Hello! I am excited for this world of quilting. I embroider and sew. I started an embroidery/quilting project earlier last year but I'm not done embroidering my squares, so I haven't even pieced my first quilt yet! I'll be ready in another 20 blocks or so lol.
Anyways, I've spent most of January taking care of my ailing grandparents, both in their late 80s. My grandmother has always been the family historian and I'm now taking up the yoke. I've been packing items and collecting stories. One came with an unfinished quilt. My great-grandmother, Nanny, gave it to her before she died and it was given to Nanny by her sister who passed away before finishing it. So, I'm only 23 and Nanny died ten years before I was born and who knows how long she had it before then, so this quilt is at least 30. Neither Nanny nor my grandmother sews and my grandmother kept putting it off finding someone to finish it. Along comes me, and I have a hand in any craft I can find, comes from my granddad who's an artist.
Anyhow, like I said, I've never quilted before. The plan for my personal quilt was machine stitching. But I can't do that with this quilt. Or I can, but I think it'd be a disgrace to my relative who put in the time to do it all by hand.
So, I made some observations about this quilt and attached some photos of my observations. Please tell me what you think and what I should do. It looks like somewhere along the way, a lesser experienced quilter picked it up and tried to do something with it. I know enough to know the back is wrong or at least not clean.
PHOTO ONE: this quilt is a monster. It is also very pretty.
PHOTO TWO: View of the basting, some is coming undone. The basting is very wide on this quilt. It is done in a very very wide grid. I think there are only four total vertical basting lines over the entire quilt and three to four horizontal.
PHOTO THREE: More views of the basting and binding/backing I'm confused as to what's going on. It looks incredibly sloppy to me.
PHOTO FOUR: more bastin and binding/backing. Here there binding goes from probably an half-inch/inch (not good at estimating) to twice that width on the edges. I know I'm going to need to even that out, but I'm not sure how.
PHOTO FIVE: More confusion. Notice the fine seemingly finished stitches on the outer edge of the binding.
PHOTO SIX: now, there is one starburst thingy right smack dab in the middle (I don't know proper terms yet, bear with me) that is quilted straight through all three layers. This the front view of the sloppy stitching.
PHOTO SEVEN: Backside of that stitching, to me this looks horrendous. And I've seen enough finished handstitched quilts (by the same aunt) to know this isn't her style or how it's suppose to be done.
That's all I have. lol If you stuck it out with me this far, THANK YOU! Now, please tell me where to go from here? do I attach the binding/backing and finish that before quilting? or the opposite?I haven't gotten to that step in my own quilt yet. How do I fix what is (in my mind, if I'm correct) completely wrong? Should I continue with octagonal patterns mystery relative did and stitch in the ditch? Or should I use evenly spaced diagonal lines that my aunt used in other quilts? Give me your opinions!
I'd really love to finish this myself by hand. I have the patience to learn. I'm also planning on going into Joann's to see if any employees there handquilt and can offer some direction. I need to purchase the needles and thimble. Are quilting hoops any different than embroidery hoops? I haven't been in to look at the selection yet and determine that for myself. lol What brands do y'all like?
Sorry for this monstrously long post, but it's a monstrously large quilt for a newb like me! lol I appreciate any advice or opinions you can give.