I have been waiting a *long* time to share this quilt top, so warning– there are a lot of pictures in this post!
I started the Single Girl quilt (pattern by Denyse Schmidt) with the Single Girl Quilt Along, which started quite a bit ago– as I look back at the group, it looks as though it’s been 20(!) months. This is definitely the longest it’s taken me to finish a quilt top! I don’t think I really knew what I was getting myself into when I decided to make this as a queen sized quilt for our bed. Now that the quilt top is done, I’m soooo glad I did it, but I likely won’t make another, at least not this size!
After finishing the quilt top, I knew I wanted to take it somewhere special to take some photos, and the perfect opportunity presented itself shortly after our move to Boston. We headed out one evening to climb Mount Wachusett, and since finishing this quilt top felt a bit like climbing a mountain, I thought I’d schlep it up there with me.
The light was perfect, and the top of the mountain gave us the most amazing views. It was a bit windy, and I think I put my quilt holders to the test, especially as I kept directing them to “just ONE MORE spot” for photos. Thanks so much to my mom, Justin, and Liv for putting up with me!
At the top of the mountain there are 360 degree views, and an industrial looking tower that was just gorgeous, and provided a nice platform for holding the quilt.
There were also a bunch of grasshoppers hanging around, and we spotted a frog lounging in the pond on top of the mountain.
Simon loves hiking and climbing, and he stayed a few steps ahead of us all on the way up and down.
As you can see, he’s a very fashionable dog, with cans of dog food on his collar. He loves his wet food!
I just couldn’t help myself, and took about a million pictures. There was something so ethereal about a night like this, with the light just right, hanging out on top of a mountain with family and a new favorite quilt.
Call me crazy, but I’m planning to hand quilt this beast over the winter. I’m almost done hand quilting my lap quilt, and I am loving how slow and deliberate it is to quilt by hand. Plus, I think I will back this one in voile, which I have found makes for VERY pleasant hand quilting. I managed to snag some from Pink Castle Fabric for a great price before it sold out, and I’m so glad I did– if you ever have a chance to hand quilt with voile, do it!!
I’m sure I’ll be sharing some process pics as I work on this over the next few months. I’m so glad it’s finally ready to quilt!! It took more patience than any other project I’ve attempted, but it was well worth it, and I can’t wait to put this on our bed in the spring!
It was definitely worth the effort – I mean both piecing the quilt and climbing the mountain for the photos. The light is so beautiful. And I like your idea to hand quilt it – I love the process too.
Wow!! The colors you chose are gorgeous! And the pics came out so beautiful…it sounds like a perfect evening!
I’m so jealous!! And so impressed. This is gorgeous! And I have a bundle of Katie Jump Rope waiting for this purpose. Can you tell me the fabrics you used – is it Hope Valley with some other fabrics? What is the size? Lovely.
Yay…she’s back with a bang! Great everything!
Tremendous! I have my fabric set aside to start one for my daughter, but we still have to pick the background. I’m a little intimidated, but I guess I should just jump in and give it a go. Yours looks so lovely.
Congratulations! I especially like the pic on the tower. I love the colors, too.
Natalie, your quilt turned out so beautifully! Congratulations on getting the top done 🙂 You’re right – the light for those photos is the perfect late summer light!
Just gorgeous, Natalie! Definitely worth the wait. Great job!
Such a beautiful accomplishment is most definitely worthy of a few extra photos. Can’t wait to see your hand quilting progress on this stunner.
oh goodness natalie. i will someday make a single girl and i know it will also be like climbing a mountain. it is so beautiful and i am totally in awe and thinking you are slightly crazy to hand quilt it! it is HUGE! i believe in you! xo
p.s. i love simon. if you ever need a dog sitter… 😉
What a lovely location! Gorgeous quilt, it will be perfect for spring when it’s quilted 🙂
A photo shoot for a quilt – beats the fashion magazines that is for sure. Must give it a try.
Oh, yay!! It is so worth the effort! As you know, this one is on my outstanding-project list, so thanks for a swift kick to remind me of it!! Yours looks so amazing, and I cannot wait to see your quilty progress. And the view from that tower is stunning!
This is beautiful. Thanks for sharing. I’m sad that your photos will no longer have Ann Arbor backdrops and I won’t be able to recognize locations anymore. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep taking lovely photos.
This is so incredibly beautiful Natalie, so worth all the photos. I can’t imagine taking a quilt on a hike – my dog would think it was the best chew toy ever.
I read every word, looked at every pic! It sure was worth it!
Gorgeous! You have inspired me to get back to mine! Perhaps i can do it within 30 months!
This is so, so beautiful!! Ever since I found out that we will soon be living in a house with an actual “working” fireplace, I can’t stop thinking about hand quilting. Cold winter months couldn’t be more perfect for hand work — I can’t wait to see what you do!
Hi, found you from Jess’ (Stitched In Thyme) blog.
Your quilt is absolutely gorgeous!!! Love your fabric and colour choices.
[…] When I started quilting (on my very first quilt, actually), before I had purchased a walking foot for my machine, and long before I started free motion quilting, I tried hand quilting. And I was miserable. It was hard to sew through the batting, and I couldn’t get into the groove. I thought that if that was what quilting was like, I wouldn’t be making any more quilts! When I discovered the joy of quilting on my home machine, I was hooked, and I couldn’t imagine why anyone would sew a quilt by hand. But slowly, my thinking on this matter changed. I love a long term project, and looked forward to having something to hand stitch in evenings and on car trips. Hand quilting this quilt saw me through all of our trips this summer, including finding a new place to live and making our recent move. It represents more than just my favorite fabrics, it represents the time and care I devote to this craft. I’m so happy with this quilt, and although I never thought I’d say this, I’m excited to get to work on my next hand quilting project! […]