Zen and the Art of Quilting in a Straight Line

First up, the two pyramid blocks I was still owed from the last post. I made these on Saturday morning before I basted the monster quilt.





And I basted the monster, so I've earned another pyramid block.


But first, the quilting. (I get two blocks once this is done!) I've given myself a week to finish it.



It will be a tight timeframe, but I'm really loving quilting this. It's the biggest quilt I've even quilted myself, and I'm realising, while it's all just straight lines, that I really have to practice my breathing while doing this. Shoulders down, back straight, eyes down, breathe.  Relax. Sew.



I took a rare afternoon off work today, and went to the National Gallery today to experience some incredible Australian quilts in the Collection Studies Room with some other Canberra Quilters. I saw a Mary Jane Hannaford quilt up close, and a log cabin quilt by Sarah Monument with the most exquisitely tiny blocks. There was also a crazy quilt made with gorgeous laces and hat trimmings. It made me think about the time these women spent making their quilts - I doubt they ever thought their work would end up in the National Gallery! They would have worked at night time, after the day was over, with poor light and by hand. My quilt was pieced by hand but under strong light, and it is being quilted by machine. But I'm tired when I get to quilting, as they probably were, but I tell you, I sleep especially well after an hour or two of quilting this beast (and you should see my biceps!)

The reward system

Nine days ago, I realised I had a massive EPP quilt to finish piecing, then applique the sides on, baste, quilt, bind, sleeve and label. In just 27 days.

I now have 18 days left but at least I'm a little closer.

That reward system I mentioned in my last post has definitely been doing the trick. Because I love making the pyramid blocks so much (and also Liberty. Total swoon), having that little carrot at the end of each task has helped break up the tedium of a boring queen sized quilt.

I prepared 11 blocks, and divided them up into rewards for milestones. I'm allowing myself to make one block at the end of each process:

• Finish the EPP 
• Pull the papers out and starch the edges 
• Trim the side borders and glue EPP top to them
• Applique by hand
• Sew the backing
• Baste the quilt
• Quilt - I'm allowing myself two blocks for the epic task of quilting a queen sized quilt
• Bind by machine
• Sew down by hand
• Label and sleeve

So far I've made two blocks. I actually have another two blocks owing to me, but I'm saving them up till I can find my sewing machine amongst the rubble of quilt show prizes on the sewing table at the moment (a BOX of rulers! Can you even imagine what that looks like or how amazing it is?). Of course, the moment I can find my sewing machine, I'm going to be piecing the backing. Gotcha. Another block rewarded.

I have used basting glue a heap of times, usually for little blocks or little quilts. I've never basted a large top to long strips of fabric before, as I did with this quilt to give it grey homespun sides. NEVER AGAIN. What a messy, fiddly crawling-on-the-floor job that was. But the sides are on now, and appliqued down, and my butt muscles have recovered. Maybe I'll do it again ...

I really need to stop blogging about it and get moving - 4 years in the making (I started it during the last Olympic Games!) means it's definitely time to to finish it and get it on my bed.

Anyone want to come over and help me baste it? I promise toned abs and tight butt muscles by the end of it.

On slow stitching, and joining in

I am a slow quilter.. Most of my quilts are hand pieced or appliqued, and in the last few years I have resisted the fad of making "quick quilts" unless absolutely necessary (group quilts and emergency hugs are exceptions). It makes blogging about quilting extremely boring when everything I make is works in progress, but that's who I am as a quilter and I'm proud of that. I take my time. I procrastinate. I start new things.

In my last post I shared that I was joining a sewalong to make the Panama Pyramids quilt by Linda from Quilts in the Barn. It's taking place on Facebook, and other quilters' versions are all so different and lovely that I couldn't resist making my own. I purchased the plastic templates from Linda at the Sydney quilt show and since I've been home in Canberra I've been thinking about fabrics and colours.

In the end I decided on Liberty. Between a Liberty club I was in for a year, and my dressmaking scraps, I have accumulated a fair bit of it.

The templates make life so much easier, and not being the most accurate machine piecer in the world, they certainly help out in that department. That's not to say there isn't an element of wonk in my of the blocks I've made so far, though.

Last night I spent the evening cutting out a heap of blocks. Remember that queen sized quilt I entered into the Canberra quilt show? I have exactly 28 days to finish it, and I've prepared some blocks as little rewards for when the applique gets boring, the quilting makes no sense, and I'm sick of putting on another bloody sleeve.