Wednesday 4 January 2023

Circling the block: done and dusted

This quilt was my final finish of 2022, but I didn't get the photos done in time to post before New Year.  It was too wet to go out, so I had to wait for two people tall enough to hold the corners.  
It's not the greatest photo: once the weather improves I might try outside to get one without the ugly shadow.  One of my resolutions this year is to sort out a spot indoors where I can have a better setup for quilt photography.  I don't need anything fancy, but it would be nice for it to be more straightforward and less weather-dependent.

Anyhow, back to the quilt. it has been so long since I looked at it that it's rather a nice surprise now that it's finished.  You might say I have been looking at it all the time whilst quilting but it never really feels like that to me.  The quilting hoop breaks it down into a series of little fragments rather than a whole piece, so when it is done. I often feel slightly disconnected from it, almost as if someone else had made it.  

This was the first quilt I made after we moved and that now feels like a lifetime ago.  Maybe that's why the little houses found their way into the piecing.  They are one of my favourite bits.
I also love the slightly odd combination of the yellow-green and little pops of red, and the medallion-ish layout and the fact that I have used some of the Charley Harper fabric that sits in my boxes and looks at me reprovingly.  So it's all good.

I started this on 9th December 2020 and finished piecing on 11th February 2021. The starting point was the AHIQ Positive Thinking challenge. I'm not honestly sure when it went into the hoop but I know it came on holiday with me in early August, so let's say the beginning of that month.  I put in the last stitches on December 26th.

It measures somewhere around about 80 inches long by 70 inches wide. I used 6 shirts and the rest is yardage. Since this was finished I have hardly used any proper quilting cotton at all, except on quilt backs, so with the benefit of hindsight this seems like a transitional piece.  Although I like it, I can't imagine using so many commercial fabrics in a piece again.  

It's quilted with perle no. 8, in a random assortment of colours, and the wadding is Bosal Katahdin Organic Cotton.  

As the stash gets smaller and smaller it gets trickier to find bindings that work well, but in this case a muted blue/reddish/brownish stripe from an ancient Oakshott haul has done the trick.  I guess at some point I'll have to figure out what binding made from shirts looks like, but I confess it's not high on my list of priorities.  

9 comments:

Yvonne from Quilting Jetgirl said...

Indoor photography can be so tricky. I love my studio, but the window for natural light is small, and any photos I take on my design wall inevitably have shadows and dark spots. Anyway, that's a long winded way to say, congratulations on the finish and for having 2 tall people willing to hold it up for you! I love that you used a random assortment of perle no. 8 to quilt it with. Has this quilt found a particular home? It seems large enough to be claimed by someone for a bed quilt.

Julierose said...

This is a lovely finish--what an accomplishment! I personally love the mix of shirt and commercial fabrics--such a lively result!! You know I just love scrappiness;)))
Hugs, Julierose

Quiltdivajulie said...

Scrappy binding made with shirtings looks amazing, especially on a quilt that features shirtings. Congratulations on the finish and I do understand what you mean about seeing quilts finished and being surprised that you were the maker. I use my design wall for indoor photography - I've also seen a lot of bloggers drape the quilt casually over the corner of a partially opened door which yields a soft view of the quilt rather than a full-on frontal.

Quilting Babcia said...

This quilt just invites a further look around the neighborhood, imagining those little narrow strips near some of the houses as the neighborhood kids' shortcuts to get to a friend's house or the playground. And the birds are an ingenious addition to the whole. You've created a great finished quilt!

Robin said...

Wonderful finish! You always inspire me with your delightfully whimsical and innovative style. I wish you would make a book of all your pieces. I would love to see them all together.

Mystic Quilter said...

Kaja, you say it's not the greatest photo but gosh, the quilt is great! You must be thrilled with this quilt. I love the little houses and the birds and you have a good idea to locate a suitable spot to photograph in the house, I struggle with this too and it's not always possible, due to weather, to take a piece outside to photograph.

Nann said...

Oh, I just love it. Quirky, inventive, cozy--lots to see, but nicely pulled-together.

Ann said...

I remember this quilt. The birds here were always favorites of mine. Great to see it finished. It’s tricky combining clothing and yardage. Same thing with prints and solids at times. You’ve done a great job with this. And yes, I now realize how much your fabric choices have changed.

patty a. said...

Another wonderful quilt!