It’s three weeks since I showed you my Down the Rabbit Hole quilt, I had just started quilting it, trying to stitch petals on the Dresden circle, I’d just started stitching round the flowers in the next border too…
I haven’t done a huge amount, partly because it’s just been too hot to bury oneself under a king-size quilt! I’ve concentrated on the flower circles this week, mainly because I can’t find the cotton that I was using for the centre!!
I’m quilting immediately round each flower, then on some I’m making a second outer circle before echo quilting round them all. I was getting a little despondent thinking this is going to take forever, then I realised I only had about three circles to do and a few echoes and I’d quilted a quarter of the border. It doesn’t take much, it was enough to encourage me on. So I have now quilted a quarter of the flower border!
I’m looking forward to the next narrow border when I can do a simple design all in the same direction, like a scallop or a wiggle! One problem I’m having is that I keep needing to turn the quilt to stitch a circle, it’s a big thing to heave around! This is definitely something to consider when working out future quilting designs!
I think my stitching is improving a bit, I’m managing to ‘rock’ my needle to do about 3 stitches at once and I’ve finally mastered the thimble! Hopefully next time I’ll have a bit more to show you.
Hand Quilt Along Links
This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another. Please follow the links to see what everyone else is hand quilting. If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.
Kathy, Lori, Margaret, Kerry, Emma, Tracy, Deb, Connie, Susan, Nanette, Sassy , Edith, and Sharon
I’m also linking up with Kathy’s Quilts for Slow Stitch Sunday, a link party for all things hand-stitched.
thecraftycreek 
You’re doing brilliantly – I’m full of admiration for you tackling such a large quilt by hand. Will you be going down that road again?
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I’ll let you know at the end 🙂
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It’s looking great, Margaret! You’ve learned a hard lesson of quilting by hand–circles aren’t easy! But the look you’re getting is very effective!
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Thanks Kerry, I think I’ll avoid them in future!
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Great progress! The quilting really shows off those circles!
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Thanks Gail 🙂
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It is beautiful, do carry on….
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Thanks Lisa, I intend to 🙂
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I have found that now matter what the size of the quilt, hand-quilting circles is rarely an easy task. I really like the echo quilting that you have completed. I was so happy to see this quilt again.
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Thanks Cathie, I think I’ll be avoiding circles in future!
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Loving your progress. You’ll be done soon and proud you stuck it out!
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I am hand quilting too in this hot weather. I am using a hoop so I find it cooler, to put everything on a table and sit at the table. All the quilt is off my lap and I can still work comfortably!
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Thanks Deanna, that’s a good idea 🙂
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This is looking so good. And I love the colours!
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Keep at it! I hand-quilted mine, and the middle was definitely the most difficult….and quilting the house border.
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Gorgeous quilt, your hand quilting is amazing.
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Isn’t it marvelous to step back and see that lovely poofiness developing before your eyes! After the border of butterflies I did, I have become smarter (I hope) about the patterns I pick! I think it is part of the experience though now I have a better understanding of how/why the old quilts were done. After the fact though, you will love those circles and be glad you did them, even if you always think twice before adding them to another quilt! How exciting to be coming up a measurable section completed. I’m like you, those small goals really keep me going! BEAUTIFUL!
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Fantastic job! It is quite an undertaking to hand quilt such a large project, but you are making great progress!
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Oh my! So pretty!
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You have taken on quite a job but it is looking fantastic and the pay off will be when it is completed – Beautiful work.
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Nice! It really looks beautiful 🙂
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Beautiful colors and stitching! ”m only a “big stitch” hand quilter, and have never learned how to do tiny stitches. I do use a thimble with handwork as I tend to use the side of my long finger and that ruins my nail! Enjoy your stitching time.
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Thanks Annie, I don’t think my stitches are that little, I think I’m a middle stitch quilter 🙂
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It looks beautiful and I love the colour combination.
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It’s coming along beautifully. I confess to having a strong preference for geometric quilting designs for the very reason you’ve given; less hauling around of a big heavy quilt! In fact, despite having tried all sorts of things, my favourite is still an all-over pattern rather than working around the motifs in the quilt design. Clamshells, to be precise, although I dearly love a woven border, too. I’m so glad the thimble thing is working out for you, it will let you work for far longer than without.
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Thanks Kate, I’m learning fast about quilting designs!
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I think if we all had large floor frames it’d be different story, you could just move your chair around the static quilt. But who has room for that?
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You are doing a beautiful job! That table idea is a brilliant idea for summer quilting ! I do have a frame so that helps me out for summer months. Don’t worry about how fast you go or how much you haven’t got done.. just enjoy the stitching.
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Way to go!! You are on the last leg of the DTRH! I think the appliqué and piecing of this quilt was tricky at times, but the quilting seems a bit daunting to me…..I guess it’s just time to jump in and give it a go. Now if that’s not like Alice and the Rabbit Hole I don’t know what is! Lol😊❤️
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That’s great, Tracy! It does take time, but are you in a hurry? =) After all the beautiful handwork you did, hand quilting is the perfect way to go.
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This is looking so great!
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Well done! That’s a lot of progress!
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