Strung along

It's been a while, I know. I sorta gave up over the winter. It was cold, and I don't think I did much but stand by the space heater in my sewing room, trying to keep warm. Pretty pathetic, I know. I can live with that.

One thing I did accomplish was finishing the string quilt top that I've been working on for 2 years. I've been saving strings from the quilt shop, from home projects and from friends to work with. They multiply after dark, by the way. I have become enamoured with the simple string quilt. There is so much you can do with the pieces...spider web, LeMoyne star, applique, bricks, etc, but this quilt is the first one I started (I've done 3 all together). I love the simplicity of it. I love looking at it and picking out fabrics that I've used in other projects for people I love. I love the "primitive" feel with the bright, bold fabrics. I love the weight of it. I foundation pieced on muslin because I hate peeling paper off the back of things. I decided to hand quilt it in the Baptist Fan quilting style, using a pencil and a piece of string with knots tied in it every inch and a half, approximately. It's going very quickly and now I understand the lure of the Baptist Fan for our quilting foremothers. I can see putting a full sized quilt on the frame in the morning and having a group of experienced quilters working on it and it being done by the end of the evening. I've recently quit the "quilt for money" work, and now all the quilting I do is for me, and the passion is returning. Thank goodness! I've missed it!

I'm also working on an hand appliqued free form vine/leave/rose border for my red and white round robin piece. This is the final border. I added it to make it fit my bed as it was square when I got it back from it's circuit through some amazing quilter's sewing rooms. This was an internet round robin involving friends on a message board of people who collect and use antique "people powered" sewing machines. That includes both treadle and handcrank machines. Both quilt tops have been entirely pieced on one or the other. No electric machines were used.

So, now back to cleaning the kitchen. Ugh. At least I already got the bathroom done. Luckily, we only have the one. :)

Back with you soon...

Deb

I seem to be having photo issues. I'll post pics as soon as the internet/my computer allows me to.

D