Sunday, March 8, 2020

It's a Finish! Marginalia


 Marginalia
It's a finish! 
72 x 84
Hand quilted
 This was a Quilty 365/6 year long project.  I made a circle a day for a year. 


 I started my circles November 4, 2015 and finished them November 3, 2016.  I used 4.5 inch HSTs  as the background, cut a circle out of fabric that kind of  represented an event of the day, blanket stitched with embroidery thread around the circle and wrote in the margin something about the day.  


 There's lots of gardening notes, notes about family health issues, notes about the price of gas each month, notes about depression and stress, notes about quilts made and books read.  There were birthday celebrations, a birth of a grand nephew, a marriage of a nephew, a death of a cousin. 

 

I kept the hand quilting very simple - big stitching with perle #12 horizontally and vertically through the colored side of the HSTs.  I did not use batting so I guess technically this isn't a quilt since it doesn't have three layers. I also did not use a hoop or mark any stitching lines so my stitches are not always straight or evenly spaced or all the same size.   But I totally enjoyed the stitching. 

 It was a fun walk down memory lane. I can't believe four years have passed since I started on this. If I made another one this year a lot of the circles would be the same; a lot of the circles would be different - life cycles, you know.  To every thing there is a season. 



The backing. 

And now I need to figure out what to hand quilt next. I have lots of choices. 



32 comments:

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

I love it and how you have things written in the blocks! Cool

cityquilter grace said...

a fabric diary! how wonderful....fantastic quilt and idea...a real memory keeper...

Jayne said...

What a big project! I really like how you documented each days event. Something as simple as the price of gas to the temperature of the day. But how fun to look back and remember what occured on that day. Super fun quilt!

Chantal said...

This is one AWESOME journal page into your life. Love the idea and I admire you for keeping up with it the entire year. Best memory quilt I've seen in a very long time. Congrats! ;^)

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

I remember when you were working on this, and love seeing it finished! I bet it is pretty interesting to look back at each of the days of that year.

Elle said...

Oh my! This is a beautiful memory of a "year in a life". And so soothing to have hand quilted it. I hope you enjoy it for decades to come.

Quilter Kathy said...

Oh how marvellous! I love this memory quilt... it's a fabric journal... what a treasure you created!
So many hours spent hand stitching on this project... you're a slow stitching rock star!

---"Love" said...

That is amazing! Such a unique idea! How you got that all done in addition to all the other quilts you've finished every week is just beyond my comprehension or my imagination! That certainly is one treasure! ---"Love"

The Joyful Quilter said...

Super scrappy, super fun! Congratulations on completing this long term project.

Quilting Babcia said...

Love, love, love this! My own Quilty 365 is overdue for finishing, hand quilted of course. One of my goals for the year.

Karrin Hurd said...

Lovely quilt! Congratulations on your finish!

Nann said...

What a wonderful "diary." Bravo!

Quiltdivajulie said...

I love this quilt so much -- your design for the project, the way you added your notes, the stitching, the quilting, just EVERYTHING! BRAVO!!!

Kim said...

Oh wow, what an amazing work of art you have created, where every day there is a memory and notes to remind you of that day. Each fabric circle is fabulous. So much of YOU has gone into the fashioning of this most splendid quilt. Such a fabulous idea of a quilt!

Cynthia Brunz Designs said...

Ha! "Keep calm and eat bacon". That would be all of my circles for 2020.

Amazing history piece Cathy. What a fun project. Thanks for sharing with Oh Scrap!

Angie said...

Yay for finishing your circle quilt! Your idea to use HST backgrounds was inspired. I chuckled over the price of gas on Feb 15! I still need to do the binding on my circle quilt, but it's next in the queue.

Laura said...

This is a fantastic memory quilt! :)

gayle said...

It's absolutely wonderful! Both visually and conceptually - a lovely year-in-the-life that will be a treasured heirloom.

Cathy said...

Great idea and lovely result! I’m sure it will be loved and valued by your family.

Louise said...

Tremendous amount of work and dedication in this one! Were you consistent in sewing a block each day, or did you batch them a bit? Beautiful results, either way :)

Linda said...

A journal with a difference. How lovely to be able to “re read” in the years to come.

Wendy Caton Reed said...

Fantastic! I love your daily notes and messages. I wish I had done that with mine. Thanks for the inspiration!

mangozz said...

Nice job! I like the HSTs for the background. Any significance to that?

Pamela Arbour said...

Very impressive!

Emily said...

What a neat record of a year! I enjoy seeing the different circle fabrics and guessing at their significance.

Cynthia@wabi-sabi-quilts said...

Absolutely brilliant idea - making it a diary. What an heirloom this will become and will be so interesting for future generations to "read." Plus, it's really pretty!

Jenny said...

Your quilt is amazing. Such dedication to do an individual block every day for a year, and adding some words really makes it special, congratulations on a great finish!

gudrun said...

A very sweet quilt. I enjoy all your quilts.
Ienjoy all your quilts and find inspiration here.

Ann said...

Adding text and putting the circles on diagonal backgrounds really made your quilt! I have some Quilty365s but had to quit when my wrist went on strike but yours are wonderfully inventive. Congratulations!!!

Kaja said...

I loved these blocks when you were doing them and I love them even more as a finished quilt.

MissPat said...

What an amazing treasure. And, yes, gas at $1.45 is a real throwback.
Pat

audrey said...

Yeah for an awesome finish! Yours is so wonderfully creative and special. I love, love, love the diary aspect to yours. Very sentimental.:)