Sunday, July 26, 2020

Slow Sunday Stitching

Welcome to the weekly hand stitching party! If you enjoy antique projects, you are in for a special treat today! I have some antique hand pieced quilt tops to show you.

I ventured out to have a socially distant visit with my friend Louise this week and she had some quilt tops to show me. 

Antique Lemoyne star quilt top
I really wasn't on the ball with taking good quality photos as I was totally enamoured with these quilts (and so excited to be seeing my friend!). But I'll show you the too sunny back lit photos that I took under the apple tree. Amazing Lemoyne Star quilts! Louise is going to quilt these and finish them for a friend (whose Grandmother made these quilts). Notice there is no border. Would you add one before quilting?

As you can see the stitches are large and the seam allowances vary greatly. It's amazing that the quilt tops lay flat at all!




This is the second quilt with 4 Lemoyne stars in one block. See how the long sides don't have a border? Would you add borders?
And if so, how? I don't know if you can see that the edge is very uneven. To add a border Louise would have to trim the edges straight and lose lots of points and parts (maybe why the original maker didn't do that!?) OR I suggested maybe needleturn applique the uneven edge onto a strip of fabric (with or without cornerstones). Would that work? Or maybe just quilt out to the edge and make a bias binding following an uneven edge? What are your ideas?
stitching the binding on mini projects today

As for me, I am hand stitching the binding on two small projects this weekend. It will not take  long enough for my liking since this task will be quickly completed and binding is my favourite!

What are you hand stitching as we approach the middle of the year? Link up your blog post below and share your project with us. And don't forget to leave a comment about your quilt finishing ideas for Louise!

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17 comments:

Kim said...

The two quilts are beautiful. I love that they are pieced by hand and are beautifully vintage. You know, I wouldn't add a border. I think I would just leave them be. I love the imperfect aesthetic both quilts exude.

Jill said...

How nice you got to visit with a friend. Two pretty family heirlooms. No border for 1st quilt. Solution for 2nd quilt could go either way. If not distracting, I would leave alone. If uneven edge too wonky, I like your suggestion of needle turn applique.

Carole @ From My Carolina Home said...

Hard question on the borders. The first one, I'd just leave,even though it might look better with a white one like the sashing. On the second, it looks like the last two borders were left off. But if it is really uneven, what about removing the two other borders instead, so the quilt is symmetrical?

CathieJ said...

I think I would leave both quilts just as they were pieced. They are really pretty. Enjoy your binding.

Deb A said...

I would leave the first quilt as is. The second... I like your idea of the needle turn, I guess it depends on how bad the edge is. Good luck and what pretty quilts.

Louise said...

I really like Carole's idea of removing the short side borders on the second quilt so it looks intentional. That's really thinking outside the box!

Otherwise, I'd add the long borders to match the short ones and not worry about losing points. I really think only other quilters notice points :)

LES is More said...

I just completed a quilt for a friend that had been started by her grandmother in the 1940's. I added an outside border because the fabrics were feed sacks and a bit fragile. It will add to the preservation of the quilt itself. There was a combination of hand and machine stitching on it, and I used a crosshatch pattern with a walking foot. She was thrilled. And yes, I lost a lot of points on the edges, but so were the ones in each block. I don't think they were concerned, so I wasn't either.

Karla (ThreadBndr) said...

I like borders, so I would probably add them to both quilts.

But I would not worry about points.

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

Those look like amazing quilts - especially all hand-pieced! I bet that was a fun get together, too. Enjoy your stitching today, Kathy!

Sarah said...

I must admit I like a border but I don't think I would add one to the first quilt but the second one feels like it should have one added on the long edges even if points are lost. lovely to meet up with your friend too!

hetty said...

How nice to meet up with your friend. I love the antique quilts. I would leave them as they are. They were hand stitched and therefore not perfect. That is how they should stay.

Deanna W said...

Although borders might complete the quilts...on the first one I wouldn't add a border just binding. This will keep the authentic nature of the quilt. But the second one, I think will look funny without those outside borders. Add them any way that is easier to do.

I have some machine quilting to do today and a little binding too!!

Karrin Hurd said...

Beautiful quilts, I would not add borders, just quilt them the way they are.

Robin said...

The opinions are so different from each other in all these comments. You'll have to do what you feel is best. I would just bind the 1st quilt. A border would be more work and it looks great just as it is.
The 2nd quilt pattern is Old Maid's Patience, I know because I have hand pieced a quilt top using that pattern. It took a lot of patience-ha! I would take the two side borders (that are really sashing) off of the 2nd quilt and add borders all around. I think loosing some points is a small price to pay to have the integrity of the quilt strengthened. I'm so glad they are getting finished.

Miaismine said...

Oh, that's an amazing question about the borders....but a lovely quilt.
I am so happy you had some socialization time and sewing time! Lovely link ups today! :)

audrey said...

Hand stitchers often find a way to make their block lay a little flatter.:) Happy for you to have had some good social time!

QuiltGranma said...

What am I hand stitching lately? I've been working on some EPP Hexagons that measure about 3" across, so cumbersome to work on making them into a top. My hands need a rest so have not done any this week. But I can see the end is somewhere in sight, finally!