Friday 20 January 2012

Hand Quilting

A while back I asked advice about how to quilt my Loulouthi quilt and got some really great ideas from some of you (Thankyou!) In the end I decided to hand quilt it, using perle cotton in a random, butterfly garden kind of thing and I thought you might be interested to see how it going

Loulouthi Quilt - handquilting

I am so glad I decided to hand quilt this. I am totally head over heels in love with it and snuggling up on the sofa with this on my lap, doing a little bit of stitching in whatever colour takes my fancy is a perfect way to spend a winter's evening :)

Handquilting

I chose to back it with a print from Heather Ross's Mendocino line (that I got on sale) and it is the softest backing I've ever felt!. The kids keeps squirrelling themselves under it while I work on it because it's so soft.

Handquilting

I did make a rather big error of judgement when I basted this though. I decided to give spray basting a go. It was after I'd spay basted that I decided on hand quilting. I have found that spray basting does not make quilting with perle easy. It is hard to get that needle and thread through the quilt!
But I'm getting there slowly. I've zigzagged it all round the edges so it can be snuggled under without too much worry while I'm working on it.

I've also finished my Brit Bee blocks for the lovely Judith she asked for any kind of log cabin with the centre of it to be our own fabric to remind her of us. I hope she doesn't mind a little bit of embroidery :)

Miss January's Blocks - Brit Bee
Miss January's Blocks  - Brit Bee

And I've finished my blocks for do.Good Stitches. It's my month again this month and I chose a snowball design for a boy's I Spy quilt for Project Linus. I've already received some blocks from the lovely ladies in the Joy Circle and can't wait for the rest to arrive. I think this is going to be such a cute quilt!

do Good Stitches Joy January
do Good Stitches Joy January


It's a big day in our house today because it is my daughter's 6th birthday! I can't believe she's 6 already!!! How did that happen?!? We got her a new bike and she is chuffed to bits with it! It's her favourite colour turquoise, it has a stand, gears, suspension  and a bell and best of all it has a glittery saddle! I want one just like it for myself!

Birthday Girl!

She took it out for a quick spin this morning before school :)

Happy Birthday Baby Big Girl!

Fiona x

25 comments:

  1. Its so pretty Fiona! I love the random quilting you are doing! Loulouthi lends itself really well to outlining huh? Happy birthday to the girlie, hope you all have a great day x

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  2. It is just beautiful Fiona!
    Hope your daughter has a lovely birthday. Looks like it was off to a great start!

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  3. Awesome hand quilting.
    Thanks for the tip on the basting spray!

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  4. All your quilting and embroidery is so lovely! And I love that bike, your girl looks so cute on it.

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  5. Happy birthday to your adorable daughter. I am in love with your amh quilt and the hand quilting! Your bee blocks look fantastic too!

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  6. Happy birthday to your gorgeous daughter - she looks thrilled with her bike! Love the log cabin blocks, particularly the bee!!

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  7. oooh, love your AMH quilt. the hand quilting looks gorgeous. love seeing your other blocks. happy birthday to your daughter!

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  8. I love your hand quilting! I love to do it freehand too, and perfect for a winters eve. Thanks for the spray basting tip, I have not tried it before and will remember not to use it with hand quilting if I do. It is my month soon in our Cherish circle - I am loving this charity bee!

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  9. Hexagons, log cabin and a stunning stitched Brit Bee - J is going to love those blocks! I'm so jealous! Your loulouthi quilting is lovely - well done for persevering with handstitching through adhesive.

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  10. What a cutie pie! Birthday girl must get her looks from mama! Lovely blocks (mine especially!) and those hand stitched butterflies are amazing! You're the girl Fi! Jxo

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  11. Happy birthday wishes - she's adorable and looks so cute on her bike, maybe she'll share it with you! Love, love AMH and the hand stitching you are doing.

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  12. Oh Fiona! So much lovely lovely stuff to comment on :-) Really really love your hand quilting on the Loulouthi quilt, and your bee blocks are fantastic too! Oh and big birthday hugs to wee one, her bike looks fab!

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  13. Someone looks very happy with their new bike! Your hand quilting is looking fantastic: great idea

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  14. Your embroidered bee is crazy adorable! :)

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  15. I am loving your hand quilting. How are you finding securing the ends with perle given you zig zagged the quilt layers together already? Great tip about spray basting as I'd have never considered it - but now you've mentioned it it makes sense!

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  16. Happy Birthday wishes, although it is definitely past bedtime!
    The quilt is looking fantastic, and Judith's blocks are brilliant xxx

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  17. I hope your lovely birthday girl enjoyed her special day! (Turquoise is the best)
    You've packed this post with complete and utter gorgeousness! Wow!!
    Your AMH quilt is definitely TDF and those bee blocks are just fab and a perfect reminder of you, lol.

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  18. Love the quilted flutterbys - hey, you could bring it for show and tell on Wednesday :oD The centres of those bee blocks are fab! Belated happy birthday to the wee one.

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  19. I just love those hand stitched butterflies! What a creative way to quilt that. I'm going to have to start following your blog now!

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  20. Love the hand quilting on the quilt and the bee blocks! Belated birthday wishes for your little un :)

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  21. Om my goodness that hand quilting is DEVINE! Hand sewn butterfly quilt - watch out or I'll be over there to pinch it from you when I'm in your neighbourhood (I mean that in the loosest sense of the word) in June ;)

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  22. That quilt is divine! Sorry I am sooooo behind in my blog reading!

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  23. I am in love with your Lolouthi quilt, if I lived nearer I'd be tempted to steal it! and those snowball blocks are great, never seen that pattern before x

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  24. i love your work, and the hand quilting is so unique; it adds playfulness and personality. i am new to quilting, and i love your stuff. thanks for inspiring me to try this!! :)

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  25. Beautiful hand quilting, and I did the same with the spray basting and hand quilting, but it was with regular hand quilting thread, and it was a NIGHTMARE!! It's just not a good idea to hand quilt if you use spray basting!! So nowdays I reserve it for only my machine quilting: I sure feel for you! At least my quilt was only a wall hanging: it couldn't be done fast enough!!

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