Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Homespun

My spiderweb quilt, begun years ago, is finally complete.  I think it is my favourite quilt that I have ever done. I'm completely serious. I can't even tell you the insane love I have for this quilt. Are there flaws? Yep. Am I going to point them out? Nope.  I'm just going to bask in pride and love.

My inspiration pieces were here and here.  I loved the one because the webs didn't touch and were two different sizes and the other because more than one background fabric was used.  So I sketched.  And counted. Made templates. Traced. Cut. Glued.  It was a while before I got going with the sewing.  Other than the linen-coloured Rouenneries and cream muslin backgrounds, the rest is scraps and a pair of my father's old trousers.  The back and binding is a bed sheet leftover from my teacher quilt.


I've named it Homespun.  Spiders spin, quilts are homey, and I had that line from A Midsummer Night's Dream running through my head for some reason... "What hempen homespuns have we here?"  They were a ragtag bunch, definitely fitting for a scrap quilt.
I quilted the name into one of the webs.
I'm insanely happy with the quilting. Pebbles, and echoes, for the backgrounds (thanks to Audrie who suggested doing more than one thing in the back) and improved spirals and squiggles in the webs.
I discovered while quilting that there was a hole (a HOLE!) in one of the fabrics.  Yeah.  So I sketched a spider over it.
His name is Troy.  I don't know why.  It just is.
Measures about 76" square.  Photographed just before it started raining.
NB: When using very light binding and backing, clean your hang-froms before hanging your quilt from it or all your fears about using a light binding and backing will come true and your efforts to keep your cat off it are all for naught. :-)

Yep, I really love this one.
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28 comments:

  1. AudrieMay 22, 2012 at 11:06 PM

    Holy crap I love this so much. I mean my mind... it is blowed. Just absolutely gorgeous! And the spider is hilarious. It needs a friend, Abed. You know... like in Community? Anyone? Anyone?

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  2. Heather D.May 22, 2012 at 11:22 PM

    WOW, so amazing!!

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  3. KrisRMay 23, 2012 at 12:45 AM

    Stunning! And, I love the pebble work....that's one of my favorite FMQ patterns.

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  4. CindyMay 23, 2012 at 12:48 AM

    I love your quilt it is stunning… and the spider adds an extra touch.

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  5. ShannonMay 23, 2012 at 4:44 AM

    OMG, I'm totally obsessed with this quilt! It's amazing...I NEED to make one now! I love Troy too...maybe I can add Abed to mine!

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  6. Angela NashMay 23, 2012 at 6:54 AM

    Gah! I hardly have words for how awesome this quilt is! Like you, I love the webs not touching and the different backgrounds. Your varied quilting adds even more awesomeness. And Troy is just perfect. Wow. So, I am totally sick of making any kind of string block, but you are seriously tempting me here.

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  7. Angela NashMay 23, 2012 at 6:59 AM

    I'm sitting here thinking about the logistics of the thing - how many of the triangles did you have to remake because you had the background or size wrong? That must have been crazy to keep track of! So awesome.

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  8. CarlaMay 23, 2012 at 7:57 AM

    This is Brilliant!! I love the whole blog post.never wanted it to end. Absolutely wonderful

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  9. teaginnyMay 23, 2012 at 8:38 AM

    oh, this turned out so beautifully! I love the layout and different colored background fabrics. It adds such a uniqueness to the traditional block. The quilting is totally fab too! Well done!

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  10. PattiMay 23, 2012 at 8:48 AM

    You have every reason to be proud of this beauty, Carly! How amazing is it that Troy has found a good home! Lucky for you to have gotten it photographed before all our rain! I think it can stop now, don't you!

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  11. imquilternityMay 23, 2012 at 8:59 AM

    It's totally gorgeous!! In every way....I love your fabric choices and I especially love all the great quilting you did on it. It's truly a masterpiece.

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  12. Live a Colorful LifeMay 23, 2012 at 12:56 PM

    I don't have enough words to share how much I love this quilt--the different colors in the backgrounds, the scraps, TROY! Really stunning.

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  13. LisaMay 23, 2012 at 1:12 PM

    I love your quilt! And Troy! How funny. Great quilting too.

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  14. KimberleyMay 23, 2012 at 4:57 PM

    It looks great! Troy is an awesome spider name.

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  15. JabbaMay 23, 2012 at 10:47 PM

    I love it! Now where are you going to keep it? On the couch in the living room? On your bed? Hang it on the wall?
    I would love to sit and go through all the fabrics, but how amazing it would be to be going through that and find those extra hidden treasures of Troy and the name you sewed in. Gorgeous!

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  16. WendeMay 24, 2012 at 12:22 AM

    Wow! Carly, you've totally outdone yourself!! Gorgeous.

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  17. KleepMay 24, 2012 at 1:30 AM

    That turned out fantastic. Also, loving the quilting. And the photo locale so to speak.

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  18. AnonymousMay 24, 2012 at 11:53 AM

    Definitely my favorite machine quilted quilt. Amazing.
    I also love how you used the three different background colors, too.
    Oh and the advice on cleaning where you hang your quilt? Uh, I could have used that before I discovered the fencepost to use for my photos....

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  19. felicityMay 24, 2012 at 6:39 PM

    Bask away. It is simply incredible. Troy. :)

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  20. CandyMay 25, 2012 at 9:43 AM

    Very cool! I love the spider...

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  21. ChristyMay 25, 2012 at 6:03 PM

    Wooooow. I am in complete awe of your quilting masterpiece de resistance. Do you have any idea how much I love the pebble stitching?

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  22. TerriawMay 25, 2012 at 7:27 PM

    Wow, this is amazing! The blocks are amazing. I love the way you arranged them. The fabrics are amazing. The quilting is amazing. You did such a fantastic job with this. I'm so impressed with your work!

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  23. OPQuiltMay 30, 2012 at 7:26 AM

    This is a stunner of a quilt, I'd say. Absolutely beautiful and so fresh and inventive (I'm running out of adjectives, but it needs to have many more). I think a WOW is appropriate, and I love all your descriptions of the process and product. Concur with you on the different quilting designs--they really add to the intrigue of all those floating spider webs. This is a amazing--well done!

    Elizabeth
    opquilt.com

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  24. beth May 31, 2012 at 1:03 PM

    i am completely in LOVE with this!!! what a great way to put your spiderwebs in a quilt! and the texture of your quilting is amazing...!!!!

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  25. Dresden QuilterJune 4, 2012 at 2:32 PM

    This is insanely gorgeous! I love the use of the different backgrounds. You are so amazing!

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  26. MaritJune 9, 2012 at 3:58 AM

    It's stunning! So different than most spiders, and still very much a spiderweb quilt. Love it. And I love the boldness in your creations...
    ; )

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  27. Dana - Old Red Barn Co.June 11, 2012 at 6:58 PM

    HOLY COW!!!

    I think this is my most favoritest quilt I've ever seen!

    It's amazingly brilliant!

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  28. PauletteMay 18, 2013 at 4:30 PM

    I had to come see this older one from your current quilt fest entry. Holy cow, I love it!

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