Over the last week I’ve managed to find a nice routine with my hand-quilting, I’m using a large lap hoop and I can nicely sit with it whilst watching TV on an evening with my OH. Three weeks ago I’d just started hand-quilting my seaside quilt having planned to do a ‘sea’ shape but settled on a clamshell shape when I realised my ‘waves’ were creating the clam shell and both were apt really for a seaside quilt. This was my ‘progress’ last time, as you can see I had just started outlining the central lighthouse block…

I’ve had a slight change of plan since then, I’ve stitched half way round both borders of the lighthouse block using a dark blue and a stone coloured sulky thread but somehow it just didn’t work for me. I started on the clamshells which can be easily stitched with rows of ‘waves’, all in one direction which I find much easier to quilt. I’m quilting straight across blocks like the friendship star or the pinwheels, just leaving the central embroidered or fussycut squares to quilt round just inside the seam.

It’s such a busy, cheerful quilt that it’s not easy to see the quilting, but I’ve continued the clamshells across the double borders and then just quilted just in from the applique blocks such as the cottages, starfish and dolphin.

I’m not finding this quilt as easy to actually stitch as the cottage garden one and I’m blaming the wadding. This one has Hobbs 82/20 which is what I usually use for my quilts. For the cottage garden quilt I thought I had ordered the same on line but when it arrived it felt lighter so I wasn’t sure what it would be like. It turned out to be a dream for hand quilting, malleable and easy to stitch with a nice loft to give a cosy, cuddly finish. It’s a shame I don’t know what it’s called!! I’ve still got some scraps so I might send some to a couple of suppliers to find out what it’s called so I can use it next time I hand quilt.

As it hasn’t been as easy to actually stitch I’ve done a fair amount of stab-stitching to try and get the stitches anywhere near small enough (and I’m more of a big stitch quilter!!) so I was quite pleased that it still looks reasonable on the back…

…the wave effect seems to show more on the back!

I’m just using one colour a variegated Sulky thread now, it’s mid blues and greens and so far it’s blended in nicely with everything. I’ll pull out those first couple of threads round the lighthouse and carry on with the clamshells.

If you fancy making this cheerful quilt, it’s from the book by Kathryn Whittingham of Patchwork Katy called the Seaside Quilt. It’s written for beginners and hand-stitching so the instructions are really nice and clear. I’ve machine pieced and hand embroidered it but you could even do free machine embroidery if you prefer.

Hopefully next time I share this quilt I’ll have done more of a definite area, now I know what I’m doing !

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.  If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.

Kathy, Margaret, Deb, Nanette, Sharon, Karrin, Daisy and Theresa

I’ll also be linking up with Kathy’s Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday, so please follow the links for lots of hand-stitched inspiration.