Friday, August 22, 2014

Highlands Houses Finished

I've been debating whether I should put a question mark after "finished," but I think my little Highlands Houses quilt is done:

Highlands Houses, 19" x 19"

I started this quilt just under a year ago, when I rescued a plaid shirt that my Dad never wore from the donation pile:


It was one wrong turn after another with this quilt, and the challenges continued with the quilting! As a beginner free motion quilter, I decided to do a loose stipple with fine thread, and let the quilting fall into the background. My practice pieces looked reasonable, but it all went out the window once the real quilt was under the needle!

I learned that:

  1. Shirting is stretchier than regular quilting cotton.
  2. Paper pieced blocks are stretchier than traditionally pieced blocks, because the grains are not usually lined up.
So, there are a few bumps in the middle, and a few tucks under the binding, but at this point I'm going to call it a day and move on to the next project! 

The whole time I was quilting I had this song from Cathy Miller, The Singing Quilter, going through my head:


Three quilts done, a gazillion to go!

10 comments:

  1. Your little wall hanging of "creativity due to circumstance" looks fantastic. Another successful finish. Congrats!

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    1. Thanks very much! It'll do until I finish something better. :D

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  2. I think it looks great! Congratulations on a finish! There is a saying that I have heard in the quilting world, that goes something like this, " If it looks good while riding by on a galloping horse, it is perfect"

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  3. what a great idea to use one of Dad`s shirts and tartan looking too very appropriate, very nice quilt,

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  4. I think it looks great, Monica and congratulations in finishing what was clearly a challenging project. It is a brilliant concept and quilting really works to set it off.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks very much, Jillian! "Learning experience," is what I say! But, so is every project, I guess. :)

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  5. One certainly can't tell by looking at your wonderful Highlands Houses quilt that it was a challenge. It looks terrific and how nice to use something that was your Dad's to make it. Congratulations on such a nice finish.

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  6. Love your Highlands Houses! Great way to use a rescued shirt.

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  7. It has come together wonderfully! I love it. Perhaps a good spray of starch would help next time with the shirting fabrics. Would certainly stiffen them up.

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  8. Thank you, Katherine! I have not tried starch at all, but I think it's something I'm going to have to explore.

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I'm told Blogger has been bouncing some comments, so if it happens to you I'm sorry! But the settings look right so I can't explain it. In any case, thanks for reading!

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