quilting evolution

I started my quilt in August of 2007. It was supposed to be a project that went along with a Bible study, but the study took precedence. Lee Anne helped me greatly getting started. I worked on it off and on. Beginning by cutting each square and rectangle. Then I sewing those together. By the end of August I was getting ready to assemble the thing. I even sort of laid it out, but then I got frustrated with it. Not sure exactly how I wanted it, I put it away a while. The busy season for me (at that time at least) was upon me before I knew it. I had pictures to take for the Christmas season. Then I met my Jeff. Certainly spending time with my guy was more important than quilting. Time passed. After we got married, and things settled down I begin working on it again. I completed the top, got a fun fabric for the border and back, got the batting, all that was left to do was quilt....uh, yeah. So I had to decide how I was going to quilt it...machine or by hand. Since the thing was so big, and it was reproduction fabric from the 40's I thought hand-quilting would be more authentic. I quickly learned it was a daunting task. This thing is about 95 inches square...that's a lot of blocks to stitch around. After doing a big square, a small square, and two rectangle pieces in about three hours I realized this was going to be a very long project. I put it aside again for moving into the new house. Not long ago I decided I really want to finish, but I don't want to hand-quilt it (even though it would look awesome that way). I tried to use the machine, but being so large it's not easy to maneuver. A thought came to me....why don't I take the easy way out and tie the thing. So that's what I've done. It's not ideal, or not what I'd really like, but it certainly works. I'm not too far from being complete with tying. I have about a row and a half on the main section, and then a few times around the borders, and I can trim it, and put the binding on.

A lot has happened in two years, which has been fun. This quilt has been constructed in three houses (four including Lee Anne's).

My 8/2007 stack of fabric


A layout from end of 8/2007


A better thought out layout


Close up


Main portion of top


Full top


Me tying the quilt....two years after the original conception of quilt