Friday, February 25, 2022

QUILTING!!

 I am busy quilting the future wedding quilt that measures 90" x 104" (see 1/31/2022 post).  I quilted straight lines in the ditch in several places and now I'm quilting each block in the way that I think will work.  I used an off white thread on a lot of places that need that color, then I changed to navy blue and I'm going to try to get all the areas that need that color.  I'm doing that since I'm not using an "over all" design, and that makes it harder because of the various colors and different blocks.  BTW, for those who might be new to reading this, I am quilting on my domestic Janome 6600 sewing machine.  It does have a larger area, but it's still hard to work with.

A quilt this large is difficult to maneuver!



This next picture shows how I quilted this particular block.


I have quilted the white sections of this block and will probably quilt the center and 4 corner sections with brown thread.


Any ideas for quilting the border of sawtooth stars?  I will probably use the white/offwhite thread over the stars and background, but not sure what to do.

I have been reading this book lately and am almost finished.  It's about quilts made while traveling over the Oregon trail or to take on the trip, or after arriving in Oregon.  It has pictures of the quilts and women who made them as well as something about their lives.  I highly recommend it!

Since we moved to Oregon in 2014, I have been fascinated with Oregon trail stories.  I met a quilter who is a descendant of those pioneers and they continue to have a family reunion every year,  I wonder if any of her ancestors are in this book!  Interesting that 12 of the blocks in the above quilt were from Barbara Brackman's Westering Women posts on her blog a few years ago.

Happy quilting!!

8 comments:

  1. Kudos to you for quilting that huge quilt on your DSM! I'm working on an 84x86" quilt now that is doing my wrists no favors at all. Hope you're taking lots of breaks and resting your hands! I have that Oregon Trail quilts book too. We once met a woman who said her grandmother's quilt was in that book, can't recall which quilt or that woman's name anymore, but she lived in Mac at the time. Great book. My all-time favorite is "A People and Their Quilts" by John Rice Irwin, long out of print although you can occasionally find used copies on line. Well worth the read. Have a great weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  2. That's a monster of a quilt to fit under the neck of a DSM. You're a brave woman to tackle this. I did change the thread for each block on a quilt once and I don't know if I'll do it again. There were so many thread ends to bury. It's the job I like the least in making quilts. Anywho! Thanks for the book review. I will try to find this one at the library as I love that genre of books. ;^)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am in awe that you can wrangle a quilt that size on your domestic machine!
    Sorry that I can come up with no suggestions for quilting that star border.
    I also have that Oregon Trail book. It is fascinating. I also have that author's book "Quilts & Women of the Mormon Migrations". Though I have Mormon Pioneer ancestors, I have yet to find any connection to the women and quilts in that book.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow! That is a monster no matter how you tackle it. Slow and steady and you'll get it done. I'm excited to see the finished product!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Indeed that is a huge quilt, but you've done it before, and I'm sure you can do it again. Just take your time, and take breaks! I've got a big one to be quilted, and it too has lots of different blocks that I want quilted to suit each block. If I ever get started on it, I plan to stitch in the ditch all the long seams holding the blocks together, and then quilt each block differently, as needed. I may not live long enough to finish the monster on my Janome 8900. Friends tell me to take it to a long arm quilter, but I could never afford it, and neither would anyone understand how I want it done. So it will have to wait until I'm brave enough to start on it. Can't wait to see yours finished. ---"Love"

    ReplyDelete
  6. That's a huge quilt to be doing yourself! Looks great! I've written you a message on facebook and an email and haven't heard back. Not sure you are even getting them.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hello sweet friend! It's been a long time but I am still here. Your donated fabric still blesses many. I have not made a quilt in a while but I'm stocking up in fusible interfacing to make memory t-shirt quilts again. My four kids, our no profit, and teaching keep me busy. Hugs, Jackie

    ReplyDelete
  8. Looks like that is going to be a beautiful quilt, looking forward to the finish. Yeas I too have read that book, while living in WallaWalla, WA. Now an Origonian my self I need to get it out and read it again.

    ReplyDelete