Happy Monday to you all!
So, last Friday afternoon, a package arrived on my doorstep. Said package contained none other than my father’s latest hand-pieced quilt top. He’s left it to me to get the top finished into an actual quilt.
We talked here about two months ago about hand quilting versus machine quilting and what might be the best way to finish this top. In the end, I came down on the side of “I’ll see what it looks like when it’s finished and decide then what quilting will best complement the top.”
Now that it has arrived, I can actually make a decision!
It’s about 80 inches wide and 87 inches long. It’s made up of little diamond shapes. If placed a certain way, three of these little shapes together make a hexagon. Every piece of fabric in the quilt has some kind of flowers in it. Here’s a shot with me in it, just for scale (and because it’s fun to play with the timer on the camera!).
Did I mention yet that I think it’s just gorgeous??!?!!!
His other quilts were backed with muslin, and he’s indicated that he figured this one would be backed with muslin as well. That’s fine. I can do that if that’s what he wants. It certainly won’t detract from the top that way!
Now, my father has said that he pretty much expects me to just take care of having someone else do the quilting, but I would REALLY love to quilt this myself, one way or another.
There is no rush to get this completed in any certain amount of time, so in theory I *could* try to hand quilt it. Though I probably won’t have time to start working on quilting this between now and Christmas, and I suspect it could take me years to get it done if I hand quilted it.
It all comes down to one question — what quilting would look best??
I’d love to hear your suggestions!
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I would hand quilt. If you cant do it I would find a group of people to do it. I think it would be a shame to do all that hand piecing and then machine quilt.
Oh my, it’s gorgeous! I can’t stop looking at it. Your father did a fabulous job!
Absolutely gorgeous! I can’t wait to show a few friends in Belgium who think that guys don’t quilt – let alone with florals. It’s lovely and should be cherished forever – I would hand quilt it .. but also understand the desire to finish and use it. Good luck!
I think that would look the best quilted by hand – but one also has to consider whether it would ever be finished!
Peggy’s idea has merit – maybe the ladies in our guild would lend a hand?
Your Dad made that? That is stunning…and my two cents worth… Hand quilt.
What a beautiful quilt! I could stare at it for hours, especially different sections, if I were seeing it in person. I like Peggy’s suggestion to hand quilt it with a group of quilting buddies. That would make it so much more special! But if you wanted to machine quilt it, it looks like the dark diamonds form a pattern that you could use for inspiration for a template.
Amy – it is such a jolly quilt – what an accomplishment for your Dad. I too vote for hand quilting – red thread!
Oh, my goodness! That is simply gorgeous! Earlier this year, my mom finished a quilt top that I’d designed, and we both had our hearts set on having it hand-quilted, but it just didn’t work out. I couldn’t believe how pleased we were with the machine-quilted results. I’m not a quilter, and I don’t even piece tops, but my mom has been doing this for year. She came away very pleased with the machine results and has had another one done since then.
You’re invited to a link-up event at my place on November 5th and 6th called, The Airing of the Quilts. I hope you’ll join me. I’d be pleased if you hopped over to my blog for the event button, so you can share this opportunity with your blog followers.
That is incredible! I know lots of people are saying hand quilt, and that would be awesome. But I fall in the camp that finished at some point is better than never finished. What do you feel like doing?
Machine quilting would certainly not take away from it. You could play up the secondary designs with in the ditch or 1/4 inch stitching.
I love that the placement of the red blocks is certainly intentional. At first glance you think it all random, but it isn’t. Ooh, what about quilting it in red thread?
sorry, i can´t help with the quilting question because frankly i don´t care how you quilt this: such a wonderful top can go with all kinds of quilting. it is breathtaking!!
oh, and of course i do care what you´ll do with it …
claudia
the prints are so busy I don’t know that quilting will actually show up that well.
I can understand wanting to hand quilt it, and my head is screaming “baptist fan”.
I bet it would look great in your signature ovals
or some other “all over”…
Wow! What a quilt! Quilt it however you decide, but hand quilting would make it a perfect heirloom. Of course, it would also take a year or two if I were doing it.
Amazing. I would DEFINITELY hand quilt because of all the work that went into hand piecing it. and then it would be that much more special when passed down as a family heirloom. Just take your time! Beautiful.
I vote for machine quilting it with your signature ovals as Rachel suggested. I think it would be cool that it would be a combination of your father’s work and your work in the design of the quilting, and also that it is your signature look.
For me, I think that’d be a special personal connection, in place of the connection of the hand quilting.
And I agree with you, if he keeps at it at this pace and you try to hand quilt them, you’ll never get anything else done!