I promised not to keep you waiting, and I won’t, but I’m less than pleased with the end result!
I machine pieced and hand quilted the wall hanging and learned a few things along the way… well, to be honest that was the idea. I just wanted the result to be more polished. 😉
All pictures are clickable to see the details… I could feel myself wincing as I typed this.
First, I had to disassemble the pieced top to adjust the trunk of the larger tree.
This part was actually easier than I expected.
(original trunk was off-center and had to be replaced)
Once that was done I had to make my “quilt sandwich” and begin the hand quilting process.
A “quilt sandwich” consists of your backing, batting, and your top.
As a new hand quilter I was fairly pleased with my progress on the diamond background and my stitching. One thing I have noticed with my hand stitching is that I tend to get smaller stitches as I go. BTW, the pictured needle is about 1 inch long.
Hm… maybe I should do a warmup before I begin on the finished piece? 😉
I also liked my stripped fabric, and that is not a typo! I made the green stripes by sewing together varying green colored strips. However, this also added thickness and made it harder quilt too!
An unexpected flaw in the works was my piecing method. If you must piece together a white background, then you need to use a white backing or thicker batting! All my seams in the white background are showing in the final piece!
That pinned button on the bottom will be sewn on as soon as I post this….
Well, after all that hard work, I simply don’t like it all those seams in the white field.
However, it was a very good practice session for my next try!
😀
A related article featuring someone who actually knows what she is doing… This quilt is amazing! 😀
- Nordic Snowflake Quilt (quiltingismytherapy.com)
Life on the Farmlet 
If you can get your ducks to hold still for long enough, you could try this next:
http://campariandsofa.com/2013/10/31/queenie-liao-baby-wengenn/
I remember these photos! Wonderful, and yes, I have something in mind for the glorious Polly-goose! 😉
Thanks!
Oh no… I’m guessing quilt stuffing!!!
Ahhhhh…!!! 😯
Polly?
NEVER!
Never use the protege for stuffing, Dahling.
😉
Oh no. NOT Polly. What was I thinking?!?
Well actually, ahem, I might have helped if I hadn’t typoed her name as Poly instead of Polly…
I fixed it.
I’ve done the same thing – I’ve not been happy with a finished project but when I look at it several months (or a year) later, I find that it was a pretty good job after all. I like your wall hanging.
Lillian
Thank you, Lillian! You know, it may yet grow on me…
GACK!!! I had a TON OF STUFF WRITTEN DOWN AND LOST IT!! Anyway, in point form: LOVE IT! For some reason, it eminds me of the TV Special…
http://www.cbs.com/shows/holiday_central/photos/198416/rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer/16477/
(Next time; )Try double batting to disguise your dark backing.
Easier to “Stitch-in-the-Ditch” (on opposite side to pressed seam allowance).
There was something else… Oh yeah!
Your seams are showing? (How disgraceful!; ) What if you cover them (machine stitched) with some 1/4″ embroidered trim or rick-rack or a fancy machine stitch or something… You could go subtle or BRIGHT; either way, this calls for a DesignDecision, so play it up and make it into a “I MEANT TO DO THAT!” instead; )
Also agree completely about “warming up” your quilting hand first… (Is that why they called them Samplers?; )
And, BTW, thanks for making me actually THINK about this – sad to say, I haven’t quilted in decades…
OMGoodness, Deb!
Perhaps my misspent childhood lived in front of the TV has betrayed me! I does look very like it belongs in that show! 😉
As for the seams, I’m going with: I have learned my lesson, and the sewing practice practice strengthens my skills for the future.
😀
P.S. I LOVE that silly old thing. (Along with A Christmas Story, The Grinch… )
Deb, when you said “A Christmas Story” were you referring to the one with the “Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle with the compass in the stock” ?
“You’ll shoot your eye out!”
THAT is my ultimate and all time favorite Christmas movie! 😀
I think it turned out lovely. We are always our own worst critic, remember that 🙂
Argh. You know my sickness with perfection, and you love me anyway…
Thanks, Ginger!
I sure do! Cheers!
I think it looks fantastic!
You are so sweet, thank you!
I think it turned out very pretty! 🙂
Thank you, Anke!
i think you are being harsh on yourself ! be proud!
