Thursday, June 08, 2006

Alphabet quilted and ready for binding





Once I'd finished the bullseye top I was on a roll - in between the housework that is - so I sandwiched and quilted my alphabet 'a la Tonya'

I virtually always machine quilt - as I have arthritis in my fingers I find hand quilting pretty difficult and probably it isn't quick enough for me - you've probably guessed by now I'm a 'let's get on with it' kinda girl :o)

Whenever I do a quilt I tend to start at the edge and work my way into the middle and then come back out again - this reduces the need to finish off ends (anything for an easy life) However this time I got a little braver and started in the middle sometimes - steady now!

As it was an alphabet design I've quilted alphabets on it which you can see if you look closely - don't look that closely though or you'll see just how uneven my stitch length is - I'll never win any prizes with the quilt police :o( - do I care - not much!

I also decided to quilt the line from the children's rhyme "Now I know my ABC, won't you come and play with me?" near the bottom

Then I filled in all the rest of the space just meandering about with curves, curls and zig-zags.

Just ready for a lilac binding and a label to finish the job :o)

Oh and nearly forgot - I'm toying with an idea for another bullseye (why do I always want to call them bulldogs? .......) quilt in dark and light blues. I'm going to have a go using the quadrants a bit like drunkards path blocks in a different arrangement to the circles - stitched three complete squares before bedtime last night (DH was in a much better mood so he kindly brought down all my blue boxes from the loft) and hope to play again this evening - Watch this space :o)

13 comments:

Tonya Ricucci said...

Wow, looks marvelous. Your Q is magnifique. The quilting is perfect - love the abc's on there. So is this quilt yours or are you giving it away?

Fiona said...

Anne, you are a one woman quilting machine! And you actually do your housework too! I really like your quilting - did you learn how to do it in a class or did you just pick it up as you made different quilts? At the moment if I can't do it with a walking foot I don't do it, but I'm thinking maybe...next quilt I'll give free motion a go.

Unknown said...

Fiona - I only do what housework I can't get away with not doing :o) - people have to take me and my home as they find us because life is just too short! As for the free motion quilting - I just kind of picked it up as I went along - I'm totally useless at following lines, with or without a walking foot so never plan a design or mark a top - I just go where the fancy takes me keeping a bit of a weather eye a few cms ahead to make sure I don't obliterate something I've already stitched - works most of the time (VBG) Just put a couple of FQ's together with some wadding between and go where the fancy takes you - once you've filled in the space change thread colour and off you go again - practice really is the key

Tonya - I think I may well keep this one and put it up on the wall somewhere - probably near my sewing station - I really enjoyed these letters and have 6 yards of red fabric on the way from the States to make a Liverpool Football quilt for my son with all the FA Cup winning squad members names on it - he did wonder why I asked him for them :o)

KC Quilter said...

Anne, LOVE your alphabet quilt!!! I am wanting to try Tonya's letters too. I have a lo-o-ong list of "want-to-do's"! Do you quilt on a longarm or a home machine? Looks fabulous!

Joyce said...

THe quilt with the letters looks fabulous. Do you do your quilting on a regular machine or long arm? I have done some on a regular machine but haven't done any on a full sized quilt, only wall hangings. My Pfaff even has a special setting on the presser lever (whatever you call that thing you lift up and down) for free motion and a special foot for it. Makes it easier but still a pretty steep learning curve.

Fiona said...

Ah ha, did you order your fabric from 'Thousands of Bolts' by any chance - 6 yards in one envelope sounds familiar :-)

Quilts And Pieces said...

Oh your letters quilt is marvelous! And I LOVE the quilting you did on it! You did a great job! I can free motion, but have a problem free motioning letters - could be because my hand writing is awful!!! :)

Jeanne said...

The alphabet is great!
I think you're soooo funny -- love to read your entries. Your pace of work, attention span and willingness to follow the quilt police rules sounds just like me! :)
Take a look at my archive for my Dec 31 2005 entry -- the photo is a drunkard's path bullseye!
Jeanne

Lois R. said...

Blogger lost my first comment, so let's see if I can remember what I said...

Love the free motion quilting, especially the "now I know my ABCs." I find free motion addictive, but I'm still not confident enough to try alphabet. I'll have to try your suggestion of setting up a practice sandwich and playing. I can always make pet snugglies, as Dot suggested.

I agree with you on the "do as little housework as you can get away with" theory. Works for me!

Melanie said...

Your free motion quilting is beautiful! It's a healthy committment (or Are You Letting Go of the Committment?)to 'take to the wind' and just quilt... I'm a work in progress...maybe one day I'll get there...keep in touch.
Melanie

Finn said...

Wow...two really great quilts Anne, I am soooo impressed..*VBS* Keep up the great work..isn't it fun???

Tonya Ricucci said...

Excellent, I'm glad you're keeping it!!! Ohhhh noooo a footie quilt.

Holly said...

Nice to "meet" you, Anne - I enjoyed reading your post all about you. Your letters look great! I happen to love the color blue, myself.