What's the longest it's taken you to complete a quilt?
05-28-2012, 10:23 PM
#71
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 284
The largest I have done was a twin size for a elderly man I known since I was 12. His daughter and me are still best friends. No one ever made him anything so I did. Since his wife died he sleeps in his recliner so I made it to match the recliner and furniture in that room. I hand quilted it so it took me almost a year. The center was miniture bird houses since he loved to sit and watch the birds outside his window.However I was told he loves it but won't use it. instead he has it on his bed and shows it to all that visit. I keep telling him it is for using and is washable but he is now 94 so I guess he is enjoying in his own way.LOL
05-28-2012, 11:22 PM
#72
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Portland Oregon
Posts: 292
I started a bi centennial quilt in 75 but as I progressed, I learned to rotary cut, piece strip, etc and was far enough in to it that I didn't want to go back and correct all the little corners that weren't perfect and yet didn't want to give it up. Plus, it's a pretty large one and once I got my little squares cut out, I just really wanted to finish it, perfect or not. That's when I thought all quilts should be perfect. I have not touched it in several years now and have too many other ones going to backtrack that far. Hopefully. I will find a happy medium and work on it again eventually.
05-30-2012, 02:16 PM
#74
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Delmarva Peninsula
Posts: 1,151
I started to travel for my job from NJ to San Francisco every week in 1985, before cellphone and laptops. So I decided to hand hand piece and quilt a quilt. Around the world, in green, red, and white, and with no knowledge of quilting. Well, all the blocks are done, all wonky (didn't know to iron them, leave 1/4" at all ends, etc. And it sits in the UFO tub - so 27 years and still not done. Everytime I look at it, memories of friends and fellow workers make me smile. It is worth every stitch to me.
05-30-2012, 03:33 PM
#75
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 611
Originally Posted by justme CA
I don't know if this qualifies for I didn't start the quilt my grandmother did before I was born in the early 1920s or before. After my mother died the top laid in a brown paper bag for more than 40 years. I found it, didn't even know what the pattern was (went to the library and found it was feathered star) took it from California back to the Ozarks to ask relatives about it. My mother had never mentioned it to me.
"Oh your grandmother made quilts for all her daughters and that's the one you were named for! Her name was Sarah Elizabeth and she had 11 children and made quilts all the time." All of this was news to me so I got backing, batting and finished the quilt and had it hand quilted where it all began in Ozark, Missouri. So it was finished in 1987 and begun in about 1919. It had value to me and I started quilting myself but it had no value apparently to my mother for whom it was made.
I have written about the quilt, the woman who made it and my mother's life and times. I still write, quilt, volunteer and garden and I am older than any of the other people I have mentioned. I was inspired by the quilt. But I do NOT hand quilt I only piece and love working with colors. I am a great grandmother 86 myself now!
"Oh your grandmother made quilts for all her daughters and that's the one you were named for! Her name was Sarah Elizabeth and she had 11 children and made quilts all the time." All of this was news to me so I got backing, batting and finished the quilt and had it hand quilted where it all began in Ozark, Missouri. So it was finished in 1987 and begun in about 1919. It had value to me and I started quilting myself but it had no value apparently to my mother for whom it was made.
I have written about the quilt, the woman who made it and my mother's life and times. I still write, quilt, volunteer and garden and I am older than any of the other people I have mentioned. I was inspired by the quilt. But I do NOT hand quilt I only piece and love working with colors. I am a great grandmother 86 myself now!
06-01-2012, 04:44 PM
#78
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Oregon
Posts: 809
I started making hand-embroidered quilt squares on denim in high school ... I graduated in '78. They are still in a box in the garage. And I have an even older UFO started by my mother. She started a hawaiian applique wall hanging when we lived on Oahu in '72-73. She finished the applique and basted the sandwich, then we moved back to California. We made a trip to Hawaii together 5 years ago and were admiring some hawaiian quilts we saw in a museum. I said I'd like to do one someday ... and she said I'll give you the one I started. And do you believe she knew right where it was after 35 years? Too bad I opened my mouth because it is 70's gold and brown. After looking at it for almost a year, I decided to add a batik border that has the gold and brown it it. I've figured out a quilting pattern and started the center. Then, I took a hand quilting class from the ThimbleLady but tore out what I had done so far because my stitches did not penetrate well. I figured out it was because I had put that batik on the back too and it is too tightly woven to quilt easily. I replaced the batik back and am ready to start again. I'd like to put it in my guild quilt show when I get it done as a two person quilt ... LOL
Last edited by Skyangel; 06-01-2012 at 04:47 PM.
06-01-2012, 04:56 PM
#79
Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 14
Hi I learned how to quilt in Ohio about 2.5 years ago, and the teacher had us make Log Cabin. I didn't know a thing about quilting. After two week everyone in the class was finished with their quilt, but I was still cutting out. They all machine pieced theirs and machine quilted their also. I used a rotary cutter, cut strips, and pieced it entirely by hand, and of course, quilted it my hand also. It took me more than nine months working out 4-5 hours a day. I never want to make a Log Cabin Quilt again. I am now living in Stockton Ca, and I am taking classes at Joann's with a fabulous teacher, Kristi. I have learned how to square my blocks, machine piece, and still had quilt. Kristi has encourage me to design my own pattern and I will be finished with the square by the end of June, and be ready to hand quilt it. I love batiks and made another quilt using Bali Pops and that will be hand quilted also. I figure about six months to quilt each quilt. I will probably work on both quilts and should finish them both in six months. I enjoy had quilting, but the Bali Pop quilt is almost queen size, and the one I designed myself is slightly smaller, but not by much. I know I need my head examined, but I can't financially afford to pay someone to machine quilt it, so I am going to hand quilt it. I am going to try to use a stencil on the borders and shashing, but I am not sure yet. I will send a picture of the quilt if I can figure how to. Thanks Lois Buncher lbmyway
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