At the suggestion of some in a previous topic of mine asking for "take along" projects, some mentioned the cathedral windows. Looking at a tutorial for them, they don't seem that easy to work on away from the sewing room. Am I missing something?? It seems to be the kind of thing that grows bigger and bigger... ?

I worked on a Cath. Win. project as a take along. It worked very well as I did sections of 4x4 units. I sewed everything by hand. When you start joining the sections, then your project may get too big to carry along but, it takes a while to get enough sections done to join.

I agree with Dena, welcome to her, too by the way!...

Also with the cathedral window, all of it can be done by hand, which helps make it portable...I just carry a few of the muslin pieces, a few of the middle squares, needle, thread, thimble, small scissors...and I am sure I am forgetting something...lol...
K

Anyone care to post a pic of Cathedral Windows?

My carry along is Grandmothers flower garden. I've been carrying it for over a year, someday I may actually get it done.

my cathedral windows project is my travel project this year- you need to do some (pre-work) for any take along project-
i made my squares at home- folded and pressed-
i whip stitch them together- traveling- and place my window squares by hand also...
i'm at work now so will have to wait to find a picture.

That'd be great ck cowl :)

Here's one

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-151236-1.htm

This is hanging in the Train Station in Dodge City, Kansas

Thats neat!!!!!

I did a paper pieced Grandmother's Garden quilt for years, it was always ready to go so when a trip was planned, the container and all I needed were in hand. I have to put the last motif in mine and then quilt it. I used the index card patterns over and over, had the pieces cut out and stitched away in the back seat like a queen. My husband and usually a son did all the driving so I stitched and was the back seat driver. Be sure to take something along to do.

Carol J.

Wow! Connie, how did they do that? It's stunning!

I guess I could take four squares at a time! I actually had thought to do GFG, but the cathedral windows excite me a little bit more. I think I'll start one of each just to see which I'll prefer. Lol
What stitch is used to do the piecing????

Oh, and here's the CW tute I liked. A bit bigger than the above picture.

http://hyena-in-petticoats.blogspot....-tutorial.html

This tute isn't too bad except they don't have you sewing the base in any way, just folding and ironing. I sewed each of my base pieces first by whip stitching the edges together then folding the corners to the center and pressing. To me, it just seems more secure and it's much easier to maintain accurate squares for joining.

Here's a couple pictures of mine.

That's a lovely quilt Dena789 - I'd love to give that a go.

Have you got a pattern or a tutorial you can direct me to?

Dena789 - I've compared the images of the two quilts; yours and the one in the tut Kim posted the url for.

You have treated the "windows" differently to the tut and I like your's much more. Hers appears to have solid "centres" (Australian spelling).

[img]http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1116/...7d044b9f_o.jpg[/img]

So if you can direct me to a tutorial or give me any tips, I'd really appreciate it!

I taught this technique at a few quilt shops but my only instructions that I have are not on the computer that I can find. I will have to go searching to see if I can find a folder with my instructions. My only problem is that teaching this has always been more of a `hands on`thing for me. I would need to take a fair bit of time to create a new tutorial showing what I do. I`m not opposed to doing that, it is just that it may take some time to complete.

By the way, we spell centre the same way in Canada!

I think that in the tute, she just hadn't finished all the middles. I believe her intention is to fill them them all in, as is traditional in CW.

I tried one today and LOVED it!! I want to rush out and get the white to get started!!

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-151497-1.htm

Thanks Kim, I'll look at it again. But I thought she finished the tutorial with that image and there was no other page. I may have missed something.
But the quilt Dena789 posted looks so much nicer. Sort of like a cover of lovely posies.

Dena789, don't go going to any trouble only on my behalf. I'm sure someone else will post something sooner of later. A Canadian lady eh? Love to go there - always had a "thing" for Canada and New Zealand but never traveled out of Australia and it doesn't look like I will be anytime soon either.

i made a cathedral window quilt and it took me several years to do it. i did mine the size that was used for potholders and used all colors for windows. i had some antique fabric so used that. i think i used like 60 yards of muslin in mine before i finished. my muslin wasn't very wide. at the time, they didn't sell the real wide muslin.

That's what I carry......and I call it my "10 yr project".

Yes, I think that was the final image, but it was an incomplete project. Notce the pins are still in it. A complete one definitely is nicer and I think I'm going to try to do mine like Denas.