Claire, thank you! It’s the seams down the middle that I hate, not the whole thing. I reworded that last lament! 😉
🙂
Yes, I think it will grow on you. You just need to let the result simmer in your mind a little. I’ve never done hand quilting – only sewing machine and I ended up giving it to my SIL (I think).
I don’t have the patience or eyesight anymore. I think you’ve done a great job and I hope you go on to bigger things.
Apparently, I didn’t say what I meant, Victoria. 😉 I only disliked those white seams.
Just wonder why you don’t like your wall hanging.. I’am sure you will get use to it and change your mind. It’s very pretty and colours are fitting together. Good job Lynda.
Chantal, thank you! Apparently, my last lament in this post has thrown everyone off. I should have been more specific. So, I’ve edited that sentence. 😉
I do like the piece as a whole, but I just hate those seams showing down the middle. 😀
Pretty good for a practice piece in my view. Bad luck about the visible seams. You just have to learn to be arty about these sort of things and tell viewers that they are part of the inner meaning of the design and that they symbolise those links of love and loyalty that lie behind the surface of life.
LOL!!!
Yeah, that’s it, Tom!
We’ll, it’s not what I said; but it’s certainly what I meant; ) Well done Tom!! (‘Specially the Artsy Explanation bit: )
I like it! I think some flaws make a piece unique and more beautiful!
😀
Thank you, Diana! I has been good to get back into it, and now I need to keep going!
Lynda, this piece is beautiful and if I had made it I would be ecstatic! You know I know next to nothing about sewing. You had to point out the flaws because I wouldn’t have seen them! This is something I love about you… your determination! You try something, you learn from it, and you want to try harder. Your tenacity is an inspiration!
Lori, it is a sickness, but at least I am having fun along the way!
Thank you! 😀
I’ve got a fair share of embroidery projects that just aren’t up to par in my mind so you aren’t alone! Live and learn, right? For what it’s worth, I think the quilt is adorable.
So you understand? I’m not alone then! Thank you, Becca!
I only have one question: Is it hard being so crazy??
It is gorgeous. LOL!! You are so hard on yourself and you do such beautiful work.
Connie
HA! Not hard at all, Connie. I inherited this perfection gene from my father. 😉
And thank you! 😀
I agree with Tom!
Me too, Julie! He has a certain way of seeing things, doesn’t he?
lovely, if you had not mentioned the seams, we probably would not have noticed. But I like what Tom said. covers it well.
I agree, Margaret!
So festive and fun! Nice job, Lynda! I’ve never quilted but mom has made many … much work for a beautiful outcome!
You are so kind to me, LB, thank you!
So … I just went back and read the 4 links you pointed me towards. That first one, where you were ambushed by the teachers, who were ultimately “endorsed” by a principal who overlooked horrible behavior … after all that had happened prior to that. Oh. My. Goodness.
You know Lynda, it’s hard to put ourselves our there in the blogosphere about easier topics. To put yourself out there about such challenging things is so much harder.
You have a long list of followers who admire your work ethic, who enjoy your writing and photography, and value your honesty.
Just think of all those out there who you have touched and helped.
Thanks to you!
Thank you, Laurie. Sometimes I wonder if it is such a good thing to talk about it at all, but, well, it is who I am and what makes me tick. It was a bumpy ride, now it’s over, and slowly I am getting out into the world again.
Well, so much for me. I looked at those white seams and thought they were window panes behind the tree! I thought they were supposed to be like that, and thought they were pretty cool. I wasn’t sure how you had done it, though. I guess now I do. 😉
Personally, I think it was a success!
Thank you so much, Linda! 😀
I like your stripped trees. Is there some embellishing you can do to the white background that might help disguise the seams?
I can’t think of a thing, Patti. I will just leave it I think, and look on it as a learning experience. 😉
I think it is a beautiful project, and good work. I do feel your pain with the background stitching though. My visual experience of quilting is through pictures and you don’t always see the stitching, so stitching in real life alters the view. Although I have found that the longer I go the stitching looks better than I thought.
Thank you! I am slowly growing used to the lines in this piece. I’m learning right? 🙂