After 5 years of on-again, off-again love, my Smitten Quilt is finally finished.
For the world's slowest EPPer (me),completing a quilt made completely by English paper piecing has been quite the task. And now it's done, so it's a great big YAY!!!
I can't even begin to calculate how many hours I've spent working on this quilt. From putting the blocks together (that was quite possibly the quickest part of the process), to then putting those large and unwieldy blocks together, deciding on how I'd quilt it, then beginning the hand quilting process using different designs and colours on each block.
My box of Aurifil 12wt threads had been along the smitten quilt journey, carted back and forth whenever I worked on the quilting. Last night, with no Smitten to work on, I must admit I was at a bit of a loss. I spent a bit of time tidying up my thread box and re-winding the spools of thread that became unravelled as I shuffled through them looking for just the right thread colour.
This quilt will go and live on my quilt ladder in the "nice" room. It'll sit alongside my Kingfisher, Dreamweaver and Bittersweet Symphony quilts. These are the quilts that I've spent hours and hours, hand piecing and hand quilting.
With Smitten now complete, it's time I go and find my next long-term hand stitching project.
Beautiful finish, Anoria! The striped binding is perfect and I love the fabrics and texture of this quilt! Congratulations. Can's wait to see what you make next.
ReplyDeleteThanks very much. I'm so pleased that it's finished and that I can concentrate on something new now :)
DeleteYour quilt is beautiful. Congratulations on finishing it. Hugs, xx
ReplyDeleteThanks Jeanette xx
DeleteThis is a wonderful accomplishment and you should be so proud! It is a beauty for sure! Wonder which EPP project you'll pick next...I try to always have one sewing machine project (and a slew of UFOs) to work on while I'm doing the EPP in doctor's offices, etc or home in the evening. The EPP does take a long time, but such wonderful keepsake quilts! Well done!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much. I'm really pleased with it and even more pleased that it's finished. I bought into an Octagon EPP BOM a few years ago which I haven't started yet - that may just be the next one. Thanks for stopping by :)
DeleteI love it. The colours you chose work so well. Yes, it definitely deserves to be showcased in the nice room.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Janice :)
DeleteI am just so smitten with "Smitten." I can see where it got its name. I struggle with English paper piecing, so I tend to avoid it as much as possible right now. Maybe someday when I have more time, I'll get better (and quicker) with it. Beautiful finish! -Andrea
ReplyDeleteThanks Andrea. I honestly think that I'm a super slow EPPer so I'm quite glad that I actually finished this one. I guess this type of quilt is lovely when done, but also about enjoying the slow-sewing process.
DeleteThat definitely deserves a place in the "nice room".
ReplyDeleteThanks Karen xx
DeleteTa dah indeed!!! This is fabulous. I have mad one large quilt completely by hand with EPP and hand quilting and I know what a labour of love it is. This will be a beautiful family heirloom. x
ReplyDeleteThanks Kay. I'm really quite pleased with it and even though by the end I was tired of looking at it, the slow-sewing process was quite nice too.
Deleteoh it's beautiful.......well done and the quilting looks lovely also.......
ReplyDeleteThanks Chooky. I'm really pleased that it's finished. Now to think about my next slow-sewing project!
DeleteIt is absolutely beautiful- but I could never EPP no matter how many years elapsed. Congratulations on a stunning finish.
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda. You don't enjoy EPP? I'm pretty sure that this quilt pattern was originally written for templates and hand piecing.
DeleteBeautiful !
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely stunning!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks very much :)
DeleteIt look a long time, but think of all of the memories and things you did inbetween working on this quilt. Amazing completion Anorina. This quilt is excellent
ReplyDeleteThanks very much Rosemary. I love that way of thinking about it and the process :)
DeleteI'm very impressed by your work and your persistence. While it is not my style I admire what you have been able to accomplish. It is a beautiful piece of art. You should be very proud of yourself. Thank you for sharing and giving me the inspiration to go back to my Pandemic Garden quilt that I started last year. Norma Florida
ReplyDeleteThanks Norma :)
DeleteIts a beautiful quilt .... deserves a special place in the home...
ReplyDeleteHUgz
Thanks Fiona. I'm glad that it's done and I can move onto something new.
DeleteWonderful. Thanks for sharing it with us.
ReplyDeleteThanks Connie :)
DeleteWell done on the finish, Smitten is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yes I love Smitten and all of the different versions popping up on Instagram :)
DeleteI absolutely love your Smitten. Makes me want to make one!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sue. You should definitely make one too :)
DeleteThis is definitely a "ta-dah" finish! So-o beautiful! Love all the colors, and the care with which you made the whole thing. I'm very impressed that you took the time to hand quilt it too. That striped binding is the perfect finish. I hope you have an opportunity to show this quilt in a show. It needs to be seen, and I'm sure looks fantastic in person. Any idea what you'll take on for your next long-term project? I have two of them going myself, and love being able to pull them out whenever the mood strikes.
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda. I'm really glad that it's finished and now I can move onto something new. I'm not usually a person who has a lot of WIPs but this one has hung around.
DeleteI bought an Octagon BOM (along with all of the papers) by Sue Daley a couple of years ago. It might be time I make a start on that one :)
Such a super great quilt!! All those happy colors and the quilting!! It deserves to live on the specials ladder!!!
ReplyDeletequelle merveille!
ReplyDeletej'ai très envie de coudre Sweet Sunday, qui ressemble beaucoup à Smitten, mais j'ai d'autres ouvrages lents à terminer avant... et comme vous je ne suis pas très rapide!
That is just gorgeous, Anorina! What an amazing accomplishment! I know that feeling of being a bit lost for what to do next after a big finish.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful quilt! It is very impressive that you did this all my hand too! I love the striped binding & beautiful colors. How do you make your labels? I always struggle on how to label mine can you share how you made yours?
ReplyDeleteIt's beautiful. I admire your dedication to such a long term project. I tend to get a little frustrated if it is taken more than a month to finish up one, although that is often because I am too busy to work on it, not because it is all assembled by hand! It is quite an inspirational quilt!
ReplyDelete