Thursday, July 18, 2013

Finish!! (and a long time a'coming)

Yesterday I had the pleasure of throwing my newly finished 16-year-old albatross queen size quilt into the washer and dryer in hopes of removing the various markings and abundance of kitty fur clinging to the top.  Happily, all of the marks and (most of) the kitty fur are gone.  I've got to warn you, after 16 years in the making, this post is going to be photo-heavy!    So, here we go, first photo was taken right after I finished stitching down the binding, before throwing it in the washer. 
And now, the "after"


A very exciting shot of the back - and a rippled back it is, though not as noticeable now that it has had time in the washer and dryer.
My first attempt at needle-turn hand applique
And some of the individual blocks.  This quilt is titled "Biblical Blocks" and is from a book of the same name by Rosemary Makhan, published in 1993.  







I won't bore you with all my tribulations in putting this quilt together, let's just say I love my rotary cutter after having cut all these little pieces individually from templates!  The needle-turn appliqued border took over a year of evenings, and the hand quilting, probably another 2+ years!  And there were other "must-do" quilts that had to take precedence along the way.   But now it's finished and hanging on the quilt rack in our room awaiting a night cool enough to toss it on the bed.  Of course actually putting it on the bed means more kitty fur ... lots more kitty fur ... and so it goes!


10 comments:

Dora, the Quilter said...

It's a very beautiful quilt. Also, a fantastic accomplishment, regardless of how many years it took to finish. (Shhh! I have quilt tops older than that still waiting--and they are quilts I love, just haven't managed to finish.)

Janet O. said...

Beautiful job. I have this book and have made some of the blocks--including the center Tree of Life, but never the whole quilt. It intimidated me--especially the applique. : )
I love the rich colors, and you have done justice to the use of the striped fabric. Very nice. It must feel great to have it finished!

Teresa in Music City said...

Wow! What a wonderful finish!!! I have one that languished about that long before I finally finished it... it feels great, doesn't it? Congratulations :*)

Kyle said...

Congratulations. Your quilt is beautiful and a tribute to perseverance.

Barbara said...

It looks fantastic! What an accomplishment.

Tami C said...

It's just lovely and doesn't matter how long it took you to finish. You did it and that's what counts. I too have fur babies that love to get all over my quilt work, whether finished or not!

Marti said...

It's gorgeous! Good choice of colors, they're as popular today as they were 15 years ago. I love the applique and the fussy cuts on the blocks.

Martha said...

Awesome and beautiful!!! Congratulations on a wonderful finish!!!

Doniene said...

This quilt is just wonderful!! I love the borders and the on point setting!!! I've got a feathered star medallion that is a UFO - waiting for inspiration!! I think I've just found it!!

Blessings

Carli The Quilter said...

Just love the bold colors of this quilt. Bravo!