Stashy Quilt

Long ago, like 3 apartments ago, I began a very basic one-patch quilt with stash fabric.  I used 30's repro fabrics that never seemed to blend in with anything else. The quilt top came together quickly.  The rest came together slowly.  Ellis wasn't even born yet when I started!

In the interest of stash-busting, I have at last gone back to this project.  Yesterday I made the quilt sandwich and started quilting.  I was going to machine quilt it, but it didn't look right, so I am going with hand quilting using perle cotton.  A quick trip to Sifu to bulk up my perle cotton stash (which I know goes against the notion of stash busting. . . ) and I was ready to go.

Right now, I have the quilt spread out on the floor and am sitting on it to stitch without a frame.  This is possibly not the best way to stitch it, but it is very relaxing and I can be down on the floor, playing with everyone at the same time.  Also, this is a 90-degree week-end, and sitting with a quilt on my lap seems like a distinctly bad idea.

Even hex bug got in on the quilting action.

I am enjoying the slow pace of hand-quilting this.  The summery light is so pleasing on these colors.  It all feels kind of dreamy.  Hand-quilting is such a deliberate act, so meditative, so in the present, and yet also so connected to the past.  A fitting task for Memorial Day week-end, I think.