A Huge Finish!

The quilt I told you about in this post, I am happy to report, has finally been completed.  This has been an interesting journey.  And a long one!  I started this Blooming Nine Patch in 2002, then set it aside for about 8 years.  Last year I got it out of the cabinet, determined to finish it.  Once it was put together and basted, it was set aside again for a while.  I was beginning to think this would be my "take-it-to-the-home-with-me" quilt!  After 7 months of working on it nearly every day it's finally ready for the big reveal........

I appliqued one of each of the blocks onto the back to create a design.  

You can see the blocks a little better in this close-up.

I am holding onto this one for a while before I hand it off to Aaron and Leah.  I'm thinking I may enter it in a few quilt shows first.


This one has to be my all time favorite quilt.  (Until I finish the next one, of course.)

Bloomin' Nine Patch Progress Report

Way back in July I told you about Aaron and Leah's Bloomin' Nine Patch in this post.   Since I started hand-quilting it on July 16th I have been making some serious headway and thought I would give you an update.   


I am a notorious list-maker, chart-keeper, note-taker type person.  So obviously on a project this large (the quilt is 110" x 120") I want to keep track of my progress.  It kind of becomes a game to me that way, and it keeps me motivated. (And, yes, I am extremely competitive!)  


There are 1,010 blocks in this quilt.  I knew I would NOT want to regularly count them, so the first "list" keeps track of weekly progress.  I jot down a little hash mark for each block completed and then tally them up at the end of the week.  The second "list" shows how many blocks are in each row so I can just add instead of count as I complete a row.  (And, even though adding involves the dreaded math I would rather add than count!)  The third "list" shows how many blocks need to be quilted to get to certain progress points - 1/4th, 1/3rd, etc.

   


I want you to know that list-makers sometimes wear themselves out before they even start their projects!











Are you ready to see how much I have done so far?  (The "so far" at the end of the sentence indicates that there is hope -- I am NOT giving up!)

I have quilted from the center working out, and I have quilted to within 15" of the edge.  Looks like a lot, doesn't it?  Well, it's NOT.  I have quilted exactly half the blocks!  Looks are deceiving for sure.  That's the problem with list-making.  I would have thought I was almost done!!


It really is pretty, though.  I am quilting around each little square in the nine-patch blocks and using a great stencil in the solid blocks.  It's called "Quilted Ball" from The Stencil Company.    A great and inexpensive place to buy stencils, by the way.   Sometimes I just buy them so my grands can trace them and then color the designs.  They love stencils!

Another fun thing about the quilting is I am using different colored threads as I move towards the outside edge, starting with pale yellow in the middle, then light orange, dark orange, red, and finally black.  I don't think it will be real obvious once it's completed, but I am NOT ripping anything out!

You may be able to see the thread changes in this photo. Maybe not.  Either way, no critiques of my work, please. My fingers are awful sore and I have to be able to think the pain is worth it!

Aaron and Leah's Blooming Nine Patch

I used to be the kind of quilter who signed up for every workshop my quilt guild offered, started the project being taught at each retreat I went to, got involved in every block swap my online quilt group dreamed up, and joined in every round robin that came along.  Uh huh......some of you know exactly what I am talking about.  And that's how you end up with all those UFO's!  


So, naturally in 2002 when the Blooming Nine Patch was going to be taught at my guild retreat, I just had to make one.  I asked Aaron and Leah, who were "just friends" and both art majors, to help me select the fabrics. We had a blast at the quilt shop and these are the fabrics we came home with ......

One of the tools we used to organize our fabrics at retreat was this sheet .....  

Even though this quilt is partially strip-pieced it's difficult to keep all the pieces lined up and in the right order.  Then, as you can see, I added several rows because I wanted it to end up a King size.  

Once it was coming together into a completed top, it was obvious that it wasn't going to look really finished unless it had a darker final border so I added even more rows, this fabric.....










.....and a black Moda Marble. 

NOW it looks finished.  And it's a mere 110" by 120"  

It IS pretty, though, isn't it?

Aaron and Leah are still friends, AND they just celebrated their 7th wedding anniversary.  They had actually forgotten all about this quilt.  Not me!  It's the oldest thing on my UFO list!  

Since it's another humongous quilt (I've made a few of those!) I thought I would have it machine quilted by a professional.  Well, my son and daughter-in-law are kind of sentimental and romantic.  They want ME to quilt it.  Awwww!  Aren't they cute?

Because it's way too big for me to machine quilt, that means hand-quilting.

Of the 1,010 blocks I have 37 quilted so far.  I just might be able to get it done in time for their 10th anniversary!