Crosshatching

Did you know that crosshatching is a method used by artist?  I found this site that gives a good explanation.  Unlike line drawings that artist do, quilters use crosshatching as a background.  It adds texture and works well as a background behind applique. I think it helps your eye move across the quilt. 

I am using a 3/4 inch crosshatch on Simple but Not!  This quilt is very simple in design. Just large pumpkin seed shapes made up of scraps of fabric  They are appliqued on top of a solid background.  I am adding feathers around the applique to accent it, and tying it all together with the crosshatching. 

A couple of years ago I really concentrated on what type of quilts I wanted to make.  I found that I was always drawn to the process of applique.  I am so happy I followed my heart.  I love using  colored backgrounds and having negative space to fill with hand quilting.  That balance of hand quilting and design is crucial for me.  I have never been one to use a lot of busy prints and I find when I do I turn to big stitch to achieve the balance that is so important to me.  Do you find yourself making the same category of quilt?

 

 

 So today I will be linking up with Kathy and adding a few more slow stitches to Simple but Not!

Starting with the feathers

I started hand quilting my pumpkin seed quilt a couple of weeks ago.  It has a lot of negative space for some wonderful handquilting.  I thought some feathers would be great to accent the simple scrappy pumpkin seeds.  I have named this quilt Simple But Not.  I think it is fitting since the design is simple but the quilting will make it marvelous.

For Christmas last year, Santa brought me a wonderful new quilt hoop on a stand.  I opted for the 18 inch hoop since the hoop I had been using was a fourteen and sometimes I felt it was a bit small.  Well, when I started quilting the feathers I felt the 18 inch was too big, so my wonderful hubby added some magnets to my old hoop so now I can use it with my new stand  It will be great to use the bigger hoop when I am stitching background lines, but it is so wonderful to have the smaller hoop when I need to turn and reach across the hoops for smaller motifs.

I  feel so much better this week about using the spoon instead of the aunt becky.  It took a while to make the adjustment but I no longer have the urge to go back to using the aunt becky. 

I also finished up block 21 of Baltimore Garden. I thought I would share a pic of some the embroidery that I added to this block.  It was so much fun to add a few accents here and there. I think I need to take a crazy quilt class soon.

  I am linking up with Kathy blog today to see what others are slow stitching.  Slow stitching is such a wonderful relaxing way to spend a few hours each day!

Pay off!

 It has been a long winter, although down here we don't get very hard winters, but we have had our share of lower than normal temps.  I am really getting sick of looking a that bermuda grass that stays brown till we get much warmer temps. Hopefully there will be some signs of spring  soon.  I have kept busy stitching on a few projects, mostly hand work, which is slow going.  So slow, that sometimes, I wonder if these projects will ever get finished, but then I remind myself that I do enjoy the process it is nice to reflect on what those stitches produce. So this morning, after a few last applique stitches, I have the four blocks for my pumpkin seed done! Mind you, I don't have it assembled into a flimsie yet, but sewing four blocks together shouldn't take too long.

 Also after spending a couple of months of basting hexies, I drew out my design.  I wanted to make a frame for a center medallion block, which turned out to be harder than I thought it would be.  I finally got it worked out and started sewing the flowers together adding the background filler.  I  really have enjoyed stitching them together. This is my progress, 181 hexies stitched together!

After another cup of coffee this morning and once the sun comes out I will go back to marking my Quilt of Valor quilt.  I am excited to get it into my new hoop.  Again I will be using perle cotton #16, to big stitch this quilt.  So even though sometimes it doesn't feel like I am making progress, it is good to look back and see how far these projects have come.