I started this quilt in late winter. I can't sit still and I thought it would keep me busy. Then I was hospitalized and it sat until now. Last week I finished the quilt blocks and yesterday I assembled them together. Now I have two quilt tops that need to be quilted. It will take a while. Monday I will get the batting and see what I can find for backing that doesn't cost too much. I cleaned and oiled the Kenmore sewing machine. There is one screw that wont open so I have to use a cc syringe to get the drop of oil where it is needed deep inside. I use compressed air in a can to blow out the lint before oiling. My concession to modernity was to replace the old incandescent bulb with a new LED bulb. The LED bulb is brighter. It's also cooler so oil and lint don't cook onto the glass and make it dim. I also made binding for the men's shirt fabric quilt. The binding was also a shirt. Now it's basically a 2 1/2 inch wide, 36 foot long ribbon.
Daniel that quilt is absolutely gorgeous. How I wish I had a talent like yours. Have you made the quilt for yourself or is it a gift for someone special?
Lovely quilt mate. My Bride was really impressed. She likes the black bits. She thinks they make it. Chapeau.
Wow! I can't sew but even I can imagine there's a lot of work behind that quilt top. Wish I had just one iota of your skills.
Oh good another quilter. That is a very pretty color combination, someone will be very lucky to receive it. Do you hand quilt or machine quilt. I hand quilt but lately my fingers have been telling me it may be time to use the machine .
I am dangerous with a sewing machine. In my young days (ages and ages ago) I worked in a factory that made posh Marks & Spencer underwear for ladies. I broke three machines before they decided I should go and work in the cutting room instead. The sheer talent I have seen on this forum lately is staggering. Lovely job Daniel
Thanks all for the incredibly nice comments. That warms my heart. I've been making quilts for a few years as a kind of therapy. Sewing other things too. I can't do all of the things I used to do so I got out an old sewing machine and read some books and perused search images to see what moved me. The machine humming along is like a kind of meditation. Very centering and calming effect. I enjoy learning about the sewing machines and how to keep them running smoothly, learning patterns and hunting for fabrics. So far I have only machine quilted. One of these days I might learn to hand sew one but I would miss the machine. This will be a gift for a good friend.
Here are a couple of smaller quilts I made this year and last year. This is a table top quilt I made this fall. And a quilt made from eight thrift store men's shirts.
Absolutely amazing. If you lived a bit nearer, I would be commissioning a few jobs for you if I could. You really pay attention to detail. I love the top quilt in the above post especially
I think I have you beat.....I sewed various fingers....once my left hand pushing the fabric under the needle slipped and the sewing machine needle went through my finger nail, hit the bone and bent into a U shape.. My dad had to get me loose and take me to the hospital where they pulled it out and put in a couple of stitches....the first time my hand slipped while sewing the needle only went through the finger just to the side of the nail and came right back out....but it sure grossed out the sewing teacher when I showed it to her.
All I can say is ow ow ow ow! I did once cut off the end of my thumb while slicing a bagel. It was sewed back on and after about three years, all of the sensation came back. Fortunately for me, no sewing machine injuries. Maybe because I am slow. Yesterday I bought quilt batting, 50% off. Otherwise it is too expensive. Also the backing. Sometimes it's less costly to buy a cotton sheet and use that for backing, but being on sale helped a lot.
Today I completed a quilt. This one is fabric from ten men's cotton shirts. Nine for the nine-patches and one for the binding. So, it can be called a "Ten Shirt Quilt". Plus the batting and borders. I made this one as a gift. I started it last summer. It's a great feeling to have completed it. Size is about 7 feet by 7 feet before washing, I didn't measure afterwards. I couldn't be happier with the patterns, textures, and colors and how they came together.
