A Long Term Project Started

This past spring, I made the decision to buy a "kit" for a wholecloth quilt. The word "kit" nabbed me and convinced me that perhaps it would be a short\cut. I am beginning to realize my folly in the attempt to hand quilt a queen size wholecloth quilt that has pre-marked lines with ink that will eventually wash out with cool water. I tested one line of stitching and yes, the color blue easily comes off with cool water on a cotton swab.

The design is a Welsh-style one. However, there are many many straight lines that form a cross-hatched background. I paid a machine-quilter to baste this quilt by machine. What a blessing that was! At least I can drape this gigantic textile over a standing hoop and select the area I would like to quilt.

If anyone else is "game," this is sold as a kit at Keepsake Quilting

At first I was very hopeful. I told myself that I would load 8 needles every time and quit when I ran out of thread. No. That plan is not working out. I run out of patience after about two runs. In all the years I have done hand-quilting, I am perhaps at my apex of achievement but my fine little even stitches simply do no hardly show at all on this quilt in spite of the fact that I am using pink thread, perhaps in too light a shade.

The other queen size hand-quilted quilt I ever made took two years to finish. I have the new project set up in the den and from that vantage point, I can hear the birds chirping, see an occasional hummingbird feeding, or listen to the brook down back babbling. These are the benefits of hand-quilting in that particular room. It is also a very special place and is not exceedingly-trafficked, making it an ideal spot to leave the quilt in place, with the top of the circular quilting frame removed when it is not in use.

I am sure that the quilt will look nice when it is finished. I am just not completely sure that I will have the forbearance to finish it. In fact, I believe I would rather shoot myself in the foot. We all make mistakes. One of my mistakes is thinking that I shall live forever. I must think that or else I would stop taking on so many projects. I have an equally complex and lengthy embroidery project in the wings, so to speak. I might tell you about that some other time.

For now, I am pondering how lovely the quilt will look and how upset I could become if a cat or dog even thought of jumping on it, or if some idiota (Spanish word that means idiot) sat on the quilt. It will be a special quilt and as much as I have visions of giving it away, I probably won't. It will be a case of hoarding something special until the "right" person comes along who might be the quilt's future owner. First, however, I shall have to finish it. My friend who bought this exact same quilt is working on her quilt and we are encouraging each other. Which reminds me...I have not yet worked on it today. Adios for now.