Wednesday 26 January 2011

Mediterranean Nights - My Sampler Quilt

Having finally finished my sampler quilt yesterday all I had the energy to do was fall asleep under it but today I'll share the pictures and what I learned.
The sampler quilt is now named "Mediterranean Nights" in reference to the colours I chose for it.  I've seen the doctor today and he said I have RSV, Human respiratory syncytial virus, (science bit here) and that he couldn't give me anything but a couple of weeks of sunshine might help.  I wonder if sleeping under this quilt will do any good!
Anyway, I digress.  Here's a photograph:
I am pleased with this quilt and love the way it looks on our bed and the colours and bright, liveliness of it.  It has been a steep "learning curve", a teach myself to quilt process, and the blocks are as they worked out, I didn't remake them and tried not to worry about the imperfections.  I used different quilting methods too in a quilt a row as you go way which worked well for me - it was easier to handle a row of four blocks on my machine than a whole quilt.
So what have I learned?
That I will never let a quilt project last so long again (I started this quilt in August 2008).
That I must buy sufficient fabric at the beginning.
That 1/4" seams mean just that, something near enough isn't good enough.
That I like foundation piecing.
That I don't like applique.
That I should never handstitch when I don't feel like it (unless I want all the stitches to be of various sizes and pointing in various directions).
That I enjoy English paper piecing.
That reading instructions carefully and then following them is often a good plan.
That I'm not afraid of colour.
That I'm proud of what I have achieved (although the quilt police wouldn't agree).
That Delectable Mountains aren't always delectable.
Thank you to everybody who has advised and applauded on this quilt's journey, I appreciate all your support.  Thanks to Lynne Edwards' for her very thorough Sampler Quilt books, she gave me the courage to attempt this quilt.
Okay, what's next?!

10 comments:

  1. Looks fantastic! Time for you to snuggle down under it and get well.

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  2. The quilt looks great. It is always nice to reflect on the things we learned after making a quilt like that. I do hope you will be feeling better real soon!

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  3. It looks fabulous, Lis! Sorry that you aren't well - miserable for you - and hope that things improve soon.

    Only 2 1/2 years to complete this quilt? My sampler blocks took years to get into a flimsy, then even more years before they were quilted (and like you, I didn't re-make anything)! I'm still pleased that I worked through so many Lynne Edwards blocks, though, and tried so many techniques! Well done on finished a lovely bright quilt!

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  4. Congratulations, this is such an achievement and it's lovely! I know I'm going to take longer than that over mine and will enjoy my 'reveal' when it happens.
    Hope you feel better soon and get rid of that nasty virus!
    Teresa x

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  5. Great quilt Lis, and not a "long drawn out affair" by any means. I'm sure a lot of us quilters have much older projects than going back to 2008! Lots of lovely colour to cheer your winter months up. So sorry to read that you are unwell, sending you some Kiwi Get Well wishes.

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  6. Awe it's just a baby in comparison to some of mine (10 years!) But it IS a wonderful quilt, that's for sure! Beautiful colours. You definitely need to snuggle up underneath it and rest! Take good care of you!

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  7. Lis, It's wonderful, so bright and cheery just what we need. Be proud.

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  8. Just love the colours Lis, it is indeed very cheerful.

    Have checked out the RSV web site and see it refers to infants! Well I know you are much younger than me but not that much. However I am sure it must be reassuring to know that your condition has a name.

    I have to confess to having a UFO that is nearly 17 years old and somehow I quite like that and maybe I'll never finish it, I bring it out occasionally, fondle and stroke it, check its OK and then carefully fold it up and put it back into storage. Maybe someone else will finish it after I am no longer around!

    Yvonne , the rag picker

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  9. That quilt looks bright ans sunshiny to me. It is really lovely. Hope you keep warm under it and take care so the virus disappears.

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  10. What a great achievement finishing this quilt. Beautiful!

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I really appreciate your lovely comments, ideas and opinions, they make my day. Thank you for visiting Piece'n'Peace,
hugs, Lis x