Spring Gathering

For the first spring quilting gathering, I decorated my house with flowers.

Our quilting group is becoming sometimes half knitting group. Eleni, our great long-arm quilter is crocheting a stunning jacket from a Rowan pattern with Rowan yarn. I am eager to see it finished. She as well did an apron for Michele, of her own pattern. We had fun trying it and we all want one!

Michele is knitting a wonderful blanket and the other friends are progressing with there quilting projects : Flower Garden hexagons, diamonds...

For coffee time I did for the first time a gluten free apple tart. I used for the pie dough a mix of buckwheat, corn flour and rice flour. The result was very good and well appreciated though I am the only one to be on gluten free diet!

Wishing a wonderful spring to everyone!

Liberty Four Patch Quilt Finished

Last month you could follow step by step the progress of my Liberty Four Patch quilt.

The very last step is hand sewing the border on the back of the quilt. This is now done, and the quilt is completed. For this project, I was happy to go back to hand quilting, and I must say that I am very satisfied with the result. After enjoying sewing in the garden, I enjoyed taking some pictures,  and again could not resist to sending you photos of some pretty flowers.

I wish the weather would  remain so mild. Spring in Greece is the best season of the year... before the summer's heat!

Hand Quilting

My last three posts showed you my Liberty Four Patch progress step by step.

Forth step : putting the basted three layers on the hoop and starting hand quilting.

After trying many kinds of batting (synthetic, cotton, wool) I found out that for hand quilting the synthetic one gives the best result. You can almost get the Trapunto look by making very small stitches and slightly pulling the thread.

The second picture shows how I use my hoop to quilt the border.

After hand quilting is finished, I sewed the binding as shown here and here, and this is the last step.

Spring is beautiful these days, and it was so pleasant to quilt outside, especially when the quilt colors are in harmony with the garden! I cannot prevent myself from sending you pictures of my flowers.

Pieced Backing

As I never really plan my quilts, it's seldom that I have enough fabric in my stash for the backing. 

Usually I order a matching fabric. For my Liberty Four Patch top I had found in my stash an old floral fabric from Lucien, but so disappointed that it was only one yard. As I thought it was perfectly matching, I decided to use it and to complete with leftover squares from the top and to add a piece of lilac fabric. I must say that I enjoyed doing this for the first time. I am very pleased with the result and happy for the saving money on another fabric order! 

My lilac starts flowering and my quilting mood is lilac tone!