Saturday 7 June 2014

Sidetracked - the tracks

Progress - such as it is or isn't - on my show quilt has still come to a halt as I can't find my cotton backed gold material. I am awaiting one more delivery of my last internet find. If that isn't right, I'll just have to do with what I've got. And what I have got is a lot of various types of gold lame and foil material, so gold will have to feature somewhere in my future quilts!

So on to my tracks for Sidetracked.


I've pieced together irregular strips of various cottons and silks in neutral colours. I've put in random slivers of gold just to give a bit of a highlight. This is a technique I have used in quite a few quilts, such as Ugly Duckling see here. The gold lame just frays too much for this.


As you can see, I got a little bit carried away with my strips - this is a long piece - about twice as long as I need. Never mind, more to play with. I tried quilting with white but that was very insipid, so I switched to gold thread. You can't really tell in the photo, but that had a lot more kick.


It was a beautiful day, so quilting out in the garden again. Please don't think it is always beautifully sunny. It is because we don't get that many sunny days that I can't bear to be inside sewing when it is dry and warm.


Here are a couple of close ups. Each strip is quilted with a different motif, many of them you will recognise by now. I think I counted 59 in total. This is my absolute favorite part of the making a quilt, so I had great fun doing this. Some of the beige silks I picked up cheaply at a market and they are in reality furnishing fabric. They are a bit tough to quilt and you can see it bubbling a bit. A good bit of steam should fix that.



Thanks for dropping by...

Hilary Florence


Please find below a list of linky parties. I may not link with all of the every week, but with some of them most weeks. Please go and have a look at some of the other wonderful quilts and quilters there.
Anything goes Mondays @ http://marelize-ries.blogspot.co.uk/
Linky Tuesday at Free motion by  the river­­­­ @ http://www.conniekresin.com/
Fabric Tuesday @http://quiltstory.blogspot.co.uk/    
Sew cute Tuesday @ http://www.blossomheartquilts.com/ 
WIP Wednesday at freshly pieced   @   http://www.freshlypieced.com/
WOW = WIPs on Wednesdays  @ http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.co.uk/  
WIP Wednesday at TN + TN  @ http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca
I Quilt Thursdays @ http://prettybobbins.com/
Really Random Thursdays @ http://www.liveacolorfullife.net/
Needle and Thread Thursday @ http://myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.co.uk/
Off the wall Fridays @ http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.co.uk/
Lizzie Lenard @http://lizzielenard-vintagesewing.blogspot.co.uk/

23 comments:

  1. This looks so wonderful. It is a great way to become experience.

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  2. That little bit of gold just makes this quilt. Perfect.

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  3. I am blown away by your FMQ skills and your amazing creativity! You inspire me so much! Well done!

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  4. This is going to be fabulous! I love the little bits of gold and the gold quilting thread. What thread are you using and are you experiencing much breakage?

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  5. wow that is some incredible quilting with the gold thread. I've never been able to FMQ with metalic thread. What a work of art!

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  6. How I LOVE this!!! I love your designs!!! They reminded me of a whole cloth piece I saw in the Detroit Institute of Arts; I will email you the pic, as I think you will appreciate it. I wanted to make something similar...and I'd forgotten all about it! This quilt will be just incredible when it's done. I'm going to follow you now so I can keep track of your beautiful work.

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  7. This is really going to be a unique piece, love the fabrics you are using and of course your quilting! Thanks for sharing at Linky Tuesday! Freemotion by the River

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  8. This is so interesting! I love the golden threads and the gold inset. I don't know what kind of quilt you have in mind exactly, but I think that it would make a glorious table runner or a piece of art on the wall. I'm really looking forward for the finish result!

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  9. You never cease to amaze me. You've taken a simple idea and given it the "golden touch". Those bits of gold, peeking out are simply perfection. I can also see the shimmer of the gold thread in the sunlight. Beautifully done!

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  10. Beautiful ! I love the little gold highlights, and the gold thread really adds a special sparkle. And I am looking carefully at the FMQ..wow ..love it!

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  11. Beautiful! The gold thread for the quilting is fabulous. Love the different patterns.

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  12. Wow. That thin gold strip is wonderful in there. I really like your quilting motifs in the strips of various fabrics. I will have to bookmark this in my "inspiring" folder.

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  13. Oh my, your work is amazing! Thank you for sharing!

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  14. Hi Hilary my what an interesting blog, I have just lost 40 mins of my day as I have been looking back through your lovely art blocks. I have fallen in love wight he cat quilt, they remind me of the cats I saw and loved in Vienna. Thanks for sharing your skills it has been a fascinating 40 mins. Cheers Glenda

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  15. This is an excellent piece and so original! what will be when finished?

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  16. That's so fabulous! Thank you for this great idea for my scraps

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  17. Your projects are really cool. Looks great! I was also wondering what do you do with it next? :-)

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  18. Hello Hilary,
    Fabulous as always! Great combination of neutrals, and such a good way to use up all the strips.
    This weather is a bit of a shock, isn't it? I've actually caught up with the laundry (easy) and now I shall have to start catching up with the gardening (well nigh impossible).
    Linking up again this week? I've managed to roll two link ups into one - you'll see what I mean when you visit my blog. Such a novice hostess.
    Love, Muv

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  19. So beautiful! Your approach to quilting is so different from mine, much more free form, and I find it quite inspiring.

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  20. What a beautiful quilt. Love the random strips, and the gold touches make it so royal. The quilting, as always, is stunningly spectacular. Well done!

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  21. That quilting is pretty awesome and the gold thread totally takes it from boring to fabulous! Great work!

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  22. A piece like this can never be too long! It's looking great.

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  23. wow! this looks amazing! Your quilting is so lovely!

    Thank you so much for sharing at Needle and Thread Thursday!

    :) Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation

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