I started this quilt some time last year, rounding up (squaring up) all the scraps into 6” blocks and then assembling them into a kind of square colour wheel with all the whites in the centre. It’s 11 blocks square, so 66”-ish, all paper-pieced. I had to abandon it when I broke a bone in my right hand in October, but that was no great hardship as by then I didn’t really like it. It also had no name, so I didn’t know what it was trying to be.
Last year I had started seed-stitching the central panel to define the circles, and it quickly turned into one of those things I wish I’d never started. Seed-stitch takes a long time, and there was acres of it. OK, about a square yard. I tend to exaggerate.
So since October it has been rolled up in a corner of the room, nameless and baleful, scowling every time I passed it, and now I need to finish it before I feel free enough to start something else. A few days ago I steeled myself to set about finishing the seed-stitching. And what do you know? It didn’t take as long as I thought it would, and it looks OK. The texture is really interesting. The backing is made from a vintage silk sari, and the middle layer is cotton flannel, so it isn’t too bulky but is still quite substantial. It’s surprisingly heavy.
And then it named itself: All Together Now. So now I need to figure out what to do with the rest of it. I’ve couched some two-tone silk bourette yarn down to create a couple of borders around the central panel, and I’m starting with a meandering line just to see where it goes.
Sometimes making a large quilt by hand feels a bit like wrestling with an alligator (no, since you ask, I have never wrestled an alligator). I do feel as if I am starting to tame this one.
Seed stitch is absolutely deceptive! It’s all looking good though.
Have to say I’m glad that bit is done 🙂 Onwards and outwards…
Sublime and inspiring, thanks for sharing
Thank you 😊
this project pre-dates finding my way to your blog, so I’m now thinking I need to do some backtracking to see what other treasures are here …
and I don’t think I’d ever tackle this much seed stitching, even as good as it looks here … kudos to you for making it through!
hmmmmm … is there another blog that pre-dates this one?
See previous reply 😎 Je ne regrette rien 😆
Ha, I will NEVER do this much seed stitching again, ever. I only came back to the blog 6 months ago after fracturing my hand, and I deleted everything from ten years ago – perhaps a little ruthless of me, on reflection. But then I’ve never been keen on looking through the rear view mirror 🙂
Seems like quite an undertaking but the most beautiful pieces prove that. I first tried large areaz of seed stitch with mediation scraps and it’s a learning rhythm. Enjoyable. Can’t wait to follow the wandering stitch next.🤗
areas….meditation 😉
I’ve spent the last two days thinking about how I’m going to quilt the borders and didn’t like any of the options. The second I started a wandering line I could see it as clearly as anything. I always forget this is how I work 😆
Clearly leaving it alone with the sulks was the right thing to do!
Ha, totally 😁
I’m sure all that small stitching has been a pain, but the quilt is coming along nicely. I’ve had more than a few “why did I ever start this?” moments, but i end up finishing most of them.
Thank you 😊 I think we’ve all been there!
Although sometimes frustrating for you to create, this is a simply lovely. I can look at this for a long time and would love to run my hand across it.
Thank you, it does have a pleasing texture. Onwards and outwards 🙂