Sunday, December 19, 2010

Stars and Sprigs, the top.

What a biggie, it's 96" square! Now to quilt it. For a moment there I did think about hand quilting it. I like the softness and drapeable cosiness of a  hand quilted quilt. I will be basting this up for machine quilting, it's just too big a job otherwise but I've decided to try and keep it soft by not doing anything too dense and using silk thread, (I think) after all I may change my mind. I have so many other quilts on the go that I need to make.
Thanks for all the encouraging comments that helped me keep my blinkers on. Thanks also to Kim Mclean for producing amazing quilt patterns for us to enjoy stitching. I posted this and a couple of other shots over on Glorious Applique.

77 comments:

Oops-Lah said...

It is truly magnificent! What an achievement not to mention stamina and perseverance. No matter how you will quilt this beauty, it will become a heirloom! Congratulations. Cheers Vreni x

Anonymous said...

You did this so quick, it is beautiful and I am sure you do a great job with the quilting either way.

cheers
Christine

Terrie Sandelin said...

Wow! This is absolutely gorgeous!!

Thimbleanna said...

Wow, Oh Wow! It's just gorgeous Janet and I'm so impressed. What a lot of work. Congratulations on a fantastic quilt top finish!

Mitt lille rosa syrom said...

It is fantastic - congratulations!

Jess @ Scrappy n Happy said...

What an awe inspiring quilt! It is sure to become a family heirloom!

Julia said...

What inspiring work Janet..
It's absolutely beautiful..
Julia ♥

maria teresa said...

Il tuo lavoro รจ spettacolare,fantastico! Fa pensare alla prossima colorata primavera,congratulazioni!

PatchworkRose said...

Just Love Love it Janet.Your work is gorgeous. Cannot wait to see it quilted
Merry Christmas
Cheers
Lynne

Miriam said...

Simply breathtaking Janet!!!!!

Ivory Spring said...

Oh my, Janet... I just swooned! This is absolutely gorgeous.

pratima said...

It is taking my breath away! The colors are so beautiful and the effect is stunning!

Fiona said...

There's only one word for it ... exquisite!

antique quilter said...

beautiful!
congrats on a wonderful finish.
yes keeping those blinders on allows us to finish a quilt!
Kathie

Sue said...

Fantastic, fantastic quilt. I shall look forward to seeing how you quilt it. I agree about dense machine quilting it can look very stiff and not drape well.What sort of batting do you use?
Sue

Anonymous said...

Woaw ! Wonderful, wonderful quilt ! Congratulations, Janet, for this beauty !

Susan said...

WOW! I was going to say it will be a beauty, but it already is! Congrats on such a beautiful quilt!

luv2quilt2 said...

What a stunningly beautiful quilt! I've so enjoyed following your progress, and your results are amazing!

Carol said...

Janet it is breathtaking! Congratulations on a beautiful finish!

FlourishingPalms said...

Your perseverance to making this quilt is admirable, Janet. Few of us - me, for sure - have this kind of dedication. I am completely astounded by the incredible colors and beauty of this quilt. You can be proud, and most deservedly so!

Nat Palaskas said...

Gorgeous, congratulations Janet on the finished top. It's truly beautiful - Hugs Nat

Barb said...

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH My Goodness....................so amazing!!!!!!

LeKaQuilt said...

This is an WOW Quilt, and its absolutely gorgeous. LOVE it :o)

Linda said...

WOW!!! Fantastic job Janet. I'm looking forward to seeing how you machine quilt it.

Ann Marie said...

It's just beautiful. I'm so curious how you will quilt it. Is it a bit of a challenge with such dense applique in the borders?

Annette said...

So amazing! I could just sit and look at this quilt for a long time. Such beautiful work Janet.

Barb said...

Congrats on finishing the top! It looks fabulous.
I think the machine quilting will work well on this.
I love working with the silk in the machine--

Anonymous said...

That is stunning.

Unknown said...

Janet, It is just absolutely gorgeous!! I am looking forward to seeing it quilted.

Yumm yumz by patticakes said...

Absolutely breathtaking! It humbles me to see such a beautiful piece of art!

Lori said...

Woo-Hoo!! It is stunning, Janet!!! I like the idea of using silk thread to keep the quilt soft and drapeable. Wow! Is all I can say.

Crispy said...

Oh Janet!!! It's AMAZING!!! My fingers are itching to start one of Kim's patterns but I'm keeping my UFO blinders on. Hopefully, by spring :0)

Crispy

Linda said...

You did it! It's so beautifully amazing. I just keep looking at the photo! I'm speechless. Congratulations on such an amazing finish. I'm hoping over to Glorious Applique to see more photos!

Sandy said...

What a Christmas treat for us! Beautiful, just beautiful! thank you and I hope you have a lovely holiday...wonder what you will be baking?? fondly, Sandy

Munaiba said...

It's gorgeous Janet! And congratulations on sticking with it, 96 inches is huge!

Mary said...

Wow!!What an amazing quilt. I love it. You should be very proud.

ranette said...

