Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Real Progress

Mary Mannakee is ready to quilt! I'm not sure what patterns I'm going to use. All I know is doing a diagonal grid would be too boring although the result would be traditional. Any suggestions?

Here's my progress with Strips 'n Curves. I've cut and sewn about 2/3 of the 110 blocks that I planned but I may do less and add more border. The placement of the blocks is not set in stone and I'm open to rearrangement as needed. Each block has to be planned to match up with what's next door so progress is slow. I hope I like it and above all Sarah (my niece) likes it when it's done.

32 comments:

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

Janet are you quilting by hand? If you are quilting by hand I don't know much else you could do except diagonal grid - with so much applique it will be hard to do anything else wouldn't it? I guess I would quilt around the pieces and maybe through some of the applique and do a grid on the rest - my opinion :) It turned out lovely!
Karen
http://karensquilting.com/blog/

Victoria Findlay Wolfe said...

WoW! janet! both are looking fantastic! I'm daft when it comes to fancy quilting... Good luck on the MM quilt! will you quilt it by hand? or machine?

Abby and Stephanie said...

What an eye candy post. Absolutely stunning applique quilt as well as the strips and curves. So looking forward to seeing both completed.

Funoldhag said...

Oh, Janet, two more beauties! You do amazing work. No matter how you decide to quilt the gorgeous MM, it will turn out fabulous. Awesome. Carol

beth said...

OOh! I love those two quilts! Stunning.

Mary on Lake Pulaski said...

Both quilts are smashing Janet!!!

Julia said...

Janet...beautiful, beautiful quilts !
What ever you do will be lovely.
Julia ♥

Janet said...

Love how the strippy circles are looking! Suggestions for quilting, lets see, how about tiny 1/4" grid with trapunto wreaths. Just kidding. I guess you've looked at old quilts for inspiration. A lot of the blocks fill the space but if you don't want grid what about stright diagonal lines eminating from the centers of each block so they go out to the 4 corners and some echo quilting within the centers of the open wreaths? I think it still needs some sort of straight quilting to complement all the curved shapes. That's my penny's worth. Can't wait to see what you decide.

Karen said...

I really like a diagonal quilting pattern. I would quilt around the applique and do the grid work in open spaces.

Pokey said...

Both are beautiful, here, and in person! Your work is amazing. Hope you find a direction for your quilting, it WILL be stunning!

Lurline said...

Stunning, Janet - wow, you give me inspiration to carry on quilting - some days lately, I get a bit overwhelmed by it all!
Hugs - Lurline♥

antique quilter said...

oh Janet I love seeing your MM quilt done, yes its time to bring mine back out and work on it again...
congrats for finishing it and also for doing that center block, no way could I make that block
thanks for sharing it with us. I am in awe!
the strippy circles are great too!
Kathie

susis quilts said...

how beautiful both of them are,good work,happy quilting,susi

Una said...

That is some achievement! Congratulations!! So, so beautiful:)
Greetings from Norway, Una

Taryn said...

Your Mary M quilt is gorgeous! My pattern has been in its binder for years and years and I even own the bolt of fabric for my background. Looking at yours has me ready to pull it out and get busy.

Crispy said...

As one who just finished a baltimore with a grid, I can understand you being reluctant to do a grid. I hate to say this but I think some sort of grid would be best. There isn't enough room between the blocks to get a cable or feathers to flow between them. Maybe echo stitching once around each block, a grid to fill in and then different motifs for the open centers or have the grid pattern follow into the centers. Boy, I'm real decisive aren't I LOL.

Regardless, I'm sure what you decide to do will be beautiful :0)

Crispy

alobsiger said...

Your MM quilt is GORGEOUS, Janet! Bravo! What an accomplishment!!! I love your strips and curves as well -- what great colors you're using! Thanks for the inspiration!

Britt said...

So beautiful! What about a little gently curving vine running vertically and horizontally over each seam where the blocks join? You'd have to be ok with something fairly freeform - but you could quilt tendrils or flowers into areas of those blocks with room. Can't wait to see what you decide.

Barb said...

Your MM is fantastic! this is my first visit - I'll be back to catch up on your projects.

pratima said...

Oh, Janet both your quilts are spectacular!!!
Your appliqué is amazing!

Janet said...

WOW!!! Your MM is so beautiful! I don't know if you have the book - "Treasury of American Quilts" but there is a marvelous applique quilt on the cover where the applique is outline quilted and much of the empty space is filled in with leaves and vines.

Sandra Henderson said...

So beautiful! STUNNING! I'm new to hand quilting, my great grandmothers did it and I remember the frame hanging from their celing. Okay, don't laugh, but... Echo Quilting!??! lol
Goodness, gracious, I just don't know what I'd do. It's so beautiful! You should be very proud and I hope you will enter it in some shows so that others can see it. I'm glad I've found you, I'm new to blogging since Feb. I'll be back!

Margaret said...

I love your finished MM quilt top. My favorite block is the red one in the middle. I think crosshatch would go very fast.
Margaret

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

It is a gorgeous top. To avoid boredom, I think I would let each block speak to me, and do each block differently.

Sandra Henderson said...

Yes, Shasta, this is what I was thinking..However, I don't have enough hand quilting experience to give advice. My thinking was to go around each one in an echo manner or whatever, I think the top istelf is so gorgeous.

Ann Champion said...

Your MM quilt top is spectacular! I think I'd quilt a diagonal in the background to let the applique be the "star of the show"? Your blocks are so pretty!
I really like how the quilt for your niece is coming along too. She's a lucky girl! :)

linda said...

When it comes to quilting one like this, I truly believe less is more. I think the grid idea is fine. Stitching around the applique would be beautiful too. Echo quilting is another nice idea.

Miri said...

Your MM is gorgeous! You could do double diagonal lines in one direction only-still straight line quilting but I'm not sure how you could echo quilt an album quilt-how do you get the different lines to meet up nicely.

shellysquilts said...

Hey Janet, Beautiful work! Well done! If you are machine quilting the MM quilt, stitch around each applique piece and then do some "mactavishing". It will make your applique sing opera! Have fun with it. I'm sure it will turn out beautiful whatever you do. Happy quilting!

Unknown said...

Janet, Wow, I am so behind on reading my blogs and you are so ahead on your quilts! What wonderful progress you made. Your Mary Mannakee quilt is just beautiful! You know if you want ideas on how to quilt it, just google quilting on appliqued quilts and you never know what you will find. As far as your Strips and Curves quilt goes, it is just gorgeous!! How can they not love it! It makes me want to get mine out and finish it up!

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful quilt the one with flower blocks is. I really wish I could make something as intricate and beautiful as that.

Sandra said...

I just appraised a Mannakee repro. and the machine quilter did several rows of echo quilting around the appliques with a feathering line to fill in the spaces in between. She then did a grid in the borders.
You can see several 19th c. applique quilts on my blog and check out the quilting.
http://utahquiltappraiser.blogspot.com
Sandra Starley