NEW ZEALAND
DEBBY WILLIAMS QUILTFEVER
  • HOME
  • About
    • QUILT RELATED BLOG
    • QUILT FEVER QUIZ
    • FUN BLOG >
      • Vanuatu
  • 1 DAY CLASSES
    • TRICKS OF THE TRADE INTRO CLASS DESCRIPTION >
      • TRICK OF THE TRADE INTRO NEEDS LIST
    • SHAPER STARS CLASS DESCRIPTION >
      • SHAPER STARS NEEDS LIST
    • ENCOMPASSING STARS 1 DAY CLASS DESCRIPTION >
      • ENCOMPASSING STARS 1 DAY NEEDS LIST
    • OLD FASHION HAND QUILTING 1 DAY CLASS DESCRIPTION >
      • OLD FASHION HAND QUILTING NEEDS LIST
    • MY BARGELLO BABY 1 DAY CLASS DESCRIPTION >
      • MY BARGELLO BABY 1 DAY CLASS NEEDS LIST
    • HAND APPLIQUE YOUR WAY 1 DAY CLASS DESCRIPTION >
      • HAND APPLIQUE YOUR WAY NEEDS LIST
  • 2 DAY + CLASSES
    • TRICKS OF THE TRADE CLASS DESCRIPTION >
      • TRICKS OF THE TRADE NEEDS LIST
    • ENCOMPASSING STARS 2 DAY CLASS DESCRIPTION >
      • ENCOMPASSING STARS 2 DAY NEEDS LIST
    • MARINER'S BLISS CLASS DESCRIPTION >
      • MARINER'S BLISS NEEDS LIST
    • BEGINNER'S TOTE 2 DAY CLASS DESCRIPTION >
      • BEGINNER'S TOTE NEEDS LIST
  • gallery
    • HISTORICAL QUILTS >
      • THE FIRST QUILT
      • YO YO INSANITY
      • GRANDMOTHER'S FAN
      • THE PURPLE PINEAPPLE
      • MAY BASKETS
    • ART QUILTS >
      • CONSEQUENCES >
        • INDIVIDUAL BLOCKS
      • ROSE WINDOW
      • GENTLE TEA
      • NATIVE NINE PATCH
      • REINVENTING THE WHEEL
      • DADDY'S BOUQUET
      • CLARITY >
        • clarity words
      • FOREST FELINE
      • JANZOONS
      • POSTCARD CHALLENGE
      • CREATED
      • CITRUS SORBET
      • EMERGED
      • STARLIGHT SONATINA OPUS 8
      • SERENITY
      • OH RUBBISH!!
    • QUILTS FOR CHILDREN >
      • GIRLS HAPPY VILLAGES
      • GRACE'S BUNNY QUILT
      • LUKE'S BABY QUILT
      • CHILDREN'S BIBLE STORY QUILT >
        • CLOSE UPS OF BIBLE BLOCKS
      • BETHS BUTTERFLIES
      • GRACES SYMPOSIUM ENTRY
      • CHILDREN'S SUMMER CLASS
      • GRACE AND BETH CREATE TOTES
    • BED QUILTS >
      • DOUBLE WEDDING RING VARIATION
      • MY SON'S LEAVING HOME QUILT
      • DAD'S TRIP AROUND THE WORLD
      • GOLD ANNIVERSARY CLOSE UP
      • GIRL'S BUNK QUILTS
      • DOUBLE WEDDING RING FOR MUM
      • DRUNKARD'S PATH
      • GRANDMOTHER'S OTHER FAN
      • GRANDPA'S GEESE
      • BARBARA'S TRIP AROUND THE WORLD
    • MOST RECENT QUILTS
    • CLASS CANDIDS >
      • Manutu 2015 Encompassing Stars
      • Manuatu 2015 Shaper Stars
      • TRICKS OF THE TRADE TIMARU the 2nd
      • TRICKS OF THE TRADE TIMARU
      • CLASS CANDIDS 2
      • CLASS CANDIDS 3
      • BRAIDED RIBBONS SYMPOSIUM CLASS PHOTOS- BARGELLO
      • BRAIDED - MARINER'S BLISS
      • BRAIDED - TRICKS OF THE TRADE
      • ROTOITI
    • OTHER QUILT RELATED PHOTOS
  • contact me
    • useful links
  • MY SHOP
    • STARWHIZ
    • BARGELLO BABY

Everyone has a first...

Picture
Introducing a printed top. In my life 'before quilting', my passion was cross stitching.  With small children underfoot, having those two hours (every evening) with a needle in my hand cross-stitching was my sanity.

Somewhere in my USA travels I found this kit in the 'reduced' bin for 7$. It was printed in blue wash-away ink with this lovely pattern, and included the threads.

SO..who could resist?  The cross stitching worked up quickly with huge stitches, but when it came to quilting I was lost.  In my childhood, my (much) older sister had made quilts on an enormous frame in her living room.  

How could I do this while we traveled?  A woman at the fabric shop said I needed a hoop...so my embroidery hoop (10 inches) became my quilting hoop.
Another person told me to baste the layers together first, which I did- around the edges. Next I threaded a HUGE needle with double layers of regular sewing thread and proceeded to follow the lines, making really uneven stitches without the benefit of a thimble.  As unlikely as it seems, I was hooked.

The motif in the centre had no quilting lines, so when I was done quilting the whole centre was poofy as if there was a cat caught between the layers.  Feeling very much like a failure and a cheat, I stitched where there were no lines to make this lay down.  Totally convinced I had broken some rule about the 'right' way to quilt, I was still very pleased with the final outcome.  

The edges are turned under and ladder stitched all around the edges to make a blunt finish.  Binding was well and truly something that wouldn't have entered my mind.