First things first; here is my quilt. I thought I was on the last quarter of the middles, but it turns out that I have a half to go (the bottom half in the picture). Geez….I guess I dreamed that I was on the last quarter.
My general rule for machine or hand quilting, is to match the thread to the background. In the case of a dark fabric, it can be difficult to see where I’m going. Although I have Ott lights all over the house and right by my chair, I often have trouble positioning the light exactly where I need it to be. When I was in a toy store recently, I saw this,
and was reminded of a quilt teacher/friend, who uses a miners head lamp for applique and quilting! It works pretty well, though Peter is continually startled when I look at him and pin him in the spotlight. I think it will be great to take when we travel as hotel rooms rarely have decent lighting. (I also know a quilter who takes her own light bulbs when she travels!) Google miner’s lamp and you will find many options…
Despite the fact that I thought I was on the last quarter, I have made good progress – so many football games to watch. As I stitch along, I have been looking at the border and wondering what to do there. Borders always flummox me. I was hoping that the fabric print had a vine or some sort of pattern that I could follow, but it does not.
Stay tuned! And please check out the blogs of these ladies who are working away on their quilt tops! This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another. If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.
Kathy, Lori, Margaret, Kerry, Emma, Tracy, Deb, Connie, Susan , Jessica , Sherry, Nanette, Sassy, Edith , Sharon and Bella.
Your quilt is gorgeous! What a great idea, the miners head light, I actually have a readers head light and I never thought of using it. I laughed out loud picturing you looking up at Peter…very funny. Thanks for the idea of the head light while quilting! It will definitely help ~ Sharon
Welcome to the group! Here’s to us all making great progress this next three weeks…
It’s a stunning quilt, and I love the idea of a miners lamp!
Thanks so much! You’re making good progress on your quilt too!
Lighting is so essential for hand work! At home, I have a magnifying glass with a great light on a floor stand that I can position to either just give me light or down lower so it magnifies the area I am working with great light. I miss it since I am matching the thread colors to the fabric too, but I may just have to get a headlamp to help me out here. We use them frequently on the farm to do chores after dark when we need both hands to pitch the hay!! Love your quilt and I can’t wait to see it finished!! Borders are fun but can be challenging to come up with a quilting pattern. Since I longarm, my borders go much more quickly then yours. Show a picture of the border and you may get some great suggestions that will stir your creativity for a fabulous border design!
I actually don’t need a magnifying glass yet; my readers work fine for the smaller things.I like the idea of using it at night, for real work… Thanks for your suggestions on the quilting. It’s just not my strong suit.
Beautiful quilt! I need one of those lights for when I’m not at home needing extra light!
I don’t alwasy need it and I’m curious to see how long the batteries last. I\ am glad that I remembered it…
Oh I love that! Your quilt is coming along wonderfully, even if the 3rd quarter finish was a dream! I still struggle a lot with what to quilt too. With your beautiful leaves meandering through the middle, what about some stems with leaves and some flowers, similar to appliqué borders? I’m sure you’ll have a perfect idea by the time you get there!
Thanks Kathy! I needed that atta girl. I was very disappointed when I saw how much was left to quilt.
A bit of a nasty surprise…but you can get through it!
Lovely quilt. Love your light, I need to get one of those.
Oooooo I need to get one of those head miners lamps because in fmq I cannot see where I have been using matching thread!
Flying blind… Let me know how it works for you.
What are you going to do when football is over? Wait–I know!! Olympics! The quilt is really spectacular–it’s going to be an heirloom. I struggle with how to quilt borders and sashing, too, and I have a ton of sashing . . . ick.
Ahhhh….Pinterest is where I go when ideas fail me. Honestly- I can really lose time when I start searching there. How wide are they? If you outline around the squares you might not need quilting.
I have recently gotten on Instagram and am liking that a lot. One picture rather than a whole bunch of “my kids at the beach, my kids at the school play”. I have found some new hookers and quilters by asking Instagram for suggestions.
Of course we have The Super Bowl coming up but I don’t get much done then…between watching the commercials and drinking a lot… ;-D
Whatever works! LOVE the quilt!
Thank you Laura. ;-D
That’s an awesome idea to use a miner’s torch! The quilt is looking so beautiful ❤
Thank you Emma. It looks like you’re planning to be a very busy 🐝 this year!