Magnificent Janet!!! You've done a wonderful job with this quilt and I am so proud of you.

I have put this pattern on my wish list for mother's day or my next birthday. Both you and Kim McLean are artists!

Yvette said...

Gorgeous!!

Darlene said...

It's stunning, Janet, leaves me breathless.

wishes, true and kind said...

Now THAT'S an accomplishment! Just gorgeous!

Mimi said...

I think you are amazing. This beautiful quilt was quite the undertaking and you did it so (by my standards) so quickly. Love it, love it.

Terry said...

It's just amazing! And I agree with you...light quilting to keep it soft. :0)

John'aLee said...

Absolutely stunning!

Dixie Howard said...

Beyond gorgeous if there is a word for that! Bravo Janet!

julieQ said...

Wow! An heirloom for sure...maybe 200 years from now, your quilt will be in a wonderful book about quilts of our era! Lovely, truly.

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

Wow - congratulations - it is a masterpiece.

Loris said...

Amazing and beautiful work of art! Absolutely stunning!

Meredith said...

Ta Da. Fabtastic. I wonder how many different fabrics are in the quilt top?

Vivian said...

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,beautiful!!!!

You do Kim's designs proud and really inspire all of us McLean GA wannabes!

Anonymous said...

I'm envious of anybody who can applique but WOW....you really have blown me away to applique such a large quilt and it is GORGEOUS! Well done!!

Karen said...

Your tenacity on stitching all those leaves amazes me. I know you had a system that made if fairly easy for you. Still it is a lot of stitching. A beauty for sure.
Have you thought about the quilting? There isn't much room for fancy quilting.

Rachaeldaisy said...

That quilt deserves a round of applause!!! Janet, It's stunning!!!

alobsiger said...

A hearty congratulations, Janet! Your stars and sprigs top is stupendous! Such a beautiful achievement. I'm certain your quilting -- whatever your choice -- will only enhance this stunner!

Janet said...

YOU DID IT!! And what a top to have finished in such a short time. You will do a beautiful job of machine quilting this. I look forward to seeing your progress. :0)

Deb said...

Janet it's a beautiful quilt. You must be so pleased with it. Will you quilt it yourself? It will be a challenge, but if anyone can do it - you can! Can't wait to see what you work on next. A very happy Christmas to you and your family.

Alice said...

I can't believe you have already finished this. It is just stunning. Your machine quilting is beautiful and I'm sure you will do the quilt justice.

Nyla said...

Just beautiful!!!

Dionne said...

Wow, that is spectacular! I am completely in awe of your border.
Cheers,
Dionne

Sharon said...

Job well done! I hope I get to see this in person somewhere along the journey of life!

Kaaren said...

OMG, Janet...I'm speechless!

I don;t know what else to say except that it's simply gorgeous! You ARE my HERO!

SewWhatsNew said...

This is breathtaking! I can't wait to see it quilted. You are so talented. Congratulations and thank you for inspiring me. Happy Holidays.

Pokey said...

I like it. Your colors, your bitty bits, your amazing stitches. You work is amazing!
:-]pokey

Karen said...

Simply magnificent!!! Would love to see this in person.

Doris said...

WOW Janet, I believe you made quick work of this one! It seems like just yesterday you were tracking down the pattern...

I'm still in the beginning stages of my Candied Hexagons quilt, maybe 23 hexie blocks made so far...

Abby and Stephanie said...

SPECTACULAR!!! The only way it can be more beautiful is the addition of your amazing quilting.

Andi said...

Stunning!!!

Carrie P. said...

Oh, you should be very proud. It is stunning.

Denice Barker said...

Everybody else already said it - stunning, breathtaking, gorgeous, beautiful, amazing....it's all of these. I'd be so proud of it if I were you, I'd carry it with me wherever I went to show it off.
Congratulations!

Jill said...

Amazing and just beautiful! Congrats on finishing the top can't wait to see it quilted.

Quilts And Pieces said...

This is just truly amazing! What a wonderful accomplishment!

AnnieO said...

Incredibly beautiful! I hope this is one you are keeping for yourself! It is truly a treasure.

Kim D. said...

Your work is so inspiring and I'm in awe! Such a gorgeous quilt! I wish I could get half as much done as you do. Holiday Blessings to your and your family Janet.

~Kris~ said...

What a lovely work of art. It has been so fun to watch your progress. I am in awe of your talent. Thanks for sharing.

Martha said...

I'm almost sad it's done, because it has been so enjoyable watching your progress on this amazing quilt.

The silk thread idea sounds intriguing, but whatever quilting idea you decide on, I know it will be spectacular.

pinsandneedles said...

Just gorgeous! What a treasure to have!

Charo said...

I love this quilt!!! it's so colourful, I specially like the border, is it applique? How could you make such a wonderful border? I love it.

Greetings from Spain

Rose Marie said...

It is wonderful and however you quilt it .... you will have an absolutely gorgeous quilt! I enjoyed seeing your progress on this beauty.