Friday, May 21, 2010

Blogger's Quilt Festival

Even though I'm not the most prolific quilter, making many of my quilts by hand, I still had a hard time choosing which quilt to enter in the Blogger's Quilt Festival. I finally decided on this one, Lady Liberty, as I never tire of looking at its many fabrics.

This is my 2nd quilt. I began work on it somewhere around 1997, and didn't finish it until 2002. It was intended to be paper-pieced. I received the kit for Christmas, complete with paper-piecing patterns. Paper-piecing was a really new concept for me, and although I read and re-read the instructions, I never was able to make heads or tails about how to use the patterns. Instead, I made my own templates, and started cutting this scrappy wonder.

The blocks are hand-pieced, and the quilt is tied. Originally, I'd intended to hand-quilt it too, but 3 moves within a year and nine months, put a dent in my quilting for quite awhile. I was only able to steal snatches of time to work on quilting, so opted to finish Lady Liberty in the most speedy way possible.

I still have those templates. I love this quilt so much that I'm currently working on another. This one will be full-sized. You can see the beginnings of the new quilt here.

This is my first Blogger's Quilt Festival. I'm eager to see everyone's entries. As soon as I link up at Amy's Creative Side I'm going to start enjoying all the beautiful quilts. Go take a look!



63 comments:

  1. That is just amazing! That block has been on my list of things to make for a long time. I love the new one you are making too!

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  2. Beautiful! I love the colors. You did a terrific job! Thanks for a fun stop on my Blogger's Quilt Festival Tour!

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  3. This is a breathtaking quilt. I don't get paper piecing either. I'm glad you found a way to make it work with the templates and hand piecing it. It's beautiful.

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  4. love the NYB blocks!

    margaret
    www.quiltsoflove.blogspot.com

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  5. This quilt is gorgeous! I can't believe you hand pieced it!!! I just don't have the patience. Well done!

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  6. What a gorgeous quilt! I hope to make a New York Beauty one day. Love the colors in your quilt. Thanks for visiting my blog!

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  7. Such a gorgeous quilt! I LOVE the jewel tones and deep rich colors you chose. I can see why you've begun a second quilt using this same design. ; ) Thanks for sharing!

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  8. Michelle,

    This is absolutely GORGEOUS! You are amazing! Thanks for visiting me and leaving the kind comment on my French Bouquet.

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  9. All I can say is, "Holy cow! Your second quilt? Hand pieced?" This is so gorgeous! I've never hand pieced even a block. I've tried paper piecing and I'm with you - I didn't get it. Taking a paper piecing class is on my "to do" list though. Wow! This quilt is awesome!

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  10. O MY Goodness! OH MY GOOOOODNESSS! I also prefer hand-piecing and really don't like the fuss of paperpiecing, so I totally understand what you have accomplished here... and this was you second quilt?! WOW!
    BRAVO!!! Thank you so much for sharing this 'beauty' with us!
    Valentina in faraway Cyprus!

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  11. I do love New York Beauty quilts. I am always drawn to them at quilt shows and on book covers, but I must say that I've never made one! I love the way you photographed your Beauty. The purple and the black in the room are two very dramatic colors.

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  12. Gorgeous! So rich and vibrant. It looks perfect against that plum coloured wall too. This is a great accomplishment to have been hand pieced!!

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  13. What a beautiful quilt and so rich in colours!! This block has been on my wishlist for a while and seeing yours really put it back to the top a few more places! Lovely!!

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  14. Love the colours and to echo a load of other comments - your second quilt?! Wow!!

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  15. WOW! Hand pieced - wow! (I liked your drunkards path too.

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  16. I think this is the most inspiring design in the festival! I would love to have a go at making this! But also I would love to see a bigger photo!!

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  17. it is a gorgeous quilt, you chose a great one to share, thank you for showing us!
    Kristina
    www.priscillacraft.blogspot.com

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  18. I have always thought this was stunning - glad to see you're making another!

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  19. Thanks for the comment on my entry to the Blogger's Quilt Festival!

    I love this quilt. I've made three New York Beauty blocks and that is enough for me! Ha ha! I really struggled with them. This quilt is absolutely gorgeous! Great job!

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  20. Wow! Hand piecing that would take a long time. The fabrics are just super.

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  21. How intricate! I'm still stuck on squares, but I'm learning a lot-some day I'll try one of these!

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  22. You hand-quilters are diehard, for sure! Bravo on a quilt well-pieced and tied! Thanks for sharing as part of the festival!

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  23. Lovely, lovely and the matching pillow cases are the cherry on top.

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  24. Its great to see a hand pieced quilt! Grat job, Well done!!!

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  25. Love it! I did a pillow in this pattern once...and it was a small pillow, about 12 inches. I love it. thanks for commenting on my humble denim quilt.

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  26. This is incredible - what a labor of love - it's just stunning!

