Slow Sunday Stitching - Favorite Handwork

I love to follow Kathy Quilts blog where she sponsors Slow Sunday Stitching link up party.  I have never linked up, but have really enjoyed seeing what everyone else is working on.   Today she is celebrating 7 years of postings to this blog and I thought I would join in.

She asked everyone to post their favorite hand work project and I looked back over my quilts that involved a lot of handwork and simply could not pick out a favorite.  So I have included pictures of a few with a few notes on what was involved. 


This is a Gifts of Grace quilt designed by Gail Pan.  I am only showing one block, as I don't have a really good picture of the quilt that shows up the blocks well. I hand embroidered each block - there are nine of them - and then hand quilted the quilt.

Jack's Chain - all hand pieced using English Paper Piecing.  Hand Quilted.  Made as a birthday gift to my brother, Jack

Baby quilt I made for my granddaughter, Lorelai.   This one is very special to me as the solid blocks were hand quilted by my mother.  She had passed by the time I made this quilt, but I had a collection of her blocks.  I hand appliqued the doll blocks and hand quilted them as well, then put the quilt together using a Quilt as you go method. I n putting this post together, I realize I never got a picture of the competed quilt - I will get one the next time I am at my daughter's house.  Lorelai turned two yesterday, and my daughter said she sleeps under this quilt every night now. 

Star of Bethlehem.  The stars are hand pieced using English Paper Piecing and the quilt is hand quilted. 

Patchwork of the Crosses - All the blocks and piecing of the quilt top was done by hand.  I paid to have it quilted by a long arm quilt professional. Two of my friends made one of these at the same time, and we finished them within a month of each other.  It was with the encouragement of each other that we three actually completed our quilts.

Irish Chain - I machine pieced the chain portion of this quilt, but the little Dresden plates were all hand pieced and then hand appliqued to the chain.  I hand quilted the white and Dresden blocks, but the remainder of the quilt I machine quilted.  I love the look of hand quilting and machine quilting combined.

She also asked us to show our current project and that is the last picture.  Thank you, Kathy, for sponsoring this sharing of our projects.

Pemberley, designed by Katrina Hadjmichael.  This is my current project.  All hand needle turned applique and English paper piecing.  There is one more border row that I am currently working on.  This last row is made up of blocks, some English Paper Pieced and some needle turn applique.  I am enjoying working on this project, and must admit, it has been quite a challenge for me.

Dear Jane - Kites

Drum roll - finished the corner kite blocks and thus all the blocks are done for the Dear Jane quilt.  Now just to get the borders sewn to the center and begin quilting.  I am definitely going to machine quilt, there are just too many seam in these blocks to make hand quilting pleasurable to me.

I patterned my signature block after Jane Stikle's block.  She had written "In War Time" on her quilt, as she made it during the Civil War while her husband was away fighting.  I chose "In Turmoil Times" as I began this quilt the day before "9/11" and it just seems to me that since then our country has just been in turmoil. 

Dear Jane Triangle Borders

Woohoo...finished the triangle borders this morning.  I have included some close up pictures of the Top and Left borders, but just now realized I never took pictures of the right border....guess that will be my next post.  But for now, I am on to the 4 corners.  I debated on using the sashing fabric for the solid triangle between each pieced block, but decided on the scrappy look, much like the ones in the original quilt.  I am glad I made this choice, as I love the way it looks, even thought it is VERY busy looking.