Tuesday 31 May 2011

Scary moment!

Well it couldn't be put off any longer - I just had to take a deep breath and put scissors to quilt! I'm not usually a nervous type about such things, it's only fabric after all, but this is THE quilt we have chosen for a special repurposing.

It was a pretty nervewracking few minutes but the deed is done and there's no turning back. When you think that this is a large quilt that took many hours to piece and was quilted entirely by hand before Laura over quilted it by machine with a free motion feather design. We have invested untold hours already and that's before taking the original fabric dyeing and final discharge process into account! I can only hope the jacket turns out OK. I sampled the pattern first in calico. Laura tried it on and we marked all the changes we wanted in black pen. I took the whole thing apart and redrafted the pattern to the revised shape. Of course to make sure the new version would work I had to put the jacket together again. I should be able to make this up with my eyes closed by now!


Some of the little offcuts are really precious. I can't bear to bin them and after all the effort invested I shall have to think of some imaginative way to make good use of them!

Talk to you again soon - Linda

7 comments:

  1. I am sure, the jacket will be fabulous! Please be sure to post LOTS of pictures including all the details ;-)

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  2. make a journal with them and add photos of the jacket and follow this process down line. many years from now it will give you real memories.

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  3. Are you doing Alexandra Palace in October too? Is there a chance of seeing the FOQ things there??

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  4. I don't think we're taking a stand at Ally Pally this year but I'm sure everything we make will get a few outings over the coming months. Even if you don't see the stuff 'in the flesh" we'll be certain to post lots of pictures once the show is over.

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  5. You know how some days everything gets done and other days it's not meant to be? Today's a good day! The jacket is basically made now - just waiting for its facings. I love it when it goes well!!

    Monica - we're recording the process step by step. I agree with you about the pleasure of looking back years down the line. Memory is so unreliable - I like to have something more concrete.

    Thanks Beth - I'm breathing again now!

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  6. Looking forward to seeing the jacket - I am sure it will be lovely and unique, like all of the pieces you and Laura create. I am always astonished at the hand quilting in the various projects...something I have yet to try.

    I've been catching up with all of the blog posts in the past few days and greatly enjoying all the news.

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