Today over at Kathy's Quilts since it's an Olympics Week she thought it would be fun to see who would win the slowest stitcher gold medal in the slow stitching competition,she is working on a quilt from 1996, well yesterday I pulled out one of my oldest quilts to stitch it's from 1989, I'll be working on it again today.
This log cabin is the first quilt I made it is hand pieced and hand quilted, I started piecing in October 1989 and finished the quilt top in November, midway through the quilting part I broke my left arm in 3 places on December 29th and had to put it away for several long months while I was recovering, so it was placed in a box and pretty much forgotten about for a few years. Two years after my recovery I did begin working on it again, then lost my mother and so back in the closet it went while I decided on the next chapter of my life which would include a permanent move to Florida in 1994, since living here in Florida in the winter months I take it out when the temps drop low to work on it.
I think you may be able to see the quilting thread where I left off last night. Every other block has the patchwork heart which was cut from yardage that actually coordinates with one of the log cabin strips.
Looking close you can see not all of the strips are precisely cut, all of the strips were cut with scissors after being traced onto fabric using a cardboard template, still my favorite way to cut fabric. I love that some of the pieces are wonky like me slightly imperfect. I took me nearly 3 weeks to trace and cut all the pieces, my hands ached after a few hours of cutting and some days I didn't cut anything. In the past I think I hesitated to complete this quilt thinking it would close a door on a chapter of my life I wasn't ready to let go of, but lately stitch by stitch I see myself making my way to the end.
I am linking up my oldest UFO over at Kathy's Quilts today here is the link
https://kathysquilts.blogspot.ca/2018/02/slow-sunday-stitching_11.html
lets go over and see some other old UFO's that other bloggers may be working on.
One of these days I will finally get the Dresdan plates I made put on a background then that will be my oldest UFO to finish, I began that in 1979. I have to get into my project bin soon and dig them out.
What a lovely post to read. And, I think you will win the gold medal today!!!
ReplyDeleteYou are definitely at the top of the SSS podium today! I have a UFO from 1989 as well but will probably never finish it. I used plastic templates and scissors for mine. I hand pieced it and hand quilted some of the blocks.
ReplyDeleteOh Deb you definitely win the gold medal!
ReplyDeleteSuch a wonderful post with so many things to think about!
It's hard when life derails our creativity. So happy that you have continued on with this treasure. And I totally agree about the happy/sad feeling of finishing s long term project like this.
Such a pretty quilt. You can finish this.
ReplyDeleteI have a bag of dresidan plates from 2000 using feed sacks & repro 30's fabric haven't appliqued on to blocks. Couldn't decide what color to make the inner circle. I wanted blue never found the right shade. Supposed to be king size.
A bag of 6 in pieced bow tie blocks again 30's repro fabric on white background. Baby quilt
A drawer of pieced cat blocks in dark "country" prints I think the pattern was in a McCalls quilt mag from early 2000. I know it's in the drawer with the blocks. I think that's supposed to finish queen size.
I have a baby quilt "Peek a Boo redwork" (APQ mag 8-2004)
on my wall now. The baby came Christmas Eve. I tore tendons & dislocated my toes same day then had pnemonia for 2 wks. Time to finish that one.
Living in Florida really cuts hand quilting time it's so blasted warm to have a quilt in frame.
Becca G
Oh goodness you reminded me I have a bowtie quilt in pieces somewhere too. Oh and a Fence rail too. I have been workinga 1 inch squares postage stamp quilt but that one will be a lifetime work I'm sure. Sounds like you have some nice projects to work
DeleteYour quilt has its own journey just like you have. How wonderful that you are finally finish it. It is very pretty.
ReplyDeleteYour UFO is older than me! I hope you've had a great time working on it :)
ReplyDelete