Sunday, February 14, 2010

Patching Things Up


I'm now on the final layer of Work Quilt #3... sewing a few patches here and there... which will be followed by some more hand quilting, and a good wash in the machine to bring out the textures. Hope to have it all completed in the next few days.... but someone has been stealing my attention...



(Ellie Mae wishes you all a very Happy Valentines Day!)

31 comments:

Audrie said...

Loving the hand quilting on #3!
Ellie Mae's face is just precious!!

connie said...

Happy Valentine's Day to you and Ellie Mae!!! Enjoy you day and I love #3...

dutchcomfort said...

Happy Valentines Day Ellie Mae!

Love to see the way you construct your work quilts layer by layer!

Nina Lise@Mrs Moen said...

No 3 is going to be as gorgeous as the previos two. Happy Valentines Day to you both!

Allie said...

I'm looking forward to seeing it! Ellie Mae is precious - Happy Valentine's Day!

Dorrie said...

Love the quilty progress and the pup. . .well I think the pictures tells it all~cuteness!

Dee / Cloth Company said...

Hi Victoria, can't wait to see the quilt in its entirety... Ellie Mae is certainly deserving of attention -- look at that expression!

BTW,my dog will curl up on whatever work I have laid out on the floor, even if it is full of pins... he just seems to know where 'the energy' is!

Deb said...

Victoria, I love how even your stitches are...simply awesome! Happy Heart Day Ellie Mae!

Abby and Stephanie said...

Ellis Mae makes me smile. I hope you share lots of pics with us. I always look forward to seeing what colors you're working with. Always rich and wonderful.

Darlene said...

How can you resist that face?! Cuteness personified. My kitty likes to "help" me when I sew, too.

Your quilts are wonderful. I love all the quilting, and the patches add a whimsical touch.

Cheryl Arkison said...

Great new header!
And I love the grid on this one...

Bellgirl said...

Ah, Ellie Mae! She looks very like our Maisy Brown: http://bellgirl.com.au/2008/08/have-you-met-miss-brown_16.html

As they say in Italy, "The eyes drink you";)

BTW I wanted to ask about the new patches, will you quilt them right through so that your stitches show on the back of the quilt?

Bellgirl said...

Oops, just got the answer to my question by reading further down in your blog :)

XUE said...

I can tell that Ellie Mae (great name!) adores you already ! Bet she can see how talented you are!

Fer said...

Awwww... how could you resist those eyes!!

Val said...

I tried to leave this comment on your other blog Worn and Weathered but couldn't manage somehow - so I will try here:
My heart beats with yours as I read through your inspiring and insightful blog. The colours, the tantalizing glimpse of times gone by - posing questions and thoughts of Who? Why? How did it get that way?
I shall keep your blog on my favourites. Thanks for sharing your gifts and talents with us.
Blessings Val

henny said...

Love to (still) have opportunity in enjoying your beautiful stitches today. Happy valentine to you and Ellie Mae. Her eyes are so big and funny!

Jackie said...

Hi Victoria.
I've missed reading your blog because I moved some stuff on my reader list and it got cutaccidentally. I am so delighted for you with Ellie May. You have taken the plunge. She is gorgeous and I can tell she is just right for you.
I love the quilt ..its so comforting to look at.
Have fun with your new little friend.

jacquie said...

i don't know how you can concentrate on anything else. she's a doll! is she a snuggler too?

rosie/the fabric shopper said...

Oh Ellie Mae, you are still the scene from your momma's glorious stitching! Now I have to flip back and forth ...puppa, stitching. stitching, puppa! LOL

Suzanne Kistler said...

I LOVE your work quilt series. They are AMAZING. I wish I could reach through the monitor and examine them with my hands. Inspirational! Definitely!!

Victoria said...

Thank you everyone... and yes, Jacquie she is very much the snuggler!!

please sir said...

Looking good and hope you had a great love day!

stephie @ narrative self said...

I'm so excited to see how this one looks 'in full'. I'm also amazed at how much hand-sewing you've done since you last posted about it! Do you have a special technique, or does lots of practice mean you can sew at the speed of light?! Do you use a frame/hoop as you quilt? I never have, but wonder if I persevered whether I'd actually get better results?

A few questions there, sorry! Your new young lady is gorgeous by the way :)

Victoria said...

Hi Stephie,
Well, thank you... I personally feel like I stitch slow as a snail, and have to be careful about my OCD tendencies which cause me to undo and redo... but I do think the more you stitch, the faster it starts to go... you sort of develop a rhythm that keeps things moving. As for a hoop and/or frame... I do not like them one bit! I find frames awkward, and wind up twisting my body trying to get my hands at a comfortable angle, and with hoops I tend to get my thread caught on the tension screw thing-a-ma-jig. It all just slows me down even more, so I don't use them. The fact that I first do some machine quilting really helps make those contraptions less important, (thank goodness!)

natalie. beyond the reef said...

...who can resist the eyes of a dog...the look into the soul of humanity itself...a worthy distraction!
On another note - can you share what batting you choose for that 'texture'?
Thanks for sharing!

Hey Harriet said...

Haha! I sure would find that little bundle of cuteness very distracting! I hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day xo

Victoria said...

Natalie, lovely words about a dogs eyes... so very true.
And to answer your question, I use Quilters Dream 100% cotton batting. It quilts up nicely and washes well. :0)

Colleen MacDonald said...

Well of COURSE I'm completely in love with your quilt, but I kept coming back to sweet Ellie Mae; what a darling and curious face!

stephie @ narrative self said...

Victoria, thank you so much for your generous reply! I'm so glad it's not just me that can't stand the hoops - whenever I use them I always find the stitches on the reverse look a complete mess! I just try and make sure I baste them well before I get going - I masking- tape the layers of the sandwich to the kitchen floor and baste while it's nice and taught!! Each to their own :)

Margo said...

I LOVE your quilt (and your doggy is sweet too!). Are you quilting with Perl cotton or something similar? I saw that technique in Material Obsession and am thinking of trying it. I also like how you combine machine and hand quilting. Do you mark your lines somehow before you machine quilt?