Introduction
It’s taken me awhile to get back to my I Ching Modern Quilt, for a few reasons. All of a sudden I had a bunch of decisions to make!
- I decided to remove a row from the quilt, because the rectangular shaped made from five rows instead of the square made from six seemed more balanced.
- I bought a green linen back for the quilt but decided I didn’t like the coloring so I went returned to the store and bought a purple/blue linen for the back.
- I basted all my layers together: quilt top / two layers of batting, one cotton and one poly low-loft / backing, but decided I needed to pre-wash the fabric so I removed all of the basting!
- I quilted a pattern on half the quilt and decided I didn’t like, so I removed all of the stitching.
- I quilted the wrong color thread and decided I didn’t like it, so I removed all the stitching again!
Okay – watch the video above for proof that I’m finally quilting away!
Information
Quilting: Hand quilting takes time but I love it because it’s meditative –more so when you don’t have a back-beat going on, and I aesthetically like seeing the mark of the hand. When hand-quilting I’m in the posture of prayer. My heart is bowed between head and hands. My fingers form the mudra for understanding.
Batting: I used two layers of batting, one low-loft poly on top, the other a very thin needle-punched cotton on the bottom. The poly gives it fluff and the cotton adds weight.
Basting: I baste from top to bottom, side to side, then a large X from corner to corner, and finally around all four edges.
Marking: I mark the quilting pattern free-hand with chalk. Sometimes I mark only the first two or three lines and then I echo out from there without marking.
This time I tried something new. I made color photo copies of my quilt top and used a sharpie to mark in different quilt patterns. HOWEVER, it didn’t work for me very well since I ended up removing all of the stitches when I tried quilting in the pattern you see on top of the pile. AND the pattern I finally decided on wasn’t one of the ones I drew out. BUT maybe this will work for you. It will at least get your ideas flowing.
Needles & Thread: I like to quilt with size 006 embroidery needles, and #8 pearl cotton. I am lucky to be a 20 minute drive from one of the best needlework shops in the country Lacise, in Berkeley.
Assignment
Choose your backing wisely.
Baste your layers together: backing / batting / top.
Mark free hand with chalk.
Quilt by hand for the meditative and aesthetic benefits or…
Machine quilt if you prefer!
Previously, long, long ago, I talked about REVIEWING my quilt and the lessons I learned from the process. In the next installment of the I Ching Modern Quilt-along I will be BINDING the quilt.
It’s never too late to join an online quilt-along! I’ll be posting new segments of the quilt-along on Mondays. Access the archive and subscribe to the RSS feed here: I Ching Modern Quilt-along. I’ve set up an I Ching Modern Flickr Group if you want to share images of your sketches, process, and final results.
My goodness you are not afraid to change your mind! Thanks for showing the size of needle you use. I have a quilt that needs to be quilted and I plan on using pearl cotton for some of the hand work. Now I know what size needle will work the best!
Love that video!
Thanks Anna – I plan on making more time-lapse videos of my process this year. Stay tuned!
Thank you for sharing the intimateness of your craft. I, too, love to hand quilt with #8 Perle cotton.
My mother-in-law was a quilter…….she drew her own patterns on whole cloth, usually bed sheets and quilted it on a frame that took up the whole living room……she quilted for many hours at a time. Each quilt had the most beautiful yet simple ruffle (again made from the sheet). She always used #8 Perle cotton…….and I loved that look.
And now I especially like Perle cotton on linen!
Thank you for inspiring us!
Thank you Shelly – It has been a pleasure quilting through linen. The needle really glides and the way the linen puffs up with the quilting is lovely. I bet it was a lot of work for your mother-in-law to pull perle cotton through the tight weave of a sheet! I appreciate your share!
Dayamn you are fast! lol Great video. I have just played it like 6 times in a row to hear the music again…I got so excited I just cut through the back of my applique. Whoops.
Well, that’s why God made fusible interfacing! Can’t even see where I just did that.
Who what is that music?! !!
Quilt related question: What constitutes wise backing choosing type decisions? I usually just pick what I pick, not sure there is any wisdom involved, just what would look good to me…Wisdom is good though, so wondering what you meant by that.
Ha ha! I know – that back-beat really makes me feel like getting my funky quilt grove on. I appreciate your enthusiasm Sarah. I WISH I was that fast. Actually an hour of quilting was condensed into the 54 second time-lapse video.
I made the video using my new camera. I set it up to take an image every 10 seconds. I then edited the images in iMovie on my Mac. The music came from a library of copyright free jingles provided in iMovie. There are no credits given for the jingles.
All I meant about choosing wisely – was to make sure you like what you pick for the back so you don’t have to undo your basting and quilting if you change your mind… like I did on the I Ching Modern Quilt. Sounds like you have that part down
It looks beautiful! And I love the breakdown of starting over (and over).
Repenting (in the literal translation, rather than the emotionally charged one) is an essential part of making all things for me. I do not think I have made a quilt or sweater or garment without stopping, re-thinking, undoing my work and starting over.
My sewing sisters have a running joke about all going to get a tattoo together – a well drawn seam ripper that says “No Regrets.”
Happy New Year!
Thank you Chelsey for your great share. I really love your concept of “repenting” –about the re-thinking, doing-over process in craft. I may have to quote you on this in a future post! Happy New Year – and send me a picture of those tattoos if you ever go for it! Have you seen my Tattoo Baby Doll Project?
Sherri, it’s so clear from your posts: your honesty and persistence and courage to take risks and change things, your dedication to being and doing the best you are able shines through! Your discipline and sincerity as much as your creativity are what allows all these very fine works to blossom! Thank you for inspiring the best in the rest of us!