Friday, August 22, 2014

Quilt on a Clothesline- First entry in a show and a ribbon

After finishing there's a bird in my garden quilt I had realized that I liked freedom in stitching. I liked applique. I am not sure if it was the group I was in or those mild temperatures in Seattle or my background but I found myself drawn to homespun fabrics and fall like colors. I picked up this pattern called, Button Tree Lane to make another wall quilt.

It was fun making this quilt. Each house represented my neighbors and friends. Our neighborhood was the friendliest neighborhood, as warm and cozy as this quilt.


 I used freezer paper for the templates for little windows and doors, chimneys and rooftops.. it was like being an architect and urban planner all in one!


I enjoyed picking colors and prints for the houses. The pattern had appliqued tree stumps and then embroidered branches with buttons.. Well, I for one was not a big fan of buttons.. So after following the pattern for two or three trees, I ripped out the embroidered branches and decided to applique them. Added leaves to make them look like the trees I wanted. The pencil marks I had made for the branches were now quite visible but I did not care. I had seen many of those in a finished quilt or embroidered wall hangings in India. I thought it was just part of a handmade textile art.


I honestly have no idea what needle or batting I used. Looking at these stitches, make me even wonder if I ever did this! Those stitches are tiny! I could not pick a favorite when it came to the houses. They are all so cute!
I do know one thing, I wasn't spending a lot of money on this craft. There was no matching thread to the applique fabrics.

Check out my stitches with white thread on dark brown appliqued tree branches. I have always loved seeing my stitches.. good or bad.. I have always been a fan of imperfections of handmade things.. or traces of human hands in crafts.


So here it is on the clothesline.


and the back.


I used 1/4'' quilting tape for diagonal quilting. Stippling with machine was a big deal.. it was something I could never do.. My machine was not even equipped with darning foot. So I decided to stipple with hand quilting. Who does that?

That local quilt/fabric shop had it's annual quilt show. I entered the quilt just to see it hanging somewhere other than on my dining room wall.

It won me my first ever ribbon!!! Second place in hand applique category. Not bad right?
I honestly don't remember which year it was. But looking at Kavita, I believe she was in preschool and it had to be around 1999.. This is why it is important to date and sign the quilts which I clearly did not do.

Have you ever made a house quilt? This makes me want to make another one fitting my life and quilting style today.

24 comments:

  1. I love this! Love the fact that you changed the trees to suit your own style, already confident to take your own path. And these houses remind me of yours - warm, inviting, full of joy!

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  2. I made a house quilt--in pastels! And my last child was Kavita's size. I like yours better.

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  3. I love this quilt!! I also love what you said about it being made by Hand. I am always thinking lately that award winning quilts have nothing to do with being handmade anymore. Even the hand done quilts are perfection. I also embrace imperfection.
    Having said that - this quilt is perfect in every way.
    I love the houses, the trees and the setting.
    Thanks for sharing this special quilt

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  4. p.s congrats on the ribbon and what a sweet photo of you and Kavita!!

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  5. You were a winner from the beginning. Always amazing color work.

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  6. I made that little wall quilt years ago. And I love your stitches - makes me feel better that others have done this. I do love house quilts and have a larger house quilt ready for quilting. Really enjoying your clothesline quilt stories

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  7. The first quilt I ever made was a house quilt. I used a pattern from Alex Anderson and made it for my granddaughter in 2005. I just looked at it after reading about yours and it was actually pretty nice. I too used hand stitching around the applique pieces, a blanket stitch if I recall correctly. Thanks for the reminder, your quilt is lovely.

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  8. I am enjoying these posts on your personal quilt history. To see what you chose to make and also details of your techniques, design and fabric choices. Thanks.

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  9. I have always loved quilts with houses. This one is very sweet, and congratulations on the ribbon! It very worthy!

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  10. Kavita looks so cute! Congratulations on your first ribbon, I love your hand quilting.

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  11. I love the way that each house represents neighbours and friends - it must bring back very warm feelings indeed!

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  12. Your quilt is so cute. I really love it. Good job. Sincerely, Paula K.

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  13. What an awesome quilt! I like how you quilted it and it's so interesting to see how quilter's styles change over time. Thanks for sharing this and congrats on your ribbon for it.

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  14. I have made that quilt some time ago. No prizes for me but I just love yours especially the trees.

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  15. Sweet post. Great quilting for such an early project. Weird timing for this post. I was looking thru Mary Stori's gallery while waiting at doctor's yesterday. Saw a small interesting house quilt. Made not to self ". You should make a house quilt". Hmmm...must have been in the air!

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  16. Congratulations on your new book coming out! I am enjoying your clothesline quilt show! A great way to show your quilts of the past.

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  17. I am enjoying seeing your history of quilts. Each one is so special. You had a great sense of color and design from the beginning. You were ambitious with all that hand work too! Kavita is adorable in that photo. She has the same beautiful smile even then.

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  18. I love your house quilt!! It's great having you point out the details, like having a tour of your quilt. The back looks as though the town is covered in snow. That photo of you and Kavita is so gorgeous!

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  19. You are so talented....congratulations!

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    1. Sally,
      Thank you! It was fun making this quilt. I remember how exciting it was to make each house.

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  20. Lovely quilt. I like that you entered it in a show. I enter shows whenever I can so that people can see that all abilities can enjoy quilting.

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    1. I have always felt mixed sentiments about entering in shows. I used to get overwhelmed with all the show quilts, they are so perfect, I came home feeling lot of let down about my own abilities. Then I realized, No one has really told me to live to some specific standard. So I continue to do what I do. It is nice visit the shows and see how far the art of quilting has come.

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  21. Sujata, if you want to organize a house quilt, I'd love to participate with my own version of 'the home.'
    carli the quilter at gmail dot com

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