Chona Homegrown: First sewing room throw-down of the year

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

First sewing room throw-down of the year

So much going on in the world and I am fortunate to be able to escape to my sewing room for my therapy and craft in between the other crazy parts of my day. Quilting truly is my therapy in this world.

Another beautiful baby born to a very special family to ours. Late thursday night this little creature was born and I started on her quilt 12 hours later. Here it is finished and already delivered. It's 36" x 36" and stitched in the ditch through the whole star and then I did some ruler lines and did free motion feathery things all on my domestic sewing machine. I also use the extra strips from the star on the binding.

Some pictures of it in progress:

strip pieced lone star (see the tutorial for more)

getting basted

Even my semi-well-trained companion could notice that the points came out really well. It was one of those fun smooth quilts that just worked out, just like her smooth birth! Welcome to the world warrior-girl!

Then I got to quilting on Papy's Dresses, featuring pieces of my mother's dresses that she left me when she passed in 2002. It really is such a special quilt. The thing is that it is taking me forever because this truly is a one of a kind quilt and really my first real heirloom that feels so precious. So far I have just quilted down the ditches of the all the squares and half the stars. Still so much more to go. I still haven't decided where to go from there. It's a very challenging one. I am doing this one all on my domestic sewing machine also so far just with a ditch walking foot. This quilt has wool batting and deciding how to finish quilting it is coming soon. So far I'm considering doing some small all-over pattern over everything but the blue squares and dress stars. Maybe even try Angela Walter's traveling technique (I'll happily accept suggestions).