have always wanted to add trapunto to a quilt and so many methods seemed daunting. I was very happy with the results when I tried it Amish Ice Cream Social, so I knew I wanted to do it again on the right quilt.

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  5. I am looking forward to seeing the quilt with the trapunto added. It is wonderful to use a needle from your mom.

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    1. I think it adds a lot well worth the effort. My mom passed away this June so I know I will be thinking of her as I pull the yarn thru the motifs. I feel so blessed to get her sewing basket and a few of her notions as they mean so much to me.

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  6. Looking forward to the end product. I can't remember my mother ever darning socks. How interesting that you are able to use her needle in the quilt making process.

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    1. Thanks Karen! My mom immigrated from Austria after WW2 and grew up thru the depression before the war, so being frugal was just a way of life for her.

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  7. my grandma used to darn socks too!

    I want to see some photos and a post about your trapunto when you start because I've never seen it done, come to think of it. I've seen it in quilts but do not know how a quilter creates it :)

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    1. I think its the german heritage. Growing up in Austria and living thru WW2 in Austria probably didn't help either. She was so frugal and could practically live off of nothing by canning, butchering and heating her house with a wood cook stove. I will be sure do a trapunto post.

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  8. Glad you are making a keepsake label for such a keepsake of a quilt too! Hope your fabric for binding arrives when your label is ready to be attached :)
    I love the thought of you adding trapunto to this quilt and will look forward to seeing before and after shots if you do that... what type of yarn do you use for your trapunto method? Kathi

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    1. Nothing fancy Cheap acrylic yarn works well. The chunkier the better as it speeds the process up. I will do a post on trapunto in the near future

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  9. I like the idea of using your Moms needle....passing on the love of sewing and creating to the next generation.....

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    1. My mom passed away this year so using her needles will give me plenty of time to sit quietly and rehash my childhood and all the things she taught me. I miss her dearly!

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  10. That label is a treasure. Thanks for describing the trapunto process. You do make it sound fairly simple.

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    1. I wanted the label to last and contain the history of this pattern. It still amazes me that the original was made in 1848. Can't imagine designing it and making it without freezer paper. The trapunto is quite simple. Some worry about the holes created but with a dull needle and one washing the holes disappear.

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  11. I look forward to seeing the effect of the trapunto! The last time I ever saw my Grandma she taught me to darn - she was 98 years old. I now wish I had her needle. I've never tried trapunto but I would like to.

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    1. I think trapunto is worth the effort. Afterall, if I have come this far I might as well finish as I had planned. It will help define the motifs scattered in the background. The original was stippled but I knew I was not ready for that challenge so I did the half inch grid and I think the trapunto will finish it off nicely. I am looking forward to using her needle again, she passed away in June at 95 and I miss her dearly.

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  12. Using trapunto to add definition is a clever idea, and this is certainly a quilt that is worth the little bit of extra effort.

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    1. Thanks Kaja, I think so too! I think it will be well worth the effort!

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  13. I didn't know you could use yarn for trapunto. What # yarn are you using? I love that you have your mother's darning needle. Did she use a darning egg? I have one that my husband's grandmother used. And I still darn my socks.

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