This is the one and only large quilt that I have ever made this large. I did do a couple of simpler Sues that were twin size but they weren't this involved.
I was having health issues and couldn't climb a ladder to paint my ceilings so my neighbor offered to paint my ceilings if I would make her a quilt.
She bought the fabric and all I had to do was make the top and quilt it down. I hate to bind a quilt. I just don't bind anything! So she did the binding.
Took me all of one winter (before I started selling my stuff). I don'tknow how to quilt in the border areas so I made a pattern of the Sue all put together and pinned those around the edge of the border and hand sewed those down all around the border. This quilt was 100% hand quilted. No machine and no rotary cutter or long rulers. I did this one the old fashioned way! Cut each piece by piece. This was before I even knew rotary cutters and long rulers even existed! And I did not know how to sew a quilt on a machine.

More Sues and quilts

Those are really nice - I love the Sunbonnet Sues!

I don't do anything complicated. They are just a simple design I draw myself. Nothing fancy.

I love your quilt. Please tell me the secrete of the curves in Sun Bonnet sue?? I would love to accomplish even a baby size quilt of her.. and her little guy too..

The curves kill me..

Ellen

I cut a dress from a pattern I draw myself and I baste (hem it)the edge of the dress under. I do the same with the hat and the pocket and the boot.

I sew the pocket onto the dress baste the boot onto the bottom of the dress and baste the hat onto the dress so I get the right angle. Then I lay the whole Sue on the fabric and sew the Sue on with my machine.
I clip and pull out the basting thread when I am done. A pain to do but easier than sewing the applique turn under method for me.

It is not hard. I baste with a running stitch with a needle and thread by hand. Start at the top of one side of the dress and turn the edge under and take a running (basting not a whip)stitch with your needle but make sure you have a decent tail so you don't lose your thread in the baste. It can get pulled out accidently.
Your thread should run through the fabric as if you were going to gather it. But you don't gather it. It holds the fabric in place til you sew it down.
I did this quilt with hand stitching but now I sew the Sue on the fabric with the sewing machine. I still do the running stitch by hand.

OH my ! My husband and I traveled the rural roads in a '69 VW, 8 track player with 5 speakers ! I would love to do this quilt !! All the curves though.. oh please, tell my your trick with the curves !!
Really excited about this one !
Ellen

I baste the pieces with a running stitch and then baste the pocket on and the boot and the hat and then sew the whole thing onto the fabric with the sewing machine. It's not hard. It's like hemming a cuff.

By the way I used to ride to college with a friend who drove a 69 or so VW or slugbug! My husband and I also listened to 8 tracks and My DH also collects all the differant turntables and LPs and 45s and yes 8 tracks and we have an 8 track player. I have 4 6' shelves full of records and players etc.

I love your little Sues, Rhonda, and the cars, so cute!

K x

Your little Sues is so cute and I admire the hand sewing and quilting too.

I love the cars, they're gorgeous!

Can I ask another question.... how do you finish a quilt if you don't bind it?

Rhonda, no wonder you now do minatures after all that work on the Sue quilt !! Your neighbor got a quilt to cherish for life. The car quilt is adorable.

I admire all that hand sewing, such precise work, well done :D

You have to remember I don't do anything larger than a lap quilt and rarely do anything that large.

I still use the same method for lap size or minis. I put the top face to face with the back fabric. pin the fabric to the batting with the top in the middle. I sew around the edge and leave an opening to turn it with.
Then I turn it right side out and I sew a finish seam along the edge to give it a finished look

I discovered that when I add a border to the pieced top - in miniatures that border is usually only 1/2" to 1" then when I get to the stage of the finish seam it makes the border look like a binding but voila I didn't bind it!

Now this has it's own hazzards. You have to even out the fabric as you sew so you don't end up with a lot of fabric bunched up on one end but if you watch and pin well and watch as you see to hold the fabric or sew to the middle from each end you can reduce the problem.

Those are great quilts. You did an awesome job on each one

Here is my lesson on my site for making a hot pad. I use the same method for everything I make. You can see the directions for finishing a project about half way down the page. It is the same way I did the lap quilts.

http://www.bitsnpiecesworkshop.com/pages/HotPad.php

WOW ! Great quilts and Hot pads :lol: I will have to find time to try the hot pads.. Think they would make great Christmas gifts :wink: See not even summer yet and I am thinking Christmas, maybe this year I will get everything time almost on time :-)
Sharon

Love your quilts. You amaze me. All by hand. I am in awe.

Well, my favorite is the Amish style one... I adore Amish quilts.

A very beautiful collection of quilts, Good Job! :D :D :D

Finally checked your web site. Thanks for sharing. :lol:

All are very pretty!

That's awesome... thanks for posting the instructions. I have a couple of small wall hangings to do that would finish really nicely that way. :-)

My doctor told me a few years ago I am an oddball because there were no answers to why I had the problems I did and I guess I am an oddball

I don't do things the way everyone else does! I am always looking for new ideas.
My dad used to call me the backwards kid because I read magazines from back to front and I do a lot of things just differant than most.

It can be a good thing! I think that's an advantage of not taking classes too, if you don't know the "rules" you can break them and come up with new ways of doing things.

Love your Sue quilt and they are all very nice!

Good job!
Love the little sunbonnet sues and the cars, of course!
And the bars of strips are really bright with a rather unique sashing. It gave me something new to consider for sure!
Thank you for sharing!

They are all so cute!!

I'd say the painter got a great deal! I love those sunbonnet sue's...

That quilt will never be duplicated!! LOL It took me all winter to make it. It was sewn one hundred percent by hand. No machine sewing on it. But I dont' have the time or energy to do that again!! I remember using a card table to take the weight off me while I worked on it. I also have two couches and I used 2 4 ft by 8 ft plywood boards across the backs of my two couches so I could spread it out and work on it. It was fun to do but never again!!