Quilting in the ditch

Ditch quilting in progress

This was one of the last quilts my friend, Martha pieced. She had started it before she had serious health issues. She was in the hospital and a recovery center for many months. She still sewed after she returned home; but, she wasn't the same. She lamented that the pattern for this quilt was "off." She said it was not a fast and easy quilt at all. At the time, I thought that she was right. Sometimes, patterns are more challenging than they appear. This pattern appeared in a magazine. I don't know if it was in Quick Quilts; McCalls Quilting or another magazine.

It contains lots of inch and half strips in a variety of fabrics. There are batiks, novelty prints, tone on tones and strips. All the colors are represented too. She always liked to mix fabrics. I think that was her favorite part of the process.

My monthly goal was to quilt this project in the ditch. One of my small groups has also taken up the challenge to make progress on a project that has been hanging about their workspace.  We will check back in the second week in February to celebrate our progresses.

It has been challenging to quilt this piece. I've had to repair some seams that has pulled apart. There are also spots where she stitched tucks into the seams. I'm quilting it as she stitched it. I'm using a monofilament thread in the needle and a dual duty thread in the bobbin. I've had this thread a long time. I can remember making dress for my mom for a special occasion with this thread. It was a good color to match the fabrics in the back of the quilt. Anytime that I can use thread that I've stored for years, I'm happy.

Once I finished the ditch quilting, I am planning to use purple thread and a template to quilt medium to large bubbles in the sashing. I thought the bubbles would compliment the straight lines of the piecing.