1/ Take a picture of the finished quilt before you give it away! This post will have to make do with old pictures from the making of 'Kiss in the Corner, until I can get a picture from the recipients. This quilt went everywhere, including on holiday to the Premier Inn. It was my first full size double and my first hand quilted project.
2/ Start small when you are a novice! Especially with hand quilting, it became overwhelming!
3/ I learnt why hand quilting is done in long lines, mostly. I spent
a lot of time wrestling it in circles, as each of those white patches
on the twisted nine patch block has two hearts on! And I quilted in each
of those small blue areas (I need not have) and the brown squares.
Total overkill, but it has a very unique quilting design, as the hearts
are all random shapes and sizes and the quilting of the brown patches
was governed by the fabric pattern of each.
That was the idea, of course, as it was a last minute wedding gift for my sons friend (he was best man at his friends wedding). I was contributing the work and he paid some of the cost.
4/ For me, this is a big lesson, don't tell the recipients something is on the way. I'm a terrible 'finisher' always starting something new, so many ideas, so little time. It' 3 1/2 years late!! The SHAME!!!
This is the closest picture I have to what it looks like now, minus borders. I chose a busy backing, as the quilting was an unknown entity and I didn't know what it would look like. That was a GOOD choice!
For the binding, I used navy blue, with a backing fabric crumb catcher, I'm really pleased with how that looks. Sewing the binding down only took a couple of evenings, so it went off with my so yesterday to give to his friends just before Christmas. Phew!