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  27. Wow, what a challenging pattern for your 2nd quilt, I'm impressed that you finished it. The key to paperpiecing is to realize that it is still just sewing two pieces of fabric right sides together but with a piece of paper on top to show you where to stitch.
    Sandra

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  28. It's beautiful! A NYB is on my list of to-dos! I cannot imagine handpiecing that quilt! amazing!

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  29. great great quilt!
    This is on my life list - one day -
    great color choices

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  30. Beautiful. What a treasure.
    I love the richness of the colours. Thanks for sharing.

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  31. What a beautiful quilt- and hand pieced, too!

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  32. Wow! and more Wow! The Mariner Compass is one that has been on my to do list for a long time but I doubt I will be doing it by hand. Let me re-phrase that; I KNOW I will not be doing it by hand.( What patience!Good for you to hand piece it ♥♥♥)I have done a few paper piecing and I really enjoyed it so that will be my adventure when I do get it done. I love your color scheme!

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  33. This is beautiful!! I love the colors, and I can't believe you made this with templates! In spite of life getting in your way, you made an outstanding quilt!

    Oh, and I LOVE the color of your wall!

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  34. What a superb, gorgeous quilt! How brave of you to figure out your own method of making those blocks. You have to be very proud of yourself to have persevered and made such a wonderful, colorful quilt.
    Well done!

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  35. You are a daring woman, if this is your 2nd quilt! It is lovely, complex and colorful. Thank you for sharing with us.
    ; )

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  36. I love your quilt it's amazing and only your second make you're braver than me.
    Happy quilting
    Georgie x

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  37. Thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting Michele. This festival is a lot of fun. Your quilt is lovely -- such a big job and a stunning result.

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  38. A beautiful quilt, my first quilt was also hand tied. But paper piecing is still not my favorite technique.

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  39. A New York Beauty? O my; that is my dream quilt! Yours is beautiful.

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  40. You have done a fantastic job. It is a stunning quilt.

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  41. seriously? your second quilt? wow! so impressed!

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  42. Thanks for visiting my crazy quilt. YOur quilt is lovely. Hand pieced? eeks, I have done a few blocks that way, but not a whole quilt. I do enjoy the process though. Thanks for sharing your quilt.

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  43. so pretty! I love this type of block.

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  44. Stunning! Love your handiwork!

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  45. Wow, wow, wow!!! This is truly beautiful. I love the setting too. Fantastic!

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  46. Michelle,
    this is a really stunning quilt- I love your color choices and the place where the quilt resides is perfect to showcase it.
    I totally admire people who enjoy hand quilting- it is not for me- I don't have the patience or the dexterity to do it - mostly its just not my thing but I sure can admire the work of others.
    I do enjoy paper piecing - it is not really complicated- It is a matter of sewing the pieces in sequence like a jigsaw puzzle. It can be fiddly - I guess but there are lots of quilting techniques that are finicky. I love it when I am needing to make precise points- I can guarantee my accuracy with it. NYB is a complex pattern for a new quilter. You did a fantastic job.
    Thanks for your kind words about my heart bargello- I have a second bargello heart pattern that I want to try and there are some other fabulous bargello designs to make too. So many quilts and not enough time.
    I hope you will come back and visit me again. I am going to add you to my blog list so I can find you again.
    Regards from Western Canada,
    Anna
    http://quiltmomsjourney.blogspot.com/

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  47. There's just something about the NYBN eesigns-I made one for my son in planned colorways, and I have saved CW repro FQ's from all the soldier's quilt we make for bereaved families through the HOB quilt project. I plan to make the Orange Peel version-someday!
    Love the bright colors in yours I always drool over NYB's, I want to make one of each!

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  48. PS I would have liked to see the whole quilt!

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  49. Aye carumba! All hand-pieced! Wowee! Great job Michelle!

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  50. That is a truly wonderful quilt. Thanks for visiting my blog.

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  51. very intricate.

    Such a stunning quilt.

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  52. What a gorgeous quilt! Love the colors!

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  53. Absolutely beautiful and your new one looks to be prettier yet. I made Karen Stone's New York Beauty quite a few years ago and it is still my favorite quilt that I have made.
    Barbara
    http://barbarabieraugeldesigns.com

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  54. What wonderful colors! I just love the fabrics you've chosen! You have great patience:)

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  55. Such a great quilt. I love your string quilt on the May 31 post. How nice of P. to send you that dresden block. It is lovely. Thanks for coming by my blog. I sure have missed reading your blog too.

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  56. I love it!! I hand piece a lot of my quilts too and love seeing other people work that way too.
    Karen
    http://karensquilting.com/blog/

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  57. your comment about lady liberty is the first time i realized why this quilt is called new york beauty. it never registered before!! i guess i just thought it was an exuberant expression of someone's love of new york. yours is beautiful and the other one you're working on will be also. thanks for sharing!!

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  58. Beautiful quilt! So intricate! I am so impressed you hand pieced the entire thing without paper piecing! The only time I every hand pieced a square I had to unsew and redo the whole thing, and it was a simple block! If I could paper piece everything I think I would. :) Nice that there are so many ways to piece - something for everyone!

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Your comments brighten my day. :-)