Saturday, January 30, 2016

The First 2016 Finish

Muddy Creek is now a finished quilt! My first 2016 finish in fact. It was actually quite difficult to get good pictures of this quilt as the center tends to fade in and out depending on the lighting. Not exactly my specialty! And see how yellow the quilt looks here? I will probably never get the whole lighting thing.
Muddy Creek is finished!
I was thrilled to find the perfect binding lurking right at home in my stash totes. One of the fabrics I used for backing fabric had just the right tones to tie everything together the way the quilt needed. And why didn't I think about that specific fabric while I was stitching the quilt? Luckily there was enough leftover and all was good. Any other color would have pulled attention away from the center of the quilt, which obviously, did not need to happen.*wink
A look at the binding
This was my quilt design, from start to finish, although you can be sure that there was influence from snippets of other quilts hiding out in the depths of my brain. I just figured things out border to border like I do so many times and let the quilt talk it's way through any resulting dilemmas. Working this way often makes for a challenge {trying to get pieced borders to fit especially}, but the end result is, in my mind, more charming and 'real'.
A closer look at the center
When I stitched the cross hatching on the purple check, I just started on one end and worked my way around the quilt in a circle. I used the grid of the fabric as my guide and made slight adjustments where the fabric didn't line up precisely {something I never made any attempt to do}. It makes for an interesting intersection when the circle is complete, but to my astonishment, the cross-hatching was only off by about half a grid. Wowsers, I couldn't have planned it any nicer than that! Very easy to make adjustments and have it all join up neatly in the end. Only a dedicated perfectionist is going to realize that my cross-hatching is not lined up perfectly all the way around the quilt! And who cares if they do notice? This post really resonated with me years ago and I confess to allowing it to directly influence how I approach my hand quilting today.
Love how soft it looks it here...
I had so much fun playing with these fabrics and colors, absolutely loving the old fashioned qualities and feel of this quilt. It feels like 'my version' of an antique quilt and I'm anxious to try my hand at it another time in the future. Perhaps with different colors? No matter where I go with quilting, it's the antique style quilts that continually draw me down the garden path.
So much better looking in this light, but the center sort of fades out...
This was a good finish to start the year out especially with all the challenges I've had of late. It's been oh, so relaxing and comforting to stitch on. Not demanding or finicky in the least.

Is anyone ready for the February Quilty 365? I've lost a bunch of followers lately and thought it might be from not posting so often or having a less than exuberant mood this month. Then I realized Google made some changes that forces people to set up an Google account to properly follow. I sincerely hope it doesn't cause problems with the February linkup as that would be frustrating for all of us.

29 comments:

  1. A beautiful first finish Audrey! and there's nothing like a bit of good old fashioned inspiration!

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  2. google does some weird things sometimes! I will be laying all my circles out to get a photo for the link up so I will be ready for it. We all need a break from blogging now and then and I remember you said there was family health problems to deal with - nice looking quilt that you have there, it is hard to get photos sometimes

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  3. My circles are ready! I made sure I would be on time this month!

    My monitor must be very off, because your beautiful quilt's colors look different from your descriptions, more than even your camera might distort. The ''purple'' checks look like olive brown! No less lovely but I wish I could see your quilts as they really are.

    The link to the Welsh quilting post was interesting. I see this way of working as organic and free, but no less beautiful than machine like perfection. My only worry would be that I would slip from organic to careless and shoddy, would I be lazy and not make the effort to do my best. I rarely hand quilt but the premise can apply to all handwork, I think.I really find myself struggling with quality, my work does not at all meet my idea of good. [just me, not a generalization or referring to anyone else!]

    lizzy

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  4. Beautiful finish Audrey! You shouldn't be too hard on yourself about your photographs, each computer monitor is different, I've noticed real differences in my photos when I look at them on the PC monitor vs. the little Samsung tablet. It's really difficult to try to edit for color and exposure when that happens. All that to say that I don't see yellow in your first photo at all! It's just a fabulous first finish for the year. I read the link about quilting stitches and have to say I agree wholeheartedly. We see those stitches when our eyes are 15 inches away as we quilt but when it's finished and washed to crinkly softness who will ever see if a stitching line isn't just-so? Circles ready!

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  5. Congrats on your first finish! It is very charming!!

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  6. Continued inspiration . . . I've got a small project I'd like to work on this February and your browns and pinks are where I'm headed. That was an excellent link too. I spent a few minutes the other evening measuring the stitch grid on my latest quilt and it's not perfect, but hey, life is w-a-y too short to sweat this. Happiness is not measured in 1/16ths!

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  7. Beautiful work. You were right about the center, did not realize until I saw the close up. So much work in this quilt. Just beautiful.

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  8. Beautiful finish Audrey! I agree that perfection is over-rated and it is quite acceptable and desirable in fact to show our 'human-ness' in our quilts.

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  9. I so envy your ability to hand quilt all these beautiful quilts! This one is really lovely. I love that romantic cream/pink/red/brown colour scheme too. One of my favourites! 2016 is off to a brilliant start!

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  10. Wonderful finish, it is a gorgeous quilt, love your desing.
    Greetings,
    Sylvia

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  11. Very beautiful finish Audrey. I too lost many followers with GFC, now I Know why...

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  12. what a beauty. I have also lost followers though some I can still follow myself, google should stop interfering

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  13. Congratulations on a lovely finish!

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  14. Beautiful finish. I also love to hand quilt because I think it really adds to the authenticity of the finished piece..

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  15. Wonderful quilt! What are its dimensions?

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  16. There is nothing about this wonderful quilt that I don't like. Congratulations on your finish. Must have felt especially good with all that you have had on your plate lately.

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  17. I've been adoring this quilt right along, and the finish is just breathtaking.
    One of the reasons I jumped into Quilty 365 is to see if I can sustain a long-term applique project, specifically because your applique work is so inspiring to me. One month in, so far so good. 8)

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  18. Great finish for the new year! I love the design elements and the soft colors. Very, very pretty.
    I was wondering what happened to my followers - thought it was something I said haha.

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  19. Muddy Creek is wonderful - definitely has an old-fashioned feel, very snuggly-looking! I haven't snapped pics for my 365 link up yet, but have been anticipating it all week. Guess I better go do that while I have time and good lighting!

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  20. Congrats on your version of an antique quilt! Although you probably can't tell from my quilts...I love antique/vintage quilts. And anyone who is going to check to see if crosshatching in a quilt is perfect doesn't deserve to look!

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  21. A georgous quilt. I love the colours.
    Greetings Karina

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  22. Muddy Creek is one of your quilts that rates high on my favorites list.

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  23. What a wonderful start to 2016 with a finish! Muddy Creek is charming and uniquely expresses you as a quilt maker and designer.

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  24. Love it so much, well done! I hate that google is changing things up too...

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  25. Thanks for the link - I love what she had to say about hand quilting (and think I'm already there on the less-than-perfect thing!) Muddy Creek is just lovely -makes me want to cuddle up on the sofa with it. As with your other work it has that vintage feel but is all you.

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  26. Congratulations on a wonderful finish!
    Isn't it so delightful to work on a cooperative, non-demanding quilt!?! LOL
    Such a beauty!

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  27. Congratulations Audrey - it looks wonderful!!

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  28. Your quilt is beautiful as usual, love your work.
    I too lost followers and was wondering was lost so many in one day. Thank for figuring it out.
    Great start to a new year

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