Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Quilt For Veterans Quilt 3 Progress


My original plan was to make three quilts (to start with) for Veterans.  I felt if I could get three quilts done quickly, then three Veterans would have a quilt.  A lot has happened since I started.  On quilt 1, I used many of my machines and both machine-quilted and am now hand-quilting motifs.  Using all my machines was nice for the first quilt, but it's a difficult way to put a quilt together for consistency in stitches.


Quilt 2 has been machine-pieced and machine-quilted, and I will again be hand-quilting motifs in the blocks.


Quilt 3 may be both a challenge and more rewarding.  I am considering not only hand-quilting the quilt entirely, but hand-piecing it as well.  I am a little disappointed with the way the machine piecing came out on quilts 1 and 2.  I am experienced, and followed the correct methods of piecing, but some blocks just don't line up exactly.  This never used to happen with my quilts, and although, yes, I am getting older, I may just be being pushed in another direction.


When I think of the "best" (for respect, showing of appreciation, etc.) quilt method, it is hand-piecing and hand-quilting.  And through to where I am now with quilts 1 and 2, I am feeling that Veterans deserve "the best".  My grandmother had hand-pieced and hand-quilted one block that I have, and I have always been amazed by it.  I have put a photo of it below:




My current quilt pattern is much simpler in design, being a patchwork style, but that doesn't mean the hand-piecing will be very different.  Hand-piecing is going to take time, and perhaps a little study of expert hand-piecers, but it is the only way I can ensure all my blocks line up the way I want them to.


McCall's Quilting has a page on basic hand-piecing.   Hand Piecing / Lessons   It's a very good place for me to start with Quilt 3.

I have hand-pieced a 49-square piece that will be Quilt 4, a Commemorative Wall Quilt. For Quilt 3, I am using what I learned from hand-piecing to make a better effort at all blocks lining up for my original Quilt 3 in red, white and blue. I am using my 1937 Singer model 15-88 treadle to piece the squares of this quilt into rows, but will be hand-piecing the rows together. - Well, that is what I had planned.....





After going back to hand-piecing for a bit, re-learning, reminding myself of ways to be accurate in piecing, I have moved to using a chain stitch machine for piecing.  Instead of hand-piecing the row, I will be joining them using a Singer model 20 SewHandy chain stitch sewing machine for the rest of the quilt top assembly.  Below is a photo of this machine and the rows I have started to piece.  I will be posting more on this machine, but it is from around the 1953 time period, a time period when my father was in Germany during the Korean War.




Seven blocks of Quilt 3 were hand-pieced.  The rest were pieced with two Singer model 20 SewHandy sewing machines.  The machine-quilting was done with my 1937 Singer model 15-88 treadle.  It is finished, and yet I am considering adding hand-quilted flowers to each block.


                     This quilt was given to a Veteran through Deputy Chief Stephen G. Xiarhos.

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