KatyQuilts

Yes, hand quilting! I haven’t done that in ages! But this antique top is all hand pieced and deserves to be hand quilted. So I’m using my long arm to baste it and will hand quilt it in a hoop.

I’m using this stencil from Fun with Barb. 

Before loading the top on the frame, I marked the top. But I only marked the largest arc starting at one corner and working my way around until I reached the center. I plan to fill in the smaller arcs as I go.

This is what the basting looks like.

I’m using this batting and ecru thread.

Have a great day!

I think my center block is finally done. It looked too naked before.

I’m really terrible at hand appliqué, but for better or worse, it’s done.

I definitely like it better now. I will call my wonkiness folk art and move on. Now I need to figure out my last few borders and get this top done.

Have a great day!

Linking up with Love Laugh Quilt, Cooking Up Quilts, Patchwork Times

Do you know what Nankeen is? I didn’t! Not until Saturday night when Mr. Wonderful got home from his most recent trip to China. While there, he scouted out the perfect gift for me! He had to go off the beaten path in Shanghai to find this place.

They design and produce traditional Chinese cotton cloth here called Nankeen.

These stencils are used to apply a resist before the cotton is dyed with indigo.

This brochure explains more about it. I loved every the creative translation!
And here are the pieces he brought home for me. They are all one meter pieces and they are about 17 inches from selvedge to selvedge.

They are more of a true indigo and white than these pictures show. They are so gorgeous!

Have a great day!

I’ve never been happy with the center block of my medallion top. It looks too sparse, like I don’t like appliqué or something!

It’s time to fix this before the top grows any bigger. I’ve pulled out a few books that have some primitive appliqué designs to see if I can pull a few elements that I can add to this.

As I find shapes I think might work, I am tracing them  onto freezer paper and cutting them out.

I haven’t come to Amy final decisions yet, but even laying a few pieces on this makes it look better!

I hope to finalize my design and get my pieces prepped today.

Have a good one!

Linking up with Patchwork Times, Love Laugh Quilt, Cooking Up Quilts, Em’s Scrapbag

Today I will be stitching some labels on for Quilts of Valor.

I bought some fabric with these labels on from Spoonflower a few years ago. I should have sent them back because at least a third of them were printed like this:

This picture was taken straight on. These are so far from being square that they are unuseable. My bad for not bringing it to their attention. I’m not sure why I  didn’t. Anyway, I’ll be using the last few good ones and will have to decide if I want to buy more somewhere else, or go back to making my own.

In other news, Pierre seems to be glad I am home. He is keeping me company in the sewing room.

I’ve been spending time with Big E and Little E.

And Big L sent me a video for my birthday.

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While sewing this week, I listened to this book.

I highly recommend this! It’s so good, that I’m going to listen to it a second time!

Have a great day!

Linking up with Kathy’s Quilts