Quilting Sophie's Garden

I have been busy quilting my Sophie's Garden Quilt so there 

hasn't been a lot to show you for a while. But now that I have made some 

progress I can show it.

I have machine quilted in the ditch of all the blocks and the borders which has 

stabilized it nicely for hand quilting. I really do not like hand quilting in the 

ditch - you can't see where you have been or where you are going, so 

I might as well machine it - it is so much easier and quicker when you can't 

even see it - so long as you can keep in the ditch!

Then I spent some time outlining as much as the applique as I could. I wanted to 

take it to Festival of Quilts last weekend so I figured if I got some of the hand quilting 

down on most of the blocks I could take out the safety pins. Didn't quite make 

that target so it went to the Show with pins in place! 

I do stitch around the applique pieces, the large pieced stars and down 
some internal seam lines. I like to see my hand quilting so I stitch about 1/8" out.

I figure there is no point hand quilting if you can't see the stitches hence the 

distance from the applique or seam edges.

Block one large star background is quilted with lines radiating out from the 

star points and the V points to the edge of the background.

The small star blocks are outlined with a square on point in the centre.

All the small squares have a line down the middle of the two borders and a 

diagonal cross in the centre.

Block two is outline quilted and on the left and bottom borders I quilted down some of the lines on the fabric. I plan to use the fabric as inspiration all across the quilt. I went across the middle of the top border, left teh blue border on the right as it had flowers already quilted on it and did a lien down the middle of the taupe on the right.

I embroidered some stamen on the flowers but I am not sure I like it. 

I think the simple quilting around the centre circle below is probably enough.

Block three was treated the same as Block 1.

Block 4 bascially followed the same idea as the previous blocks.

Embroidery on the star to drop back the boldness of the cream fabric.

All my embroidery is done with two strands of Cosmo Embroidery thread.

Same for the centre of the flowers - a French knot in the middle with 

long stitches radiating out to the edge.

Quilting on the blue following lines printed on the fabric.

I hope this is helpful. I am quilting with two colours of Wonderfil Konfetti -

brown KT803 and light taupe KT903.

I like the fineness of this thread for hand quilting.

I am aiming to quilt four blocks each week so watch this space!!!!!