I'm making this Double Wedding Ring quilt for my granddaughter who is only 9. After her paternal grandmother died last year she told me I would live long enough to see her get married. I hope I do but if not I'll be there in spirit.
Just last night I finished hand quilting along all the seams in all the pieces in the arches. I think there are 98 arches with 11 pieces each so that's a lot of stitching. I did the stitch-in-the-ditch so I could practice hand quilting before I stitched in any of the areas that would really show my novice stitches. So far I have learned to use a thimble, how to do the "rocking" motion, how to hoop the quilt, how to bury knots and built up a callous on the finger I keep underneath the quilt. I may not have the smallest stitches but I I think I keep them pretty consistently the same size.
Here's what the back looks like so far.
In the four patch sections I'm going to try to stitch some hearts like this template. I'm having a little problem marking the quilt. I tried a silver pencil but it doesn't show up well enough for my eyes and besides, I couldn't keep the pencil sharp. Good thing is that I could easily remove the marks I did manage to make with a little water. I'm going to try a mechanical pencil next. That's what I use on my crazy quilt stitching if I need to mark anything.
And after that I'm going to try to stitch this in the large middle sections. I may be a little ambitious with this.
12 comments:
Your on the right track with your hand quilting. Consistency in size is what is important. I love the story behind this quilt. Just think of the memories it will hold for your granddaughter.
I absolutely LOVE this quilt (it's a beauty!) and your determination to have it ready for your granddaughter. This is exactly what quilts are for - love! You should try one of the purple markers that disappear with air or water - they are easy to see and easy to apply.
It's a beauty and your stitching looks wonderful!:)
Looks fantastic so far! Your stencils look like they will be fun to quilt too! What a wonderful project to hand quilt! I am trying the Frixion marking pen with my border this week.
Thanks for linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching!
How perfectly beautiful! And what a treasure your granddaughter will have for years to come.
What a beautiful quilt! It will make a wonderful reminder for your granddaughter of just how much her grandma loves her! Your stitching is wonderful - tiny stitches are way overrated, in my opinion. Consistency is far more important!
I'm a novice hand quilter, too, and have been struggling with all the things you mentioned - callous, stitch size, etc. Your quilt is bright and beautiful and looks gorgeous! I think you're doing a great job.
Pretty quilt with colorful fabrics. Your stitches in the ditch are very good. You will find the regular quilting easier. Consistency is important. Smaller stitches will naturally evolve.
I love using the "FRIXION" pens.
They are available in some supermarkets, newsagencies & definitely "OFFICE WORKS". They range between $2 - $6 and come in a range of colours.
The markings come off easy with heat. Either by ironing, steaming or rubbing (friction).
These are my new best friends
Wonderful quilt and your stitching looks fantastic. I have been using a Frixion pen for marking and it has worked great.
As another poster mentioned, the FRIXON pens are awesome. They come off easily with an iron.
Two suggestions with them though, learned from experience: Do not try to darken your lines by marking over and over, after you iron you may see a faint outline in areas you didnt stitch over. And always test them on a scrap piece first. I have found that the only fabric I'm not fond of them on is Shadowplay fabric. Other than that, they are absolutely awesome. I use them for a lot of embroidery projects.
If the fabric is light enough a mechanical pencil will work..don't press too hard though! I would invest in a "Pounce". It is a small black box and the lid of the box is somewhat like a chalkboard eraser.You swipe the lid over your stencil and the chalky stuff comes out and makes the stencil marks. I have found this very useful for handquilting! Good luck, the quilt looks great and don't worry about small stitches...uniform is better!
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