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Monday, March 15, 2010

A Quilt Finish!


While traveling and in between teaching.....I've FINALLY finished the quilting on this orphan block quilt!

You know..I love how it feels when you are pushing to get that last stretch of border completed...oh so close...the adrenaline kicks in and....(yeah, I know that those who aren't quilters are probably wondering what the heck that is about...but...;c) )

Here it is on my bed in the hotel room in all it's untrimmed unbound glory!

There is just such a wild array of fabrics in this, and I especially love working on things when students can come and take a look. Many want to know how I hand quilt..which finger gets the thimble, why I like using a hoop, what size of needles I like, what brand, etc. What kind of thread....they even like to feel the callouses on my "under" fingers! (And yes, the best way to keep those under fingers calloused is to keep quilting at least 15 minutes a day if at all possible, just to keep them tough!)

I didn't know what to call this quilt, but as I finished that homestretch, I came up to a piece of Laurel Birch favorite fabric that had words on it. I believe the whole phrase was "Kindred Spirits, Kindred Souls" But the piece is missing the first Kindred...only part of the Spirits shows, but Kindred Souls is still visible.

AHA! So the quilt has it's name....Kindred souls. We'll get it trimmed up and get that binding on when I get it home.

Another little bitty thang only needs 2 borders finished too....I'm quilting baptist fans in that border, and we'll see how far it can get as I travel home.

23 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:06 PM EDT

    How Beautiful! No one would ever know this quilt was not planned to be just what it has become.

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  2. This is very nice......I am starting to get a collection of orphan blocks myself...so maybe at some point I'll do something like this with them. I love the name you gave it, too.

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  3. Anonymous5:17 PM EDT

    Another beautiful quilt. Where do you find the time??

    Blessings,
    Jilly

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  4. .Yippee!! I am glad for you...I have loved watching this one grow.

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  5. I have hand quilted all of my quilts so far, partly because I have never learned to machine quilt and mostly because it just feels so good to do it by hand. I love the feel of the quilt when enough of it has been quilted and it starts to feel like a single unit, not loose like a top, batting and backing. There is just something really special about the way it feels when all the layers are stitched together as one. It's love that stitches it together and I love the process!

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  6. Love it! Think you should call it "Zippity Do Da!!" quilty hugs, Shelley

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  7. Wonderful display of blocks. I bet your room felt cozier with that quilt on the bed.

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  8. Hi Bonnie, I absolutely love your orphan block quilt. What a great Idea!. I think I would rather do that than make pillows...especially since I never use the pillows.You are such a motivating person for us scrappy lovers..

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  9. This turned out so beautiful. I either hand quilt or tie mine with yarn. And have both in progress at the moment.

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  10. I don't know how you manage to get SOOOO much done!!! Thank you so much for your inspiration and generosity in putting so many quilt patterns on your web site. when I read this post, I also wondered more about your hand quilting style, so I went to your web site to see if you say anything about that and I couldn't find anything. If it is there, could you point me to it? If not, I would really like to know if you do "free motion" hand quilting and your "system" of getting things hand quilted. Thanks!

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  11. I loved taking your classes this weekend. You have inspired me to step out of my comfort zone. Can't wait until you return to Louisiana in January.

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  12. Bonnie, this quilt is so pretty and colorful. Thank you for sharing!
    Colleen

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  13. I love the quilt! It looks like you did fans in the center, is that correct? Perfect name, too! Thanks for always inspiring me.

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  14. Bonnie I just love it! I especially love the blocks you show in the closeup!

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  15. Your quilt is gorgeous, someday I want to tackle the handquilting. I machine quilt and only small size quilts. Love the name you picked.

    I just posted my wild Maverick stars, can't get enough of them.

    Keep Stitchen'
    Bonnie

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  16. This quilt is beautiful, I would love to make one like this!

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  17. What a fun quilt! Sure livens up a motel room!

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  18. Bonnie, this is absolutely beautiful!! :)

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  19. Bonnie,
    I love this quilt. It's wonderful. And don't you love hand quilting? So much slower than machine, but so satisfying.

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  20. Sure doesn't "seem" like an orphan quilt to me... looks very "put together"! Great quilt... I also love how the blocks with the "cheddar orange" (as you call it) look in this quilt. Fits right in! I can imagine you do have some lovely conversations on planes etc... always nice to meet new people!

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  21. Just found your blog today and so glad I did. Love the quilt and the name you gave it. I have been playing around with guilting over the years, learning as I go. So I am excited to find a place where I can learn some more and gain some inspiration to jump back into the hoop once again. Looking forward to my next project, whatever that may be. May try one of your free paterns. Thanks!

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  22. So, what color thread did you use for the top quilting?

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