Sunday, December 13, 2015

World's Slowest Hand Quilter



I might just be the slowest hand quilter ever.  This small Dear Jane Quilt has been in the works for years and years.  The last quilt that I hand quilted was an Elm Creek Sampler, done in 2011.  It took 4 years to get it quilted.  So I guess that makes this one about due as well.  Everything is done except the last half of the border.  That shouldn't take too long, right?
Usually I use a plastic quilting hoop  I switched after breaking of couple of wooden hoops in quick succession.  For the border though, I pulled out a rectangular PVC frame, I think it will make it easier to work on the feathers near the edge of the quilt without having to reposition the hoop so often.  An added bonus is that I can break it down for compact storage during travel.  
This little broken dishes star quilt got layered up yesterday to be next on the list.  It is made from bonus HST units that got squared up to 1.75 inches.  They weren't quite big enough for 2 inches, but 1.5 seemed too tiny.  I even cut the inner border to 1.75 inches, just to remain consistent.  I'm thinking about doing two lines in the sashing strips, a quarter inch in from each side, them maybe some diagonal lines through the blocks and cornerstones with something fancy in the border.  I'll link up with Kathy for Slow Stitching Sunday, but also with Cindy at Oh Scrap.  Nothing is scrappier than bonus HST units after all.  

20 comments:

SandraC said...

I love both of the quilts! The picture including your pup is just begging for a caption!

Sarah said...

Lovely quilt tops, I really like your colour scheme and as for that adorable pug...gorgeous!

The Cozy Quilter said...

Hand quilting is slow, but so lovely when it is done! Love your little broken dishes quilt!

Deb A said...

Looking good! I was wondering about that blue DJ quilt a few weeks ago. I have a little one I started hand quilting 4 years ago - still waiting for a finish, poor thing.

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

I haven't done any hand quilting, because I would be even slower than you I have quilts to machine quilt that have been waiting longer than yours, but it is very tempting. The end result is so beautiful. Maybe I will try to get a pvc frame so I have the proper equipment.

Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow said...

Both of these are lovely projects / I am pretty slow myself :)

Margaret said...

Your quilts look so lovely! I've only fully hand-quilted one in my life, but have another just started. I have trouble 'rocking' (because, I've been told, I'm an embroiderer -- that's true -- and so want to hold the needle differently.) I also don't use a hoop or frame, but quilt 'in hand'...it seems to work okay. I hope and trust my results will be as fine as yours!

gayle said...

Inching along right there with you - hand quilting moves pretty slowly at my house, too...
I love that scrappy broken dishes. A downright beautiful bonus!

Karen in Breezy Point said...

Don't feel bad--I've had the Dear Jane book and CD for years and have yet to make a single block. Your's is very pretty--my favorite colors!

Cynthia Brunz Designs said...

For me, hand quilting is always the last thing I get to so it always takes me years to finish anything. Your quilt is lovely. Hope you find the time to finish it up this winter.

Art by Rhoda Forbes said...

Both quilts are beautiful. I envy you doing the hand quilting, I can imagine it takes a long time. I had a good friend who used to hand quilt with no hoop, just the quilt draped over her lap...I tried but am not very good at it. Keep up the gorgeous work.

Cathy said...

Oh, I love the colors of your DJ. And, my goodness...those are tiny triangles. What a lovely and amazing little quilt you've made with something a lot of people would throw away. Congrats to you!

I use one of those PVC hoops most of the time. The only thing I don't like about it is that sometimes it comes apart while I'm quilting.

Quilter Kathy said...

Slow is good... maybe even great!
And you're so close to finishing!

Katie Z. said...

I abandoned my last big quilting project because JoJo wants to crawl under it whenever I'm working on it. Then he found a marker for the white spaces, Oy. Anyway, I'm hoping to work on it when he's a little older, but for now I'm making less progress than you!

Kate said...

Looks like you are almost there on Dear Jane. Hope you got in a good bit of hand stitching today.

margaret said...

hand quilting is so relaxing to do, like you I like plastic frames but usually I do not use a frame ehn quilting, maybe I will try and find it okay. Such tiny HSTs in the other quilt must have been so fiddly but you have done a perfect job with the,

Kaja said...

Hand quilting is slow, but it has a lovely organic look when it's done, and you are nearly there now!

Delighted Hands said...

So what's the hurry? These quilts are beauties, too!
I love how you are on a roll......we are enjoying you FO's as much as you are I think!

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

I am impressed at the hand quilting! You are doing fantastic!

CathieJ said...

I think I can top you for slowest hand quilter. My first quilt (queen-sized) took me almost 20 years to quilt. Only the fact that we were renovating the room it sat in motivated me to finish it. I have since had my second queen-sized quilt professionally machine quilted. Your quilts are beautiful.