Lol. It just may take that long!! I'm going to TRY to make it for MY king sized bed, and I want fabrics that all mean something. From a project I've done, or representing something meaningful etc.

One really nice thing about CW is that you can make any size project easily. I started out making the first 16 unit square thinking I would stop at a pillow top (like the wine colored one in my previous pictures). I was almost done that when someone asked me to show them how to do it, so I made another 16 unit square. I thought it would be easy to turn it into a table runner at that point. Then, I was asked to teach it in a class... so it just kept growing. Mine is now about a lap size top but, the really cool thing is, if I decide to make it larger, I can just start adding on to it again!

My base units each were cut at 8.5 inches with 1/4 inch seams so each 16-patch section would finish at 16 inches.

I spent a little time this morning trying to find my instructions but haven't located them yet. I'll look more on the weekend as I have another commitment this afternoon and evening. It may be just as easy for me to re-write something as to find it. It could have gotten packed away in preparation for a house sale.

I have always wanted to visit Australia too (amongst other places) but seems that may not happen any time soon for me either.

So how does that work Dena? Do they each finish at about 4 square inches?

In the tute she stated that she actually wanted every other window to be a solid white, so I assume she will go back and just close the seams of the four corners by stitching them down.

Thanks for posting the tute, I have read many of them and this is the first one that made sense to me at the point where the colored fabric was added and the edging was pulled over it and sewn down. I may have to give this a whirl at some point. It's a good way to use up some scraps or for a person who says "I want a purple quilt" for example, you could use a variety of purple fabrics in it and it would have a great finish with all the white to set off the various purples. My little sister may get a purple quilt yet, LOL!

I am working on one for my granddaughter. I do two rolls of squares about 8 x2 background fabrics, sewn together then when they all have the jewels I then sew them together and add jewels to that row. When done I will have two sections of 8 x 2 joined end to end then the next 2 section will add to the width. I plan on 16 x 18 rolls. so I will be doing 18 sections when done. I find I like handling things in little bits and build the quilt as I go. I can work on the sections as I take trips.

In the tute she stated that she actually wanted every other window to be a solid white, so I assume she will go back and just close the seams of the four corners by stitching them down.

Thanks for posting the tute, I have read many of them and this is the first one that made sense to me at the point where the colored fabric was added and the edging was pulled over it and sewn down. I may have to give this a whirl at some point. It's a good way to use up some scraps or for a person who says "I want a purple quilt" for example, you could use a variety of purple fabrics in it and it would have a great finish with all the white to set off the various purples. My little sister may get a purple quilt yet, LOL![/quote]

I guess I didn't read it. Lolol. I agree though, her tutorial was very easy to understand, and being able to do it so successfully is really encouraging.

Those colors are great!!

Phannie1, thanks for the pics. I just may try this one myself, I love the gentleness of the completed one Dena789 posted on the bed.

It's so nice. I love the way the coloured diamonds are framed by that, almost a ruffle - can't imagine how you'd get that look with the one from tutorial.

Come to think of it. From my perspective, they are almost like a totally different design.

Okay, think I know what you're asking. The "ruffle" is achieved when you place the colored block on the square. Yu then fold over the edge and sew on to the colored block.

Try one. Just make a set if two squares, and one colored block for the window. I used the tutorial I posted, but I'm sure a search on google will get you a variety of tutorials.

Yeah OK, like many things - they don't become clear until you have given it a go!

Thanks for your patience Kim - hugs

I've been making a gfg of sorts for the last three years that I take with me in the car, here are some pictures

There is just one thing that her tutorial does not tell you to do that I think is really important to get a good outcome. When you bring the final corners together on the base, you should use a needle and thread to make a small X through the points to secure them to the base. Then, when you are joining the base blocks you get a nicer join and a neater looking finish when you add your colors and stitch the edges back.

Hope you all can understand what I`m talking about! LOL

Gotcha!

I have a cathedral window as a travel project at the moment . I am camping in a tent and traveling for 3 weeks in Western Australia. I made the background at home and the rest is all hand work I am doing it in strips so it is getting bigger. great project to have on hand

Yes Mal - I cut my base units at 8.5 inches, fold the edges in 1/4" all round but instead of just ironing, I actually whip stitch those edges together, then fold all the corners to center and tack down. The resulting base is a 4" unit.

I like to work in sections of 4 units x 4 units for 16 total. Its an easy size to work with on-the-go.

Lucky train station, it is beautiful.