Thursday, January 16, 2014

Ironwork Quilt


I went back through my posts to determine what I'd already written about the Ironwork Quilt-Along quilt I started in 2012, and it turns out not much.  Not sure how that happened, except around the time I started that quilt, Norm had a work accident and my attention was diverted elsewhere.  Best guess as to why it fell through the cracks.


Anyway, all's well that ends well.  Norm recovered in a few months, and almost two years later, I finally finished the Ironwork quilt!

The flimsy was done in 2012, probably not too long after I started it.  Then it was put on the rack to properly age.  In other words, I hadn't a clue how to quilt it, so there it sat.  Fast forward to now and I finally felt ready to tackle the finish. It seemed to me that it needed a lot of ditch quilting around the rust-brown parts first, so I started there.

For quilting inspiration, I was thinking about what might naturally occur around an iron gate, and ivy came to mind.  My heart-shaped leaves don't exactly look like ivy, but close enough for rock and roll, as they say.


Plan A had actually been a more controlled, larger, leaf-shaped design, done sort of on the order of feathers, i.e., around a central stem.  However, that didn't pan out in practice.  Hence Plan B was adopted, and meandering heart-shaped leaves it was.


I used a variegated Sulky top thread and Aurifil in the bobbin.  Fabrics are Quilter's Candy Solids from Connecting Threads.


You can find the QAL posts for the Ironwork quilt at Piecemeal Quilts, HERE.


Thanks, Sandi, for the inspiration, beautiful quilt pattern, and great instructions.  I really enjoyed making this!

Linking to:


January Finishes


20 comments:

Elizabeth said...

Oh, I love it! The ditch-work around the iron is just right and your meandering leaves are perfect! The variegated thread is awesome. I love how the back looks, too! This turned out really well! Beautiful job!

xo -E

P.S. My quilts have to age properly too. (a.k.a., I get distracted before I finish and start something new, and then something else new and then something else and then eventually get back to it.)

Sharon said...

Great finish! I need to try a quilt made only with solids, that would be challenging

Catherine said...

Auriful have Facebooked this post (you probably already know) - nice to find you! Love the idea of leaving a quilt to age:-) It was worth it!

Shanna said...

I am glad to see this quilt finally completed, how proud you must feel!

Gina Loomis said...

Your Ironwork quilt is fabulous as well as the quilting!

thea said...

What a beautiful quilt! I just love it!

Shay said...

Love your take on quilt aging. Perfect description....

Those variegated leaves are the shitz. So cute! The quilting on this was well worth waiting to see what fermented in your brain. Congrats on the finish!

Andrea Johnson said...

Such beautiful colors, design, quilting. And two years of work in it. So special. I'm glad to hear your husband recovered fully from the accident. The quilt is like a celebration!

Anonymous said...

I love what your quilting added to the design!

Sara said...

OH BOY!!! This is so pretty with the ivy leaves in variegated thread--YUM!

I hope you are keeping it all to yourself P;)

Pokey said...

Beautiful! Just think, the aging process made it finish as well as it did, that's what I'd say, anyhow. Great choice on the leaves, and the variegated thread ~
:-}pokey

Karen said...

Love! Perfect fmq and great thread choice. Nice finish :)

Sarah Craig said...

Wow, P., that is stunning! I knew it would be, but even so I was a little breathless when I saw it! And your quilting is perfect for it. Great idea!

Whoop whoop!!!

Kim @ TiesThatBindQuilting said...

Beautiful! And I love the variegated thread - it just adds a little extra fun!

Kim
http://tiesthatbindquilting.wordpress.com/

genie said...

This is absolutely beautiful and the back is out of this world. Love your heart ivy and the touch of color in the strip on the back. Very creative. genie

sophie said...

The colors in your quilt are just perfect! I love the quilting, too. (It reads as ivy to me ;-)

Kevin the Quilter said...

Delicious! Please mail to Kevin the Quilter, Missouri USA! LOVE IT!!!!!!!

Kim said...

This is truly a stunning quilt...front and back equally superb!! The quilting is perfect....Plan B was an excellent choice!!

MomWaldsPlace said...

You shall quilt no flimsy before its time! It is splendid. Definitely worth the wait.

Michelle said...

Oh WOW! That quilt is fantastic!!! And I really, really like the heart-shaped leaf free motion. Beautiful! Did I mention that it's beautiful?