Tuesday, 6 December 2011

The Quilt That Didn't Wish to be Quilted

Right, it is round two with the Etchings quilt. If I was a perfectionist I would be ripping out stitches like a demon right now. I am most definitely not a perfectionist. That does not stop me from being disappointed with the may the remaining wrinkles on the back are are reacting to the straight lines of stitching. But I need to finish this quilt. And I am not adverse to the effect of the quilting on the front of the quilt.

I am stitching in the ditch, which may seem like a very odd thing to do with dark red thread. But for me it is working, so far.


The red thread is not as obviously in  your face as it was with the FMQ I tried yesterday, but it gives definition to the pattern of the quilt, especially when some of the more subtle fabrics meet.


I might not have made the right decision but it is the one I am going to have to stick with. I hope as I do more of the quilting it will bring it together more and more in a unified way.

The school play was a success last night. I can't show photos due to the presence of other children within them. Suffice to say the girls came away happy, and are looking forward to repeating the experience in a short while for another group of parents. I will be there again, this time pouring the tea and selling the mince pies. And watching my girls too, of course.

I got some happy, unexpected post today too. I lovely block from Kirsten, all the way from Australia. Kirsten was one of the members of the Modern Christmas Tablerunner Swap and made this for her partner. I love the colours she used and have always liked the star pattern. So she sent me one as a gift. Which was so kind of her and I have the perfect Christmas use for it on our coffee table.


Red candle...
... or green?
So a big thank you to Kirsten for such a lovely surprise. Now I am off to see performance number two. Yeah!

Susan
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19 comments:

  1. Lucy | Charm About You6 December 2011 at 13:56

    I think the quilting looks great, I like the red in the ditch! Kirsten's tablerunner is so pretty and I like the red candle :)

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  2. Katy Cameron6 December 2011 at 13:56

    I'm sure the stitching in the ditch will work fine, stress not! Love your happy mail, and hope round 2 of the performance goes well :o) (don't eat too many of the mince pies ;o) )

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  3. Nicky6 December 2011 at 14:15

    Susan - have confidence in you decisions ! It is going to look brilliant! What a great idea to lift those quiet fabrics and give your block greater definition!

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  4. Janine @ Rainbow Hare6 December 2011 at 14:25

    I think the red in the ditch stitching is looking really good and it'll look great when you've done enough to really see the effect :)

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  5. Annabella6 December 2011 at 14:51

    Ooh, I can't wait to see how it turns out! Gorgeous star block (red candle for me)! And enjoy the 2nd performance.

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  6. Unknown6 December 2011 at 15:00

    Good choice, stick to yours guns Broad Susan. xxx

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  7. Sarah6 December 2011 at 15:15

    Your ditch quilting is disappearing nicely on the front, and I'm sure following the pattern is going to look gorgeous on the back too :-) Glad the girls had a good night, hope todays is even better.

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  8. thea6 December 2011 at 15:15

    The stitching in the ditch looks great! Good choice! and a good way to give definition to your quilt.

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  9. linda6 December 2011 at 16:19

    red candle i think ,stick with the ditch looking good !!
    beautiful gift for you !!

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  10. Isisjem6 December 2011 at 17:48

    Good Choice. I think it will be both bold and subtle so stick with it.

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  11. Susan6 December 2011 at 19:30

    It's now time for you to show your quilt whose boss! You'll win this and I am sure it will be worth it! Love your candlemat!

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  12. Catherine6 December 2011 at 19:33

    oooo, lovely gift you have received! I am also doing a quilt at the moment where the back is a bit of a disaster, but the front looks fabulous

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  13. Shay6 December 2011 at 19:46

    I think in the ditch is the perfect choice. Those fabrics can still show themselves off and your quilt will have the definition you want. It'll all come together - just you wait and see!

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  14. Mrs Flying Blind...6 December 2011 at 20:49

    Get that quilt done and tumbled and then you can smile :)
    Great pressie and hurrah for mummy-volunteers x

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  15. Judith, Belfast6 December 2011 at 21:48

    What a lovely gift! Your ditch quilting is looking fab from here! Keep going girl! Jxo

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  16. Archie The Wonder Dog6 December 2011 at 22:24

    Love the idea of the dark red ditch quilting - you're a genius! I bet it looks great really! Hope you got free tea and mince pies in return for helping!

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  17. Di6 December 2011 at 23:52

    Chill. The quilting looks great and will look even better after that first wash. You are doing fine. Btw I like the red thread.

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  18. Toni7 December 2011 at 02:22

    It would have never occurred to me to use a contrasting thread to stitch in the ditch, but I really like it! Excellent work, Susan! And let's hope there was no eye-poking in round 2!

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  19. Dianne Neale7 December 2011 at 11:41

    Looking good. I just quilt with white cuz I'm boring, but I will give this contrasting idea a go in the future

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