Frances Benton IQA quilt

I am finally onto the handstitching of this quilt's binding.  This is heading to IQA to be displayed at IQF in the fall.  I was asked to quilt one of about a dozen of Frances Benton's applique tops.  As the story goes, at some point she stopped making quilts and began making just tops.  I just wonder when I die if I will have that many that are actually finished for quilting (versus being in a bunch of pieces, as the reality is!).

My best guess is that this top was made in the late 1980s, or early 1990s.  I am just guessing based on the aqua print used for the sashing and the border.  It's kind of thin, and has painted "calico" on it.  It just reminds me of material I used WAY back when.

When I started on the quilt, I felt strongly that the quilting needed to fulfill two objectives.  First, it should compliment the quilt, and secondly it should be in keeping with the era that I believe the quilt was made. Twenty years ago, quilting designs and motifs were simpler, and more traditional.  Beyond that, time would tell.  I double batted this with Hobbs polydown and Hobbs 80/20 battings.  It gives a nice amount of lift beneath the appliques, and shows the relief of the quilting.  I chose Filtec Glide ivory thread for most of it.  I know in the era, it would have been hand quilted with cotton thread, but this is dull and I just wanted another element to the quilt.  The slight sheen is good.  There are touches of SoFine and Invisifil and monofilament on the baskets too.

 Many might comment that swags are out.  In today's quilting I would most definitely agree.  For a quilt like this, though, I couldn't think of a more time-appropriate motif.  This outer border is nearly 11", so I had to do some magic to break it up a little.  The swag gives a nice visual element, and it plays very nicely with the very linear block setting.  Inside of the swag, I feathered, outside of it, I pulled a modern filler which I like.  The McT has good movement, and is easy to get in and around all of the applique nicely.

So that it wouldn't be too boring, I placed the curved cross-hatch motifs in the corners of the border as well as the center of the borders.  It ties together with the Xhatch in the blocks, and fits the space beautifully. There are free placed sprays of feathering along the grape vine too.  I didn't go 100% overboard with feathers, as this IMHO lacks a sense of design.  Good design incorporates a few key motifs, and then they are repeated to create cohesion...feathers, cross-hatching, and linework.  I think it works; I just hope others do.

 Here's another look at the corner and border.  There are over 500 of these grapes or berries, all of which are outline stitched to give them definition.  My arms are very glad this task is done!

 It is always interesting to see how a block design done in one block will look when there are 12 blocks.  I love the secondary designs that form, like the illusion of the xhatched circular wreaths.

The fabric on the sashings is a very hard type material to work with.  It is a densely printed calico.  I didn't think that feathers would show up on it.  I didn't honestly know what would!  I chose to stitch linear 1/2" spaced lines instead.  The cornerstones are where a little modern flair sneaks in again.  I knew I had selected a fine red and ivory stripe for the binding, so I wanted to bring a little red in on the sashings.  But these things are hard to get thread to show on unless it is densely stitched!  These diamonds are "scribble filled" (ladies lingo "densely stippled, and stippled again!").  To quilt anywhere like this is a complete leap of faith. Seriously, there really is no pulling all of these stitches out!  I knew after I had a few of them done that I loved the effect.

Just a couple more pictures...  Here is a block~ I hope these would suit Frances' image of how she wanted her quilt finished.  I just wish I could see all of them in Houston this year...not sure that trip will be in the cards unless they accept my quilts (and I hear of an award!)...too many ifs probably.

 This is a quick peek at the back.  It is a soft aqua, and looks really pretty.  Not any visible thread other than the red diamonds - just texture.  The quilt needs a very good blocking to straighten a few lines and make it lay flat.  These very large borders suffered from the same fate that many do - excess fabric at the edges.  I suspect a good block should take care of it though.  Given my history with bleeding fabrics, I won't touch this with a 10' pole though!  Red and white...No way!  Hopefully Frances was better at prewashing than I sometimes am.

This is the before picture...I think it looks pretty nice finished!  Hopefully the clients will as well.