New Challenges

Here is another of my sister-in-law Debbie's quilt tops made by her late grandmother, Helen.  I have finished five or six of these for her.  In the photo, this one is airing out on the lawn on a sunny day, after being in a garbage bag for about forty years!

It is a double wedding ring, made from many of the same fabric scraps that I have come to recognize from the other quilt tops that Helen made.

It is very bright and cheerful, but I think would have looked much nicer if there was a solid color background fabric instead of this floral sheet.

I don't intend to quilt this one as ornately as the two blazing stars, but binding that scalloped edge will be a challenge.  I have been trimming threads and doing some repairs on the top before putting it on the machine.

I also have another old unfinished quilt to work on.  My sister-in-law Lee's friend in Asheville wanted someone to quilt a candlewick embroidery quilt top she made thirty years ago.  Does anyone remember candlewicking?  I actually did some pillows with this technique back in the 70's or 80's.

The blocks are beautiful, sashed with beige lace and beige fabric.  (The blue lines are basting threads that Debbie put in.)

Most of the stitches are French knots.

The quilt was actually already assembled, with a store-bought binding and a pre-quilted fabric back.  But, there was no actual quilting done.

Not good!  No way will I quilt over that zigzagged-together backing.

And the binding is whip-stitched on with very visible stitches.

I suggested that we remove the binding and that backing, buy a neutral print fabric for the back, and rebind with a double French binding.  Debbie liked the plan, so that is what I will do, and I have already received the backing fabric in a beautiful paisley swirl.

Debbie L. sent me the original instruction book and a cable quilting template, but I do not know how I will quilt this.  I have to go inside the embroidered blocks at least a little so they don't sag.  I think it will be very beautiful when it is finished.