rose quilt – Page 2 – Deborah Makarios

December 30, 2017

The Last Gargoyle

As we draw to the end of the year, so we draw to the end of the Gargoyle Chip Reports.

Since July I have sides-to-middled, patched and darned one pair of queen-size sheets; appliquéd a large spray of roses to a circle of cloth (with thousands of tiny stitches); decided on and marked a quilting design; made a quilt sandwich, tacked/basted it, and begun the quilting.

Is this where I wanted to be by the end of the year? No, but it’s a considerable distance further along than I think I would have been otherwise.

And after all, while the reports may cease, the work can still go on. I’m hoping for some cool and quiet evenings to work on the quilting – all this progress has made me feel rather more kindly toward the project than I have hitherto.

What have you accomplished since July? Take a moment to think it through, write it down, and celebrate!

December 23, 2017

Gargoyle Chip Report XVII

For the first time in my life, I have been quilting!

Unfortunately due to the fatness of the batting (or possibly my total inexperience) I can’t use the ‘proper’ method of rocking the needle back and forth to pick up tiny stitches. So instead I have been using the stabbing method – stab down and stab up.

So here I sit, merrily stabbing away at my gargoyle, being pleased to see that progress is visible, if not startling.

How about you?

December 16, 2017

Gargoyle Chip Report XVI

On the menu this week is the Gargoyle Chip Sandwich (better known as a Chip Butty in some regions).

Which is to say, I have finished the applique on the rose quilt, marked the quilting pattern, and made a sandwich of it.

Note: a quilt sandwich, reading from bottom to top, consists of the backing fabric (right side down), batting in the middle and then the front (right side up). All this is then pinned, tacked, glued (!!) or tag-gunned together.

Being somewhat old-fashioned, I have used pins and tacking. At present I have only two more lines of tacking to put in, some pins to redistribute, and then I can begin the quilting.

How are your gargoyles going? Had a chip butty lately? Ever seen a gargoyle eating a chip butty – or, if it comes to that, eating chips in any way at all?