Did you guess "the quilting frame"?
After about nine months I was finally able to fold it up and put it away. I set it up shortly after Audrey was born last Thanksgiving, and have now finished my seventh grandbaby quilt for this year. Last night I took Alex and Laura's off the frame. I still have to finish binding three of them, but I need to give my fingers a bit of a break.
Here are the invaluable tools that I use to make the quilts:
Cutting board, rotary cutter and straight edges. They speed up the preparation process SO much!
My invaluable sewing machine.
I enjoy the piecing process of quilting, but it is always exciting to finally get the quilt on the quilting frame.
Here are the tools necessary to do the hand quilting part. I could never survive without the thimbles.
I used to watch my mom do quilting. I know she used a metal thimble on her first or middle finger but she had nothing to protect her thumb. She used small pliers to pull the needle through when she came to a tough spot.
It didn't take very long using Mom's method to know that I needed something more. I was so thrilled when I found this leather thimble for my thumb. It not only protects the thumb but it gives great grip for pulling the needle through. You can tell by the holes in the leather thimble that it has gone through quite an ordeal. It is only good for a couple quilts and then I replace it because the needle starts to come all the way through if I push too hard.
There is a verse in the Bible that says "let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth". This is in reference to doing alms (service, charity, etc.). In a little different context, when I quilt I have to kind of keep these words in my mind. With my left hand I push the needle through the fabric, and with the right hand I check the underneath side of the quilt to make sure every stitch goes clear through all three layers of the quilt. By and large, it is the right hand that controls the stitch length and uniformity. I have tried to use a protection on my right hand but I just can't tell what is happening unless I can feel the tip of the needle. It isn't a big deal at the beginning of the project, but by the end of a quilt my right hand fingers are a bit sore. After a while the finger becomes calloused and it can bear the pain a bit longer. Since I put a time constraint on the last four quilts I just completed, I did not give my fingers adequate time to recover from the effects of one quilt. When the right hand became ever more aware of what the left hand was doing, it was love that took charge. With every stitch I think about the children and grandchildren that will receive my gifts of love, and it is so worth it! Or maybe I am just crazy!
The most recent quilts that are waiting for binding.
(P.S. Keep those babies coming)
5 comments:
colleen, you know that i love the quilts you have given to our family. i would take a hundred more from you. they are beautiful! thank you for the endless hours you put into each of them. we are all so lucky to have someone (you) who will take the time, efforts, oughies on your fingers and talent to make each of us one. they are priceless! thank you!!!
lora
You are amazing! Thank you for all the hours and hours that you put in. We love the quilt and can't wait to wrap somebody up in it!
We second what Lora said, we love your quilts and always look forward to recieving them! Thanks for all the hard work you put into them.
I love your quilts that you have made. You have much more patience than I ever did for quilting. I prefer the piecing of the quilt rather than actually quilting it.
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