Saturday, November 22, 2014

Slowest Quilter Ever?

Blogathon Canada is on this week, and today it's Ontario's turn. Since the lake in "Lakeview" is Lake Ontario, I'm up!

Heather at Peace Love Quilt suggested on Thursday that she may be the slowest quilter ever, but I think I could challenge for that title! I started my first quilt in the late 70s, my second quilt in the late 80s, my third quilt in the late 90s, and I didn't finish any of them. (Although the third one may still get finished.)

It's just about a year since I finished my first quilt:

Nine Patch Jubilee, 54" x 66"

I'm now up to three:

Highlands Houses, 19" x 19"

And this flimsy is probably the next one to be quilted:

Mod Trips, 60" x 60"

Not all my projects are red and white! The quilt that I started back in the 80s was a Texas Star, from Judy Martin's book Scrap Quilts. Machine piecing all the Y seams did me in, but two years ago I started it again using English Paper Piecing.


The stars are about 3 3/4" across, with 5/8" hexagons and 1 1/4" diamonds, and to make a 60" x 80" throw I calculated that 333 stars would do the job. I'm very excited, because I'm only about two weeks from finishing them all!

Of course, the next step is to sew them all together. But it will be a big milestone on a quilt I've been planning since the 1980s!

I think there are three reasons everything takes so long. One, most of my projects are ambitious, like Judy Niemeyer's Prairie Star...


...which I've realized is going to be a heck of a lot of sewing, but which I hope to get back to in the new year.

Reason two is that I enjoy a lot of hand stitching -- including embroidery...

L'Herbier

...stitchery...

Best Friends Forever

...and applique:

Trick or Treat Baskets

Although, I really shouldn't show you that one, because I'm pretty sure I've changed my mind about the fabrics.

In 2013 one of my resolutions was to hand quilt a project, and I did -- this pincushion!


Hand quilting is still on my list of things to learn.

And reason three why it takes me so long to finish anything? Too many things on the go! But you know, the great thing about blogging is that it's mainly about the journey. I hope you'll join me!

12 comments:

  1. I did not realise you had taken so long to complete a quilt! Certainly they were well worth finishing. You will I am sure love hand quilting as you enjoy hand stitching and I do not find it much slower than machine really, best of luck. I tink most of us suffer from too many projects on the go.

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  2. What a visual treat! I love your quilts, especially the scrappy trips around the world. And I am addicted to hexagons so your pincushion immediately caught my attention! I'm now a follower!

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  3. Slow is good--after all, there are only so many quilts you can drape over your lap!

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  4. no easy projects for you girl…well done

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  5. I love your Texas Star blocks especially. When I see them, it makes me want to make some of my own! There's absolutely nothing wrong with quilting at your own pace, making what you want to make. Sounds like happiness to me.:)

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  6. Ambitious quilts do take awhile so one has to enjoy the process too. I have made a number of quilts over the last 15+ years but I do have a few that have been lanquishing in a box or bag waiting for me to go back to them. One of them, a friend took and put some of the blocks together to try and kick start me but I still haven't got back to them. I am going to quilt some baby wraps this afternoon and make binding this evening to try and finish some quicker projects so that I can go back to our son's wedding quilt that was due last February. Sometimes life and other things do get in the way of quilting.. Love Judy Niemeyer patterns - have a small collection of them that are waiting for the someday pile.. LOL Enjoy the blog hop.
    Regards from Alberta,
    Anna

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  7. A most interesting post. Context changes perspective. I assumed you had many completed quilts behind you. I love the challenges you set yourself. The results are hard-won - and all terrific.

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    1. Thanks, Jillian! Not an expert, just committed!

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  8. My husband draws my attention to my ongoing W.I.Ps and lack of finishes ... but quilting is our thing and we should be able to do it the way we want it and when we want it! Thanks for sharing! :)
    Carol

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  9. Greetings from Bismarck ND USA on the Canadian Blog Hop enjoying seeing lots of talent. I enjoyed reading your post, er confession. I have confessions of mine own too. It takes me a long time to start a quilt as I don't want to cut into the fabric as I find they are so beautiful and I'm afraid of using it all up and wishing I had more of the same fabric for another project. Any advice?

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  10. That nine patch.... There's just something soothing and friendly about a nine-patch with alternate blocks. I can't tell exactly what the fabric is in the alternate blocks but from a distance it looks beautiful with the red.

    I think the red and natural/light squares in a rectangular arrangement is beautiful, too. Did you use nine-patch blocks to make it?

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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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