How many quilters among us?

[shootingstar]

wow, lovely to see.

I've done simple quilt patched sewing machine pieces, no hand-quilting on top. I did sew complex, tailored clothing..this was what I did for necessity (to save wardrobe dollars) and enjoyment prior to cycling passion, but hand-quilting demands patience!

[pardes]

Wow, I thought you said, "How many quitters among us."

I guess I qualify as a quitter quilter.

I scheme and plan and buy scraps of fabric and squirrel it away and then I dream and scheme and plan and buy more scraps. I believe I am a quilter in my heart but not in reality.

Though I did finish a white eyelet crib quilt for my goddaughter. Hey, that's right! I actually did finish a quilt. Glory Be. Maybe I'll go buy a few more scraps.....

[DebG]

I am also a quilter. I love working with the fabric, and giving the quilts away as gifts. I loved the story of how you became a quilter - what a tribute to your MIL, your work is beautiful. I'm so excited to see everyones pictures. Thanks for sharing

[jillm]

I'm in!
I've only completed 1 full size, and 2 little wall hangings. Just started 2 years ago, using batik scraps I'd been saving for 10 or so years. ( I'm an artist/craftsperson, I batik clothing and material which I then sew into pillows or scarves. So 10 years of scrap batik accumulation!) Here's the 1st one I made, not a great picture,

And this one is just a little wall hanging


I was working on the first one during an art show, and a "real" quilter stopped to check it out. I told her I didn't really know what I was doing and she said, "That's the great thing about art quilts, there are no rules!"

[JaneE]

Irulan, that was an amazing story! What a wonderful legacy your m-i-l left for you (and your children).

Quilting that exquisite top would certainly be a grand undertaking. As a dedicated hand-quilter my hope is that a machine needle never touches it. Have you ever tried hand-quilting? As with everything in life, no one is born with perfect knowledge/skill and practice makes improvement.

Your m-i-l's quilt group (she was a guild member, no doubt?) certainly reads as a quilter's who's who!

And yes, you are a little unusual: one project at a time?? I could use a little of that discipline! I always have at least *mumble-mumble* projects in the works at all times...keeps me from getting bored (that's my story and I'm sticking to it! ).

jillm, I'd say you were off to a pretty darned good start! I'm in love with batiks!

[bmccasland]

Pretty quilts everyone! Here's a photo of a baby quilt I made for a colleague, being held by the Mom-to-be.


IMHO baby quilts should be bright and cheerful, not pastel.

I've been quilting since high school, although didn't finish a bed sized quilt until after college. I had a grandmother that was a quilter, and like her, I prefer doing the tops instead of the quilting. On larger quilts, I tend to commission the quilting part, with mixed results.

Best quilting advice from my grandmother: "When you see fabric you like, buy it. That way, when you go to work on a quilt, you'll have a nice palette to work from." This is from a woman who was a child of the Depression. She also was from the school of "waste not, want not."

She who has the most fabric wins!

[JaneE]

bmccasland: love that quilt! I'm in your camp, too, about baby quilts being bright rather than pastel.

[Irulan]

Irulan, that was an amazing story! What a wonderful legacy your m-i-l left for you (and your children).

Quilting that exquisite top would certainly be a grand undertaking. As a dedicated hand-quilter my hope is that a machine needle never touches it. Have you ever tried hand-quilting? As with everything in life, no one is born with perfect knowledge/skill and practice makes improvement.

Your m-i-l's quilt group (she was a guild member, no doubt?) certainly reads as a quilter's who's who!

And yes, you are a little unusual: one project at a time?? I could use a little of that discipline! I always have at least *mumble-mumble* projects in the works at all times...keeps me from getting bored (that's my story and I'm sticking to it! ).

jillm, I'd say you were off to a pretty darned good start! I'm in love with batiks!

I have hand quilted some small pieces of the portable variety. MIL had a hand stitch that was close to 12 per inch: unbelievably beautiful. I could never hope to duplicate it. Plus, that king size top is dauntingly huge. There's no way I'd put a king frame up in my house, there is just not enough room.

We have some incredibly talented long arm quilters in our area. I have had a few of my tops done by them. But this album quilt has to be done by hand. Or at least that is what I am thinking for now.

[JaneE]

"There's no way I'd put a king frame up in my house, there is just not enough room."

I don't have room for a king-size frame in my house, either. I quilt with a hoop and have quilted king-size quilts with it. I just start in the center and work my way around and out, typically at my kitchen table (though I do have a stand for my hoop(s) to keep the quilt off my legs. I can't stand getting all tangled up in a quilt in progress though others love to be cuddled in their quilts while they work.

Using a hoop keeps the project reasonably portable, too. I'd LOVE to have the room to keep a frame but I don't think that will be the case in my lifetime.

(And 12 stitches to the inch is a reasonable and attainable goal. Just takes a little practice. )

[bambu101]

I have quiilted for years, and have officially "retired" from full size hand-quilted bed quilts. The last one, a double wedding ring design, took over 4 years to complete, and about 2.5 years of that was hand-quilting. Quilting is relaxing, frustrating, and creative.

I have boxes of fabric in my quilting stash, and will need to live to 274 to finish all the projects I have either started or want to work on! Last year, I made 9 blocks for a raffle quilt for the Avian Health Network, and here is the link: ( I am Wendy)

http://www.avianhealthnetwork.info/q...t_squares.html

[uk elephant]

I wouldn't call myself a quilter, but have made one proper quilt so far and a not properly quilted patchwork blanket. The pictures shows the finished blanket keeping BF warm, and the top for the quilt modelled by the cat. I never did get a picture of the finished quilt it seems. It was a gift for BFs nieces baby last year. I'd love to do more quilts, but never find the time so I stick to knitting for now. Easier to transport...on the train commuting to work, or in the pub in the evening...

[spindizzy]

Wow! Talented, creative, patient quilters among us. I am in awe.

[DebG]

I have machine quilted queen sized quilts with my regular sewing machine, and it's just too hard rolling and keeping them moving so I only do throws or baby quilts. I'm currently hand quilting a king sized quilt by hand, in a hoop, and am very much looking forward to it being done. I decided that it was time to do away with the $35 made in China Filene's quilt, and replace it with something I had done. I love the look of quilts done on a long arm quilter, but I'm never had any done that way.

[vinbek]

I am totally blown away by the talent in the group. I would love to quilt but get arthritis in my wrists when I do work like that. I am saving favorite tshirts of my kids and hope to have a few quilts made from them as memories of their childhood. I have a friend who had a quilt made for each of her children when they graduated from high school. I plan to do the same.
I have a few more years to go, but I hope you are all still around when I need you!!

[Possegal]

Wow you are all so very talented. Just gorgeous!!!

Like Pardes I thought it asked how many quitters and I was ready to humbly raise my hand!

My grandmother left an unfinished quilt to my mother in her will. Now my oldest sister has it and she has advanced cancer. She really wants to get it finished so she can leave it to my other sister and I, who have agreed to share it equally.