Quilting and Stuff by Knitnoid

Category Archives: Hand Quilting

One Block Closer

September 16, 2009 9:40 pm ⋅

It’s not like I’m doing any fancy quilting — just stitching 1/4 inch from each seam. But why does it take me so long to get it done?

I suppose not sitting in front of the quilting frame might be part of it. This week I’ve stopped whatever I was doing and plopped myself down in front of the quilting frame at 9 PM Central for an hour. Tonight I kept going until I finished this block.

When I ‘watch’ television, I can’t just sit there and do nothing. I’m reading a book during commercials or flipping though quilting magazines. Hand quilting doesn’t work for me, unless I can just ‘listen’ and look up only when it sounds like I need to see what is going on. Jay Leno’s new show is perfect for this. I can listen to the monologue and interviews and look up during the sketches.

I probably won’t try to quilt with black thread on black fabric again either. There simply isn’t enough light to make that easy. But tonight I ran out of my cheap 1/4 inch masking tape and had to pull out the 1/4 Tiger tape. That worked really well on the black dotted fabric – and my stitches are more even — not that anyone will be able to see that.

Four more blocks to go and then I can pull this quilt off the frame and machine quilt the borders. Surely if I watch Leno for an hour each week night I’ll get this finished by the October 15th.

Posted in: hand quilting, jay leno, Josh's Quilt

Review of August 2009 Quilting Goals

August 31, 2009 10:30 pm ⋅


Here it is the end of the month. I must say I’m pleased with what I accomplished. I don’t know if I set more realistic goals than I’ve done in the past or simply stayed focused for the most part. Perhaps it was a bit of both.

* At least 2 sets of blocks for the SBS Brown/Blue Swap

The 3rd set was completed 8/9

* Keep up with the SBS BOW

5 blocks turned in for August

* Finish star blocks to go with birthday swap blocks

not only finished the blocks, completed the quilt top 8/22

* Work on Josh’s quilt

completed hand quilting block #10 and started block # 11

* Make up mind about applique on table runner

decided against applique, repaired quilt, made and attached label 8/27

* Work on DWR – top needs to be done by mid-October

attached row of 5 rings, repaired previous work and made more rings

* Make rest of Birthday Swap Blocks

completed them on 8/12 and addressed envelopes for mailing

* Keep scraps cut up

no new scraps added to scrap bucket

* Quilt a baby quilt to get a finish!

This is the one thing I did not get done.

In addition to the above, I finished another baby quilt top (blocks already made) and I completed the shop sample for the Kansas Spirit BOM for my LQS.

Posted in: birthday blocks, dwr, hand quilting, Josh's Quilt, KTS, monthly goals, SBS, table runner

5 More to Go

August 26, 2009 7:15 pm ⋅


Apparently I can’t count. Back in July I have a post with this same title. It’s was a reference to the number of pieced blocks I had left to quilt on my nephew’s quilt. Well, I’ve finished the rail fence block — it only took a month – and now I really only have 5 more blocks to go.

Posted in: hand quilting, Josh's Quilt

5 More to Go

July 23, 2009 10:33 pm ⋅

I finished hand quilting this block earlier this evening. I just needed to finish the stitching in two of the squares so it didn’t take long. Just had to sit in front of the quilt!

Next up, in theory, is the rail fence block.

In all of the other blocks, I’ve stitched 1/4″ around the pieces — but I have no desire to do that with this block, and it really doesn’t need that much quilting. So I don’t lose what little momentum I have, I may skip this block and go to the next one. To see a picture of the entire quilt, click here.

Posted in: hand quilting, Josh's Quilt

Piecing and Quilting Again

July 22, 2009 11:03 pm ⋅

It’s not a very big block, and it’s not finished, but I am finally piecing and quilting again.

Tonight I decided I had to piece. No way around it. It’s been a month since I sat at my sewing machine and I couldn’t stand it any longer. I didn’t want to start a new project (well, knew I shouldn’t) and currently don’t have a cutting space set up (I was eyeing the kitchen counter), so I checked to see what this week’s block on the Sylvia’s Bridal Sampler list is.

It’s D-6 Odd Fellow’s Block. It’s paper pieced, which is not normally my favorite technique, but with my limited cleared space it was perfect. I still have one section to go. Probably could have finished it tonight, but there was a new episode of Leverage on, so I sat at the quilting frame and stitched on my nephew’s quilt.

I haven’t put a stitch in it in ‘forever’ — my guess it’s been six weeks. After tonight’s quilting I still have about 1/8th of the current block to go.

Of course, the computers still need setup correctly, the office and studio still need to be cleaned, and now there’s even a larger pile of stuff on the other end of the sewing table.

Posted in: hand quilting, Josh's Quilt, SBS

Halfway There

June 3, 2009 9:48 pm ⋅



With these two blocks, I’m halfway through the handquilting on my nephew’s quilt. I still don’t know if I’ll get it finished by the end of the month or not.

Posted in: hand quilting, Josh's Quilt

Hand Quilting Update

May 30, 2009 10:21 pm ⋅



I’ve completed 2 1/2 more blocks on my nephew’s quilt and have 9 1/2 more to go. I’d like to finish this quilt up by the end of June for my 2nd Quarter UFO, but I don’t know if I’ll get it done. I may have to pull out a baby quilt and quilt it to have a finish this quarter.

Posted in: hand quilting, Josh's Quilt, UFOs

Hand Quilting Update

May 11, 2009 10:08 pm ⋅



Well, I’ve made it through three blocks since I got this wild hair last week. Using the floor frame has made a considerable difference in my speed. Seven not constantly in my lap has also helped my speed. At this rate, I think I can be assured Josh will get his quilt before he goes back to school in the fall.

Posted in: hand quilting, Josh's Quilt

She’s Still Helping Me

May 9, 2009 9:44 am ⋅

Last night after finishing the Kansas Trouble block, I went back to the hand quilting. I really need to get some better lighting. I’m quilting with black thread on black and I simply can’t see. Seven’s help is hindering me as well.

I finally gave up on quilting in my lap. A different hoop might help, but Seven wants to be in my lap at the same time and it just doesn’t work well. So, I looked for my Q-Snap quilting frame which my parents bought me when I first started working on the DWR.

There’s been very little quilting done on the frame, but I did use it to hold a blanket I cross-stitched. Anyway, got the frame setup, quilt loaded and sure enough, it needed a QCC inspection. Yep, Seven thought it was a nice place to hang out. I finally convinced her it wasn’t a large hammock made especially for her and got to quilting.

I finished up the first block and started on the second block before going to bed. Who knows how much I’ll get done today.

Posted in: hand quilting, Josh's Quilt, Seven

Help with my Hand Quilting

May 6, 2009 6:57 am ⋅

Last evening while watching Dancing With the Stars, Seven kept trying to help me quilt. I persevered and got 1/4 of the first block quilted. When I got up, I sat the whole thing on the floor and went about my business. When I came back in, Seven was on top of the quilt ‘inspecting’ it as part of her duties as QCC – Quality Control Cat.

After the photo session, I moved the quilt.

Posted in: hand quilting, Seven