FINISHED

Well I have finished it, surprisingly quickly too.

These are the threads I used for the quilting. I had to go outside to get a photo of the quilt as I was too cramped up to get the whole thing in the view thingy, we opened the window wide, I ducked underneath and starting taking the pictures...I wonder what the neighbours thought I was doing, they all know that is the bedroom window!!!!

a single block for you to see how I quilted it,

outlined the central hexagon, flower, stem and leaf, then did one row of echo quilting,

added five freehand quilted butterflies - on each block - 100 in total,

then put larger butterflies in the spacer blocks, 3 per block = 15 total,

vermicellied the border adding the large butterflies as I felt like it - lost count...

Hope Erin likes Butterflies!!!!

two more single blocks just showing the different fabrics Pat used...

Back views of the above or similar blocks...

Back view of the whole Quilt - on my bed...

looks like a wholecloth

I machine wrote this on the sleeve, along with...

this too...

At last you say...the complete Quilt, I love it and doesn't it look good on my bed?

I am meeting Pat for coffee in the morning, I do hope she likes what I have done for her. I know she will be looking on here in the morning before we meet, so Pat, this is for you and Erin, Quilted with love for you both, no charge, you are my friend, well, you can buy me a coffee. I am just pleased to have saved you about £100 or more??  for NOT having it long armed. Any time, you know where I am. 

Mind you, can I have a bit more time for the quilting next time?

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I just want to add a footnote here. I have absolutely nothing against having quilts done by the long arm machine folk, I love the machine myself, would love to have a go on one for an hour or two, some of these folk do amazing quilting on these machines, think of Ferret, it's just I don't like the 'mattress' style quilting some do, I have been told you get what you pay for, it seems it is quite expensive to have special quilting done too. That strikes me out from ever having one of mine done then. Mind you, I just love quilting on my beloved Bernina, so will carry on stitching away until I can no more. Hope I didn't offend anyone earlier.

PAT's QUILT AND MORE PRETTIES

Pretty beads and braids from the Birmingham Rag Market, Annette bought me these, aren't they gorgeous...The black things are actually buttons, I loved them, I wish I had bought more now as eacxh one is different back and front, I only bought 4, what an eejit.

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My friend Pat was going to take a quilt she had made to a shop to get it long arm quilted. Well I know they are great and all that, but I knew the quilt she was taking so volunteered to quilt it for her exactly as she wanted, I didn't want it ending up looking like a mattress. [Ijust know I will get remarks about that comment, you know what I mean though, a lot of places quilt them so they ar boring looking - think I am making this worse for myself :-)]

Anyway, back to the Quilt, Pat has been invited to put this quilt into a show when it is finished. The show starts 10th June, what is the date today???? She has made it for her GD Erin, it is a very pretty quilt too, I was guessing it would  be a big lap quilt, as Erin is only a little girl. How wrong can I be! hahaha

As you know we went to Birmingham on Tuesday - see goodies - Pat's hubby, the lovely Mike, delivered the Quilt whilst we were there, Pat had finally got the border on ready for quilting. Yippee, I said as I received the message from my hubby to let me know.

When we arrived home, I got the quilt out of the bag [Plastic - naughty girl] and it just kept coming out, it is HUGE. It is rather lovely, but it is-----HUGE!!! Look....

I need a bigger floor...

Blow the floor - I need a bigger table!!!!

Pat rang me today. I asked why it is so big for a little girl, she said she is thinking of the future, Erin has her quilt now and it will last for a long time [I hope] right till she marries....it will fit a double bed folks. Well I had a good laugh with her about it and have promised IT WILL BE DONE in time for the show.

Anyway, Pat had also sent up the backing fabric, great stuff, that wide fabric, so no joins on the back, I like that very much. Also the wadding, I had to yank that out of the bag and give it a good old shake and airing to get the horrid folds out of it, I have explained to Pat they haven't all come out and I don't have time to wash the wadding to get shot of them. Time is marching on so I don't have any spare for such luxuries. I gave the backing and the top a good press this morning, then hubby came in and helped me lay it out on the floor, it didn't quite fit as you can see, so we guestimated the size of the bacing and wadding, he put a few pins in just to hold it for me whilst I moved it to my sewing room.

Now, the pins Pat sent me are not what I call quilter's pins, they are straight and very thick, the ones I use are very slim and curved, in the end I had to use both types as I didn't have enough of mine for the whole quilt, but I used Pat's thick straight ones round the edge so hopefully if they leave holes they will be covered by the binding. In the pictures you can see the difference in the pins.

I have managed to get it all pinned up and even a little of the quilting done this evening. It wont take me long to do - I think - as Pat has decided she doesn't want a lot of quilting on it. She knows me too well, I always cover the quilts I make with quilting. I keep looking at it thinking, I would love to do 'this' or 'that' might me an idea!! It's OK Pat I wont do too much for you, I will reign myself in. Although I do think there may have to be a little more than we thought, as the wadding says not to leave more than 4" unquilted!!!!! Honest it does. I will ring you about this when I get to it anyway.  I have an idea! Di would say that is dangerous!!!!

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We are all going out tomorrow for a picnic, I am really looking forward to it. Pictures, I am sure,

will be on here of it tomorrow night!

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Thank you for the comments on the new look, you seem to like the startling white, I am not too sure, do you not think it is a bit 'clinical'? Or is that just me?

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UPDATE

Thank you all for the comments on this post. I do appreciate your imput you know.

Pat B what am I going to do with you, if I had known that was what you thought,

I would have gone to town on your Quilt {Erin's Quilt} -

so you are saying I can do what I want on it?

Everyone is witness to that hahahaha

You've gone and done it now my friend

ho ho ho

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