Finishing Now & Forever
It’s been a long time in coming, but I’m finally in the home stretch, finishing my Now & Forever quilt. The top has been done for ages. It’s been layered and basted since January. Even the pattern is done, just waiting for a picture of the quilt for the cover. (I hope to have the pattern up on the web site by the weekend.) Life does have a way of coming between us and our quilting, even when quilting is our job.
I always start the quliting by stitching in the ditch around the applique, and usually around the blocks as well. It really helps them stand out against the background. It also helps to stabilize the quilt. I had a really hard time deciding on which quilting patterns to use. Even though I’m not a big fan of stippling, this quilt seemed to demand it. There’s just not a lot of room to develop a more complex pattern.
It would seem that I’ve once again quilted the snot out of it. (Technical term.) I didn’t mean to, but the more I quilted the more I wanted to quilt it.
It was fun using a variety of threads. For the flowers and pieced blocks I used variegated threads, 50 wt cotton, from Superior, Wonderfil and Aurafil. The background fill is poly from Floriani (beautiful stuff, looks like rayon, but with none of the problems of rayon).
My next job is to bind the quilt. I’m going to use the same gold print fabric used in the sashing. I’m listening to the latest book in J.D. Robb’s In Death series. Seems fitting to finish the quilt and the series together. After that? It’s time to write.
June 2nd, 2010 at 2:56 pm
Fabulous quilt - I’m so tempted to buy the pattern as soon as it comes out!
June 2nd, 2010 at 9:25 pm
Beautiful Quilt! Such great work. Hurry with the pattern.
Ladybug
June 3rd, 2010 at 7:29 am
Awesome quilt.the interplay os the fabrics are just great.Well done and congratulations
June 3rd, 2010 at 11:05 am
Beth your quilting is great. Do you freehand on a domestic machine or do you have a longarm?
June 3rd, 2010 at 4:11 pm
It’s very beautiful. I can’t wait to see the pattern.
June 3rd, 2010 at 6:57 pm
Beth: You have an AMAZING eye for putting colors together. When I look at your appliqued flowers, I feel like I’m standing in a botanical garden. I’m working on a new bed quilt, and I’ve decided to make an applique border instead of the pieced border the pattern calls for. Your book is on my wish list - I’d better be extra good so someone buys it for me - maybe I need to leave my list on the kitchen table so someone will see it and do something about it! I hope to be able to see you in November when you are speaking at a guild near me. I need to see your quilts in person!!!
June 3rd, 2010 at 9:33 pm
Stunning! Your work is amazing! I too have been known to quilt the “snot” out of a top Ha! It’s hard to stop once you start! Just beautiful! I can’t wait to purchase this pattern. I just found this group in January, eager to learn more!
June 11th, 2010 at 5:23 pm
What a wonderful quilt! Although I really like things like this, it would take FOREVER for me to finish!
The picture of your garden looks so peaceful!