Slow Stitching Binding

Well, I looked at the date of my last  blog post and it was Oct 30 of last year. Oh my how time flies!  For the last couple of months I have had the urge to continue my blog but I just haven't taken the time.  I can start by saying our move from Arkansas to Texas altered my routine and kept me pretty busy. But, I started my blog years ago to document all the quilts that I make and hopefully to inspire others to enjoy hand quilting. So, I really need to get it caught up and current.

While still in Arkansas, I made a log cabin quilt top.  It was such a joy to make. I love the simpicity of the pattern and there are so many way to lay out the blocks.  Well, I pulled it out in late spring in hopes of getting it hand quilted.  It has taken me all summer to get the quilting done.  The quilt measures 90X108 inches.  Today, I will work on stitching down the binding and I will be linking to Slow Stitching Sunday's.  I really miss following fellow bloggers and especially Kathy's Slow Stitching Sundays.  Her post this morning reminded me
not to worry about time but to enjoy the process.  In today's world its very easy to get caught up in the rat race.

I really missed the peaceful time behind the hoop. This last month I probably spent an hour a day. Oh that precious hour how I missed you!  It feels so good to enjoy that hour in my sewing room doing what makes me happy. So I hope if you have the need to be creative or just make something that you take a bit of time to do just that!

Stitching along!

Do you start the year with resolutions, I have really have never done that.  I do try to set goals for myself.  One of my goals this year was to get some quilt tops quilted before any new starts.

Some of the quilt tops hanging in my waiting area have quite a few seams and busy prints.  This makes quilting them with fine quilting stitches a bit challenging.  I have always wanted to try big stitching, which involves perle cotton and a larger needle.  Well, I have to say, I am absolutely loving the process. It was difficult for me to adjust to larger stitches and I definitely need to keep working on keeping those stitches even.

I did come across this great set of videos on You tube by Jo Glover.  There are five short tutorials and one is a gallery of quilts she has done.  I just love the look. 

  

I haven't quite made the adjustment to using size 8 or 12 perle cotton, but I do love using the #16.  So last weekend I got my QOV marked and started stitching . It is not a very large quilt measuring 53X53.  The blocks were stitched last summer using a tutorial I found on 15 Minutes of Play BumbleBeans Inc.  I use the paper pieced pdf that is included.  

 There are nine of these triangle galore blocks in the quilt.

 

I am outline quilting the center triangles that make up the hexagon. Then, I am doing a star point shape to mimick the shape of the red points of the star. I am using a double line on this to help emphasize it.

 The navy blue back ground is a diagonal line spaced one inch apart.  So of course I can't help but name this one Stars and Stripes  I can not believe how much faster this is moving along.  I have two stars and one border to finish up.  Most of that will get done today as I stitch along with the other slow stitchers on Slow Stitching Sundays.

 

Slow Stitching Sunday!

What does one do after a finishing a quilt? Yes, Christmas Journey is now a quilt! I posted the final pictures here. Well, like most quilters I have several projects that need  my attention. I made a few more hexie flowers this week. They will be added to the stack waiting until the final layout it decided upon.

Today, I will spend my spare moments putting in a few more big stitches in my thousand pyramid quilt. I am pleased with the way the quilting design is working with the patchwork.  It has made me rethink what I will do in the border.  I see a large quadruple cable winning the battle of ideas. Do you make changes when you are working on a quilt? I am finding that the more quilts I make the more that happens. How about you?