From Turkey With Love

Day 18

Today I thought I’d show you something I’ve been working on for a very long time. This is a little hand stitching project I’d chosen to do long ago. It’s taken me ages to get this far. I’ll show a few close ups but please note that I’m no expert. As a matter of fact, my stitches are nowhere near as even as they’re supposed to be. But it’s a labor of love. For those who don’t have any interest in quilting, this might be the post to skip. lol

While most would have set the flying geese pattern flowing in the same direction all around, I decided to have them flow from a central corner and down. It represented the flow of a river by my old house in Alaska. The water would flow from the glacier, split for miles, and then converge before emptying into the ocean. Bold colors fascinate me and just tend to make me feel happy. I loved the idea of using traditional patterns to anchor my piece.

included in the border is a very pale yellow rose print. My grandmother gave me a small bit of it before she passed away. Less than a quarter of a yard. I had no information past the design and color since it seemed to be from her scraps. She asked me to use it and I have. Four of the flying geese have it. And you can see it above here, the middle picture.

The top is almost finished. I have one leaf and six acorns left to hand stitch. Then it’s on to the real quilting stage. Since I don’t have a machine here, I’ll be hand stitching. Scary thought for me. I’ll have to see if there are any 12 or 14 inch quilting hoops here. I’m doubting it, but you never know. I looked through my sewing box and seemed to have left my Aunt Becky behind. Now hand stitching is going to be a lot more difficult. I can try and rig something for the Aunt Becky, but it’s going to be a challenge to hand stitch without a loop.

Here’s a close up of the stitching, if you’re interested.

I’m looking forward to getting this part done so I can move on to the actual quilting.

Peace, I’m out.

Tags: crafts, leaf stitch project