Saturday, May 27, 2006

My Latest Work


A few days ago, I posted that I was working feverishly on a new quilt as an end-of-the-year gift. I am happy to report that I got it finished on time, and it went out to its intended recipient. I actually had it finished a few days early, but I didn't publish the photo because my friend has this blog address. (I don't know whether she reads or not, but I wanted to keep it a secret, so I chose not to reveal a picture, thereby spoiling her surprise.) I chose those particular colors and fabrics because my friend's favorite color is blue, and I wanted to make something whimsical and fun-loving -- both of which are traits that she displays in abundance. The dimensions are 60 inches in length and 38 inches in width.

Now that I have almost a whole summer of free time, I'd like to get a few more done. I tend to make smaller quilts since it's still a fairly new hobby for me. I taught myself to quilt about 5 years ago, and have been doing progressively larger projects ever since. The size of the quilt above is termed "crib size" or "lap size" and is mainly used for children's quilts or wall hangings. I like that particular size since the projects seem to go together more quickly, and they're not quite so bulky and hard to maneuver. I do all of the actual block contruction (the sewing of the pieces that make up each individual block) with a sewing machine, but I will often hand-quilt the "quilt sandwich" (the three layers that make up a quilt.) Most of the quilts I make are gifts. I like making something that other people will actually use and love. I like the fact that I make quilts with a specific person in mind, and with an idea in my head of a design that matches a personality.

I hope to be quite busy over the summer, if I can afford it. It's pretty sad when you beggar yourself for quilt supplies. It's an expensive hobby.

6 comments:

purple_kangaroo said...

That's gorgeous. Quilting is a hobby I've done only a teeny-tiny bit of, but would love to take up.

ccw said...

That is a beautiful quilt!

KLee said...

Thank you, kind ladies. I wanted something that mimicked my friend's mentality -- she's very whimsical, and fun-loving, and I wanted something that expressed her personality. I thought it was a pretty good match.

I want to make a few more quilts this summer, so I have a stock laid in as gifts for upcoming events and holidays. I hope that I'll get some good work done before the summer's over.

jo(e) said...

Wow! It is simply gorgeous.

Anonymous said...

That's beautiful. I"m so impressed.

Unknown said...

That is really gorgeous! Well done you!