Quilt pinned to batting and backing

Quilt pinned to batting and backing

Been busy working on my AAQI quilt.  I decided against fusing it.  I wanted to keep the frayed edges and the softness.  Another reason was that I would have had to disassemble it to iron the Wonder Under onto it!  I learned that if you want to fuse something, it’s a good idea to have the fabric fused ahead of time!

So this quilt top is not sewn together.   It’s being held together with the quilting, which is working surprisingly well.  The edges of the strips are fraying a little, which is the effect I was looking for.  (I suppose I should add a note saying that this quilt should not be washed in the washing machine!  It would probably be OK to hand wash it carefully, roll it in a towel to absorb excess moisture, and let it air dry on a flat surface.)

Pieced backing

Pieced backing

I probably spent too much time worrying about the backing, but I finally hit on this combo, using leftover fabric from the front.  Now I just need to come up with the binding!

My collection of "darning silk"

My collection of "darning silk"

I have a big bag of embroidery floss that I ran across recently, but do you think I can find it now?  I need to tear apart my closet to locate it.  In the meantime, I ran across a bunch of darning silk thread that I’ve had for years.  I probably got it in a box of stuff from one of the many farm auctions in South Dakota I used to go to when I lived there.

Darning silk?  It’s probably from the days when women used to take the time to darn wool socks.  The thread is probably at least thirty years old, but it’s still strong and usable after all those years.  The colors are goofy in the photo; the blues are really gray.

I settled on a light tan to quilt the piece with.  The hand quilting is going well.  I haven’t done any hand quilting in years, and I forgot how relaxing it is.  I spent several hours quilting the piece yesterday, and should finish that today.

I recently ran across the concept of “slow cloth.”  This is a reaction to all the quilting shortcuts that are available today.  While I don’t have a problem with the shortcuts (they do make it possible to finish quilts in a short time), there is something to be said about taking your time with some pieces, to just enjoy the process.  This is something I want to explore further, in another blog post.  In the meantime, take a look at Considering at Judy’s Journal.  This is a thoughtful post on what quiltmaking is today, and what it could be.

So I haven’t been in a hurry to finish this piece.  This is a change for me.  I’m deliberately working at a slower pace, not rushing the process.  Because the piece is small, even though it’s taking longer than I expected, it’s OK, because it’s nearly done now anyway.  It’s interesting that I’m using the darning silk to quilt it.  It’s like the thread has come full circle, from an era when women took the time to darn socks, to taking the time to handquilt my challenge quilt.

On a different note:  I’ve joined two Yahoo groups.  The first one is the Liberated Quilters.  While they’re not affiliated with Gwen Marston, they follow her liberated quilting methods.  In the words of the group, “We just want to have fun and say boo! to the quilt police!”  I love it!

The second group is Studio Quilts–Goldilocks And Friends.  This group was started by Debbie Babin, “to offer learning opportunities and communicate on topics that relate to textile (fiber) arts and quilting.”  This group is a bit more serious-minded, which is good, also.  My goal this year is to find my voice, my own personal style, so this is a place where I can go to explore this aspect of my quilting.

I would also recommend visiting any of the blogs on my blogroll.  Seeing what other quilters are doing has two advantages.  Not only are my horizons being expanded, but I already have ideas for my next two AAQI Challenge Quilts!

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