For the Love of Quilting

For those of you who don't know I am a hand quilter. I love the process of hand quilting as much as I love the result. There is just something soothing about the rhythm of the needle rocking back in forth through the layers and I love how you can feel it begin to be a quilt as you make progress. Before I started quilting for publication, I hand quilted everything and I had never had anyone quilt anything for me until my first book. It may be the control freak in me that makes it hard for me to hand over my top and let someone else finish it. I don't know, but it is hard for me to do. I am weird about some things. Well, ,maybe more than some...

Anyway, with deadlines it is really hard to find the time to hand quilt all my quilts, especially since I do hand applique. I am pretty fast but it still just can't happen. In my first book, Geese in The Rose Garden, I handquilted the main quilt only. In my next book, due out at the end of the month, one of the three quilts is hand quilted. That kind of eases my mind so to speak if I can quilt at least one.

I am currently working on 5 new patterns using layer cakes. The one I am doing right now is nearly quilted. I machine quilted the sample for French Wrens, so I really wanted to hand quilt this one. To make it do-able. I am using the big stitch method. I really enjoy this. It allows me to hand quilt but at a much faster pace.

For those of you who have not tried it, it is the same process as regular handquilting. You use a hoop and rock your needle exactly the same way. The difference being you are using a pearl cotton thread that allows you to take large stitches, speeding up the process greatly. I use a number 8 pearl cotton and an embroidery needle. You get a quilt that softly drapes and has great texture.

These photos show a sneak peak at the first new pattern. It is called Selene and uses a layer cake and a tiny bit of yardage for some sashing borders. The fabric is Luna Notte by 3 Sisters for Moda. I LOVE it. I have been a 3 Sisters fan always but this line is probably my favorite since Wuthering Heights and Chocolat. The black is gorgeous. I love black fabrics and good ones are hard to find sometimes. The paisley is fantastic. The precuts are in shops now and the yardage shoud be available soon. As soon as I get the pattern printed I will be doing a give away. Stay tuned.

Dawn