Friday 24 June 2011

The Quilt

A few posts ago I promised to share some photos from a recent craft group secret project which can now be revealed...

...tada! It's a quilt (never!)

More than just a quilt though...

...each of the tiny pieces were hand sewn together...

...by one very enthustastic and experienced hand quilter and eleven inexperienced helpers who had no idea what they'd let themselves in for!

Here is my first square (from away back on the 27th Jan!) with a template to make a second one. Each shape is cut from the card, the material is folded around the card shape and tacked on, then all the shapes are whipstitched (I think that's the right term) together.

I completed my second square on 11th March.

My third on the 16th March.

And my fourth (and final one, hooray!) on the 1st April.

Each square took me three evenings to do. Each time I got cramp in my left hand from clenching the pieces tightly together to sew them.

And here is the lucky recipient hiding behind her quilt. Actually she's the mother of the new quilt owner who is a gorgeous little baby girl born at the end of May 2011.

The finished quilt is beautiful and I feel lucky to have been a part of making it as it is very unlikely I would attempt to make one so complex on my own, especially now I have some understanding of the work involved. Having seen just how lovely it is now it's finished though I am a little tempted to try...





15 comments:

...Nina Nixon... said...

It's beautiful and all hand sewn - total dedication.

Congrats to the new mum.

Nina xxx

June said...

Something to treasure forever! Well done you in stitching those little bits together - the patience! Have a good weekend.
June

Rebecca said...

wow, this is incredible! So much work has gone in to this, something to treasure forever x

Annaboo's House said...

Wow.
Such a beautiful heirloom for that lucky mummy and her babe.
Well done. It's truly lovely.

Lyn said...

you should feel proud well done, it is gorgeous, well done to all of you!
xxx

Anonymous said...

a joint team effort is a really lovely thing to be part of and the owner must have been chuffed to bits to have received such a gorgeous, thoughtful gift.

**Anne** said...

The quilt is beautiful and well done in taking part in such a wonderful project.
I can appreciate the hard work that goes into a hand pieced quilt as I have made one although using a different technique.
Thanks for sharing,
Anne xx

Mrs. Micawber said...

I've usually seen this technique used for Grandmother's Flower Garden quilts (which have hexagonal pieces). It is much quicker to piece by machine, but not nearly so special. What a beautiful little quilt.

We finished N&S tonight. A very romantic ending (and I can't remember how the book ends so now I'll have to re-read it). I did have to laugh though at the portrayal of an unattached, unchaperoned female travelling around England by train in the mid-1800s in the company of a man who was neither father, brother nor guardian. (Or was Dixon immured in a third-class coach somewhere to lend respectability to the proceeding?) And then leaving one train and one man to hop on another with another man! Artistic license I guess.

Mr. M particularly liked the development of the relationship between Higgins and Mr. Thornton.

I have to say Mr. Thornton really grew on me - and he's VERY attractive (somewhat in the style of Hugh Jackman.) Thanks again for the recommendation! We both enjoyed it very much. Now I'll have to look for "Lady Ludlow" - another Gaskell adaptation recommended by another blogging friend.

silverpebble said...

Oh this is stunning, and even more so for having been hand sewn. It's a true work of art and I'm sure it will be cherished for generations.

Ana Degenaar said...

I'm a newbie here what a lovely blog you have!

Dawn said...

What a beautiful present for a new mum - she will treasure that forever. At my Stitch n bitch group we all knitted or crocheted squares for a baby blanket when a member had a baby - she loved it!

Pomona said...

It's a most beautiful quilt - and that is the way that I used to make patchwork when I was a teenager. I quite enjoy sitting and hand sewing.

Pomona x

Anonymous said...

What a lovely quilt and gift, made with love and the time of friends.

Selfsewn said...

Ooh how cute are your blocks!!!
What a lovely project, thanks for sharing, I'll store that in my must do pile!

Snowcatcher said...

Marvelous job on the quilt blocks; with all the different pieces together, presumably from multiple quilters, the final baby quilt is so beautiful! A true treasure!

You do a magnificent job of photographing your everyday sights!

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