Finally finished - Celtic Quilt

Well, no binding yet but really, really glad it worked out.  Although life is full of curves I get to do things like quilt on a straight stretch before a surprise curve appears.

This quilt has been in the works for two years.  It was a block of the month then a UFO, then a partially finished quilt on the frame.  I know it was the colours that attracted me to it in the first place but it sat for quite a while as I pondered how to quilt it.

The quilt has been a real learning opportunity and I saw that as I quilted.  I cringe at some of the off kilter half square triangles that should have been pieced and trimmed better but in the overall scheme of things I am pleased with the outcome.  It should provide lots of colour on the bed during the dead of winter.  And my half square triangles are much, much better now.

Because every block with the exception of the 4 corners was different in shape and colour it was a great opportunity to study each one and decide on what quilting would best emphasize both colour and shapes.  It was a lot of ruler work which I seem to use in spite of the need for a lot of patience.  Ruler work certainly does not make for a speedy quilting job.  But when done for oneself it is quite satisfying.  In addition, working on batik fabric both front and back with lots of seams and intersections was a challenge.  I used Superior So Fine 50 weight which is like working with a hair from your head but is lovely.  The colour was edible.  The end result justified the challenges of working with this much batik.

I also took a plunge with feathers on this quilt.  I have tried various methods to create them.  Lessons in magazines have been recreated on paper and scrap quilt sandwiches.  No matter how much I tried they never looked good enough.  I watched videos (thank goodness for You Tube).   After quite a time trying to be perfect, I listened carefully to the best of the teachers.  The message was that feathers are unique to each person doing them.  The variations are myriad.  In fact feathers can be a signature.  So armed with this knowledge and a large practice piece of just letting go and doing I put them on this quilt.  Oh the agony of doing them.  Were they perfect?  Were all the travel lines right on top of the original curves?  Part way through a virtual slap on the forehead was needed to remember that perfect is what  a robot does.  These were my signature on this quilt.  Peeks at the back was assurance that they are ok.  In the end, making each random feather just flowed.  What is that saying?  'Practice makes perfect'.  Well almost perfect.



So here are pictures of this time consuming project.  I am pleased.